A SURVEY OF CONTEMPORARY AMERICAN
MUSICAL ARENA THEATRES

Thesis for the Degree OI M. A.
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
Lorna Marie Wildon
1957

 

" .ILQID

A SURVEY OF CONTEMPORARY AEERICAN HUSICAL ARENA THEATRES,

AND AN NAIYSIS OF PROBLEMS OF
CRGANIZATICN AND PRODUCTICN

by

LORNA MARIE WILDON

A T 3818
Submitted to the College of Communication Arts
Hichigan State University of Agriculture and
Applied Science in partial fulfillment of
the requirements for the degree of

MASTER OF ARTS

Department of Speech

1957

ACKNOILEDGNENTS

The writer wishes to express her sincere apprecia-
tion to Dr. John A. Walker for his untiring assistance and
guidance; to lrofessor Stuart Chenoweth for his many help—
ful suggestions; to Professor Gean Greenwell for his
faithful encourasement of her musical arbitions; and to
her father, Dr. C. E. Vildon for his :uiiance, suprort,

ani dedication to eiucational ideals.

BIOGRAEHY

T
1-

Lorna Harie fiilion was born in .ansing, Richifan,
ani received her elementary ani seconlary education in the
East Tansin: rublic schools. After graduation fror East
Lansing High School, she attendel the University of Vassa—
chusetts in Amherst, Kassachusetts, where she receivel a
Bachelor of Arts degree with a major in Fine Arts, 8 ie-
partmental major in Music, and minors in Art and English.
During her college career she arrearei as soloist
with the University Chorale for three years, ani aopenrei
in leading roles in seven WUSiCQI productions. After
graiuation from college, she snent a season with the South

W.
1..

Shore usic Circus in Cohasset, Massachusetts. Since then
she has arrearei in several nrofessional theatrical pro-
ductions, in adiition to her work with various civic and
little theatre groups. For the past two years she has

been a graduate student in the Department of Speech at

Yichigan State University.

iii

A SUR'EY F QITSVICRARY AI.ERICAN IUSICAL ARENA TH EATRES,

AND ADI ANAIYSJS CF IROBLENS CF
ORGANIZATION AND PRODUCTION

by

LORNA KARIE WILDON

AN ABSTRACT
Submitted to the College of Communication Arts
Michigan State University of Agriculture and
Applied Science in partial fulfillment of
the requirements for the degree of

EASTER OF ARTS

Department of Speech

1957
Approved (:EW

LORNA NARIE WILDON ABSTRACT

The thesis is a study of the contemporary American
musical—in-the-round or arena musical, commonly known as
the music circus, and an analysis of problems of organiza-
tion and production. This theatrical form involves a some-
what altered arrroach to the staging of musicals, and an
attempt has been made to determine what techniques and
practices are being employed in the staging of this form of
theatrical production. More specifically, the purpose of
the study is (l) to survey existing facilities and organi-
zational patterns in the proiuction of musicals—in-the-
round; (2) to investigate technical practices for producing
musicals in the arena theatre, and to analyze some of the
unique problems encountered in this form of production; and
(3) to note any significant trends found to be deveIOping
in the music circus.

The study is prirarily based upon information se-
cured’from questionnaires which were mailed to each of the
twenty—one music circuses Operating during the 1956 summer
season. A seventy-six per cent return was realized from
the questionnaires, representing replies from sixteen music
circuses.

Following an introductory chapter, Chapter II con-
tains summaries of the deveIOpment of musical drama and the
background of arena staging as a basis for the appreciation
and understanding of the music circus as it is tolay.

While neither musical theatre nor arena staring is a new

2
LOENA NARIE NILDON ABSTRACT

development, the American theatre is largely responsible
for their perfection, and the combination of the two has

resulted in a fresh, unique, and highly profitable theatre

Chapter III presents an outline and description of
the physical facilities and conditions influencing the
staging of musicals in the arena theatre. This includes a
consideration of the theatre or tent, the stage, and vari-
ous other related buildings. Althourh the different the-
atres may vary slightly in matters of decorative style and
size, the structures adhere generally to the pattern set by
the first music circus at Lambertville, New Jerse', estab—
lished in 194?.

Chapter IV is concerned with the organization of the
music circus staff and its general duties. The staff is
necessarily larger than that of a company producing non-
musical plays and is correspondingly more expensive to
maintain.

Chapter V contains a survey of the musicals present-
ed in the music circus during the 1956 season, and reasons

for their relative success 0 failure are considered. In

'3

the early days of the arena musical, light Operas and
Operettas were considered to be the most easily and suc-
cessfully produced in the arena, but this View has changed.

Now the newer musical dramas are presentei the most often

and with the greatest success. Indications are in

5
LORNA MARIE WILDCN ABSTRACT

the future more non-musicals, concerts, children's shows,
and other special programs may also be staged in the arena.
Charter VI presents a study of the problems of
staging and directing in the music circus. These neces—
sarily involve certain limitations as well as certain free-
doms imposed by the nature of the form. Kany of the tech-
niques involved more closely resemble those employed in
conventional proscenium productions than those commonly
usel in the earlier and smaller arena theatres. Exceptions
to this occur mostly in the fields of scenic design and
lighting, and in the blocking of the action. Directors
and designers are still en~aged in experimenting with the
wide potentialities of the arena form of staging musicals.
Chapter VII summarizes and draws oenclusions from
the study, the results of the questionnaire, and the
writer's personal observations and experien es. Since the
conception of the music circus in 1949, many of the basic
ideas have changed. Theatres have grown increasingly
larger, while there seems to be no appreciable decrease in

J

the amount of intimacy. Increased emphasis has been placed
on the visual element, and new techniques of lighting and
scenic design have been developed. Designers and directors
are beginning to realize the great potentialities of the
arena and are learning to take advantage of its many free-
doms, while minirizing and circumventing its limitations.

Ideas on what trpe: of musicals may be successfully produced

4

LOQNA KARIE WILDON ABSTRACT

have changed, anl directors are increasingly eager to ex-
periment with new ideas and techniques. Opportunities for
the director, the designer, and the actor in the musical
field have greatly increased, and the music circus is pro-
viding valuable and profitable experience for many theatre

peorle.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

9 ILLUSTRATIONS

Chapter
I. INTRODUCTION .
II. BACKGROUND . . .
DevelOpment of Musical Drama
DeveIOpment of Arena Theatre
III. PHYSICAL FACILITIES .
The Tent
The Stage
Other Buildings
IV. ORGANIZATION OF THE HUSIC CIRCUS COMPANY .
V. SELECTION OF NUSICALS
VI. PROBLENS OF STAGIHG AND UIRECTIKG
VII. S KEARY AND CONCLUSIONS . . . . . .
BIBLIOGRAPHY
APPENDIX .

iv

Page

vi

2O

36
56
65
112
121
125

Table
I.

II.

III.

LIST OF TABLES

Seating Capacities, Stage Dimensions, and
Stage Areas of Music Circuses . . . . .

Potential Weekly Cross of Oakdale Musical
Theatre 0 O O O I O O O O O O O O O O O

Musicals Produced 1956 . . . . . . . . .

Page

55
58-59

LIST CF ILLUSTRATIONS
Frontispiece. The Oakdale Musical Theatre at
Nallianorl, Connecticut
Figure Page

1. Map Showing the Locations of the fiusic

Ci.rcuses O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O O 18
2. Interior of an Umbrella Tent . . . . . . . . 25
5. Exteriors of Tour music Circuses . . . . . . 25

4. Seatin: and Floor Ilan of the Oakdale
Nusical Theatre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52

5. Chart Showing Organization of the music

Circus [Staff 0 O O O O O O O O O O O O I 0 5'0:
6. Sehinl the Scenes at the Music Circus . . . . 55
7. Show Bogfizflzthe Lambertville Yusic Circus . . 69

 

8. Husic in the Air at the South Shore Nusic

Circus 0 I O O O 0 O O O O O O O O O O O O 72

9. Kiss Me Kate at the South Shore Husic
Wflw-

10. Music Circus Production of The Student Prince
Starrinz Robert Rounseville . . . . . . . . 97

 

vi

 

epoHaomzzoo .nmomquqg43 ea mmaamma A40Hmps mq<nmao mme

 

CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION

Prior to 1949, most productions of musical drama in
the United States and elsewhere were planned for presenta-
tion in the conventional proscenium theatre. During the
past few years there has been increasing interest in the
production of musicals in the arena theatre, commonly
called the music circus, especially in professional summer
stock companies. This involves a somewhat altered approach
to the staging of musicals. The primary reason for this
study is to determine what techniques and practices are be—
ing employed in the staging of this new form of theatrical
production. Specifically, the three major aims of this
study are: (l) to survey existing facilities and organiza-
tional patterns employed in the production of musicals-in-
the—round; (2) to investigate techniques and practices for
producing musicals in the arena theatre, and to analyze
some of the unique problems encountered in this form of pro-
duction; and (5) to note any significant trenls found to be
deveIOping in the music circus.

The two subjects of the development of musical drama
and the history of arena production have been previously
dealt with by various authorities, and there is no need

here to treat them at any length. However, a short over-

-1-

-2-
view of each is given as a background for the understanding
and appreciation of the factors which have produced the mu-
sic circus as it is today. The major concern of this study
is musical arena theatre in the United States as manifest
in professional companies operating durinj the summer of
1956.

Information from Actors' Equity Association reveals
that there were twenty-one professional music circuses Op-
erating under Equity jurisdiction in the United States dur-

1 There are several additional

ing the summer of 1956.
musicals-in-the-round in existence which are not profession—
al Equity companies, such as the Oval-in-the—Grove in Farm-
ington, Connecticut. However, because of the difficulty of
making a complete listing of these non-Equity theatres,

this study is limited to those organizations operating as
professional companies under the jurisdiction of Actors'
Equity Association.

In the past few years, there have been many who have
lamented the apparent decrease in theatrical activity, the
centralization of legitimate theatre, the inroads made by
films and television on theatre attendance, and the general-
ly static character of the theatre of our times.

The strangest thing about the theater's history is

that it is always about to terminate. Commentators
are traditionally obsessed with a conviction that

 

1Letter from Ben Irving, Assistant Executive Secre-
tary, Actors' Equity Association, New York, July 15, 1956.

-3-

the theater cannot possibly live more than a few
years beyond the time at which they write.2

A reversal of this tendency has been the several
theatres which were experimenting with arena staging. Such
experimentation had been widely carried on in this country,
but it was not until the creation of the musical-in—the-
round in 1949 that arena production became an important
trend in American professional theatre. Its significance
haslwmflinotedbyzmv>ofour major theatre critics in an ar-

ticle in Summer Theatres magazine:

 

But, when things look darkest in the theatre, there
are always fires in which to forge new swords for
profit and protection. Among these have been St.
John Terrell's fabulously successful Music Circus
at Lambertville, New Jersey. . . . The daring Ter-
rell conceivel the idea of doing musicals on a
stage, surrounded by seats, under a gala circus
tent. This astonishing innovation has spelled sal-
vation for many of his warm-weather colleagues,
most of whom have forgotten to pay him royalties on
his unique life preserver. .

There was more than a grain of truth in this some-
what impassioned tribute. Since 1949, when the music cir—
cus was created, the idea has spread and grown until in
1956, seven years later, there were twenty—one professional
music circuses in operation with a prospect of ten more in

1957-

 

2Detroit Free Press, July 22, 1956, p. 8—5. This
was stated by Oscar Hammerstein in a release to the Asso—
ciated Press, but Mr. Hammerstein is not among those who
predict the decline and fall of legitimate theatre. On the
contrary, he predicts a bright future and a heightened in-
terest in the theatre in general, and in musical theatre in
particular.

3Robert Coleman, "Barnyard Belascos," Summer The-
atres, March, 1956, p. 5.

 

 

-4-

There has been very little published material con—
cerning musicals-in-the—round. In View of this dearth of
information, and because of the phenomenal growth of this
new form of theatre, the writer feels a studv of this tech-
nique of production could prove valuable to students and
teachers of theatre, as well as to the professional actor,
director, or producer.

The major source for this study was information
gained through the use of a written questionnaire sent, with
an accompany'ng letter of explanation, to the directors of
the twenty-one music circuses. A total of fourteen ques-
tionnaires was returned, supplying information on sixteen

. . 4 . . . .
mus1c Circuses. This total of Sixteen replies comprises a
seventy-six per cent return.

The following is a listing of music circuses from
which replies were received:

Cakdale Musical Theatre, Wallingford, Connecticut

Niagara Melody Fair, North Tonawanda, New York

Nusic Circus, Lambertville, New Jersey

Kusicarnival, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio

Camden County Music Circus, Haddonfield, New Jersey

Brandywine Music Box, Concordville, Pennsylvania

Gateway Music-Go-Rouni, Somers Point, New Jersey

Finger Lakes Iyric Circus, Skaneateles, New York
The Music Theatre, Highland Park, Illinois

 

4Information on the Nilwaukee Melody Circus was in-
cludei in the return from Edward I. Greenberg of the flar—
wick Iusic Theatre, who was a director at both circuses.
However, the Milwaukee Operation was forced to close before
the end of the season, anl for this reason it will be re—
ferred t3 only where data are complete and valid.

In a similar manner, information on the Operation of
the Nestbury Husic Fair was received in conjunction with
the return from the Valley Forge Music Fair.

-5-

Music Circus of America, Sacramento, California

Cape Cod melody Tent, Hyannis, Massachusetts

South Shore Music Circus, Cohasset, Massachusetts

Warwick Musical Theatre, Warwick, Rhode Island

Melody Circus Theatre, Milwaukee, Wisconsin

Valley Forge Music Fair, Devon, Pennsylvania

Westbury Music Fair, Westbury, New York

An investigation was made of published and unpub—
lished material on arena theatre, musical theatre, and
musicals-in-the-round. The main source of published ma-
terial proved to be theatrical magazines and trade news—
papers.

Nuch of the basic material concerning music circuses
was gained by the writer through her experience at the
South Shore music Circus during the summer of 1955. In ad-
dition, personal visits were made to several such theatres
to observe facilities, practices, and actual performances
during the 1956 season.

The plan of organization of this study is arranged
as follows: Chapterll treats background material, including
overviews of the development of musical drama and the de—
velopment of arena theatre. Chapter Illis a consideration
of the physical facilities of the music circus, and Chapter
IV’ deals with.the organization of the music circus company.
Chapter X? is a study of the musicals produced in the arena
theatre. ChapteIVVIdeals with techniques and practices em-
ployed in staging, directing, and acting in the music cir-
cus. Finally, Chapter“VIlprasents a summary and conclu-

sions.

CHAPTER II
BACKGROUND

DevelOpment of Musical Drama

As background to the discussion of contemporary
musicals-in—the-round, a brief summary of the evolution of
musical drama anl central staging should be considered.
deither musical drama nor central staging are new, for
their develOpment can be traced to the very beginnings of
recorded history; it is the combination of the two that is
new and unique.

Generically, the Music Circus springs from a num—
ber of species. Because the audience sits around
the stage instead of only in front of it, Nusic Cir-
cus has a vague architectural relationship to the
circuses of ancient Rome and the theaters of Greece.
Actually, it bears a closer family resemblance to
arena theatre, or theatre-in-the-round, a European
import recently become pOpular in America. There is
a close tie with the American Circus and the Chauta—
qua, from which it derives its tent. And the dom-
inant strain is, of course, Operetta and musical
comedy, particularly that branch performed al fresco,
although there is an essential difference in the 5
fact that, under a tent, rain is less of a hazard.

To go back to the very beginnings of musical drama,
we find that the first evidences of it are in the Greek

plays and festivals. The Greek drama, which contained a

 

A

5Gordon Allison, "Music Circus," Theatre Arts, June,
1951, p. 4 .

 

 

 

-7-
large element of music, was the earliest known European
form of musical drama. The modern-day musical comedy chor-
us is remarkably similar to the Greek chorus with its song
and dance. Striking resemblances emerge from comparisons
of Aristophanes' comedies to those of later dramatists and
librettists. The lyrics of Aristophanes in Athens in the
fifth century, W. S. Gilbert in nineteenth century England,
and Ira Gershwin in twentieth century America, particularly
in Of Thgg I E123, are amazingly alike in their treatment
of material, the views they express, and their use of the
chorus.

Music has always been closely allied with dramatic
offerings of all kinds, and for this reason it is difficult
to trace any one path of develOpment through Hedieval times.
There were at that time, of course, many wandering minstrels
with their harps who did their share in keeping the enjoy-
ment of musical drama alive. Fuch of the music and :rama
was found at this time in the church, and scattered in-
stances of musical drama appear throughout Europe. In Ger-
many and Austria the Minnisinger and Meistersinger prepared
the way for the "Sing-spiel" containing dialogue which
joined together songs of the homely folk-tune type.

Renaissance Italy was responsible for the creation
of opera in the late sixteenth century. By 1730 Venice
alone had built twelve opera houses and produced some 560

operas, and this mixture of music, drama, and spectacle had

-8-
spread triumphantly through Italy to France, Austria, Ger-
many, and England.
During the Renaissance also, music drama became def—

initely split into the schools of gpera eerie and Opera

 

bpffg. The first presented a tragic or lofty theme, and
the words were all sung; the latter was a comedy with music,
which sometimes employed spoken dialogue. A great deal of
confusion occurs from this division, as much of the later

opera seria, now known as grand Opera, was really tragic,

 

yet employed the use of spoken dialogue. This sometimes
resulted in its being banned from some of the grand Opera
houses.

By the nineteenth century in Europe, grand Opera was

and three main styles had been developed in Italy, France,

and Germany. The earliest was the Italian bel canto, in

 

1
firmly established as a form of theatrical entertainment,
which the principal emphasis was placed on vocal presenta-
tion and dexterity of the singing voice. In France the em-
phasis was on the drama and on understanding the words of
the singers. Thus, the French stressed musical declama-
tion and, moreover, ballet was a more important element. 1
German opera used the orchestra as the foundation of its

I

music drama, as can easily be seen in the many operas of
Wagner. There have been only scattered instances of Opera
performed in the contemporary American music circus, but

more Operas might be presented in this manner. should the

demand arise.

Flourishing simultaneously with grand Opera in the
nineteenth century was light Opera or Operetta, formerly

opera buffa. Employing spoken dialogue and action between

 

the songs, Operetta had a plot Of a cheerful, romantic and
humorous nature. Among later composers, Gilbert and Sul-
livan, Victor Herbert, Rudolph T'“rinl and Sigmund lomberg

are reSponsible for the continued pOpularity of oyeretta.

m

Nhereas the first were primarily comic satiri ts, the

others wrote in picturesquely romantic Viennese styles, and
their operettas are among those frequently performed in the

music circuses today.

The first musical produced in America was John Cry s
6

The Beggar’s Qpera in New York in 1751. This play was

 

staged by a troupe Of English players and hal little effect
on the develOpment of the American musical. Ihe rise Of
musicals in America actually began with the formation of
the 011 Virginia Einstrels in 1845. She performers were

., Sing-

(D
’0

whitenm31with blackened faces, cracking Negro jok
in; Negro songs, and playing the banjo and the bones. Al-
though the supposedly Negro imitations were usually not

authentic, minstre sy was truly the keys one of the Amer-

ican musical, since it presented pure American—style enter-

ta'nment performed by native-born actors and musicians with

 

6The following historical summary is largely based

on: Jack Burton, The Blue Book 9; Broadway Musicals (Wat-
kins Glen, N. Y.: dentury House, 19527.

 

-10-
songs by American composers. Minstrel shows enjoyed about
sixty years of pOpularity.

Gradually, different acts were brought into the min-
strel shows, and they ceased to be merely a white man's
imitation of the Negroes. This direct descendant of the
minstrels was vaudeville, a form of entertainment filled
with unusual, exotic acts which were in constant competition
with each other.

In counting the milestones of the musical stage, it
is interesting to note the birth of the "leg show" in 1886.

The Black Crook was the unexpected mating of a French ballet

 

troupe and a melodrama by Charles M. Barres. Deepite the
Opposition of the clergy, the plunging neckline and flesh-
colored tights were successfully introduced. The Black
Qgggk became one Of the most profitable enterprises in Amer-
ican theatrical history, and contributed more than a little
to musical theatre tradition.

In the early part of the twentieth century a new

 

form of American musical developed. The choice talent from
vaudeville was placed in a setting with scenery, plot, and
costumes; special music was written for the performers; and *
musical comedy was born. George M. Cohan was one of the
leaders of the movement to supplant the popular imported
hurOpean musicals with a homespun, truly American show.

By 1931, all the things that comprise the.American

musical comedy seemed to unite on Broadway. Shortly after,

-11-
9f Thgg I §§gg became the first musical ever to win a
Pulitzer prize. This work by George Gershwin established
"a milestone in the history of American musical comedy."7
Musical comedy has become America's own contribution to the
world of the theatre.

Most of the successful Broadway musicals of the last
few seasons indicate a significant departure from earlier
musical comedy. While both forms generally employ many
features of the preceding traditions of Opera, operetta,
minstrel, and vaudeville, the new musical drama is dis—
tinguished by the use of a more unified plot, Often taken
from a play or novel and adapted for the musical. Whereas

earlier productions were merely extravaganzas, newer ones

such as Oklahoma, Show Boat, and Brigadoon can stand many

 

 

revivals because they are musical drama, an integration of
the arts Of music, drama, and dance.

In the light musical theater we have evolved--
without any deliberate intention that 1 know of--

a form that is neither Opera, Operetta, nor straight
musical comedy. We call it a "musical play".

Good examples of this type are "Show Boat",
"Oklahoma", "Carousel", "Bloomer Girl", "Brigadoon",
"Finian's Rainbow", "South Pacific", "The King and
I", and the current "My Fair Lady", and “The Most
Happy Fella".

No librettists or composers in any other country
are even trying to write this kind of musical play.
This is in spite of the fact that these plays are
almost all successful when presented in other coun—
tries. - 8

They are a purely American creation.

 

7John Mason Brown, Two gg the Aisle (New York: W. W.
Norton and CO., Inc., 19585, p. 255.

8Detroit Free Press, pp. cit.

 

-12-
1t is interesting to note that of the various types
of musicals which preceded the musical drama or musical
play, only Operetta and musical comedy are seen regularly
in the music circus. And these, though they were very pOp-
ular during the first few years of experimentation in this
new medium, have been replaced with increasing numbers of

modern musical dramas.

DeveIOpment of Arena Theatre
Even a brief history of theatrical staging reveals
clearly that central staging is not a recent development.
However, there are relatively few instances of full arena
productions, that is, where the stage is completely sur-
rounded by the audience. 1
The very earliest of human dramas are generally as-
sumed to have been performed in a circular area surrounded
by spectators.
Drama began with storytelling and tribal dances and
it is natural to assume that the audience surrounded
the tellers or the performers, for when something
occurs on the street, when there is a fight or an 9
argument, observers always surround the contendents.
In this, the Oldest of known theatre forms, we find a me-
dium that is perhaps the closest thing to the arena musical
which is emerging as such a pOpular form today.

In the Greek theatre, the main acting or dancing

area was the orchestra, and it is believed that originally

 

9Margo Jones, Theatre-in-the-Round (“ew York: Rine-
hart and Company, Inc., 1951), pp. 27-28.

-15-
the spectators surrounded this area on all sides. However,
with the decision to seat the audience on a hillside, the
arena theatre evolved into a semicircle. The Romans made
few essential changes in the Greek form of theatre, also
employing a modified arena style. Full arena staging ap-
parently was seen only in the spectacles staged in the
Colosseum.

There are various scattered instances of arena-type
staging during Medieval times. Plays were presented on
street corners or at court by traveling troupes, and the
mystery and miracle cycles were in some instances played on
wagon stages and seen by the audience from three and even

four sides. The pOpular commedia dell'arte was presented

 

in a similar manner on small platforms located in public

 

squares. ". . . [The comic Colombina of the commedia

dell'arte] was also the progenitress of our musical comedy
10

 

soubrette."
Although the Renaissance is noted for its ardent

pursuit of Greek classicism, it is also responsible for the

creation of modern theatre techniques. Far from the simple

semi—arena production of the Greeks, the typical Renais—

sance stage emphasized elaborate display and spectacle.

The use of painted scenery expandedfi during the latter

part of the fifteenth century and this, along with the de-

 

10Kenneth Macgowan and William Melnitz, The Living
Sta e (Englewood Cliffs, N. J.: Prentice-Hall, Inc.,
19555, p. 107.

-14-
velopment of the proscenium arch, was the largest factor in
shaping the form of future theatrical productions. It is
interesting to note that the Renaissance is responsible for
the greatest contribution to musical drama, while, at the
same time, it dealt a temporarily crippling blow to arena—
type staging.

To any student of the subject, the development of

the theatre since the Greeks shows gradual deteriora-

tion. The single item that has most influenced

these changes is the proscenium arch. . . . Its two

dimensional aspect imposes an effect which is dead-

ening, as compared with the exhilaration of an

*audience surrounding the actors, such as we get in

the circus.11

In EurOpe the orchestra was still used as a stage

area through the seventeenth century, and many plays were

given in large ballrooms or banquet halls using a stage and

space in front of the stage for dancing and incidental ef-

fects. In time this open space was gradually filled in I
with seats, and the sole memory of the Greek orchestra was

the apron stage, the portion of the acting area in front of

the curtain.

A similar pattern can be seen in England where the
Elizabethans wrote for a theatre with a bare platform jut— ‘
ting out into an audience where members Observed most of 1
the action from three sides. i

The traditional Chinese and the earliest Japanese

theatres were like the Elizabethan, platforms thrust out

 

'1

11Norman Bel Geddes, "Modern Theory of Design," an y-
clOpaedia Britannica, Vol. 22 (1946), p. 32.

 

 

-15-
into the audience. Modified arenas, three-quarters of the
circle rather than the whole, they still retained the inti-
mate relation between actor and audience.

Undoubtedly there were times, many of them unrecord-
ed, when directors and actors tried to return to the inti-
mate arena form. However, the first strong movement in
that direction occurred in the first quarter of this cen-
tury, especially among French and German theatre artists.
Copeau, Reinhardt, Dalcroze, and Appia seem to have joined
the movement more or less simultaneously.

There were scattered repercussions of these move—
ments and experiments in the United States, but the first
actual use of central staging in this country is credited

to Azubah Latham, who presented The Mask 3; Joy at Teachers

 

College of Columbia University in 1914, in the center of a

gymnasium.12

Another pioneer in the field was T. Earl Par-
doe, who used arena staging in 1922 at Brigham Young Uni—
versity. The technique received more attention when Gilmor
Brown started directing plays at Pasadena in 1924 in the
center of a large room. Theatre—in-the—round prOper, as an
intimate theatre medium, was instituted by Glenn Hughes in
1952, when he produced Ibsen's Ghosts in the center of the
floor in a hotel penthouse in Seattle, Washington. The

venture was enormously successful and in 1940 a new struc-

ture, the only one of its type in the world, was built on

 

12Margo Jones, 9p. cit., p. 58.

-16-
the campus of the University of Washington. It is known,
in honor of its first home, as the Penthouse Theatre. The
first professional theatre-in-the-round in America was
Margo Jones' theatre in Dallas, Texas, which Opened in the
summer of lg47.

In 1949, in Lambertville, New Jersey, an ex—carnival
showman, St. John Terrell, opened a season of operettas
played on a center stage and enclosed in a large circus
tent. "Despite natural mistakes on the part of parents who
brought their children to see the animals and then remained

13

to see Show Boat, the Music Circus has flourished."

 

Business was so good at Lambertville in 1950 that Terrell

operated a sixteen-week season of productions, and this

 

pattern has continued. "When we did Show Boat we played it ‘
two weeks to 125 standees a night.. . . Brigadoon played
two weeks and averaged 103 standees."14
Other producers lost little time in establishing
similar theatres throughout the country. While the eastern
states have taken the lead, with sixteen music circuses in
Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Islani, New Jersey, New
York and Pennsylvania, the trend is spreading to the mid-
west,and the far west is represented by the Sacramento Mu-

sic Circus. Figure 1 shows the locations of the twenty—one

music circuses.

 

15Edward M. Greenberg and Joel 3. Rubin, "Production
Aspects of the Music Circus," Educational Theatre Journal,
March, 1952, Vol. IV, No. l, p. 26: ff

14Gordon Allison, gp. cit., p. 90.

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-17-

FIGURE 1
SHOWING SHE LOCATIONS Cp T93 N'SIC CIRCUSES

Cakdale Kusical Theatre, Wallingford, Conn.
Niagara Nelody Fair, North Tonawanda, N. Y.
Music Circus, Lambertville, N. J.
Nusicarnival, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio

Camden County Kusic Circus, Hadionfield, N. J.
Brandywine Vusic Box, Concordville, Pa.
Gateway Kusic—Go-Round, Somers Point, N. J.
Finger Lakes Lyric Circus, Skaneateles, N. Y.
The Music Theatre, Highland Park, 111.
music Circus of America, Sacramento, Calif.
Cape Cod Melody Tent, Hyannis, Mass.

South Shore music Circus, Cohasset, Kass.
Warwick Musical Theatre, Warwick, R. I.
Melody Circus Theatre, Milwaukee, Wis.
Valley Forge Music Fair, Devon, Ia.
Westbury Music Fair, Westbury, N. Y.

The Musical Tent, Clio, Mich.

melody Circus, Detroit, Mich.

Melody Circle, Inc., Allentown, Pa.

Neptune Music Circus, Neptune, N. J.

North Shore music-Theater, Beverly, Mass.

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-19-

Musical tents continue to be the fastest growing type
of summer theatre operation. lroscenium—type theatres have
slowed down their expansion; few new ones are planned, while
tents continue to spring up across the nation. There will
probably be thirtyCMTthem in Operation during the 1957
season.

It is obvious that musical drama and arena staging
are not new forms of theatrical production, for their de-
velorment dates back to the earliest times. it is the com-
bination of the two forms which has resulted in a new and
distinctly American contribution to the world of the

theatre.

CHAPTER III
PHYSICAL FACILITIES

Although the various music circuses may differ con—
siderably in matters of size and decorative style, the gen-
eral physical structures and facilities remain relatively
the same. it is necessary to consider these facilities as
a background and a basis for the study of methods and tech-
niques of production employed in the staging of musicals.
This will take the form of a description of the tent, the
stage, and the various other structures and facilities

which influence production.

The Tent

The music circus is often referred to as being an
economical production unit, but the initial cost of prerar—
ing the tent and the grounds is considerable. Not the
least of these initial expenses is the purchase of the tent
itself, although it is possible to rent a tent for the
season.

The first type of tent which was used at Lambert~
ville, and is still the most common, has two wooden center—
poles at either end of an oval stage. lt is necessary, of

course, to have two centerpoles rather than one, as the

-20-

-21-

stage itself occupies the center of the tent. A series of
quarterpoles at distances of half—way and again three—
quarters of the way from the stage to the edge of the tent
comprise the remaining supports. The canvas is stretChed
over these poles, and the side flaps of the tent may be
raised or lowered, depending upon the weather.

In an effort to do away with the quarter poles, and
thus provide better sight lines, the umbrella tent was de-
veloped. The umbrella tent is also supported by two centers
poles, but eliminates the need for quarterpoles which ob-
struct the view of the audience. A different type of quar-
terpole is used which fits into and radiates from a
"saddle” on each of the centerpoles, and the rig works ex-
actly like an umbrella. Figure 2 shows the interior of the
umbrella tent at Lambertville. Several of the music cir—
cuses now employ the umbrella tent and find it very satis-
factory; but one of the drawbacks to its general use, in
addition to its greater expense, is the fact that it is not
as sturdy as the conventional type of tent. Some of the
.music circuses Operating in geographical areas that are
subject to high winds feel that the added support of regu—
lar quarterpoles is necessary.

Recent experimentation has resulted in the use of
various other types of tents. The North Shore Music—
Theater in Beverly, Massachusetts, boasts a new permanent

tent of a steel structure, as seen in Figure 5A. Another

FIGURE 2

INTERIC? OF AN UNSQFILA TENT

 

-23-

 

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FIGURE 5
EXTERICRS OF FOUR M’SIC CIRCUSES:
A. North Shore Music—Theater
B. Niagara Melody Fair
C. Finger Lakes Lyric Circus

D. Warwick Musical Theatre

 

-25-

     

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~26-
significant deveIOpment is attributed to the Brandywine
Music Box in Pennsylvania, which was the first theatre to
make use of a nylon tent. The nylon appears to have many
advantages over the traditional canvas.

Most significant of the many special features in

the Brandywine tent is the nylon fabric. This ma-
terial is not only immeasurably stronger than can-
vas, but when vinyl coated is flame resistant and
will retain its original color for many years. It
will withstand severe weathering from sun, wind,
rain, freezing, salt water, and mildew. it will
not shrink or stretch and can be washed clean with
a hose, reducing the maintenance problems usually
connected with a large tent.15

The Niagara Melody Fair in North Tonawanda, New York,
pictured in Figure 5B, is undoubtedly one of the finest of
the new music circuses. In this tent, a bright steel—capped
center structure supports the canvas. The quarterpoles
have been eliminated completely with support coming from
eighteen poles placed outside the tent, providing maximum
visibility and safety.

The tents vary greatly in color and design, blue or
green canvas seeming the most pOpular. Some of the theatres
decorate the outside of the tent in a gay and colorful man-
ner to resemble the circus from which it receives its name.
Concession stands and box offices are often decorated as
circus wagons with brilliant pennants and posters.

The floor of the tent, or that part which comprises

the seating area, is often nothing but a dirt or gravel

 

15Show Business, July 9, 1956.

 

-27-

floor which is graded and leveled to form plateaus on which
the chairs stand. Unfortunately, this is likely to result
in tipping chairs and dusty or muddy shoes, and demands
frequent re-aligning of the seats. A more permanent type
of floor made of concrete or asphalt is much more satisfac—
tory for both the actor and the audience. For the best
visibility, each tier of seats should be placed about six
inches above the row in front, although in many cases it is
considerably less.

The seats themselves are usually canvas and metal
chairs which are easily folded and stored. Some of the
theatres provide wozden benches for the cheaper seating
sections, but this is not done in the better theatres where
a genuine effort is made to provide comfortable seating for
all patrons.

The seating capacities of the music circuses vary
from 1230 at the.Highland Park Music Theatre to 2450 at the
Warwick Musical Theatre. Table 1 shows the seating capaci-
ties of the various theatres. Based upon figures gathered
through the questionnaires, the average seating capacity is
1787, a very large theatre for summer stock and practically

unheard of in other American ventures in arena staging.

The Stage
The music circus stage is usually a permanent wooden
floor that is covered over in the winter, and resanded and

refinished each summer. Fourteen of the sixteen music cir-

-28-

 

 

 

TABLE 1
SE ’1IIG CAPACIT BS, STAGE DIMENS CZS, AND STAGE AREAS
~ OF MUSIC CITCUSR
Theatre Seating . Stage 823::

Capa¢1ty DimenSions (sq. ft.)
Oakdale Musical Theatre 2100 24' x 58' 754.28
Niagara Melody Fair 1900 28' x 28' 615.44
Lambertville Music Circus 1600 21' x 26' 455.52
Musicarnival 1800 50' x 50' 706.50
Camden County Music Circus 1794 21' x 26' 1 455.52
Brandywine Music Box 1955 50' x 56' 854.86
Gateway Music-Go-Round 1800 28' x 50' 660.18
Fin jar Lakes Lyric Circus 1587 22' x 54' 615.44
The Music Theatre 1200 50' x 40' 961.61
Music Circus of America 1600 22' x 28' 490.62
Cape Cod Melody Tent 1575 21' x 28' 471.20
South Shore Music Circus 1575 21' x 28' 471.20
Warwick Musical Theatre 2450 26' x 59' 829.16
Melody Circus Theatre 1750 27' x 40' 880.97
Valley Forge Music Fair 1800 21' x 26' 455.52
Westbury Music Fair 2000 21' x 26' 455.52
WW

 

 

 

 

-29-
cuses surveyed made use of oval stages, while only two used
round stage areas, Musicarnival and Niagara Melody Fair.
The size of the stage varies greatly with each individual
theatre. The smallest stage is 21' x 26' (455.51 sq. ft.),
while the largest is 50' x 40' (961.61 sq. ft.). Table I
gives the dimensions and areas of the various stages. It
is interesting to note that the theatre with the largest
stage, the Highland Park Music Theatre, is the theatre with
the smallest seating capacity. Many of the newer music cir-
cuses are using the larger stages, while the oldest music
circus, Lambertville, is still employing a 21' x 26' stage,
although the original tent is no longer used.

In addition to the stage itself, most of the music
circuses have an apron from three to five feet wide, sur-
rounding the stage on at least three sides. Because the
stage is raised several inches above the apron, Equity de—
mands that there be a ramp leading from the runway or aisle
to the stage.

In all arena theatres, there shall be no rise be-
tween the runway and the stage. A ramp or other
leveling device must be arranged so that there be no
sharp drOp.1

The fourth side of the stage is bounded by the or—
chestra pit, which is usually a permanent concrete shell,
sunk far enough beneath the level of the stage that the mu-

sicians do not interfere with the vision of the audience.

 

, l6Actors' Equity Association, "Safe and Sanitary
Places of Employment," Rules Governing Employment 13 Stock,
April, 1956, p. 54.

-59-
The director stands on a raised platform in the pit, so
that he may see and be seen by the performers.

There are usually six to eight aisles leading from
the edge of the tent to the stage area. Although there are
as many as ten and as few as five aisles in use, the aver-
age is six or eight, with other supplementary aisles which
extend only a portion of that distance. These extra aisles
are necessary to facilitate seating, as the length of the
rows of seats necessarily grows longer as the distance from
the stage grows greater. Both the main aisles and the sup-
plementary aisles may be used in the staging of scenes.
Figure 4 shows the floor plan of the Cakdale Musical The—
atre indicating the distribution of the aisles.

In many of the tents there is another aisle around
the base of the tent in back of the last row of seats, and
this aisle can be used very effectively in the staging of
scenes. Unfortunately, some of the theatres have eliminat-
ed this aisle in favor of extra seating room. This inside
aisle is especially convenient for actors when weather pre-
vents their going outside the tent to reach their proPer
entrances. Taking everything into consideration, the value
of this "walk—away" or "perimeter" would seem to be worth
the loss of a comparatively small seating area.

The control booth is also an integral part of the
tent, although it is generally a more permanent type of
wooden structure. In most cases, the control booth is en-

tered only from the outside, or the side furthest from the

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-55-
stage, and there is a large window, which may or may not be
glassed in, which faces the tent. Both lighting and sound
effects are controlled from this booth, and it is most often
situated directly opposite the orchestra pit, so that the
electrician may see the director throughout the performance.
The stage manager also Operates from the control booth, and
a complete script of the show never leaves the booth. The
control booth is the center of Operations during a per-

formance.

Other Buildings

The remainder of the buildings connected with the
operation of the music circus are generally of a permanent
wooden type and at varying distances from the tent.

Two sets of dressing rooms are, of course, necessary
and are usually located behind the control booth. They
must be close enough to the tent to facilitate quick
changes, but far enough away to prevent noise from pene-
tr ting into the tent during performances. The facilities
usually consist of small partitioned rooms equipped with a
wooden shelf, a mirror, a chair and a few hooks on which to
hang costumes. Chorus members and principals alike occupy
these and are considered fortunate if their dressing rooms
contain sinks.

A separate room is supplied for the musicians of the
orchestra in which to keep their instruments and music and

for changes of clothes before and after performances.

-54-

Because of the character and number of costumes used
in a musical show, there is not enough room in the dressing
rooms for the individual actors to hang all their costumes.
In addition, costumes are mainly rented from the large cos-
tume houses, and arrive sometime during the week preceding
their use. Consequently, space must be provided for un-
packing anl staring, and a work area is generally necessary
for alterations and refurbishing.

host of the scenery is constructed out-of-doors, and
there is an area set aside for this, but there should also
be a structure for the storage of furniture, scenery, props,
materials, and tools. The scene shop may also be used as a
work area when weather does not permit outside work.

For several reasons, it is impractical to rehearse
extensively in the tent itself. The tent is usually very
hot during the day, making rehearsal uncomfortable, if not
impossible. The tent is also completely open during the
day, making it very difficult to hear; distractions also
occur from passers-by and from the working technical staff.
During the first few days of each week, simultaneous re-
hearsals are being held involving singers, dancers, and
principals, and it is not until the last few rehearsals
that the whole company is brought together. Obviously,
provision must be made for rehearsal space other than the
tent. Generally, it is possible to locate a community cen-

ter or school building which is not being used for the sum-

-55-
mer, and this provides adequate rehearsal space, especially
if the room is large and already contains a piano.

The remainder of the buildings on the music circus
grounds consist of rest rooms and offices. The latter are
usually grouped together in one building, and consist of
the box office, and the business office which handles all
business matters including publicity and advertising.

It can readily be seen that the music circus con-
sists of a great deal more than that which is enclosed in
the tent itself. The structures and facilities involved in
the production of the arena musical are often more extensive
and intricate than those involved in a conventional pro—
scenium production, although the music circus is generally
noted for its apparent simplicity of production. Much of
this is an illusion resulting from the operation of many
factors working together to create the effect of simplicity

to the audience.

CHAP ‘33 IV
ORGANIZATION OF THE MUSIC CIRCUS COMPANY

The music circus company is an intricate organiza-
tion and employs many peOple not necessarily directly in—
volved in the performance. The distribution of duties
among the staff varies greatly with the different theatres,
because of the individual needs of the organizations and
the abilities of its individual staff members. For this
reason, it is difficult to set up a plan of organization
which will show the exact distribution of the music circus
staff. An attempt will be made to outline the major duties
and positions that will usually be required, although they
may be designated by some other title, or perhaps combined
and handled by one person. Figure 5 is a chart showing the
framework of the music circus staff.

The Eroducer

 

The producer is the originator and instigator of the
undertaking, and either provides the original capital, or
arranges for it through stock-holders or investors. Al-
though the amount of capital needed to start a music circus
is great, it is sometimes possible to recoup the investment
in five or six weeks. In addition to money which must be

set aside for such things as the rent of the land, the tent,

-56-

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-39-

seats, buildings, and equipment, the producer must post a
bond with Actors' Equity as a guarantee of two weeks salary
to actors in case of financial failure. Other pre-opening
expenditures include rehearsal salaries, costs of advertis—
ing and publicity, and various bonds and insurance policies
covering box office, costumes, scenery, lighting equipment,
and so forth.

The producer oversees the whole undertaking of the
music circus, although he may not visit the theatre itself
during the entire season. Sometimes the producer will em—
ploy a managing director to handle the Operation for him.

The General Manager

 

lhe general manager has direct resyonsibility for
operations at the music circus, and he is accountable only
to the producer or managing director. He is in charge of
all phases of the music circus, both backstage and in the
front office. He manages all business matters and approves
all expenditures.

It is not absolutely essential that the general man-
ager be trained in the theatre, as he must handle primarily
business and personnel matters. But he must know how a
theatrical company is run, and he must be able to choose a
capable staff of assistants. He takes charge of hiring the
technical staff, and may often assist the director in cast-

ing as well.

-43-

The Business manager

 

The business manager is in charge of the box office
and ticket sales, and employs several assistants to aid him
with sales, reservations, and phone calls. He may also ar—
range for ticket subscriptions for the entire season.

The Secretagy

 

There is usually enough clerical work to make the
hiring of a full time secretary necessary. She works di-
rectly with the general manager, and relieves him of many
routine duties, such as correspondence, ordering equipment,
and solving minor personnel problems. She also is usually
in charge of locating living quarters for the staff and
visiting stars.

The Ushers

 

The ushers are usually young people of high school
age from the local area. In most cases they work without
pay in exchange for the privilege of attending performances
and watching the rehearsals.

The Publicity Manager

 

The publicity manager prepares all advertising, pub—
licity, and press releases, subject to the general mana—
ger's approval. He arranges for critics and representa—
tives of the press to see the shows, and distributes com~
plimcntary tickets to apprOpriate persons.

it may also be his duty to make periodic trips in a

wide area, distributing posters and information on music

circus activities. it is his responsibility to keep the

-41-
public informed about current and future productions, and
to create the desire which will bring patrons to the music
circus.

The Tent Man

 

There must be a tent man, or boss canvasman, on the.
premises at all times. His only job is to take care of the
tent, and to prevent damage by weather, accident, or van-
dalism. The tent man is required to perform only such
tasks as are specified by his union. If the music circus
is fortunate, the tent man may enjoy spending his spare
time assisting the technical crew.

The Director

 

The director is responsible for the production itself
from the preparation of the script and the casting of the
players, to the opening night when the stage manager takes
over. All members of the production staff are directly re—
Sponsible to the director, and he must approve all plans
having to do with the production. it is his duty to coor-
dinate scenery, lights, costumes, and performances into a
unified whole. The director must work closely with the mu-
sical director, the choreographer, the designer, the elec-
trician, and the stage manager, in addition to the actors,
singers, and dancers.

In the music circus, generally far more than in a
proscenium production, the duties of the director are
shared by the musical director and the choreographer. Be-

cause of the importance of movement in the arena theatre,

-42-

and the large numbers of peOple on the stage, the chor-
eographer is especially important and does much of the ac—
tual blocking of the action. The further duties of the
director will be treated in Chapter VI.

The Choreographer

 

The choreographer is one of the most important per-
sons on the music circus staff. He actually has two main
functions: (1) to design the dances and train the dancers,
and (2) to assist the director in blocking musical numbers
and scenes employing large numbers of actors on the stage.

The medium of the dance is the least difficult

to adapt to the theatre-in-the-round. It is usual—
ly not important to be able to see a dancer's face.
Movement in dance is done with the whole body, and
the constant motion of the dancer enables each one
in the audience to see every side of him at one
time or other.1

In view of the special importance given to movement
on the arena stage, the choreographer with his dance back-
ground is of great assistance to the director.

In many cases the choreographer also performs as one
of the dancing chorus or as solo dancer. He must, of
course, have a wide background in both ballet and modern
dance techniques, because of the wide variety of shows he

must choreograph.

The Musical Director

 

The musical director or conductor has charge of all

the music in the show. While this involves working with

 

17Edya Signer, "The music Circus" (11013‘lbliSbe‘l Mas—

ter's thesis, Dept. of Drama, Yale University, 1952), p- 52-

-45-
singers, dancers, and orchestra, his major duties consist
of rehearsing the principals and the orchestra. The job of
training the chorus is usually left to a choral director
with the musical director taking over luring the final re-
hearsals, and supplyihg the finishing touches. Because of
the nature of the medium, the conductor is the only member
of the directorial staff to have any sort of control over
the performers during the show and even this is difficult
because the performers cannot watch the conductor as easily
as in a proscenium production. Often there is a device set
up whereby the conductor may communicate with the control
booth during the performance for cues which he must then
pass on to the actor.

The Choral Director

 

The responsibility of training the chorus is usually
delegated to a choral director, who may be a member of the
orchestra, usually the pianist. He must help the chorus to
learn their music while the musical director is working
with the principals. The musical director completes the
training of the chorus beginning sometime during the third
or fourth day of rehearsals, when the full company gathers
for rehearsal.

The Designer

 

The designer is actually responsible for most of the
technical aspects of the production. His job is to design

the scenery, but he must also be able to supervise its con—

struction, and assume reSponsibility for the total effect

-44-
created by lights, scenery, and costumes. He may be as-
sisted by a technical director who supervises the actual
construction of the sets, but in many cases this is done by
the designer himself. The designer will find that design-
ing for the arena stage, and for musicals—in-the—round in
particular, is considerably different from designing for
the proscenium stage. For this reason the producer or man-
ager is wise to select a designer who has had some experi-
ence in the medium. This in itself is difficult, because
of the newness of the music circus form. Probably the
greatest problem the designer has is combining imagination,
lightness or portability, and sturdiness in the construc-
tion of the sets. A director of one of the larger music
circuses had this to say regarding designers: "In my Opin-
ion there are only about two good theatre—in-the-round set
18

designers, and none who can be called excellent."

The Wardrobe Mistress

 

The wardrobe mistress is responsible for the cos-
tumes from the time they arrive until they are packed for
return to the costume company. She may have to alter cos—
tumes, repair costumes, or add trimming to improve them.
Very few music circus companies design and make their own
costumes, because of the extra expense and the limited time

when doing a new play every week. The wardrobe mistress

 

18Letter from John Ring, Resident Director, Niagara
Melody Fair, North Tonawanda, N. Y., October 29, 1956.

-45-
must see that costumes are pressed and clean, this being
doubly important with the audience so close to the actor
during performances. She will generally have an assistant
or two who may be apprentices.

The PrOperty Man

 

The "prop man," as he is generally called, works
withtfiuadesigner and the technician on scenic elements such
as furniture, and is fully responsible for the smaller hand
props. His job may involve a great deal of scouting in the
local area for pieces of furniture and arranging for the
loan of it. He also must make many prOps such as pictures,
papers, guns, lamps, and so forth, and he must be present
to supervise and assist with shifts during all performances.
In many instances the job of "prop man" is filled by one of
the apprentices, and he may receive a small remuneration
for handling this job.

The Electrician

 

The importance of the electrician can hardly be
overestimated. The electrician in the music circus must be
as much of an artist as the set designer. Because of the
lack of scenery, much of the mood and effect of the show
must be set by lighting, and this fact was repeatedly
stressed by directors from all over the country. Lighting,
more than any other factor, determines the focal point, the
center of interest, and the total effect of the scene. For
this reason, the electrician must work closely with the

director in designing the lighting plan. He also is in

-46-
charge of setting up the lighting system for the season as
well as for each show, which often involves readjustment
every few days. He must work with the scenic designer and
the wardrobe mistress in coordinating color schemes, and he
must be thoroughly familiar with the script, for there are
usually many rapid lighting changes in a music circus pro-
duction. A copy of the script always remains in the light
booth.

The electrician is also usually in charge of sound
effects. He must have an assistant throughout the per-
formance to aid in complicated lighting and sound effects,
and this job is usually filled by an apprentice.

The Stage Manager

 

It is absolutely necessary that the stage manager
be able to deal with peorle effectively. He not only acts
as assistant to the director, but he must also supervise
much of the technical work and direct the apprentices. Ac-
tually the duties of the stage manager may include anything
from clerical work to acting in the production. He must
also be with the director at all rehearsals in order to
keep the script up to date with all business, line changes,
cuts, and so forth.

The scenery is usually shifted by a crew of appren-
tices, and it is the stage manager's job to have a shift
analysis worked out for each show so that this is accom-
plished with a minimum of confusion and a maximum of speed.

Sometimes the stage manager helps inthezuflnufl.shifting,too,

—47—

especially when there are large and heavy piecestolxemoved.

While it is not necessary that the director be pres-
ent during the actual performances, the stage manager must
always be there, and it is up to him to deal with any prob-
lems or emergencies which arise. Once the show starts, the
stage manager's word becomes law, and he must see that the
production runs as well at the final performance as it did
on opening night.

The Assistant 8 age Manager

 

There rust be an assistant stage manager to help

I)

with many of the tasks required of the stage mana er. His

Cq

work consists largely of running errands for the stage man-
ager and generally pitching in where he is needed. But he
must always be ready to take over the stage manager's du-
ties in case of emergency.

The Dancing Chorus

 

The number of dancers employel for the season varies
from five to eight. Host of the organizations use either
three men and three women, or four men and four women.
Variations on this pattern may occur when the choreographer
dances as one of the chorus. like the choreographer, the
dancer in the chorus must have a wide background in dance
ranging from ballet to ballroom and modern dance.

The Singing Chorus

 

The number of singers employed in the chorus varies
slightly among the several music circuses. host of the

tents use a chorus of twelve, six men and six women. Ten

-48-
of the reporting organizations use this distribution, while
five use a system of seven to seven, and one uses eight men
and eight women. These chorus people must all be members
of Chorus Equity, a division of Actors' Equity Association.

The chorus member must not only possess a good sing—
ing voice, but he must also have considerable musicianship
and stamina, for he will in many cases be singing a new
role every week. It is also sometimes necessary for him to
act and dance. The chorus member will, in adiition to
singing in the chorus, be called upon to play many of the
smaller parts throughout the season, and sometimes some of
the supporting roles. He may also be called upon to under-
study leading roles and to perform them should the occasion
arise. For this added task the singer receives an addi-
tional 35.00 per week, plus an added amount if he should be
called upon to perform in the role he is understudying.

The Equity minimum salary set for chorus members is $73.03
per week.19 Selection of the chorus will be discussed
later in Chapter VI.

The Orchestra

 

The orchestra is usually comprised of musicians from
the nearby area who are members of the local musician's
union. The number of musicians varies from eight to four-

teen, with the average being closer to ten or twelve.- This

 

19Actors' Equity Association, "Salaries," Equity
Rules Governing Employment in Stock, April, 1956, p. 35.

 

-49-
usually includes piano and organ in adlition to strings,
woodwinds, and drums. Brass instruments are used sparingly,
since the cmrhestra must {day rather quietly because of
its proximity to the audience and the relatively small area
of the arena theatre. The orchestra rehearses its music
under the direction of the musical director and/or the con—
certmaster, and often does not rehearse with the full com—
pany until the dress rehearsal.

The Stars or Jobbers

 

most of the music circuses use jobbers in four to
eight of the leading roles for each show. These jobbers
are principal actors who are employed for one or two lead-
ing roles during the season. There is no difference be-
tween a star and a jobber, except that a jobber is not
necessarily a "big-name" performer, such as is signified by
the term "star." It is often possible for a jobber to
spend the whole season touring the music circuses playing

7—
1

one or two roles exclusively. Lor instance, Tony Bavaar,

who played in Paint Your Wagon on Broadway, played the same

 

role at several music circuses during the 1956 season, as
well as the role of the Caliph in Kismet.

The Resident Actors

 

In most of the music circuses several actors are em-
ployed, who need not necessarily dance or sing, although it
is preferable that theywhaone or the other with some skill.
These actors are cast week after week in the dramatic roles,

sometimes doing a little singing and dancing. For instance,

-50-
the resident comic may play Ali Hakim in Oklahoma one week
and one of the gangsters in fiisg Mg Egpg the next. Neither
of these roles is musically demanding. There is also usual-
ly an older man who plays all the old men's parts for the
season.

The number of resident actors varies considerably
from tent to tent, and may vary in a single tent during the
season. Only two of the music circuses reported using no
resident actors, while the average number used was three to
four. At Wallingford ten resident actors were employed,
this being the maximum reported.

The Apprentices

 

lost summer stock companies employ apprentices, and
the apprentice seems to be doubly important to the music
circus. Apprentices are young peOple interested in the
theatre, who usually work without salary and in some cases
pay tuition.

Perhaps the most important function the apprentice
serves is the shifting of scenery during the performance.
This is done in complete darkness and often involves the
greatest of skill. The apprentices also assist in the con—
struction of scenery, help the wardrobe mistress, the prep
man, and the electrician, and may even act or sing upon oc-
casion. Under no circumstances may the apprentice sing in
the chorus, which is entirely Equity,lnn:he may play a

small part or a principal part if called upon. This hardly

-51-
ever happens, and several of the music circuses report that
they never use apprentices in acting or singing roles.

A non-professional . . . may . . . be employed
as a Principal Actor durnig [Sid] his first stock
season as often as the Manager may wish, but such
non-professional will not be eligible to join
Equity. In his second stock season, however,(at
the same location or any other) after he has played
in three productions, or during the third or any
subsequent season he may only be employed under
Equity conditions and must join Equity and be a
member in good standing.2
The apprentice is perhaps the most overworked and
the least appreciated member of the company. As he is not
a member of Actor's Equity he is protected in no way by its
rules. The hours he works are long, and the work often
backbreaking, but he is receiving valuable experience in
theatre. In the best situations the apprentice can learn a
great deal about the theatre, and his days as an apprentice
become a valuable part of his training. It is unfortunate
that in some situations the apprentice is considered merely
as cheap labor and treated as such. It must be remembered
that apprentices are usually young people seriously inter-
ested in the theatre. A good stage manager can do much
toward seeing that the apprentice's experiences are reward-
ing to himself as well as to the company.
It can be readily seen that the music circus is no

small undertaking. Although the pepular belief is that the

music circus is an economical production unit, salaries

 

20Actors' Equity Association, "Non-Professionals,"
E uit Rules Governipg Employment ip Stock, April, 1956,
p. El.

-52-
alone run into thousands of dollars each week. The music
circus staff is necessarily larger than that of a non-
musical stock company. For example, Oakdale Musical The-
atre reports a company of eighty—eight for the 1956 sea-
son.21 On the other hand, the profits to be made in the
music circus are much greater than in any other kind of
summer stock. Table II shows the potential weekly gross of
the Oakdale Musical Theatre.

All in all, the music circus has become a large and
profitable venture, and has provided jobs for many theatre
peOple who would otherwise have a difficult time during the

slow summer months. Many actors manage to live all winter

on the profits accrued during the three summer months.

 

21Letter from B. H. Segal, Oakdale Musical Theatre,
Wallingford, Connecticut, September 4, 1956.

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op pmz op pmz mmomw .o.m .ema .pmm .oz
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-54-

FIGURE 6

BEHIND THE SCENES AT
THE MUSIC CIRCUS

 

 

 

CHATTER V
SELECTION OF MUSICALS

The type of production presented in the arena the-
atre has undergone considerable change since the early days
of the music circus. When musicals were first presented in
the arena theatre, the belief was that the older light
Operas and operettas were the most easily adapted and the
most successful. This was due mainly to the fact that the
modern musical comedy depended more upon spectacle and ex-
travagant settings for its effect and therefore was harder
to stage in the arena. St. John Terrell in particular, at
first advocated the production of the older type.

For one thing heCSt. John Terreli] has learned
that old standbys written by Romberg, Franz Lehar,
and Victor Herbert are the easiest to adapt to
arena staging and that a majority of the modern mu-
sicals are much less so.

Too many modern musicals rely on fancy staging
and fancy orchestrations. They lack the simple
melodic line. Give them things like Naughty Mari-
etta, New Moon, Desert Song and Show Boat.

When we did Show Boat we played it two weeks to
125 standees a night. Of course, some of the mod—
ern ones are good too. Oklahoma! would lend itself
beautifully, because it's not t, ical musical com-
edy. Same with South Pacific.2

It is important to remember that this was written in

1949, when the new type of musical drama was just emerging.

 

22Gordon Allison, _p. cit., p. 90.

-56-

-57-
The majority of musicals of the past few years have fol-

lowed the pattern of Brigadoon and Oklahoma and have re-

 

placed the older operettas in pOpularity. It is also true
that the older Operettas are more or less "played out,"
and the audiences are now interested in seeing the newer
offerings fresh from Broadway.

The directors of each of the music circuses contact-
ed were asked to submit a list of all the shows produced in
their theatres during the 1956 season and to indicate those
which they considered to have been the most successful and
the least successful. The results of these findings are
shown in Table III.

There are, of course, many elements which might in-
fluence the success or failure of a production which are
not necessarily dependent upon the quality of the perform-
ance. They may include anything from adverse weather con-
ditions to untimely scheduling.

Among the reasons indicated for the success of some
0f the shows were the following:

1. Outstanding cast.

2. Outstanding show from point of view of book and
music.

5. Newness of shows recently released.

4. Novelties or "gimmicks" used in production.CSuch
as swimming pool in Wish You Were Here.)

5. Weather conditions and audience potential. (For

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-60-
instance, July is an excellent month on Cape God for vaca-
tioning theatre-goers.)

6. Use of name stars.

The reasons indicated for failure of certain shows
were as a rule merely the reverse of the above:

1. Unsatisfactory casting.

2. Poor shows from point of view of book and music.

5. Musicals out-of-date or "played out."

4. Adverse weather conditions and poor audience po-
tential.

5. Musicals repeated too soon.

6. Recent showings of motion picture versions.

It is interesting to note that only one opera was
presented in the music circus. This was a production of
Carmen at the Musicarnival at Cleveland, and it was report-
ed as not successful. The director believes that the "pub-
lic will not support grand opera in a tent en masse."23 At
the Finger Lakes Lyric Circus, On pg; @933 was similarly
not successful because of a "general non—understanding of

24 Another interesting comment comes from

Bernstein music."
the Niagara Melody Fair in explaining an unsuccessful pro-
duction of Qéll Mg Madam: "A Merman:fluwvwithodtMermanjust

doesn't sell and is never very satisfying to do."25 The

 

23Completed questionnaire from William C. Boehm,
Director, Musicarnival, Cleveland, Ohio.

24Completed questionnaire from David Davis, Director,
Finger Lakes Lyric Circus, Skaneateles, N. Y.

25Completed questionnaire from John H. Ring, Resi-

-51-
recent release of the movie version of Guys and Dolls had
an adverse effect upon the success of its production at the
Highland Park Music Theatre.26 So it is evident that many
factors influence the success of a musical in summer stock,
and the producer must study all factors very carefully in
selecting a program for the season, although it is true
that many of the adverse conditions may be impossible to
foresee.

It would seem that the music circus might provide a
valuable opportunity to test new musicals prior to Broad—
way, but very little has been done in the production of
original and untried musicals. The producers generally
prefer to play safe with shows of proven success. The only
new musical to be produced during the summer of 1956 was

A Sudden Spring, which depended entirely upon its star,

 

Celeste Holm, to draw an audience.

In 1956 several music circuses included non-musical
shows in their schedule, and in many cases the non-musicals
proved to be among the most successful offerings of the
season. This seems to indicate that audiences enjoy vari-
ety, and there appears to be a trend toward including

straight shows and other programs with the season of musi-

cals.

 

dent Director, Niagara Melody Fair, North Tonawanda, N.Y.

26Completed questionnaire from David Tihmar, Director,
Highland Park Music Theatre, Highland Park, Ill.

—62-
The tent managers are planning several innovations
this season. They will try to use the theatre
full time, seven days a week, more straight

shows, jazz concerts, childrens shows, and spe-
cial programs are being discussed.

The use of straight shows in arena tents which

may compete with proscenium theatres is a trend

Egiggrgbgiggggegzrggully by the older summer

This may indicate also an attempt to reach ever
larger audiences, and to cater to a wider variety of inter—
ests. It also may be calculated to give the cast and
chorus of the musicals additional time to rehearse the
next show, if a non-musical offering intervenes. Non—
musical shows are admittedly less expensive to produce,
and this is another factor which must be considered, al-
though the chorus and resident company must receive sal-
aries whether they are performing or rehearsing. However,
some of the music circuses planned their schedule so that
several non—musicals ended the season, thus enabling them
to release the large company earlier than customary. In
many cases these productions were "package shows," that is,
they were cast and rehearsed in New York, and toured the
summer*circuit as a unit, using few if any resident per-
formers.

Early reports indicate that there will be an in-
creased amount of "package shows" during the 1957 season.

There will be more packaging done for summer

stock this year than ever before.
There will be packages for the larger tents, and

 

27Show Business, December 51, 1956.

-65-
different type packages for the regular summer
stock house. The high costs of operating with res—
ident companies is cutting down the number of pro-

ducers and increasing the number of theatre land-
lords.

Of the musicals produced in the arena theatre during
the 1956 summer season, three shows emerged as overwhelming

favorites, The King and I, Kismet, and Plain and Fancy.

 

Each of these musicals was performed at twelve different
theatres during the season. Twenty-one of these thirty—six
productions were listed as the most successful offerings of
the season. Table III gives the distributions in detail.
In addition to the high quality and reputations of these
musicals, at least a part of their popularity can be attrib-
uted to the fact that they were newly released for summer
stock. No other musical even approached the records of
these three favorites. None of the remaining musicals was
given more than five productions each. The shows listed as
unsuccessful followed no particular pattern, and their
failure was generally owing to diverse factors.

It is the Opinion of a majority of the music circus
directors that it is possible successfully to produce any
musical in the arena theatre, other factors being equal.
Seven of the directors are of this opinion, while five
others believe it is possible to produce most musioals suc-
cessfully in the arena, and one director stated that it is

possible to produce only certain carefully selected musi-

28Show Business, April 15, 1957.

-64-
cals successfully. This means, of course, that they be-
lieve there are few insurmountable problems and that any

musical may be successfully produced with imaginative and

creative staging.

CHAPTER VI
PROBLEMS OF STAGING AND DIRECTING

The directing of any production necessarily depends
upon the personnel, materials, and facilities which the
director has at his command. There are certain limitations
and certain freedoms connected with arena productions that
directly influence the techniques of direction. For this
reason, it is necessary to consider the various technical
departments as they affect the production. This discussion
will include a brief outline of staging practices including

scenery, lighting, sound, costume, and make-up.

Staging

Scenery

Before there were any stage settings the peOple
didn't miss them. Now they're used to them. And
how can you put scenery into an arena without cut-
ting off the view of half the audience? You can't.
But how important is scenery in the presentation of
modern realistic comedy? . . . Stage settings used
to attract more attention because they were a novel—
ty. Nowadays the movies have gone so much farther
in realistic backgrounds that legitimate stage set-
tings hold little thrill for the audience. Usually
they are tolerated or ignored.. . . What audiences
enjoy in modern comedy is character, story and dia-
logue.29 ,

29Hughes, pp. cit., pp. 9-10.

-55-

—66-

It is a quite general misconception that scenery is
unimportant in the arena theatre. This could not be fur-
ther from the truth. In the arena theatre, the scenery
must be of the finest quality and design in order to convey
the proper mood and effect with a minimum of actual set
pieces.

There are actually six main rules which must be con-
sidered in planning the scenery for a musical in the arena
theatre:

l. Full advantage must gg £3523 gf the imaginations
g: both the designer and the audience.--One of the most im-
portant factors in an arena production is imagination.

Part of this must be supplied by the director and designers,
and the other by the audience. A designer with a produc-
tive and vivid imagination, who is able to take advantage
of the imagination of his audience through his designs, will
find little impossible in the arena theatre. It must be
remembered that the members of the audience have very vivid
imaginations, and one of the charms of the medium is that
they are wonderfully free to use them.

2. Visibility must pg assured for all members g;

 

the audience.--A second important consideration in the de-

 

sign of scenery for the arena theatre is, of course, the
matter of sight lines from the audience. Since the specta-
tors will see the production from all sides, the scenery
must not interfere with their view. Formerly the general

rule was that all scenery must be low enough for the audi-

-67-
ence to see over, but it has been found that taller scenery
may be used, providing it is small enough or thin enough
to see around or through easily. Figure 7 illustrates an
effective setting of this type for Show Boat. Following
this principle, many spectacular effects can be achieved,
especially in the use of abstract or suggestive scenery. A
very effective use of this type of scenery occurred at a

production of Plain and Fancy at the Finger Lakes Lyric

 

Circus. The cast assembled a complete barn on stage in a

matter of seconds.

Audiences have been fascinated by the barn-raising
as well as the barn-razing that takes place a few
moments later on stage. The entire company builds a
"see-through" barn in 90 seconds to the strains of
"How Do You Build A Barn." Since the frame struc-
ture takes up the whole stage, the barn must be dis-
mangéed a few minutes later so that the show can go
on.

3. Scenery must bg light enough 29 pg handled and

 

 

carried easily.--Nost musicals are noted for their frequent

 

changes of scenery. This means that furniture and scenery
is often changed after every scene, and may require as many
as twenty shifts during a single performance. These
changes are made by members of the technical crew and ap-
prentices, who are very often girls. For this reason, it
is very important that the furniture and other pieces of
scenery be of a weight, size, and shape that ray be handled
with relative ease by one or two persons. Where large or

heavy pieces are necessary, it is desirable that they be

 

50Skaneateles Mirror, Skaneateles, N. Y., Sept.’7,l956.

 

 

 

-68-

FIGURE 7

SHOW BOAT AT THE LANBERTVILLE
MUSIC CIRCUS

 

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t
2%
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~ ‘1
E

w~ovs

 

 

-70-
constructed in sections and assembled on stage. On one oc-
casion, a dummy grand piano was constructed three—quarters
of actual size, and the body and legs carried on stage sep-
arately and assembled there. Figure 8 shows this piano as
it was used in Music 3p ppg App.

4. Scenery must pg sturdy enough pg withstand

treatment py actors and crew for duration pf production.

 

-—Although the furniture and scenery should be designed with
portability in mind, they must also be constructed to stand
a great deal of use and handling throughout the run of the
show. This is eSpecially true when such items as platforms,
tables, or chairs are used for dance routines and ensemble

numbers.

5. Scenegy must pg authentic enough pp withstand

 

close scrutiny. Because of the close proximity of the

 

 

audience, the scenery should be perfectly executed. Many
minor inadequacies which would go unnoticed on the pro-
scenium stage turn into glaring faults in the arena. For
instance, bushes and shrubs used on stage should preferably
be live materials, where on the proscenium stage, artifi—
cial substitutes may be used effectively. Such things as
stage braces and reinforcements must also be carefully
camouflaged. The scenery and furniture must achieve a
realism seldom attempted on the proscenium stage. This, of
course, does not apply where sets are frankly and consis-
tently abstract, but in this case also, the pieces must be

'perfect in execution, regardless of the style.

 

-71-

FIGURE 8

MUSIC IE THE AIR AT THE SOUTH SHORE
MUSIC CIRCUS

-72-

 

-73-
6. The scenery must pg designed for viewing from

all sides.--Since different portions of the audience will

 

view the scenery from different angles, articles such as
sofas, chairs, upright pianos, and so forth, must be fin-
ished on the back as well as the front. Sections of fur-
niture which are normally set against a wall are exposed in

the arena, and should be finished off so that they are pre-

sentable from all sides.

In addition to the scenery which is used on the

stage, there are several permanent fixtures which may be

decorated or camouflaged to suit each production. These

will include the tent poles, the teaser (a frame above and

surrounding the stage which masks the light rig from the

audience), anl the floor of the stage.

Since there are usually two tent roles at either
side of the stage, these are used extensively in planning

tflue overall design, and their decoration usually remains

cxnnstant throughout the play. For instance, they may be

paddrted and used as trees. Branches and leaves may be add—

ed tr) extend as a pattern into the teaser. This device was
usnai in a production of Brigadoon at Cohasset, with strips

of‘<:olored gauze suspended from the teaser giving the ef-

.fect: of a misty ethereal forest.
The stage floor is also usually painted an appropri-

ate; color and pattern for each play. Those with a large

Inimtxer of outdoor scenes may find a green or brown floor

-74-

the most effective, while indoor sets call for any color
which harmonizes with the design or establishes the best
effect. Figure 9 shows a production of Eigg Mg Kgpg with
the floor painted in large harlequin diamonds of black and
white. This rroved most effective, as the rest of the
scenery was abstract and very bright in color. In a sim-
ilar manner, the stage apron and the platforms used on the
stage may be painted to match or contrast with the stage
floor.

Most of the music circuses make extensive use of
platforms to create variety in staging. Five of the direc-
tors indicated that they always used platforms, nine indi-
cated that they were used often, and only one replied that
they were employed only occasionally. These platforms are
constructed with special attention to sturdiness and porta-
bility. They must necessarily be strong, since they will
often be used for dancing in addition to less strenuous ac-
tion, and they must be portable, since they are usually
moved around for various purposes and effects during the
course of the production.

In most productions, there are times when the actor
is called upon to make use of such things as doors and win-
dows, either by actually using them or by indicating their
position. Many earlier advocates of central staging avoid-
ed plays which require the use of doors and windows, but

the music circus has not found this to be a serious problem.

-75-

FIGURE 9

KISS ME KATE AT THE SOUTH SHORE
MUSIC CIRCUS

—76-

 

 

1.
3‘

“No.1.‘.’ . ..

' D. I
P . . U

‘

m. -.

.... . Wirinwtnrv!‘ 4
_ .. . g
l.1.....W..‘~\pJ..§\.
.3... . r.. .
. .‘fi: -‘J. “xx ll
.5. J .. a... 1
II»... .t a h. 1‘.

O...) .
59-.- s .

¢anuu.u.uP.N\.....§. P. ..

 

I ! | -| I I
o ’I" I
I
I . I III It. I . ll I'I
.74- . 1‘ .- . l - " -
I 0.! u ' v | ..C.
I .\ u 0 .
1.. . . 1..
o 1 r
. D. ‘
'4‘ .1 h f.
'5
T |

 

-77-
There are three main methods of treating this tyye of ac-
tion.

The first kind to be used in most arena productions
is the stimulation of the audience's imagination to cover
the situation. This makes practical use difficult, but
where doors or windows are only indicated and not used
directly in the action, the audience will accept with rela-
tive ease the convention that they are there. This method
is used often with relation to pictures and objects supposed
to be hanging on the walls. As an example, in the produc-
tion of Q; Thee I §ieg, there is a scene which involves a
tour of the White House. In this scene the crowd of tour-
ists admires the objects on the walls, and the audience is
not at all disturbed by the fact that the actors are gazing
into Open space.

The second method makes use of actual doors and win-
dows through suggestive representations or abstractions.
Figure 9 shows how door frames were effectively used in a
'production of Eeege i2 pee 5;; at Cohasset.

It is even possible to make practical use of such
things as doors and windows. For example, in Brigadoon a
door frame was erected in the manner of a Dutch door, with
the upper half eliminated and the lower half serving as a
practical door.

There are various other locations in the tent which
may call for scenery, mainly the aisles and the perimeter.

Although some directors fail to take advantage of these

-78-
added areas, they can be used very effectively. For a pro-

duction of Paint Your Wagon a stage coach was constructed

 

in the perimeter aisle. The coach was designed to be en-
tered by the actors from the outside of the tent; the actors
emerged through the coach door, descended the steps, and
continued down the aisle to the stage. The audience was de-
lighted with the effect.

Actually there are many ways in which scenery may be
used in the aisles. Sometimes it may be advisable to pro—
vide a platform for this type of staging when using the
perimeter aisle, thus bringing the action on a level with
the top of the last row and assuring total vision. This
was done in Kismet at the Niagara Melody Fair where several
dancing girls performed upon this kind of platform during
one short scene.

In the music circus, the blackout takes the place of
the proscenium stage's curtain. Shifting of scenery is
therefore accomplished in the dark between the scenes.
While most of the directors indicated that these shifts
were made in darkness, this may be somewhat misleading. In
all productions witnessed, the scene changes were accom-
plished in semi-darkness, with a certain amount of light
spilling from the orchestra pit. While this did not enable
the audience to see clearly, the technicians had enough
light to make positions fairly discernable. In addition,
it is common practice to use marking in luminous paint to

indicate placement of important scenic elements.

-79-
Upon questioning, only four directors held the Opin-
ion that the shifting of scenery in view of the audience
resulted in a serious break in the mood of the show. On
the other hand nine stated that this procedure resulted in
heightened interest and a sense of participation by the
audience.
. . . One is inclined to the notion that the se-
crecy which came in with the front curtain of the
standard theatre, and which became so exaggeratedly
important during the develorment of nineteenth cen-
tury realism, is really somewhat childish. Certain—
ly there is something naive about an audience of
adults which pretends that settings are changed by
magic, and which is shocked or greatly amused at
the sight of a stagehand escaping into the wings or
at the sound of backstage hammers.51
The directors of the various music circuses were
asked to name any shows which they found impractical to
produce because of problems of scenic design or construc-
tion. Of the sixteen directors responding, only three mu—

sicals were listed in this category. Of these, Ee and

Juliet and The Mergy Widow were successfully done in other

 

theatres. The third was Peter Pan, which is deemed imprac—
tical because of the technical problems involved in flying
through the air. It is not beyond the realm of belief that
even this may be accomplished in the music circus of the
near future.

A majority of directors were of the opinion that it

is possible to produce any musical in the arena theatre.l

 

51Hughes, 92. 933., pp. 54-35.

-90-
This admittedly involv.s the solving of some seemingly in—
anmmuntable problems. One of the most spectacular solu-
tions involved the filling of the orchestra pit with water
for the swimming pool in Wish You Were Here. This has been
done by not one,lmrtseveral of the music circuses in past
seasons. It would seem that the only important limitations

lie in the creative imaginations of the director and de-

signers.

Lighting

One of the most important aspects of a music circus
production is the lighting. Since so much of the mood, ef-
fect, and theatricality of the tent musical necessarily de-
pends upon imaginative lighting, great advances are being
made in its use. Whereas musical comedy convention has
formerly dictated the use of bright colors and, above all,
plenty of light upon the stage, the music circus is now de-
veloping a new and creative style of lighting for musical
productions.

Because of the complexity of the system, it is im-
possible to go into any great detail regarding lighting for
the music circus. In general, the lighting covers three
areas and consists of: (1) house lights, (2) grounds
lights, and (3) stage lights. The first two need not be
dealt with, for their functions are obvious and fairly
simple. The stage lights are numerous, and their position

may vary with the needs of each show.

-81-

The state lights are mounted in two general posi—

tions, the light rig above ani encircling the stage area,
and the tent poles consisting of centerpoles, quarter poles,

and outer poles. The light coming from the light rig is

directed mainly upon the stage itself, while the lights
mounted on the tent poles may be pointed in various direc-

tions to cover positions in the aisles.
Instead of making extensive use of follow spots,

common practice is to follow the actor in his entrances and

exits by dimming one light area while fading in the next.

This, of course, involves intricate timing and planning.

The electrician or lighting designer must work carefully

with the director and attend a majority of the rehearsals,

so that he may arrange his lights to cover the necessary

playing areas. The lights must be carefully adjusted and,

in most cases, rehung for each new production.

The electrician has four main rules to follow in
planning the "lighting plot":

1. Light must fall upon the action from all sides,
so that all sections of the auiience may see equally well.

2. Lighting instruments must be situated and

WmaSked" so that they will not shine in the eyes of the

audience.
5. Lighting changes and effects must be carefully.

tinuxi to coordinate with the action.

4. Consideration must be made of the effect of

lightijnz‘upon the costumes and scenery.

-82-

Lighting creates much of the illusion and the the—

atrical atmosphere of an arena production. For this rea-
son, matinee performances are rarely satisfactory, and

many theatres are discontinuing them in favor of "twi-

night"‘performances.

Should anyone still doubt the importance of
lighting to a Music Circus production, let him
merely go to see a matinee performance in a tent.
All illusion disappears. Fortunately, the audience
is composed mostly of children-—fortunately, that
is, because it takes all the imagination of child-
hood to see anything on the stage but people trying
very hard to "make believe" and not succeeding. Of
course, it may satisfy some peOple just to be close
to real actors, but that's not theatre.

Sound

Sound may be classified into two general areas:
(1) acoustics and amplification, and (2) sound effects.
The acoustics in a music circus tent are good, and two of
the organizations reported that they made no use whatsoever
of electronic amplification. However, the other thirteen
theatres made use of some sort of amplification as an aid
to vocal projection. The following is a brief description
of the method used at the Niagara Melody Fair:

Four cardioid microphones are suspended aprox.
[approximately] 11' above the stage. Through a
junction box these run to a common input on the am—
plifier (which hould be of at least 50 watts out-
put). A mic. Ifhicrophonefl is also in the pit for

use of the conductor in amplifying strings as the
conductor wishes. Pit and stage mics. [micrOphone€],

 

32Edya Signer, "The Music Circus" (unpublished Mas-
ter's thesis, Department of Drama, Yale University, 1952),

p. 129.

-83-
are low impedance. Output sho 1d be through at
least 4 Speakers located at 90 intervals around
the stage. These should be aimed so as to hit the
rear half of the audience in preference to the
front of the house. Either by the nature of the
Speaker (as in the Electro-Voice C.D.P.'s used at
Melody Fair) or in the amplifier, cut off of all
frequencies below 250 c.p.s. is essential so that
thumping of feet in dancing, etc., on the stage
will not be annoyingly amplified. Also, as it is
the articulation for clarity that it is necessary
to amplify, only the high frequencies are needed.

This describes the system used at Melody Fair

this summer--also the system that I installed in
the North Shore Music Theatre last summer ('55).
The ideal system is quite a bit more elaborate,
though the above is more than satisfactory.5§

The only time that acoustics becomes a major problem
is during a thunlershower. Rain falling upon the canvas
tent can become deafening, and many a show has been halted
for several minutes until conditions improved.

Sound effects are usually handled by the electrician
from the control booth. These would include such things as
telephones, recordings, bells, and so forth which involve
sounl coming from the stage. Other sound effects such as
gun shots and crowd noises may come from outside the tent
and be handled by the crew or cast. In general, sound ef—

fects are handled by much the same methods as on the pro—

scenium stage.

Costumes and Props
It is generally believed that much greater attention

to detail and accuracy of costumes and prOperties must be

 

35Letter from John H. Ring, Resident Director, Oak-
dale Musical Theatre, Wallingford, Conn., October 29, 1956.

-84-
observed in the arena theatre, but nine of the music cir-
cus directors stated that this attention to detail is rela-
tively the same as on the conventional stage. Actually,
many of the costumes which are rented from the costume com-
panies were originally usei in proscenium productions.
Nevertheless, it is important that these costumes, when
used in an arena situation, be of good quality and in ex-

cellent condition.54

Make-up

Productions in the non-musical arena theatre have
usually required a minimum of make-up. Because of the
proximity of the audience most of the actresses employed
pancake make-up in preference to grease paint, while the
men often played with no make-up at all. We find that the
musical-theatre—in-the-round demands a different approach
completely. In this situation, where the audience may num-
ber in the thousands, a heavier make-up is necessary in or-
der to be effective for the more distant parts of the audi-
ence. The type of make-up employed is more like that of
the proscenium stage than the customary arena make-up.

Twelve of the directors in music circuses indicated
that the make-up used is approximately the same as the
usual stage make—up, while four of the directors stated
that a light stage make-up was required. Make-up must be)

applied in such a manner that the closer members of the

54Supra, p. 44.

-95-
audience will not be disturbed by a theatrical artificial-
ity, while those further removed will not be disturbed by
its absence.

The use of scenery, lighting, costumes, properties,
and make-up in the music circus generally requires less at-
tention to detail than in, conventional arena production,
but more than is necessary on the proscenium stage. It
must be remembered that, while the front rows of the audi-
ence are close enough to require subtlety of effect and ac—
curacy of detail, the more distant rows will need about as
much exaggeration and emphasis as in a proscenium produc-

tion. A happy medium should be sought and maintained.

Directing

The general duties of the director have already been
considered briefly 111 Chapter IV. It is the purpose of
this section to consiier further those directing techniques
which must be employed in the production of musicals in the
arena theatre.

The responsibilities of the director actually begin
many months before the company is assembled at the theatre.
The director may even be emrloyed during the fall or early
'winter of the previous year to help the producer with the
selection of the shows to be produced. However, in nine of
the sixteen cases studied the producer alone selects the

shows; three of the companies indicated that the

The duties

season's

director assisted the producer in this matter.

 

 

-86-
of most of the directors begin in the late winter or early

spring with the casting of the company;

Casting

The director starts early in the year to choose the
stars and jobbers that he wishes to use for the season. All

of these principal roles are usually cast through reputable

agents operating in New York City. Often a director will

try to get a star who is able to appear in two different
roles in succeeding weeks. Among other things, this cuts

down on expense slightly. The director will often use a

chart with each show listed and space provided for filling
in the actors who will portray the major characters. In
this way, he may see at a glance just what roles remain un-
cast, and where he may use a principal actor in succeeding

roles. Resident actors are also mainly cast through agents.
The pepular belief of authorities on central staging
is that type casting must be strictly adhered to in the
arena because of the nearness of the audience, but the mu-
sic circuses do not seem to follow this plan. Thirteen of
the sixteen music circuses reported that they cast actors
for arena musicals in the same manner and for the same rea-
sons as for conventional productions, with no greater em-
phasis on physical type than usual.
The casting for chorus, both singers and dancers, is

handled.through notices in the trade newspapers, followed

by individual auditions.

 

-87-

The first audition call for Chorus performers in
musical or dramatic productions is to be for Equity
members only. Equity will receive at least one
week's notice of such call. At all other calls,
Equity members are to be auditioned first.35

Casting for the music circus usually begins in March
or April, with very few companies waiting as late as May
for casting calls. The calls are usually announced in the

following manner:

'arch 19 ~-- Westbu_y, L. I. & Valley Forgg, Pa.
will hold— Equity call for dancers. Boys from 10-1
p. m. and girls from 1-4 p. m. All calls for these
two tent theatres run by Lee Guber, Frank Ford and
Shelly Gross will be held at Nola Studios in Stein-
way Hall, 115 W.57 St.Rm.619. Marvin Krause is
gen.mgr.

Opening date for Valley Forge is June 3rd and
for Westbury, June IO.

March 29 --- Westbury & Valley Forge Equity call
for singers. Boys rom 13- I and g1rls from 2- 5.
Nola Steinway, Rm.6l9.

March 21 --- Westbury & Valley Forge. Open call
for— dancers from 10- 1 p. m. Boys and girls together
at Nola Steinway.

March 22 --- Nestbur & Valley Forge. Open call
for singers from 10-2 p. m. Boys and girls together
at Nola Steinway. 36

 

In selecting his chorus, the director has many fac-
tors to consider other than talent. First, of course, in
the case of the singing chorus, he must look for a good
strong singing voice with a pleasing quality that will
blend well in chorus singing. This alone limits the choice,

for many fine singers do not necessarily blend well in

 

55Actors' Equity Association, "Auditions (Tryouts)
for Chorus," Equity Rules Governing Employment lg Stock,
April, 1956, p. 6.

36Show Business, March 18, 1957.

 

 

 

-88-
group singing. Next the director must consider the musical
background and ability of the singer, for musicianship and
sight-reading ability are important when there is so much
music to be learned in such a short time. For these rea—
sons, the musical director may have complete or final con-
trol over the hiring of the chorus members; usually the
director and the musical director both preside over the
singing auditions, and the director and/or the choreograph—
er over the dancing auditions.

The average number of singers used in the music cir-
cus is twelve; six men and six women. Of the latter, there
will usually be three sopranos and three altos, and one of
each will sing the second sorrano part when necessary. In
a similar manner, the men will be divided into three tenors
and three baritones, or two tenors anl four baritones, with
one or two of the baritones possessing the necessary range
to sing bass parts. It is apparent that singers possessing
a wide and flexible voice range are most desirable.

The chorus members are further required to fill cer-
tain physical requirements. They are, of course, to be as
attractive as possible in face, figure, and personality.
Most music circuses specify that chorus members be of rela-
tively the same height also. Taking the six women of the
chorus as an example, the girls must all be between 5'4"
and 5'5" tall; tall girls are not considered desirable for

the chorus. The director also will have certain require-

 

-89-

rmnts in regard to color of hair. He may decide to have
two blonds, two brunettes, one redhead, and a brownette in
Hm chorus to provide variety and also to provide suitable
innerstudies for the various roles. With regard to under-
Mmdying, he must also consider the different personality
types he may need, and cast accordingly. In addition to
all this, the singer will usually be asked to dance a simple
dance step for the choreographer to assure the directors
that he or she moves well and will be able to do any
dancing that may be required of the chorus.

The casting of a chorus, then, is obviously no easy
matter, and the director may see hundreds of performers be-

fore he finds twelve singers and six dancers who will fill

all of his requirements.

Rehearsals

Rehearsals for the summer season may start one week
before the season officially Opens for principals, and from
one to four weeks prior to Opening for members of the chorus.
Actors' Equity Association has clearly defined conditions

and limits under which rehearsals may be held.

(A) General Provisions. (applies to both Musical
Outdoor and Indoor Theatres, including Tents, and
for both Principal and Chorus performers.)

Preceding the Opening date stated on the face of
the Contract, the Actor, if required, shall give
one (1) week of rehearsal, except for Chorus on
Idinimum Contracts may be required to rehearse up to
.four weeks. As rehearsal pay, the Manager agrees
to pay the Actor at the rate of Sixty (360.00) Dol-
'lars per week, commencing with the required date Of
arrival of the Actor, except when:

 

-90-

(l) The Actor is called upon to rehearse four
(4) days or less, the compenstion [sié]
shall be pro-rated, and the Actor paid one-
seventh (1/7) for each day of rehearsal or
part thereof.

(1) There shall be a five minute rest period in
every hour, except during dress rehearsals.

(2) After the opening of any production, the
Actor shall not be required to give further
rehearsals of the current production, except
for one brush-up.

(3) There shall be a one (1) hour break after
five (5) consecutive hours of rehearsal.

(4) There shall be a minimum Of one (1) hour
break exclusive of the half (k) hour call
before every performance.

(C)_Agditional rehearsal conditions prior 32
Opening for chorus performers only:

(1) No member of the Chorus shall be permitted
to rehearse more than a maximum of eight (8)
hours a day in any period of ten (10) con-
secutive hours, commencing with the time of
rehearsal call for each member of the Chorus.

(2) Time for wardrobe fittings and costume calls
shall be inclusive in the allowable rehears-
al hours.

(3) Prior to Opening, the chorus shall be en-
titled to one (1) day-off with salary for
each seven (7) days of rehearsals. Should
the rehearsal period be fifteen (15) days or
more, one of the days-Off will be Sunday.

(D) Additional rehearsal conditions for princi—

pals rior £2 0 enin :

lo ’rincipal ctor shall be permitted to re—
hearse more than seven (7) out of eight (8) consecu—
tive hours in any one day. Costume calls and ward-
robe fittings shall be permitted within the rehears-
al hours.

(F) Rehearsals for indoor theatres, including

tents:

(1) Rehearsals, including dress rehearsals, when
the same takes place on a non— erformance
day, shall not exceed eight (8) out of ten
(10) consecutive hours.

-91-
(2) The total work week shall not exceed forty
eight (48) hours per week including rehears—
als, performances, costume fittings, brush-
ups, etc. In all instances, overtime shall
be paid as provided for, and compensation
therefor shall not be made part Of any Con-
tract Of Employment.37
During the first few days of rehearsal, the singers,
dancers, and actors will rehearse separately. The choral
director prepares the chorus in early rehearsals, while the
musical director and director work with the principals.
The latter are often assisted by the choreograrher, who is
also rehearsing the dancers. These rehearsals are held
separately, although the rehearsal rooms may be in the same
building, but usually not in the tent itself. The heat of
the tent during the day, and the need for individual res
hearsal, makes the use Of another building necessary.38
The number of hours spent in these individual sec-
tion rehearsals varies with each company. Some directors
prefer to spend most of their‘rehearsal timeilisuch rehears-
als,while<flflunx;preferto gather the company for full re-
hearsals and complete run-throughs at the earliest possible
time. Some of the music circuses reported that they spent
as few as eight hours in these sectional rehearsals, while

others spent as much as twenty-seven hours per week before

going into full rehearsals. Four to seven hours are spent

 

fl

37Actors' Equity Association, "Rehearsals," n uity
Rules Governing Employment lg Stock, April, 1956, pp. 0—
32.

38Supra, p. 44-

 

-92-
in dress rehearsals. The amount of time which may be spent

in rehearsal is clearly defined by Actors' Equity Associa-

39

Sometime during the third or fourth day of rehearsal

tion.

of a one-week rehearsal schedule, rehearsals are moved into
the tent for at least part of the day. Full rehearsals
then.begin with principals and chorus. Much Of the scenery
is trot yet completed at this time, but what is available is
usedl, and the rest represented by various substitutes.
Ideally, too, there should be one week of re-
hearsals in costume and with all props, especially
in the case of a period play in which the actors
need time to become accustomed to the costume and
to learn to use it functionally and gracefully.40
This is the procedure that Margo Jones followed at
her- theatre in Dallas. This, of course, is impossible in
musical stock, where each show is rehearsed for only a
wesalc, or sometimes two weeks when the shows run for a long-
er 13eriod of time. Costumes and complete scenery and props,
except in the case of extremely cumbersome and unfamiliar
iteanis, are seldom used before dress rehearsal, and there is
usually only one dress rehearsal.
It is quite apparent that rehearsal time in the mu-

au: <3ircus is cut to a minimum, and that performers must

eitlisar be familiar with the show before rehearsals start or

be Eit>le to learn very quickly, usually both. There is also

\

39Supra, pp. 89-91.

40Jones, pp. cit., pp. 121-122.

 

-93-
opportunity for only one dress rehearsal. It must be re-
membered that while one show is in rehearsal, the actors
are performing in another production each evening. In
these repeats, and in most of the other rehearsal condi-
tions and procedures, there is little difference from any
other type of summer stock.

Blockinggthe action

 

The first problem encountered in blocking the action
is how to give stage directions, for obviously the tradi-
tional stage directions will not work in the arena theatre.
The music circus has solved this problem in two ways. The
first method assigns a number to each aisle leading to the
stage, and all directions are given in relation to the po-
sition of these aisles. The second method is based upon
the position of the hands of a clock, and presupposes that
the stage is the face of the clock, with the main aisle
designated as 12:90. Then it follows that the next aisle
to the right is the 2:00 aisle; the next the 4:09 aisle;
and the aisle Opposite the main aisle, the 6:00 aisle, and
so forth. This latter method seems slightly more pOpular,
although the two methods actually differ little; both de-
pend upon the position of the aisles in relation to the
stage as the basis for stage directions.

A play on an arena stage has to look good from
all directions. The best way to plan the composi—
tion is to take a bird's—eye view, to imagine your—
self looking at the production from the ceiling or

the dome. In the proscenium theatre the audience
sees the play from one direction only, the play is

-94-
Observed as a picture. The play becomes more like
a sculpture in theatres-in-the-round; in other
words, it acquires new dimensions. It means that
the necessities are fourfold. It also means that
the potentialities of exciting design are greater.‘Jrl

This is no less true of musicals in the arena, than
of straight dramatic Offerings. The action must be care-
fully planned by the director and his assistants, and
above all, he must constantly be aware of sightlines from
every portion of the tent. This is especially important
because of the large numbers of peOple on stage in a musi—
cal. There is always the danger that important action will
be missed by at least part of the aulience, because of an
intervening chorus member who inadvertantly is blocking the
view. This can only be avoided by careful planning and
exact rehearsal by all members of the company. It is ad-
visable that the director vary his position in the audience
frequently during rehearsals, so that the actors will not
unconsciously play to the director and hence end up playing
extensively to one section of the audience.

When there are large numbers of people on the stage,
attention to the main action must be gained by some device.
Many of the music circuses employ levels and platforms to
solve this problem. The principal actors then are placed on
a higher level than the chorus, and there is no obstruction

to the view. Five of the directors reported that they al-'

ways used levels or platforms; nine indicated that they em-

M

41Jones, 9p. cit., p. 123.

-95-
ployed them Often; and only one director stated that they
were used only occasionally. Another device commonly used
to emphasize the main action is the seating of the chorus
on the floor, around the edge Of the stage, or in the
aisles. This also, of course, places the principals and
the main action on a higher level and in a position to be
easily seen. Figures 9 and 10 show examples of this type
of arrangement. Skillful placement of the chorus in this
manner seldom results in Obvious maneuvering or "jockeying
for position."

One of the best teachers of dramatic literature
in the country takes somewhat this view [denuncia-
tion of all conscious technique as a kind of trick-
ery]. Whenever one mentions to him the manner in
which certain effects are achieved in the theatre
through control of attention, creation of suspense
and anticipation, invention of business to natural-
ize movements, and the like, he throws up his hands
in deprecation, "Trickery! Trickery!" he says;

"all trickery!"

He is right, of course. It is trickery. But so
in a sense is all art. The only perfect absence of
trickery is to be found in pure accident, and pure
accident is not art. Life itself may or may not be
pure accident, but art is design--the antithesis of
accident.

The singers and dancers should also be arranged so
that they may have some contact with the conductor during
the performance. This, unfortunately, is at a minimum.
The most important thing is that the singers and dancers
avoid Obvious watching of the conductor. It is impossible

for them to face the conductor during a whole musical num-

 

 

42John DOlman, Jr., The Art 9f Pla Production (New
York: Harper and Brothers Publishers, 28), p. 136.

-96-

FIGURE 10

MUSIC CIRCUS PRODUCTION OF THE STUDENT PRINCE
STARRING ROBERT ROUNSHELLE

 

 

-97-

 

-98-

ber, for this would mean half of the audience would have an
unrelieved back view of the performer. Therefore the per-
former must look at the conductor only at intervals and
this may mean that he must depend upon getting the tempo
and the feeling of the music from other members of the en-
semble. "Nowadays we just put our faith in careful re-
hearsals, and hope for the best!"43

Some of the directors in the music circus seem re-
luctant to stage scenes and action actually in the aisles,
and thus fail to take advantage of this Opportunity for
variety. Scenes and action can be staged very effectively
in the aisles and even in the outside perimeter, providing
the scenes do not last long enough to tire the audience.

One Of the scenes which is staged with a maximum use of the

aisleways is the chase scene from Brigadoon. Another is the

 

campaign parade in Of Thgg I Sipg. The Opportunity for
fresh and imaginative staging of this type of action is
nearly unlimited.
Movement and Action

It is generally accepted that in the arena theatre,
movement must be planned so that each section of the audi-
ence will see the actor's face at frequent intervals. It
is generally not possible for an actor to play a scene in a

stationary position. Because of this he must find motiva-

tion to move and turn to different parts of the house, a

 

43George Sessions Perry, "Darnedest Thing You'veEmen,
Saturday Evening Post, March 1, 1952, p. 117.

H.”

.v.

.A

-99-
far different procedure than in the proscenium theatre.
This Often will actually result in far more natural action,
for in real situations we do not favor any particular area.
Tor instance, when two people are engaged in conversation,
they will face each other in a real life situation, but on
the proscenium stage the two actors will usually stand in a
three—quarters position, primarily facing the audience in—
stead of each other. On the arena stage this artificiality
is unnecessary.
most of the authorities on central staging believe

that there must be considerably more movement in arena pro-
ductions than is ordinarily found in stage productions.
Only a slight majority of the directors in the music circus
appear to accept this fully. Several of the directors be-
lieve it is about the same, and three have stated that the
amount Of movement is much less. One reason for this may
possibly be that these directors are considering the size
of the playing area in choosing their answers, although
this could not wholly compensate. One of the prime reasons
for the additional movement on the arena stage would be, of
course, the changes of position which an actor must undergo
to face different sections of the audience.

Another reason is that compensation must be made

for the lack Of "stage pictures"—-effective groups

of actors against scenic backgrounds. Sufficient

fluidity of movement provides this compensation..
. . At no time should movement seem forced.44

““Hughes, 92. cit., p. 31.

l

,-’._.c'-=__._.—'-:—- - “Ha—- flair-e- . -.-

’.—_.._._.__fl_~__-.._..—- .. ‘_-.-..

 

I
4
.4
s.
u
‘I
.l
U

-100-

An actor should never move merely to vary his posi-
tion in relation to the audience. A spectator will be
quick to detect any such moves because that, of course, is
what he expects, a sort of spinning action of the actor who
is trying feverishly to face all parts of the audience at
once. Movement in the arena theatre must have as much or
more motivation as in any other type of theatre.

In considering movement, and the amount of movement
necessary to satisfy an audience in the arena, it must be
remembered that it is not necessary to observe an actor's
face while he is speaking. it is often enough to be able
to see the reaction on the faces of the other participants
in the scene. This is used as an effective technique in
motion pictures and television.

Why are we so slow to learn the lesson held before
our eyes by the movie cameraman? Can we not under-
stand an action better if we listen to one partici-

pant and watch the other, thus grasping the entire
situation at one moment?45

Acting
An actor who finds himself performing in the arena
theatre for the first time may find it a frightening ex-

perience.

The first time I stepped out on the stage of her
[Fargo Jones'] theatre-in-the-round I experienced a
new brand of an Old, Old disease--stage fright.

The Old brand is common to most actors, singers,
musicians and public speakers. The recognizable
symptoms are the presence of paper bags and butter-
flies in the stomach, cotton in the mouth, a potato
in the larynx and rubber in the joints. The new

 

45 . ,u .
Kelly Yeaton, "Look Again, Lauterer. Bulletin fig-
tional Theatre Conference, Vol. XII, NO. l (ll-”arch, qufi), p.12.

4101-

symptom, peculiar to theatre—in-the-round stage
fright, is a head-spinning dizziness.

Consider the plight of the actor who is a
stranger to these surroundings. There is no scenery
to turn to in embarrassing moments, no wings to es-
cape into, no friendly prompter's voice, no glaring,
shielding footlights, no curtain . . . . No nothing
but a circular sea of leering, peering faces often
closer to you than the nearest actor's.

Standing under the glare of the overhead lights
on that first unforgettable entrance, I felt like a
naked unanesthetized victim about to undergo a pub-
lic major operation. I said my opening lines auto-
matically and remembered to move over and sit on
the divan in the dead center of the stage. My
hands felt enormous, swollen, awkward beyond belief.
My frozen smile began to twitch. When another
actor leaned over me, I stared intently at him,
trying to blot out the mass of eager, bulbous faces
right behind him. When he circled around me, my
eyes followed him, anl those bleary faces swam by
in the reverse direction.

Actually a good actor on the proscenium stage is
still a gooi actor in the arena, but he must adapt himself
to slightly different requirements and conditions.

It might seem that it would be very distracting for
the actor to be able to see nothing but faces all around
him, but this is something to which he easily becomes ac-
customed. His solution may consist of looking at the audi-
ence without actually seeing it, or of viewing the audience
as a mass rather than as individuals. As on the proscenium
stage, lighting often prevents the actor from seeing the
audience too clearly. Thirteen of the music circus direc-
tors statei that this was really no problem, and actors
never tended to break character because of the closeness of
the audience. The three remaining directors indicated that

a problem occurred only occasionally.

 

 

“eieorge Mitchell, "Actor-in—the-Round," New York
Times, March 28, 1949, p. 2X.

   

-lO2-

The main thing an actor must remember in acting in
the arena is that he must act with his whole body. A hand
or the back of a head may convey as much to an audience as
a facial expression. Good actors are aware of this and
make use of it on the proscenium stage, too.

Another thing an actor must be aware of is that he
pay not rely upon a prompter for any help whatsoever. All
but one of the theatres report they never use a prompter.
This means that the actor has no one but himself to depend
upon, and the ability to "ad lib" may come in very handy on
occasion. lt is necessary that each actor know his lines
perfectly, and it may also help to be well versed in the
lines of actors appearing on stage at the same time. many
times another actor can supply a prompting line which saves
the day.

There seems to be little change of acting style from
that employed in productions of musicals on the proscenium
3tage. If anything, the style tends to be somewhat more
Pealistic. Six of the directors contacted reported little
Shange in matters of style from conventional musical tech-
niques, while eight of the directors believed that a slight—
ly more realistic acting style than commonly found in musi-
Cals was generally more desirable.

It is important to remember that most early arena
productions were non-musical, and emphasized realism and
representational acting. Musical drama is unique in that

it demands a blend of the representational and presenta—

 

-105-
tional styles of acting. The dialogue of a musical play
will be largely representational or realistic, but the mo-
ment an actor begins to sing, he necessarily reverts to a
presentational style. Musicals demand a certain amount of
exaggeration, an amount which would usually not be accept-
able in a non-musical play. This is true in the arena as
well as on the proscenium stage.

It is also true that, when early authorities on cen-
tral staging emphasized a restrained style of acting, they
referred to a very small theatre. The musical arenas of
today are considerably larger and cannot be held to these
earlier conventions. The style of acting required in the
music circus more closely resembles that employed on the
proscenium stage than that advocated for the conventional
arena stage. A capable performer on the proscenium stage
is generally no less effective in the arena musical.
fiégits and Entrances

Because of the length of the aisleways and the dis-
‘tance an actor must travel in executing entrances and exits,
all entrances and exits must be carefully planned and timed.
Although there is admittedly an extremely long distance to
be coveredfrom the perimeter to the stage, there are sev-
eral methods which may be employed to make these intervals
run smoothly and effectively. This most often involves a
careful timing b7 the actor so that he starts his entrance
at the top of the aisle on a designated cue, and arrives on

the stage at the exact moment designated by the script.

-lO4-
Most of these entrances are made very quickly, so the audi-
ence is not aware of the actor until he actually appears on
stage. Another method which can often be used most effec—
tively is to have the actor actuallv begin his Opening
lines while he is traveling down the aisle. This is es-
pecially effective in outdoor scenes. Often the lighting
will pick up the actor's entrance and follow him down the
aisle. This method is used even more often in the case of
exits. Many of an actor's closing lines are spoken as he
is making his exit up the aisle, often resulting in very
dramatic exit lines. These main methods of dealing with
entrances and exits may be briefly listed as follows:

1. Timed entrances and exits.

2. Very rapid entrances and exits.

3. Lines coverinj exits and entrances.

Another problem which the actor and director must
face is the finding of positions on the stage during the
TDlackouts between scenes. Because of the blackout, which
Serves as a curtain between scenes, it is necessary that
'the actor be thoroughly familiar with the stage and the po-
sition he must take on it. It must also be remembered
that the actor will be assuming his position while the
scenery is still in the proc ss of being shifted. For this
reason, the aisles which the actors and the stage hands use
must be clearly designated and adhered to, in order to

avoil serious accidents.

-135-
The scene changes are accomplished in semi-darkness,
with some light coming from the orchestra pit. In addi-
tion, it is a common practice to use markings in luminous
paint in indicating important positions for scenery and ac-
tors. Under these conditions, entrances and the beginnings
of scenes are accomplished with relative ease. On the
other hand, exits after scenes are more difficult, because
the actor's eyes are not yet accustomed to the darkness
after the brilliance of the stage lights. Luminous paint
or tape is usually placed on the edge of the stage to mark
the exits, but from there on the actor is on his own.
There have, of course, been instances where retreating ac-
tors have stumbled into the arms of unsuspecting patrons,
but this even seems to add to the enjoyment of the occasion.
This is truly an example of extreme intimacy.
Focus
Focus is obtained very easily in the arena theatre,
tNecause the acting area is so close to the audience. While
tflle focal point for various portions of the audience may
fiiffer, it is almost impossible not to have focus in cen—
tral staging. The prime reason for this is that there are
‘nO weak playing areas.
Thrown back on my own resources, it seems to me
that the natural focus of any space is its center,
where the arena stage is placed. True, we strength-
en it by facing the seats toward the stage and by
concentrating light upon it, which is the common

expedient of the architect of theatres. It seems
to me that the designer of a conventional theatre

-106-

is often forced to rather strong measures when he
creates a new synthetic focus at one end of his
space.4

Eleven of the directors contacted reported that they
did not consider any area or areas on the stage more advan-
tageous than any other for gaining emphasis or pointing up
main action; two others stated that lighting controlled
this emphasis. Several of the music circuses reported that
‘lighting was very important in gaining focus. The music
circus has done quite a bit to emphasize details and stress
a focal point through the use of lighting effects. The
aisles and the apron are the only relatively weak spots.

When there are many peOple on stage, focus or atten-
tion to the main action is achieved largely through:

1. Placing the main actors on a higher level.

2. Focusing of attention by minor characters toward
the center of interest.

5. Attention-getting movement by principals.

4. Emphasis by lighting.

5. Vocal stress or emphasis by principals.
?empo

It is generally accepted by most of the authorities
Oncentral staging that the tempo of the action must move
at a faster rate in the arena than on the proscenium stage.

One of the striking characteristics . . . is

that the tempo is faster than that of the conven-
tional theatre. The reason for this is obvious;

47Yeaton, 9p. cit., p. 11.

-107-

the play does not have to be projected so far. Ac-

tors speak naturally and do not need to wait for

their words to carry to a distant balcony.48
There seems to be much disagreement on this from the music
circus directors. Six of them said that the action must
move at a faster tempo; three believed this was true only
to a limited extent; and five denied that there was any in-

crease in tempo at all. This is not so hard to understand

4

after all, for it must be remeroered that the music circus
tent is far different than the other arena theatres which
have preceded it. The principal difference affecting the
tempo is, of course, the comparatively large size of the
audience. Whereas the seating capacity in former arena
theatres varied from 100 to 400, the music circus seats
from 1230 to 2503 peOple. An actor will still have projec—
tion problems, for the last row of this theatre is quite a
distance from the stage. Another reason for the diverse
Obinions on this matter may stem from the fact that many of
tnie music circuses make extensive use of amplification,
Wluich is an aid to projection, and hence would affect the
tenumu it is also true that the original creator of the
Inanuscript and music of a musical show has far greater con-
trol over the tempo than does the author of a non-musical

Play. It would appear that the original tempo is little

Changed for production in the music circus.

*—

4asughes, 99. cit., pp. 36-37.

-lOE—
Intimacy

The importance of intimacy to central staging is a
thing which is often discussed but seldom explained. Inti-
macy is actually a rather intangible factor and may mean
different things to different peOple.

First, and most simply, it may mean a mere physical
closeness to the drama. In this case, television and mo—
tion pictures are two very intimate mediums, for here it is
possible to see the slightest expression on the actor's
face in a close-up shot.

From another standpoint, intimacy may require a
physical closeness to the living actor, such as we get in
extremely small theatres and in the usual arena production.
This is obviously the view held by Glenn Hughes, one of the
leading prOponents of arena theatre. Mr. Hughes was asked
.if he felt intimacy was completely lost in the music circus
iNhere audiences often number over 1500 peOple. His answer
\Nas simply, VYes. Don't you? What does intimacy mean?"49

The consideration of intimacy seems to depend en-
'tirely upon the definition. If the music circus depends
‘upon this physical closeness to living actors, then it is
true that a comparatively small portion of the music circus

audience is constantly affected. It must be remembered,

though, that portions of the audience further from the stage

 

49letter from Glenn Hughes, Director of the School of
Drama, University of Washington, Seattle, Washington,
April 1, 1357.

-109-
will also often be extremely close to the actor during his
entrances and exits, as well as during scenes playel in the
aisles. This naturally adds to the spectator's identifica-

tion with and empathic response to the actor.

There is still another way in which intimacy may be
(defined, which is perhaps more applicable to the music cir-
cus situation. It may be defined as a feeling of partici-
pation by the audience. That is, the spectator is able to
view the action in a realistic manner, as if he were actu—
ally a part of it, with no artificial barriers.

. . . By placing the actors in an arena we elimi-
nate the most artificial element in the Cinvention—
al theatre-~the proscenium arch, which has long
been referred to as "the fourth wall," and which
for more than two centuries has proved a bugbear to
actors and directors of realistic plays. In real
life a room has four walls. On the stage it has
three. in a real room the action bears in upon it-
self from four directions. On the stage the action

must be projected outward in one direction--through
the missing fourth wall.50

Another important fact is that the distance from the
13erformer to the audience is much less in an arena than on
a proscenium stage. it is interesting to note here that
the actor performs $3 the arena, but 92 the proscenium
Stage. This may be indicative of the general feeling cre—
ated by central staging.

. . . The aulience, when it comes into a theatre-
in-the-round, finds the idea of being in the same
room with the actors one of the chief attractions

of the medium, and the only separation needed can
be created with lighti.g. While only the front row

 

50Hughes, 92. cit., P- 10-

-110-
is actually at the same level with the actors, the
feeling of intimacy becomes contagious and spreads
to the other two, four or five [or more] rows.

In addition, the spectator is able to witness much
of the behind-the-scenes action of the play, such as the
shifting of scenery, anl this also contributes to his sense
of closeness and participation. It is the Opinion of a ma-
jority of the music circus directors that the shifting of
scenery in view of the audience results in heightened in-
terest and a definite sense of participation by the specta-
tor.

It is true that intimacy is most often referred to in
connection with plays produced in very small theatres or
rooms, but this does not mean that a play given in a small
room always has intimacy or that one given in a large the-
atre must necessarily lack intimacy. The size of the room
:neei.not indicate the degree of intimacy an audience will
experience.

There is no proof yet as to what the perfect size

of a theatre-in-the-round should be, but we do know
thatcnuaof the great virtues of this type of staging
is its intimacy, and this quality can be easily in-
creased to five or six hundred without impairing

the intimacy of the playhouse. If the seating ar-
rangement is very carefully planned, it seems, how-
ever, that it can be as large as eight hundred (as
in Norman Bel Geddes' design) or thirteen hundred
(as in the Lambertville Music Circus).52

The nearness of the audience members to each other

will affect intimacy also. A close group reSponds much

511bid., p. 100.

52Jones, 92. cit., p. 99.

-111-
more readily to emotional stimuli than do scattered indi-
viduals. For instance, a spectator who sees and feels
other people laughing will feel much more like laughing
himself than if he were alone. "Seeing each other's faces
may be an alvantaee in the case of very humorous scenes be-
cause the laughter becomes visual as well as auditory and

"55

is more contagious. An example of the reverse of this
may be seen during a showing of a motion picture comedy in
a nearly empty theatre. lt seldom moves one to genuine
laughter. In the music circus, the spectator is surrounded
by other participants, and his emotional response to the
play is likely to be much greater than in a proscenium the-
atre.

In any theatre, when the curtain rises, the audi—
ence is being transported to a different world.
Theatre-in—the-round provides this feeling, and at
the same time makes the audience a part of this
different, new, imaginary yet very real world.54

It seems safe to say that intimacy is not lost in

the music circus, although it may manifest itself in a dif-
ferent manner than in the smaller conventional arena the-

atres. Intimacy is not always a matter of size; it may de—

pend largely upon audience response.

 

551pm, pp. 133—154.
5“Ibid., p. 135.

 

CHAPTER VII
SUKMARY AND CONCLUSIONS

The music circus represents a distinctly American
contribution to the world of the theatre. Although it is
true that neither musical drama nor arena staging is new,
the American theatre has been largely instrumental in the
develOpment and perfection of these theatrical forms. The
music circus has succeeded in combining the two traditions
to produce a freshly unique form of theatre. Since the
creation of the music circus in 1949, the idea has spread
until in 1956, only seven years later, there were twenty-
one professional companies Operating in the United States.
It is predicted that there will be at least ten more in op-
eration by 1957.

The arena musical has largely adhered to the pattern
set by the first music circus at Lambertville, New Jersey.
The first theatres were canvas tents of the traditional
circus type. Later theatres have experimented with various
modifications and innovations on the tent, using nylon or
steel structures, but still retaining the original circus
tent form and style. The seating capacities range from
1200 to 2450, accommodating a much larger audience than

normal for summer stock, and providing_a distinct departure

-ll2-

-113-

in arena staging, which has nearly always advocated small,
intimate thestres. The stage itself may be either round or
oval, and varies in size from approximately 430 to 960
square feet. Although the various tents may differ in mat-
ters Of size and style, and the newer theatres incorporate
more modern facilities, the general structures and facili—
ties are much the same.

Additional buildings are necessary for rehearsal
space, offices, dressing rooms, work areas, storage, rest
rooms, and so forth. Although the simplicity and economy
of the music circus style is often stressed, the fact is
that the structures and facilities involved are often
rather intricate and expensive; but Operating costs are
still far less than for a proscenium theatre Of comparable
size. Even the smallest rusic circus tent will seat more
people than the average Broadway theatre.

The music circus staff is necessarily larger than
that of a non-musical company. The resident company in-
cludes twelve to sixteen singers, six to eight dancers, and
varying numbers of resident actors. The music circus com-
panies surveyed are all professional Equity organizations
and employ stars or jobbers for leading roles. In addition
to the performing members of the company, there is a large
staff concerned with managerial, directorial, technical,
and business matters. In some instances, these peOple are

also used occasionally as performers.

-114-

The music circus is a large and expensive undertaking,
but the profits to be made are probably larger than in any
other form of summer stock. In spite of this, it is pos-
sible that the 1957 season may see a decline in the number
and size of resident companies, in favor of an increased
use Of "package shows" originating in New York. The pro-
duction Of musicals is expensive in any medium, primarily
because of the large staff rhich is necessary. The use of
"package shows" is less expensive, and their greater fre—
quencv may be dictated by increasing costs of operating
with resident companies.

The first musicals to be presented in the arena the-
atre were mostly light operas or Operettas, because these
seemel mOst easilv aiaptel to arena style. it was be-
lieved that the newer musical comedies depended too much up-
on spectacle ani extravatant setting to be effective in an
arena, which generally allows for a minimum of scenery.
With the further development of production techniques, how—
ever, this view has changed, and the newer dramas fresh
from Broadway are now presented most Often and with the
greatest success. This is due, to a large extent, to im-
provements and deveIOpments in the design of lifhting anl
scenery.

The inclusion of non-musical plays in the music cir-.
cus schedule is a trend which bears close watching. Indi-
cations are that 1957 will see an increasing number of non—

musicals, concerts, children's shows, and other Special

programs included in the season's offerings. This indicates
an attempt to cater to a wider range of interests and to
provide a greater variety of theatrical experiences. It
may also result in additional valuable time for rehearsing
the musical shows.

A majority of the directors believe that it is pos-
sible to produce any musical in the arena, and that there
are no insurmountable problems in scenic desijn or con-
struction which cannot e overcome through the use of crea—
tive and imaginative staging.

The general belief expressed in published works on
arena staging has been that scenery is relatively unimpor-
tant in the arena theatre. Actually, scenery is very im-
portant because it must achieve a degree of perfection in
design and construction sellom seen in theatrical produc-
tion. In order to convey the desired mood and effect with
a minimum of actual pieces, scenery must be of exceptional
lesiqn and quality. Further, full advantage should be
taken of the various playing areas available in adlition to
the stage itself, and designers are gradually beginning to
make use of these. The visual element is no less important
in the arena musical than in the proscenium musical, and
there is an increasing demand for distinctive and vital de-
sign of scenery anl lighting.

Euch of the illusion and theatricality of the music

circus production is created by the lighting, and great ad-

-116-

vances are being made in the field of lighting for the mu—
sic circus. Disre;ardin3 the traditional "light and bright"
theme of musical comedy lightinj, the music circus is now
developing a fresh and imaginative approach to the lighting
of musical productions. While the scenery used in the
arena is generally much less expensive than that necessary
for a proscenium production, the lighting eQUipment may be
much more extensive and complex. Lighting design for the
music circus is still largely in the experimental stage,
and there are wide opportunities for the expression of new
and creative ideas.

Because of the size of the music circus theatre, the
use of costumes, properties, and make—up bears closer re—
semblance to that of the proscenium stage than to that of

the smaller arena stage. The great attention to accuracy

Cf
*3
(D

and detail generally s ssed by proponents of central

(0
(D
m
'0

taming is qenerally 1 important in the music circus.

This is true because much of the audience is as far from
the stage as the audience in one of the smaller proscenium
theatres, and the arount they are able to distinguish dis—
tinctly is relatively the same. However, it must be remem-
bered that the front rows of the music circus audience are
much closer to the action and the stage. While some exag-
geration and emphasis is necessary to reach the furthermost
sections of the audience, accuracy and subtlety of effect

are important to the nearer portions of the audience;

therefore, a happy medium must be established.

-117-

The direction of musicals in the arena theatre is
influenced by certain limitations and freedoms imposed by
the nature of the medium. Directors are still engaged in
investigating the wide potentialities of the arena form of
staging musica s.

In such things as casting and rehearsals there is
actually little difference from procedures used on the pro-
scenium stage. One of the major differences the director
encounters is in the blocking of the action, for it is ob-
vious that the traditional stace directions will not suf—
fice in the arena. The directions used in the arena are
based upon the position of the aisles in relation to the
stage. An important ccnsileration is that the action must
be planned for viewinj from all sections of the theatre,
and, because of this, action and movement may actually be
much more natural and free than that commonly used on the
proscenium stage.

While the action must be planned so that the actor
will face each section of the audience at frequent inter-
vals, this is not really as much of a problem as one might
imagine. In planning movement the director must remember
that the spectator does not necessarily have to be able to
see the actor's face in order to understand the action. It
is often enough if he is able to see the reactions of the
other participants in the scene. The actor must become ac—
customed to acting with his entire body, which most good

actors do anyway.

-118-

The actor in the music circus must adapt himself to
slightly different requirements and conditions, but a good
musical comedy actor on the proscenium stage will be just
as effective in the arena. There is actually little change
in acting style from that employed in conventional musical
productions.

Because of the large numbers of performers used in a
musical, some devices must be employed to point up the main
action. The method used most often is the placing of the
main characters or main action on a higher level than the
chorus and minor characters. Lighting is also greatly in—
strumental in pointing up the main action and establishing
emphasis. The techniques used for this purpose are little
different from those employed on the proscenium stage, but
they become infinitely more important in the arena theatre,
where emphasis must be assured for all sections of the audi-
ence and from all directions.

It is practically impossible not to have focus in
the arena theatre, because there are actually no weak play-
in; areas on the stage itself. The only relatively weak
spots are the apron and the aisles, and these areas may be
very effective in establishing continuous action and in
staging minor action.

Intimacy has always been stressed as one of the
chief attractions of central staginf. Heretofore, intimacy

has been largely confined to small theatres and audiences,

~119-
but it seems that the principle may still be effective in
theatres seatinj up to 2453 people. Many of the music cir-
cus directors indicated that one of the primary reasons for
the success of the music circus was the degree of intimacy
possible between actor and audience. Intimacy is not mere-
ly a matter of size, but may depend upon other factors
which influence audience reaction to the situation.

Other reasons given for the phenomenal success of
the music circus were: the ability of the audience to par-
ticipate closely in action and mead, the novelty of the
medium, the economy of present tion, the opportunities pro—
vided for the audience to use imajinatien, and the simpli-
city of production. Glenn Hughes, in attempting to explain
the success of thic new theatrical forw, merely stated that,
"People like musicals in any form."55

Ihe directors of each of the music circuses were
asked if they preferred arena staging of ausicals to the
traditional proscenium style. The responses were quite
evenly distributed. Five directors indicated that they did
prefer arena staging, Conside“ing it much more stimulating
and challenging. Five directors stated that they preferred
proscenium productions mainly because of the limitations
imposed by scenery in the arena. Four of the directors

said that they enjoyed both mediums and did not actually

 

55Letter from Glenn Hughes, Director of the School of
Drama, University of Nashington, Seattle, Washington,
April 1, 1957.

prefer one over the other. Several directors indicated
that they would like to try staging musicals in the Eliza—
bethan style using a three-quarters stage.

Since the conception of the music circus in 1943,
many of the basic ideas have changed. Theatres have grown
increasingly larger, and there seems to be no appreciable
decrease in the amount of intimacy. Greater rphasis has
been placed on the visual element, and new techniques of
ligating and scenic design have been developed. Designers
and directors are realizing the great potentialities of the

aren

CD

, anl they are learning to take advantage of its many
freedoms while minimizing and solving its limitations.

Ideas on what types of musicals may be successfully produced
have changed, and directors are increasingly eager to ex-
periment with new ideas and techniques. Opportunities for
the director, the designer, and the actor in the musical
field have greatly increased, and the music circus is pro-
viding valuable and profitable experience for many theatre
people. The music circus has just begun to realize its po—
tential.

The music circus continues to be the fastest growing
theatre form in America and has been largely instrumental
in restoring summer stock as a favorite summer pastime. In
addition, the music circus is bringing live musical theatre.
to areas where there has long been no theatrical activity.

It is quite possible that the near future may see all of

the performing arts brought to the arena theatre.

 

     

 

 

BIBLIOGRAPHY

 

-122-

Books

Brown, John Nason. Tvo on the Aisle. New York: N. N.
Norton Q 00., Inc., 1358.

 

 

 

Burton,Jack. The Blue Book ng - roadway ‘Zusicals. Watkins
Glen, 3. Y.: Century House, 1952i

Dietrich, John E. Ilav Direction. New York: Prentice-
Hall, Inc., 1§53.

 

 

 

Dolman, John, Jr. The Art 3: Play Production. New York:
Harper % Bros., Iub., 1 28.

 

 

 

Hamilton, Edith. The Greek Way to Western Civilization.
New York: N. 7. Iorton I Co., Inc., 1930.

 

Hughes, Glenn. The Penthouse Theatre. Seattle: Univer-
sity of Nashington Press, 1953.

Jones, Margo. Theatre-in-the-Yound. New York: Rinehart &
Co., Inc., 1951.

Macgowan, Kenneth, and Melnitz, William. The Living Stage.
Enslewood Clif s, N. J.: Irentice-Hall, Inc.,

1955.

 

Eackinlay, Sterlinj. Cririn ani Develo;mant of Light Opera.
London: Hutchinson & Co. (PublishersS-Itd., 1927.

 

 

Articles and Periodicals

 

Allison, Gordon. ""usic Circus" Theatre Arts, Vol. XXXV,
No. 6 (June, 1951), 46- 92.

 

Bel Geddes, Norman. "Moiern Theory of Design," Encyclo—
paedia Britannica, Vol. 22 (1946).

 

"T?

Coleman, Robert. arnyarl Bela scos," Summer Theatres,
Karch, 1956, 4- 5.

 

Detroit Free Press. July 22, 1956.

 

Greenberg, Elward ?., and Rubin, Joel E., "Production As-
pects of the Music Circus," Educational Theatre
Journal, Vol. IV, No. 1 (Harch, 1952), 26-32

-135-

Head, S. W. "Some Direction Problems of the Arena Style
Theatre." Southern Speech Journal, Vol. XIV, No. 2
(NOV., 194‘5, 55—98.

Lauterer, Arch. ”Speculations on the Value of Modern
Theatre Forms," Bulletin National Theatre Confer-
ence, Vol. XI, 30. 4 {Dec., 1949), 11-18.

 

 

Kitchell, 3e
$83

New York Times,

 

5e. "Actor-in-the-Round,‘
2S, 1948.

O
ITO

Ierry, Georme Sessions. "Darnedest Thin: You've Seen,"
Saturday Evening Post, March 1, 1952, 37-117.

 

Show Business. 1956-57.

 

Siegmeister, Elie. "Which day the Musical," Theatre Arts,
Vol. X11, No. 4 (April, 1957), 74-84.

 

fin

Skaneateles Mirror (Shaneateles, N. Y.). Sept. 7, 1956.

 

 

 

Yeaton, Kelly. "Look Again, Lauterer!" Bulletin National
gBEEEEE Conference, Vol. X1], No. 1 (March, 1953):
'.170

Unpublished Material

 

Burian, Jarka M. "Central Staging: A Survey." Unpub-
lishei MasterTs thesis, Faculty of PhilosOphy,
Columbia University, 1950.

Porter, James B. "An Investigation of the Origin and De-
velopment of Arena Staging from the Greeks to the
Present.” Unpublished Master's thesis, Tennessee

Agricultural and Industrial State College, 1952.

Signer, Edya. "The Music Circus." Unpublished Master's
thesis, Department of Drama, Yale Lniversity,
1‘ 520

Other Sources

 

Actors‘ Equity Association. Equity Rules Governing Employ-
ment in Stock, April, 1956. ‘

 

. Personal letter from Ben Irvine, Assistant Ex-
ecutive Secretary. July 15, 1956.

Niagara Melody Fair, North Tonawanda, N. Y. Personal let-
ter from John Ring, Resident Director. October 29,
1956.

-124-

Cakdale Musical Theatre, Wallingforl, Conn. Personal
letter from B. H. Segal, President. Sept. 4, 1956.

flashington, University of. Personal letter from Glenn
Hujhes, Director of the School of Drama. April 1,
1957- '

APPENDIX

CUESTIONNJ' IF. '3

 

This questionnaire has been prepared under the direction of the drama depart-
ment of Michigan State University. ivost of the items are in the form of short
questions or Statements that may be answered or completed by placing a check

in the space preceding your chosen answer. In some cases blanks are provided
for brief answers or comments. Please feel free to make notes or additions

as you go along. Every effort has been made to enable you to complete the
questionnaire with a minimum of time and efiort.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I. ORGANIZATION:
l. 2.
Name of theatre Director's name
3- 4.
Location of theatre (city and State) seating capacity
5. Type of theatre (tent. auditorium, open‘air. etc.):
6. Year theatre established: 7. Stage dimensions:
8. The shape of the stage:
round oval rectangular ether
,. Number of aisles leading to stays:
10. Number of evening performances per week: 11. Matinees:
12. Check:
Equity theatre resident company only
non-equity theatre resident company with added
civic or educational theatre star 3 or Jobbers
other
13. Number of persons used in each capacity:
singing chorus (women) resident actors, singers. or
sin 3mg chorus (men) dancers (excluding chorus)
dancing chorus (women) musician: (orchestra)
dancing chorus (men) apprentices

II. TECHNICA L:

14.

15.

The make-up used on the sta ;e is
little more than normal street make-up.
a light stage make-up.
approximately the same as usual stage make-up.

In the use of costumes and properties
the greatest amount of detail and accuracy must be observed.
attention to detail is relatively the same as on the conventional stage.
accuracy of detail is relatively unimportant.

 

 

 

‘u.

16. Is electronic amplification used to aid in vocal projection?
If used, outline method briefly:

 

 

 

17. Does your lightin-j,r system enable portions of the aisles to be lit for action?
yes to a limited extent no

 

 

18. Scenery is used in the aisles
never occasionally often always

19. The shifting of scenery is done for the most part
in darkness in partial darkness with lights on

20. The shifting of scenery in view of the audience results in

a serious break in the mood of the show.
heightened interest and a sense of participation by the audience.
no difference in the attitude of the audience.

 

21. Do the stage crew or ushers wear costumes during performance?
never occasionally often always

22. I." hat special problems have been encountered in scenic design or con-
struction in plays produced?

 

 

 

 

23. Have you found any sho vs impractical to produce because of problems of
scenic desigi or constructions? Which ones?

 

 

 

III. DIRECTING AND ACTING:

24. The is responsible for selecting the season's shows?
direccor producer other

 

 

25. In casting for arena staging
actors must be chosen strictly according to physical type.
actors are cast approximately the same as for conventional staging.
there is greater freedom allowable than in conventional productions.

26. A roximatel how man hours.“ er week are s ent for the folloyin'r?
0

sin ping chorus rehearsals . “assembly or full rehearsals
dancing chorus rehearsals dress rehearsals
dramatic rehearsals (principals) ‘ technical rehearsals

27. If ho is chiefly responsible for staging or blocking,- of musical numbers.
other than dances?
Director musical director choreographer

__other

 

30.

31.

32.

33.

35.

Q)
C)

Do you use members of the technical staff or apprentices as supplementary
actors, singers. or dancers?
never occasionally often always

Terms of reference used in giving stage directions are
the same as used for conventional staging (UL, DR. etc.)
based on the position of hands of a clock (1:00, 8:00. etc.)
based on the position of the aisles (l, 2, 3. etc.)

Do you consider any areas on the stage particularly advantageous for
gaining emphasis or pointing up important action? If so. which

Do you stage scenes or action in the aisles:
never occasionally often always

Do you make use of levels or platforms to create variety?
never occasionally often always

At the beginningr of a scene. the actors find their places
in complete darkness.
in darkness with the aid of markings in luminous paint.
________in partial darkness using house lights.
in partial darkness usinw acting; area lights.
other

hen there are many people on stage. focus or attention to the main action
is achieved largely through (check as many as applicable)
”placing the main actors on a higher level than the chorus.
focusing of attention by minor characters toward the center
of action.
vocal stress or emphasis by main characters.
attention-getting movement by principals.
Other

 

 

 

The singers and dancers are requested to
watch the condu etor at all times.
____look at conductor at frequent intervals.
avoid obvious watching of conductor
get the tempo and feeling from other members of ensenble.

Do you use a pronzpter?
never occasionally often always

In performance is it necessary that actors consciously try to rotate
their positions so as to face all sections of the audience at frequent
intervals?

yes to some extent no

 

The amount of physical movement on the arena stage
_________is much L5reater than in a conventional production of a musical.
_______i: about the same.
is much less.

 

   

 

 

 

 

 

 

O.

 

 

 

43.

Is it desirable that the tempo of the action move at a faster rate than in a
proscenium production?
yes to a limited extent no

 

 

. Is the creation of unreality, illusion, or dream scenes made difficult by the

closeness of the audience?
never occasionally often _ always

Do actors tend to break character due to the closeness of the audience?
never occasionally often always

Does the proximity of the audience to the actor result in embarrassed
laughter or restlessness occuring during tense scenes?
never occasionally often always

Ac;ing in the arena musical demands
a more realistic acting style than commonly found in musicals.
a less realistic style.
little change in style from conventional musical techniques.

Please list all shows produced during the 1956 season in order of their
presentation; and indicate by check marks the three which you consider
to have been the most successful. If non-musical plays were also given.
include the se in your list.

CHECK IiéME Oi" SHO‘J-I NUMBER OF PERFORMANCES

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

. '-.~~*-_

 

 

 

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45.

46.

47.

48.

49.

50.

IV.

Reasons for the success of the checked shows:

 

 

 

 

 

‘7. hich of the shows were least' successful?

 

 

Rea sons:

 

 

 

l7 e have found that it is possible to successfully produce

any musical in the arena theatre.
most musicals in the arena theatre.
certain selected musicals in the arena theatre.

The success of musicals-in-the-round is primarily due to (if indicating more

than one please rank 1, 2, 3, etc.)

the novelty of the medium.

the economy of the presentation.

the amount of intimacy between actors and audience.

the Opportunity it provides for the audience to use imagination.

the simplicity of produCtion.

the ability of the audience to participate closely in action and
mood.

other

 

 

 

Taking all into consideration, do you prefer arena staging of musicals to
the traditional proscenium production?

 

Reasons:

A

“

 

COMMENTS OR SUGGLJI‘IONS:

.0
- ,-
v

a. '

 

-~

   

atr- -
f‘wv‘

'7}

" N‘ 2.1 USE {353.1

Demco-293

Date Due

 

 

 

 

 

MIC HIG GNA STATE UNI IVERSITY LIBRARIIES

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