Cavalia is an equestrian circus troop which was conceived by the visionary Normand Latourelle, who had already been part of Cirque du Soleil as well. With his strong dream of creating a show where men and horses interact in harmony, Latourelle was able to bring Cavalia to the stage. Fully respecting the animal’s nobility and overcoming a number of financial obstacles along the way.
Brandon Birchak and Melissa James have created Chimera together. An amazing aquatic act which in this form has never been performed before. Their love for performing, the aquatic environment, and our planet has then led them to founding Six Foot Creations as well, under the umbrella of which they will next year perform in the Chimera Gala, an event to raise awareness for our planet and celebrate the arts at the same time. In this interview Melissa and Brandon tell us how Chimera came into existence.
Just recently, a good old friend and work colleague posted a photo on Facebook showing a gender-neutral toilet seen backstage at Cirque du Soleil’s Ka in Las Vegas. As happy as I was about seeing this lovely sight, it also reminded me of how disappointed I continuously am regarding the – in my opinion – very poor efforts made by the entertainment industry towards diversity and inclusion.
Hā: Breath of Life at the Polynesian Cultural Center in Laie, Hawaii is a stunning evening show featuring 80 Polynesian performers, special effects, animation, and surround sound. It is a story of passion, ignited by fire, song, and dance. This 90-minute, world-famous, award-winning show is a must see when you are on Oahu. It is truly an unforgettable experience.
Nearly every culture has stories, myths, legends, and spiritual illuminations revolving around water that explain natural phenomena or explore epic questions of faith. Water is inherently transformational. It moves from solid to liquid to gas. Theatre is also transformational. One could say it is the art of watching people change. Throughout history, there has been a natural marriage between water and theatre.
We all like to think we’re absolutely indispensable, especially in the theatre world. There’s the old adage “the show must go on,” so we push ourselves to get tours into theatres where they barely fit, come to work even when we’re not feeling well because who else can run the show? Once, an actress asked what the A1 and A2 would do if one of us were sick. I told her that whoever’s not sick would mix the show, so she asked what happened if we were both sick. I replied, “then whoever’s less sick mixes with a trashcan at FOH.” Thankfully neither of us ever had to do that, but everyone on the road has a war story of doing a show despite illness or injury, bragging how quickly they came back or how stoically they soldiered through.
Working for Cirque du Soleil is a dream many of us working for contemporary circus shows secretly (or not so secretly) harbor. I have dreamt about it for thirty years. Not just dreamt about it but worked towards it as well. However, as of now, my love affair still seems to be rather one-sided. This is a frank look at how the journey has been for me. Where it will lead is of course still an open book… and, as they say, it’s not the goal but the journey that matters in the end…
Mexico City is a vibrant blend of cultural heritages. Ranging from colourful pre-Hispanic folk art to works of the great muralists of the 20th century. As for the performing arts, the city has plenty to offer as well. Ranging from opera, theatre, ballet, to rock concerts, classical orchestras, and concerts of other local and international music. A Spanish influence on most of the theatrical performances in the city can still be felt. However, in all areas of entertainment the cultural variety is continuously expanding.
Clowns… they have been called tricksters and jesters as well. We’ve all seen them. In the circus, on the streets, at children’s birthdays, in hospitals… Besides providing excellent entertainment, clowns are an important figure due to the influence they have on us. Amazingly, they bring us far more than just laughter. Instead, they trigger a whole range of emotions. Joyful amazement. Sadness. And, sometimes, even irrational fear. This is a brief look into their history and mythology.
10 strange theatre terms. In this fun little immersion into the weird and beloved world of theatre we only look at 10 such terms and what they stand for. There are of course many more terms as most of you will know. But let’s start with these. And then, perhaps, at some later time, we’ll look at a few others as well. To get you started… have you ever heard of Sitzprobe?
I am just one of thousands of stage managers who found themselves unemployed in the spring of 2020 – due to Covid19. My last job was on the Royal Caribbean cruise ship Oasis of the Seas as Stage and Production Manager for the Aqua Theatre. In this true tale, I want to share a little bit of my odyssey over the last twelve months. Where these months of enforced downtime have led mentally as well as practically. This is Part 2 of my story.
In any normal year, early spring is when the staffing process begins for tours going out in the fall. You probably won’t have a contract in hand yet, but your resume has gone off to designers and production companies, or (if you’re currently on tour) you’ve had a conversation with your design team or production manager about the shows going into production, and what they might have in mind for you.
I could smell and taste the smoking, hot tires of drifting cars when I first stepped through the ELĒKRŎN stage door in November 2018. A thick, sweet, heavy scent lingered in the air. I could almost touch it. I certainly felt it. In my nostrils, mouth, and throat. A coarse, yet exhilarating sensory cocktail which quickly became the basis of my existence.
There is something both exciting and petrifying about a group of strangers coming together. Whether it’s that very first day of school, a new co-owners committee, or even jury duty, we are all predestined to experience such gatherings throughout our lives. However, for those who like to perform, first day’s introductions and making a good impression are parts of their routine.
“OK, so I packed a change of clothes for Dean and put everything he will need for the day in his diaper bag. The stroller is in the car and ready for his walk. There is plenty of milk and his baby food inside the cooler. I laid out his sleeper and sleep sac, and his bath stuff is all ready for his tub. Bedtime is at 7pm. Please tell him I love him more than anything.”
From New York to Melbourne, Paris to Amsterdam, artists dream of seeing their names in lights, belting show tunes, tumbling and pirouetting across the stage. These artists are most often steered away from who they are for marketing reasons.
Ok so I’m going to put it out there and perhaps I’m going to get my hand slapped for it. Even some of my fellow TheatreArtLife contributors are going gasp and shake their heads at me. (I’m looking at you Mena Buscetto). Perhaps I’ve lived in Asia too long and I’m tired of fighting the good fight but I’m going to say it……. why can’t audience members take photos during a theatre show???
When I was first learning how to “be” a stage manager, I learned how to properly record blocking, how to lay out spike tape, and the best way to distribute a schedule. Nothing prepared me for having a direct impact on the physical well-being of my performers.
In January, I packed up my many bags and said good-bye to Dubai to go back out on tour as head of automation with Cirque du Soleil’s Kurios. I was to join the tour in Tokyo, the first city of the Japan schedule. This meant that I had to do the visa run before hand. Whilst the UK Japanese embassy is located London, there is a consulate in Edinburgh so I didn’t have to do the long schlep down south to get that sorted. This is a good reminder that you should always check for both embassies and consulates and the services they provide. It was far easier and cheaper for me to take the hour-long train ride from Glasgow to Edinburgh than the five hour one to London!
I’ve been stage managing professionally for nearly 25 years, teaching stage management for 7 years and producing the Broadway Stage Management Symposium for 4 years. There are some common themes I’ve seen about how our profession is viewed (both inside and outside the industry). Below are the four most common and biggest misconceptions about the profession of stage management that I’ve seen.
As production people, we spend a lot of time planning how the show is going to run, sound and look, as well as creating an environment that is safe so the audience will enjoy themselves. Just last month, I was working on one of our largest shows of the year, 2,500 tickets sold. We would be converting our recreational space into a concert hall.
Is the role of rehearsal director/ associate choreographer wholly creative? Or is it more of a scientific logistical challenge? The dichotomous skills needed to succeed at the job encompass both sides of the brain and require strong leadership abilities and intuition.
Performing is an extremely strenuous pastime, both physically and emotionally. Acting, singing, dancing, stage combat (often all at the same time!) can take its toll on you. No matter whether you are a professional performer or part of a community theatre production, it’s crucial that all performers take good care of themselves in order to keep themselves in peak condition, so they can continue to perform!
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