Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board: curtain

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gaftpres
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Topic: curtain
Posted: 4/17/09 at 11:46pm

To close the curtain or to not close the curtain? that is the question.

What are opinions on closing a curtain between scenes? Scene changes are minimal, characters can be seen in dim light exiting, stage crew are dressed appropirately.....I am just curious of others opinions.

Old volunteers never die, they just get recycled!

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David McCall
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Posted: 4/18/09 at 12:04am

My preference is to have the curtain closed before the show and during the intermission but keep it open the rest of the time. Sometimes it is useful to close the curtain to make a complex scene change that takes the whole stage, but I'd like to see some sort of activity out front to keep the audience in the mood. I also like to have something to look at rather than leaving the audience in the dark. Even if it is just some light on the house curtain.

David M

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tristanrobin
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Posted: 4/18/09 at 7:25pm

I never use a curtain anymore, except in musicals - and then only before the overture, at intermission, and after calls. Straight shows just get a pre-show set lighting. It's very unusual in my area for a curtain to be used.

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gaftpres
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Posted: 4/19/09 at 8:00am

My producer and I are disagreeing on this issue. I fear I have lost the battle, but wanted affirmation that many others are not doing the curtain "old school", which is the arguement for the curtain close. I do not want it closed and as the director feel it is my choice. Thanks for the comments.

Old volunteers never die, they just get recycled!

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David McCall
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Posted: 4/19/09 at 11:07am

I have a couple reasons for arguing for the use of the house curtain.

1. I like the idea of "revealing" the set to the audience rather than having the audience viewing and scrutinizing it before the show in less than ideal lighting. To me, letting them see the set before the show is about the same as letting the actors wander around the theater after the house opens.

2. It gives you more time to make last minute fixes and props placement. As far as I'm concerned the stage is ours until the curtain goes up. It also gives you a chance to clean up and reset during intermission. Doing that stuff in front of the audience is too tacky.

3. Many shows, especially older shows were written to accommodate set changes by having small scenes on the apron to cover for set changes. If given the option, I might choose to use a different curtain and just use the house curtain to start and end the show and signify the intermission.

It seems like directors like to leave the naked set for all to view all of the time. Perhaps it is to get the audience into the mood and environment before the show starts. Perhaps a good thing, but not worth it to me. If you do have to look at the set, then you must keep the house lights low enough that they don't bleed onto the stage, and a preset to light the stage nicely. The is no way to get around this "in the round", but that is part of my reason to not like doing shows in that format.

Another related pet peeve is that so many directors want to have the actors go out into the audience. In most cases there just isn't enough time or budget to properly light the auditorium so you have to do the best you can with a follow spot or bring up the house lights. I really don't want actors wandering into areas where they can not be lit, and I don't want to see the set with the house lights up.

David M

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KEB54
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Posted: 4/20/09 at 5:07pm

It all depends on the show and the circumstances. I tend to like to not use it, but part of that is we have little fly space and so the act curtain puls together from the sides and the procenium opening is 51 feet.

Still there is a lot to be said about revealing the set to the audience, and, of course, many older musicals were written with curtain scenes (those quickie scenes that take place in front of the curtain while a major scene change is taking place).

So, my answer is, it depends.

KEB

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gaftpres
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Posted: 4/22/09 at 9:58am

I guess ultimately it is the directors choice except in my case. The curtain was closing at the beginning, intermission and between Act II & III to designate a signicant time lapse. I lost the battle with my producer and the curtain is closing for all scenes. It made the working environment more acceptable for me and therefore my actors. I threw down the gauntlet, but it was thrown back at me. We are doing Blithe Spirit, hence the reference to the gauntlet. Thanks for your responses, it gave me more food for thought.

Old volunteers never die, they just get recycled!

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gaftpres
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Posted: 4/22/09 at 9:59am

David, I agree with you about actors in the audience. It is unnecessary unless it is an interactive play. Although when I did The Diary of Anne Frank, I had Nazi soldiers come in from the top of the auditorium prior to curtain in the dark shining flash lights throughout the audience. The new adaptation of Anne Frank by Wendy Kesselman is a fabulous script if anyone is thinking of doing that show.

Old volunteers never die, they just get recycled!

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tristanrobin
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Posted: 4/26/09 at 7:49pm

Actors wandering into the audience? Except for a very few avant garde abstract pieces, I've never seen this. Where is this happening?! And why? What is the point? (Although I've seen - and used once - entrances through the house.)

I completely disagree with closing the main drape during an act. Even when one of those old-timer script mentions the "curtain closes to denote elapse of time," they are talking about an act curtain, not the main house drape.

Even though I don't like using them at all (and rarely ever see them in professional theatres - including Broadway), if they ARE going to be used, having the main drape close is absolutely the cue for the audience to get up.

http://tristanrobin.blogspot.com

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Lights and Sound
Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board :Producing Theater :Lights and Sound

Author	Message
gaftpres Star Joined: 11/14/07 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 80	Topic: curtain Posted: 4/17/09 at 11:46pm
	To close the curtain or to not close the curtain? that is the question. What are opinions on closing a curtain between scenes? Scene changes are minimal, characters can be seen in dim light exiting, stage crew are dressed appropirately.....I am just curious of others opinions.
	Old volunteers never die, they just get recycled!

	IP Logged

David McCall Celebrity Joined: 1/28/09 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 299	Posted: 4/18/09 at 12:04am
	My preference is to have the curtain closed before the show and during the intermission but keep it open the rest of the time. Sometimes it is useful to close the curtain to make a complex scene change that takes the whole stage, but I'd like to see some sort of activity out front to keep the audience in the mood. I also like to have something to look at rather than leaving the audience in the dark. Even if it is just some light on the house curtain.
	David M
	IP Logged

tristanrobin Celebrity Joined: 4/25/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 704	Posted: 4/18/09 at 7:25pm
	I never use a curtain anymore, except in musicals - and then only before the overture, at intermission, and after calls. Straight shows just get a pre-show set lighting. It's very unusual in my area for a curtain to be used.
	IP Logged

gaftpres Star Joined: 11/14/07 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 80	Posted: 4/19/09 at 8:00am
	My producer and I are disagreeing on this issue. I fear I have lost the battle, but wanted affirmation that many others are not doing the curtain "old school", which is the arguement for the curtain close. I do not want it closed and as the director feel it is my choice. Thanks for the comments.
	Old volunteers never die, they just get recycled!
	IP Logged

David McCall Celebrity Joined: 1/28/09 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 299	Posted: 4/19/09 at 11:07am
	I have a couple reasons for arguing for the use of the house curtain. 1. I like the idea of "revealing" the set to the audience rather than having the audience viewing and scrutinizing it before the show in less than ideal lighting. To me, letting them see the set before the show is about the same as letting the actors wander around the theater after the house opens. 2. It gives you more time to make last minute fixes and props placement. As far as I'm concerned the stage is ours until the curtain goes up. It also gives you a chance to clean up and reset during intermission. Doing that stuff in front of the audience is too tacky. 3. Many shows, especially older shows were written to accommodate set changes by having small scenes on the apron to cover for set changes. If given the option, I might choose to use a different curtain and just use the house curtain to start and end the show and signify the intermission. It seems like directors like to leave the naked set for all to view all of the time. Perhaps it is to get the audience into the mood and environment before the show starts. Perhaps a good thing, but not worth it to me. If you do have to look at the set, then you must keep the house lights low enough that they don't bleed onto the stage, and a preset to light the stage nicely. The is no way to get around this "in the round", but that is part of my reason to not like doing shows in that format. Another related pet peeve is that so many directors want to have the actors go out into the audience. In most cases there just isn't enough time or budget to properly light the auditorium so you have to do the best you can with a follow spot or bring up the house lights. I really don't want actors wandering into areas where they can not be lit, and I don't want to see the set with the house lights up.
	David M
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KEB54 Celebrity Joined: 7/24/08 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 227	Posted: 4/20/09 at 5:07pm
	It all depends on the show and the circumstances. I tend to like to not use it, but part of that is we have little fly space and so the act curtain puls together from the sides and the procenium opening is 51 feet. Still there is a lot to be said about revealing the set to the audience, and, of course, many older musicals were written with curtain scenes (those quickie scenes that take place in front of the curtain while a major scene change is taking place). So, my answer is, it depends.
	KEB
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gaftpres Star Joined: 11/14/07 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 80	Posted: 4/22/09 at 9:58am
	I guess ultimately it is the directors choice except in my case. The curtain was closing at the beginning, intermission and between Act II & III to designate a signicant time lapse. I lost the battle with my producer and the curtain is closing for all scenes. It made the working environment more acceptable for me and therefore my actors. I threw down the gauntlet, but it was thrown back at me. We are doing Blithe Spirit, hence the reference to the gauntlet. Thanks for your responses, it gave me more food for thought.
	Old volunteers never die, they just get recycled!
	IP Logged

gaftpres Star Joined: 11/14/07 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 80	Posted: 4/22/09 at 9:59am
	David, I agree with you about actors in the audience. It is unnecessary unless it is an interactive play. Although when I did The Diary of Anne Frank, I had Nazi soldiers come in from the top of the auditorium prior to curtain in the dark shining flash lights throughout the audience. The new adaptation of Anne Frank by Wendy Kesselman is a fabulous script if anyone is thinking of doing that show.
	Old volunteers never die, they just get recycled!
	IP Logged

tristanrobin Celebrity Joined: 4/25/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 704	Posted: 4/26/09 at 7:49pm
	Actors wandering into the audience? Except for a very few avant garde abstract pieces, I've never seen this. Where is this happening?! And why? What is the point? (Although I've seen - and used once - entrances through the house.) I completely disagree with closing the main drape during an act. Even when one of those old-timer script mentions the "curtain closes to denote elapse of time," they are talking about an act curtain, not the main house drape. Even though I don't like using them at all (and rarely ever see them in professional theatres - including Broadway), if they ARE going to be used, having the main drape close is absolutely the cue for the audience to get up.
	http://tristanrobin.blogspot.com
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Topic: curtain( Topic Closed)