Working in the Theatre

Adapting work to the stage can be a thrilling experience. As Dave Malloy, creator of the Great Comet of 1812 says, "The most interesting thing about reading old texts, you know texts that were written a hundred years ago, 500 years ago, thousands of years ago, is how little humans have changed. You know how in all of these classic texts you see these characters doing things and thinking things and saying things that you yourself said just yesterday, or you had friends who did those things as well."

Welcome to the world of Odd Jobs, where any career is possible. Working in the Theatre sometimes means choosing a discipline that you never expected to choose. For Bessie Nelson (Beader), Tom Andrews (Flame Proofer), and Jon Coles (Feathers), this is the path they took. Hear their stories as they create beautiful costumes and props and help to make the theatre a safe place for all to work.

Animal Behaviorist and Theatrical Animal Trainer Bill Berloni has worked with many different types of animals in the theatre for over 40 years. We follow the journey as he demonstrates the process of working with animals on the stage. From training and engaging with rescues off stage to working with the talent (including the incredible Isabella Rossellini) to making routine checks at the theatre, making sure everyone is comfortable and happy - Bill has truly created a world where theatrical animals and their friends at the theatre are supported.

"The singer is the instrument and yet they play the instrument. It's a three part system. There's the respiratory, which has to do with inhalation and exhalation. The source is where the sound is made. The filter is the vocal tract and if the body is not working optimally, you're not going to be able to produce sound safely." - Joan Lader 2016 Tony Award Honoree Joan Lader is a legend to those who know her and those yet to know her. As one of the most esteemed vocal coaches in the business, Joan has worked with talent of all kinds to help them with both exploring and training of their respiratory and vocal tracts and guiding performers to find the best methods in achieving ultimate sound quality and type. Watch as she works with her clients Tony winners Renée Elise Goldsberry, Annaleigh Ashford, and Tony nominees Michael McElroy and Raúl Esparza.

"People have this desire to know that the world is bigger than them. That there are possibilities out there that go beyond our daily lives. People want to experience magic. They want to experience wonder. They want to feel that anything is possible." - Mark Kalin, Creative Director, The Illusionists Magic has been a part of the theatre since the very beginning. The work varies from illusions to stunts to special effects and so much more. Watch as magic makers from The Illusionists - Turn of the Century, Broadway Illusionist Jim Steinmeyer, and members from the production of The Magic Play at The Goodman Theatre share the history and present nature of magic in the theatre.

Cicely Tyson, the legendary Tony Award winning actress continues to amaze audiences on stage. Her story is one that continues to teach us that dedication to the craft of acting and the pursuit of a dream can inspire all future makers to achieve a career in the theatre.

Everyone knows that great wig work is important to the artistic process of creating theatre. But few know just how much work and skill go into producing the incredible design and execution of a wig. Paul Huntley, one of the most esteemed wig designers (and a past Tony Honoree), shares his career journey and spotlights the creative, economic, and technical processes of working in the hair and wig department. We enter his world through the Broadway production of A Bronx Tale, showcasing the interaction between designers and talent, resulting in one important goal - to complete the illustration of a character on stage.

Take a look inside the wardrobe department. The costumes are created to fulfill the epic world that a play or musical inhabits. But it takes organization, maintenance, and often some creativity to get the performers ready for each and every scene (and maybe even changed during a scene). The costumes are vast in the company of My Fair Lady at Lincoln Center Theater. They require multiple teams with various responsibilities to make the show run and look flawless. This is a slice of what they do, who they are, and how they work in the theatre.

Why revivals? What is the significance of the timing when a show, that has either long closed its doors or appeared on stage in smaller venues, gets a significant reboot on Broadway? The recent revivals of Children of a Lesser God and Once on This Island on Broadway shed light on how the revival of two acclaimed shows can impact new audiences and reflect on the current climate of our country, even though they were written for another time.

We may never be able to fully distinguish the difference or even grasp the true union between opera and musical theatre, but in this episode of Working in the Theatre, we learn how the two genres really do play well together to expose an audience to storytelling that engages emotionally through sound patterns and music. And excitingly so, Chamber Opera (to some just called opera) as shown through the lens of a theatrical experience has the ability to be created and shown in so many different and wonderful ways.