The Global Media Site for Entertainment.
Menu
Hello again, Theatre People! This week I’m so excited to introduce you to stage manager Jane Kuipers!
Jane has worked in an array of theatrical performance arenas and companies, including Opera Grand Rapids, the San Diego Opera, the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Alabama Dance Theatre and most recently the Atlanta Ballet.
I hope you enjoy her interview as much as I did!
Jane Kuipers, Theatrical Stage Manager at Atlanta Ballet and the San Diego Opera.
I have worked on many shows (30+ years!) and in a variety of positions, so when I boil it down I come up with a type of show more so than a particular production. A show with more than entertainment, that has a message (even a feel good one), that the audience really gets all at the same time can keep me going for a long while. I guess a recent example would be Dwight Rhoden’s ballet Sunrise Divine. It is a powerful piece that combined the Atlanta Ballet with the Spelman Glee Club performing gospel and spiritual songs. Amazing collaboration. Another is a very safety-conscious production, in a tent, that I worked with The Atlanta Opera in October 2020. The cohesion of the artists, technicians, crew, audience and administration was amazing and we created a much needed live performance.
I think my happiest moments are when an audience of school-aged children, some who have never attended live theatre, are invited to watch a final dress rehearsal or special children’s performance. That audience is the most honest and open of any, and will give such tremendous energy back to the stage. Even a show that I have done many times gives me and the cast a jolt from all of the reactions and applause.
There are so many! The biggest one would be when I had to stop a ballet performance of Cinderella because a soft drop got caught on the hard drops downstage of it during a scene change. We had to close the grand drape, free the drop, then continue. This happened on TWO performances. Getting on the God mic and saying “Ladies and Gentlemen….” is always fun (not!).
I thrive on the combination of so many different art forms into a final, live performance that relies on human communication and interaction to be complete. Take opera – instruments, voices, staging, libretto, dance, costumes, makeup, wigs, lighting, scenery, acoustics, performance space – all of these must combine to create a final offering for an audience, and even with problems and differences it is amazing to see it happen. Every single time.
COMMUNICATION
Theatre has been a vehicle of communication for thousands of years, to present feelings, ideas of reform, explanations, protests, grief, joy, enlightenment, teaching, beauty, control, political messages and simple entertainment. The stage can have an astounding effect on people.
—
“My love of theatre began when I was a child in St. Louis, MO, when we attended the Muny Opera outdoor performances in Forest Park. We had a glimpse of children preparing backstage before a show and I was hooked. After a slight detour towards Physical Therapy in college, I worked as a stage manager in whatever I could find – opera, outdoor drama, rep theatre, musical theatre and dance. Companies I have worked with include Opera Grand Rapids, the San Diego Opera, the Alabama Shakespeare Festival, Alabama Dance Theatre and most recently the Atlanta Ballet. I have had the opportunity to work in some great theatres as well – old, restored vaudeville theatres, the Kennedy Center and the Fox Theatre in Atlanta. I’ve been in the business a while (35+years) and hope to continue once we can open again. I credit my theatre instinct to my grandfather, who traveled with a small vaudeville troop connected to the Belmont School of Acting in St, Louis (circa 1903). He was a performer and a stage manager.”
Josh Belk: Teacher and Director – Theatre People
Anita Martin: Writer and Editor – Theatre People
Mitch is the Founding Creative Director of Theatre Avenue, where he designs digital projections for the performing arts. For the last 14 years, Mitch has produced digital content for theatre and ballet companies, universities, and schools internationally. His work ranges from original illustration, animation, and motion design for productions such as Willy Wonka, Swan Lake, Nutcracker, The Wizard of Oz, Annie, Lion King and beyond. Mitch travels the country teaching projection design workshops, conducts virtual learning sessions, publishes media content, and writes for theatre magazines and blogs. Before his dive into the theatrical world, Mitch was an art director and designer creating nationwide campaigns for corporate and non-profit organizations like NBC News, Global Down Syndrome Foundation, Habitat for Humanity, and the Alzheimer’s Association. He worked for 10 years with hundreds of clients as a graphic and web designer, illustrator, and motion graphics artist. Mitch earned a Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree at Ball State University, where he studied art and design, the humanities, and computer animation.
Read Full Profile
© 2021 TheatreArtLife. All rights reserved.
Thank you so much for reading, but you have now reached your free article limit for this month.
Our contributors are currently writing more articles for you to enjoy.
To keep reading, all you have to do is become a subscriber and then you can read unlimited articles anytime.
Your investment will help us continue to ignite connections across the globe in live entertainment and build this community for industry professionals.
