Theatre

The creation of a work of art is a fascinating and inspiring process. What starts out as a mere passing thought or fancy in a single individuals head, with enough time and nurturing, transforms into an object, a painting, a book, a song or a dance. But, perhaps the most intriguing of all the art forms is theatre because what begins with the idea of a single individual, only becomes a an actual work of art as a result of a deeply involved, multi-step, collaborative process.  This essay will trace the evolution of a typical theatrical production from start to finish, playing close attention to the creative contributions made by the playwright, the director and the actors.

Before a play can begin, it must first be written, and that is the function of the playwright.  A good playwright is, at heart, a superb storyteller with the ability to communicate a justifiable and worthwhile vision.  Drama has the ability to inspire an audience, to create social change, to possibly reshape the course of events in the larger culture.  A play can do so much more than merely entertain, but it can only do so if the playwright starts off with a solid foundation.  That means, the play should have a strong vision and voice, a solidly crafted plot and well-defined characters. If the play, in its written form, does not move and engage a reader at a profound level, then it is unlikely it would do so with a physical audience.  A poorly written play is a poor foundation on which to build the metaphorical house of the performance.  However, if a playwright is able to carefully compose a powerful and moving story, one which employs good basic craftsmanship (i.e. good dialogue, a solid plot and interesting characters), then the play is ready to move from mere words on a page, into the next stage of the creative process.

A good director may be equally important to the evolution of a theatrical production as the playwright herself.  No matter how good the written word, if the director does not have the aptitude to translate the original vision of the playwright, the ultimate result will be failure.  A good director must be able to do the practical work of communicating the playwrights vision. He must walk a delicate tightrope between staying true to the playwrights words and ideas whilst simultaneously using his own unique individual creativity and vision to bring the production to life.  Also, the director must balance between the artistic and practical considerations it takes to actually get the play to the stage.  He may want to recreate exactly the waterfall a playwright describes outside a characters window, for example, but must make concessions due to budget issues or the practical impossibility of bringing 7 tons of moving water onto a theatre stage.  Its all about capturing the essence of the playwrights vision via artistic means, rather than trying to recreate the exact world one finds in the actual words on the page.  Its about creating an illusion.  In order to do this, the director must be able to hold onto the basic vision and find the people who will help him to realize it.  That means finding the right design team (set, lighting, sound and costume) who can serve the broader vision.  And, it also means casting the right people in the central roles.

Actors often get the attention and the glory for the plays success or failure.  After all, they are visible because they are part of the artistic creation itself. While the director and playwright stand in the wings or behind the curtains, the actors ultimately embody the product of the collective collaborative efforts of many, many creative people.  This is why the selection of the right actors is so very vital.  During the casting process, the director must not only consider if the actors he chooses have talent or the right physical appearances to play the characters involved, he must also consider so many other factors. Ideally, the actors chosen will also have a good work ethic and attitude,  a solid understanding of the script and appropriate diction.  After all, what good is it if an actor says his lines perfectly, if only the first three rows of the theatre is able to hear them
After the actors are cast, then there is rehearsal, rehearsal and more rehearsal.  It is a tedious process, but a necessary one.  The hard work and practical realities of getting a play to production are often obscured by the glamorous perfection and illusion of the finished product.  However, before the applause and the curtain calls, there are lines to be memorized, sets to be built, costumes to be designed and sewn, lighting and sound decisions to be made and even playbills to be sent to the printers.  Although the audience may take for granted all the disparate elements involved in the final production, it is only because such hard work and effort has been paid, in order to make the theatrical production appear more seamless.

So many creative professionals lend their talent to bringing a play to production.  From costumers to technical people, prop crew to ushers - all play a critical role in creating the final illusion of the performance that audiences will see.  Each person will bring her own unique individuality and creativity to the effort, but ultimately it is the one unifying vision of the play itself, created by the playwright, that must be honored, in order to make audiences believe. Hopefully, that fragile seed of a vision will have survived all of the many steps and handlers it must go through in order to finally make it to the stage and, more importantly, into the minds and hearts of the plays audience. If that can be achieved, then the play will  have achieved success, whether it runs for 10 long years or merely 10 weeks.