Module F Part 3 by

Live Performances

rog23235003_1_2 — 2024-04-22 16:27:34 UTC

In the Theatre Industry live performances can range from:
-Circus
-Pantomimes
-Puppet Shows
-Musicals
-Plays

And a live show is something that you can see in person when the event is happening and gives an actor a chance to engage with an audience in real time.
Its a very imersive world and has such a compelling atmosphere that grips the audiences attention, this can be due to the amazing skill off the performer, the beautiful sets and just the overall ambience.

Some live theatre fun facts...

the oldest continuously operating theatre is the Teatro di San Carlo in Naples, Italy, and it was opened in 1737.
It is actually bad luck to say Macbeth in a theatre unless you are rehearsing the play.
Break a leg is a common curtesy among actors who are about to perform and is a sign of good luck.
The longest running Broadway show was the Phantom Of The Opera which opened in 1988 and closed last year in 2023

Recorded Performances

rog23235003_1_2 — 2024-04-22 16:27:55 UTC

Recorded performances are becoming so popular in this day and age, so many different forms of artistic expression are being recorded so it can be shared with so many more people.

A lot of people cannot afford to go to these shows and if they can afford the show they struggle with transportation, and so recorded performances are so beneficial as it means that people can get the shows at home, an example of a recorded performance includes something called a pro shot. Pro shots are filmed mainly for musicals and it is basically just a recording of live performance.

An example of this is the recording of Hamilton on Broadway in 2016 and this was recorded and streamed on Disney+ and other TV stations. one example of musical theatre is the recorded Taylor Swift concert which also streamed on Disney+ and also in cinemas at one point.

As well as acting for people to see the shows it also serves as an advertising point as it shows people what the show is about so that it convinces them to go and watch it live if they’re able to.

Typical industry setups

rog23235003_1_2 — 2024-04-22 16:28:21 UTC

Theatrical set ups.

venue- this is the place where the performances are held, usually they are in theatres that are located around every town and city in the UK.

There are also different types of stages you can be in the round theatre thrust stage and also arena stages, arenas are usually wear sports games are held but they sometimes accommodate for large scale performances

cast and crew- actors, directors, designers, lighting, sound and also musicians are all apart of the production process for different shows.

Show process- the process usually begins with the auditions where people will come in and perform to the casting team in hopes of getting a role, if you are successful you will be asked to attend the call backs which is the second round of auditions where they have chosen a select few they have in mind for roles.

If you are successful and luckily chosen to have a role you will then be sent all the material you have to learn and rehearsals will begin and after rehearsals have been going on for a few months the show will then take place.

This show can either run for a special weekend or months at a time, edging on years, and throughout this the cast will usually change depending on the contracts the different performers have.

This process is similar to the film and TV industry, the only difference is instead of being in a show after the rehearsal process, you will be taken to the venue or set for the particular project and begin filming, which depending on the scale of the project can take up to months and even years sometimes, for those big scale movies that come out of hollywood.

Development in the industry

rog23235003_1_2 — 2024-04-22 16:31:35 UTC

The industry has developed significantly, from the first cave painting and reanaceents of battles, to the Greek Tragedies, to Shakespeare, to where we are now.

The industry used to be a very small place that wasn’t very significant unless people wanted to keep themselves entertained. Now it is a multi billion dollar industry that gives lots of people jobs and keeps everyone in the world entertained.
Since the golden age of musicals in the 1920s they have only grown in popularity and there are 39 theatres in the West End with all sorts of musicals and plays, and there is something for everyone.

Expanding the industry has also brought some amazing artists into the world, like Stephan Sondheim, Andrew Lloyd Webber and Claude-Michel Schönberg who have all written some of the most famous musicals of all time, Lin Manuel Miranda and Alan Menkan, who have both written music for disney movies as well as working in their own shows.

How has technology helped the industry

rog23235003_1_2 — 2024-04-22 16:32:02 UTC

Throughout the years technology has helped the industry massivley and has had a huge impact.

One thing it has helped with tremendusley is sound design, now a days we have access to wireless microphones, sound desks for editing tracks and also just better sound quality.

Another way technology has helped performing arta industry grow it through social media and marketing. Platforms like Instagram and TikTok are so beneficial for different performers and also performances to show what they are about. marketing teams can put different posters in the advertisements on social media ,and the following they have ,will make sure that the stuff that they put out there is seen and recognised by a wider audience.

I myself use social media to promote my performing arts work I have TikTok and Instagram that I regularly post videos of myself singing and dancing on to increase my following because you never know who’s on social media anymore you can have multiple managers and casting companies out there looking for people they want and if you have your online networking sorted out with your social media you’re more likely to get noticed. Also, when you apply to universities, they can look you up online and they can see how passionate you are about a subject so an example of this outside of the performing arts industry is if you wanted to pursue a fashion career. if you regularly post your work on social media and your online networking to its fullest universities can look you up and they can look at what you’ve done and how you’ve worked in the past and they can see how much you would like that career.

sociological impacts on the industry

rog23235003_1_2 — 2024-04-22 16:33:49 UTC

The performing arts industry is deeply connected with society and the way we all function and think. A lot of inspiration for shows and plays come from societal norms and reflect on human nature.

An example of this would be from the Shakespeare play McBeth that was published in 1623.
This play was written for the monarch at the time of publication, James the 1st and served as a deterrent for society and warned them of killing the monarch would end in their ultimate downfall. This acted as a warning and it tricked society into this, by seemingly acting like a traditional tragedy and turning it into a lesson.

An example of this, outside of performing arts is the political diatribe, A Christmas Carol written by Charles Dickens in 1843, and this also served as a message to society for how they treat one another while also reflecting the values of a better society and this improved peoples lives, because they became aware of what was happening around them just by reading a book.

Sociologically the performing arts industry helps to spark conversations with one another, creating a sense of togetherness and community while also encouraging growth as individuals, shaping our lives and communities for the better.

Employment conditions, issues relating to contracts.

rog23235003_1_2 — 2024-04-22 16:35:17 UTC

Usually performers will be faced with very irregular schedules, pay and also struggle with job security. This is mostly down to the work contracts sometimes being unclear.

Sometimes these contracts can be long-term or short-term, sometimes you need to provide them money or you will be paid most of the time. These contracts depend on the company you work with.

How do these roles relate and how can they impact each others success?

rog23235003_1_2 — 2024-04-22 16:36:01 UTC

Especially in this industry people love to take inspiration from others to create a role.

For example at the moment I am playing Miss Lovett and I have taken a lot of my inspiration for the role from Sutton Foster and Christine Baranski. and this will help me tremendously as as it gives me the inspiration I need to be able to perform the character in different ways as well as adding my own spin.

It doesn’t just have to be the cast that take inspiration from different people. It can also be the designers and directors. designers especially take a lot of their inspiration from naturalistic components in the world so a lot of them will relate their designs to nature especially in the Netflix show Bridgerton. The design is in the show especially took their inspiration from nature and correlated different colours with different themes. this help the shows to be as detailed as it could be as well as adding depth thin for those who want to look into it and just making it as aesthetically pleasing as possible.

Directors can also take their inspiration from different things that they have done in the past or have seen other people do This doesn’t necessarily mean copying different things that people have done. They’re just taking little snippets of each thing and making it into their own.

How artists promote themselves to find work.

rog23235003_1_2 — 2024-04-22 16:37:14 UTC

One way artists can promote themselves to find work is to have a show reel, and this is short video that is about two to three minutes long and it has different clips from shows and projects that you have done and it can show people the variety you have as a performer. These can be sent to agents and drama schools and also put them on your CV to get you and your work out there.

Another great thing is to go to workshops, masterclasses and to get involved in the community, this can really help to improve your skills and to connect with new people, they can teach you all sorts of things that can help you along your way in the industry, and also meeting more people in the industry could lead to collaborations which could then again lead to connections in the industry that could help you find work, if people like what you do.

impact of the growth of mass media

rog23235003_1_2 — 2024-04-22 16:37:36 UTC

The growth of mass media has helped the industry significantly because the media helps performers with online networking, which helps them to get noticed by agents and also companies that may want to hire them. Personally I have an Instagram and TikTok account for my performing and on it I put on videos of me singing and dancing and put my CV out there so people can get an idea of what i do.

It's also a very good thing to do this because it leaves a digital footprint and universities can see it and see what passion you have as someone who want to be apart of the profession.

The future of the industry

rog23235003_1_2 — 2024-04-22 16:38:02 UTC

Now that online networking is a thing more and people are entering the industry, and it is giving people all around the world chance to be apart of things.

As we continue to advance our technology it offers new ways to experience the performing arts world examples of this could be live streaming making it acessable for people ho may not be able to make it to the theatre and also ai.

However the joys of live performances will still be shared around the world.

As we as a society progress we are seeing more and more inclusivity which leads us to discover more diverse people in the industry.

Current issues within the industry

rog23235003_1_2 — 2024-04-22 16:38:33 UTC

At the moment times are really hard for performers because we are not being supported in all the ways like other people in different professions because people don’t see Performing as an ideal or real career.

Stage schools especially are very expensive for people wanting to advance their education and some people are not able to pay those prices so they usually end their education after college in fear of building up debt and not being able to pay it off, especially since most stage schools are based in London or large areas like that, and so young people have to start their lives a new in a brand new place that is very expensive to live in.

past issues in the industry

rog23235003_1_2 — 2024-04-22 16:38:44 UTC

In the past the industry lacked the diversity it has today. It has struggled with representation and inclusion in terms of race, ethnicity, sexuality and gender.
An example of this is back in the Sakespearean times women were not allowed to perform, and so all of the female roles were played by the males, women were also not allowed to have any say in the creative process of performances, so no female writers or deigners were thought of to fulfill thee roles.

Another factor that led to performing arts struggles was financial stability. Many companies really struggled to provide the funds to be able to produce and put on shows while also finding it difficult to keep shows open for long enough because of lack of money.
A couple of examples of this is when Sweeney Todd and Love Never Dies had to close in the West End, the companies struggled to keep them going because they had run out of money and not as many people were coming to see them anymore leaving them unable to keep the shows running.

Another issue with theatre in the past and also today is how people access performances, tickets can be very expensive,especially in the West End, limiting people to what they can see. Also in the past,physically able to access the shows was difficult for many people, because disabled access was not good at all, the paths around the theatre and also the corridors were very cramped so to get a wheelchair in would prove very challenging