[rocky] Professionalism killed the Rocky star

[jrising]

There was a fantastic discussion at the Rocky party about the state of the cast. The vocal consensus was this:

There's an undercurrent of over-professionalism at the show. In small but definite ways, the drive for professionalism stifles some of the fun of the show and makes working at it a chore. Because the show isn't as much fun, it isn't as good, and the audience has noticed. Both directors, theater 3, and Acid's absence were blamed for these problems.

It's so tough to disentangle real harmful effects from nostalgia. So, tell me: do you agree? Have we gained the world and lost our soul (or raised the bar and broken our backs)? The drive for screen accuracy can push us to do better, but if it drives out jokes and connecting with the audience-- if our performance just duplicates the film-- do we want it? The cast members used to work up the audience waiting outside before the show. Does anyone do that now? We have such a great group, and we can fix these problems, but maybe not without big changes.

Feel free to post anonymously or email me separately.

Comments

[g-w-s.livejournal.com]

Perhaps I'm just an anal type (!), but FBC's screen accuracy is impressive. I always pay attention to it and marvel.

Frank's exaggerated facial expressions and swagger (Bethany in particular), Crim that really cracks me up, those times that Magenta looks to be getting a bit friskier than normal, absolutely crazy Rocky (Acid was the first I saw) - those characters in particular make it fun for me. Some nights are better than others - when I'm already very tired and I have a hard time staying awake, I know it's not as good as it can be, because there are times when I have been even MORE tired, but my ear-to-ear grins have kept me focused. Little changes, like sawing at Dr Scott's head during the dinner scene - and watching the actors play with it - consistently make it more entertaining. I'm a fan of parody - and if ever there was a film to be mocked..

Themes are fun. Gender benders, strap on some unexpected dildos, wear hero costumes, whatever. Inside jokes, not as much. April 1st is still my favorite show. Audience participation is what MAKES this show - and much of the audience would be thrilled to help out in some way. Pull an audience member in to play Eddie for the dinner scene, and make the dining a bit more.. interactive? (Could be a little theatre des vampires..)

If there are actors that are getting bored with their parts, I honestly think they should yield to someone who isn't. If most people are bored, then the directors should step in and tweak the show into a new direction. I'm not exposed to a lot of the personalities or inner communication of the cast and crew, but the people I've observed certainly seem to have a lot more fun when they are being silly. You can be silly and professional at the same time - it's all part of your roles as entertainers.

What isn't the problem? I don't think that which theater you are in should matter - I bet you guys could do a show in the middle of the woods and still make it look good. Being accurate in terms of blocking, gestures, and lip-syncing does not detract from the experience (and for those in my camp, it is a good thing). Being well organized as a cast and crew, recognizing that you have well-defined roles as entertainers (for the benefit of the participants as well as the audience), and making the show flow smoothly require a degree of professionalism - those will NOT kill rocky, but make it a better show for all involved. Being a good entertainer means having fun AND being professional about it. Not everyone can do it.