Since Porcelain Dolls closed, I’ve seen 10 plays in one month. Here’s what I learned!
On Monday’s Off Book, I mentioned that I had seen 10 plays since Porcelain Dolls closed just about a month ago and would you be surprised at all to know that I had lots of people reaching out to me? Asking what shows. And how I did it. And why? All good questions. Questions that I may or may not answer before diving into the meat of this post – what I learned from seeing 10 plays in one month.
This is semi-common knowledge, but I am a new member of the Calgary-ACTS Nom Com (nomination committee) this year. In exchange for a free ticket or two, I try to see all of the shows our member companies present so that I can nominate the best of the best for awards and vote on the eventual winners. I take this responsibility extremely seriously and, while I will end up missing about five shows, I see almost everything. Plus, I have subscriptions to the Vertigo Theatre and Alberta Theatre Projects opening nights. And then I try to see projects that my friends are working on. It adds up! (So that’s the how and why.)
6 Things I Learned from Seeing Plays in One Month
As for the what? Well… I’ll answer what I learned. I am actually not going to name names when it comes to the shows. These are holistic lessons that came from seeing so much back to back. Some of the shows were really good, some were less good, and I don’t intend to categorize them in this post. What would anyone gain from that?
Acting is Reacting
This month, I’ve caught myself going all theatre school and talking about motivation and tactics more times than I ever thought I would over ten years out of university. I rarely do tactics anymore as an actor, unless I hit a wall when it comes to understanding or performing a scene. It’s a tool, not a standard for me, at this point.
But boy, is it obvious when no one has ever bothered to explain to an actor that their character wants something out of every single scene and each line should help them get that thing! It’s obvious when actors think it’s just about learning their lines and making the movements on the stage that their directors told them to make. And it’s especially obvious when they aren’t listening to the other actors onstage because they are too worried about just doing those two things right.
Good Director? Game Changer.
Okay, this isn’t revolutionary. This is in line with my first point and it’s something I knew, but I re-learned it. Directing isn’t just about making pretty stage pictures. In fact, I would say it’s rarely about that. A good director helps the actors understand the human emotions behind the words they say and evokes motivation to create those stage pictures. A good director sets the tone and tempo. A good director creates a rehearsal room energy that draws out those inspired choices from actors. And all of this is way too evident onstage.
Simple Is Better
Maybe not always. I mean, we all love a good Cirque du Soleil show or Broadway mega-musical. But especially when resources are limited (time, money, space, people, knowledge), it is better to focus on the small things you can do well, instead of throwing things at the wall and seeing what will stick. Now, don’t get me wrong – simple is not always cheap and it’s not always easy, but it’s usually my favourite.
The Gap Between “Good Ideas” and “Good Execution” is a Canyon
Not always. But it happens. And I think we should always keep taking big leaps and seeing where we land. Because no show is ever the last show – so let’s take the lessons we learn and do better next time.
The Audience Vibe is Everything
A good audience evokes a great performance. So that makes me think about Full Circle Theatre – how do we find and create the audiences we want? How can we set up our audience experiences as soon as they walk through the door so that they know what to expect and can show up for us?
Theatre is Alive
Seeing 10 plays in a month is totally different than seeing 10 movies in a month. I think a lot of people can easily watch 10 movies in that time! But theatre is a living, breathing experience where you share the same air as the storytellers in front of you. When things go well, you are ecstatic for them. And when things don’t go well, you choke on your own breath, praying for them to get it together. It’s uplifting and exhausting.
And I learned that even when something isn’t to my taste, I will hunt for the things they did well and the bright side of the experience. Because after I shared a room with those artists who invited me to share a story with them, how could I not?
Seeing 10 plays in one month reminded me why I make theatre. And I cannot wait to do it again.
So now I ask you – what is the last thing you learned from seeing a play?
