Last Thursday and Friday, we took in two plays that we found very entertaining, in fairly completely different fashions.
First, we were at opening night (and a fundraiser for the Hamlin Scholarship Fund for UNCSA) of a production of "Fences," one of August Wilson's two Pulitzer-Prize-winning plays. Kathy is determined to see all ten of the "Pittsburgh Cycle" that Wilson completed before his death, and she's now counted five of the ten. I have some catch-up to do, but I have seen three of the 10.
The production, as is often the case with UNCSA presentations, was quite good -- an excellent ensemble and an outstanding lead. With some plays, you're ready for the end when it finally rolls around. With others, you're on the edge of your seat and wishing for more. This was one of the latter. Highly recommended!
On Friday night, we took in one of the first community-theatre productions of the full Broadway version of 'RENT' since the show itself closed down in NYC. Theatre Alliance took it on, and did quite an admirable job of representing it (since I've seen it five times previously, including twice on Bwy. and three times with a touring company, I think I'm qualified to judge). Many of the songs, as always, tug at the heartstrings, and nearly all of the performers and singers were up to the task.
If I had one carp -- and I certainly don't blame the operator -- it would be the same complaint that some others had with the touring company: sound. There's so many singers, and important lyrics, and lyrics crossing over other lyrics, that even the best sound set-up would be challenged. It's impossible in a space like T.A.'s to have multiple sound operators and keep all the mikes in proper balance and above the band, but that's really what it takes for a 100% successful production. Sound was good MOST of the time, but sometimes, could not handle it all.
Still, the positives way outweighed the negatives, and I certainly enjoyed my time in the alphabet streets.
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You're absolutely right. RENT is a difficult show to "follow" even under the best conditions. I saw the original cast, original Bway production, and understood every word, and STILL wasn't sure about the plot. You miss one key lyric, and you miss an entire plot point.
Having sat in the audience of Theatre Alliance's musicals and been -- uh -- underwhelmed with the sound quality, I was determined to get the best sound possible from RENT. A pretty tall order from a guy who knows nothing about sound design.
I was encouraged by TA's investment of several thousand dollars worth of new sound mics. But what I discovered was this: regardless of mics, the number of variables that affect sound output (especially in that theater) is astounding. Let's start with the fact that you really have TWO complete and distinct sound systems: the band's, and the eight miked actors. Every performance, each actor or musicians operates at a slightly different level than they did in previous performances, even unintentionally, and the slightest variation in volume produces gigantic results. When you put that altogether, with TWO separate sound systems where the mics, amps, and speakers are all operating within 20-25 feet of each other, the potential for loudness, softness, distortion, feedback is beyond comprehension.
For example, we also learned that an actor speaking at the same decibal level will get louder at certain "hot spots" over the stage, depsnding on where he/she is in relation to the speakers. Imagine what it is with 8 miked actors moving around.
What's more, we learned that acoustically, the theater itself is imbalanced. What registers as loud at one particular audience seat comes off as quiet in another.
In short, the whole thing is an acoustical nightmare.
Not defending myself or blaming anybody here. Just saying that the whole field of sound is, uh, dynamic and fascinating. Hopefully, in the next year or two, Theatre Alliance can move our bigger musicals out of that theater and into one with a better sound system.
For my part, I was just glad to figure out a way to do "parched... parched... parched...."!!!
I figured that at least some of what you note was true, though didn't have a full scope of the nightmare. It was easy to tell, given what I do know about sound work and the slightly less confusing attempts made at KLT, that it was a whole lot to try to do in that space and with a solo operator. I think you did quite well under the circumstances!
But if there was more room and more equipment and such, I think really the only way to fully conquer RENT is to have several skilled operators working in very close conjunction, with individualized assignments (such as band on one mixer, voices on another -- one guy has, say, Mark, another, Roger, etc. etc.). There's not enough room for that at the current TA, and I honestly am not sure if even that would solve the problem.
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