Theater Profile- The Alliance Theater

Since 1968, the Alliance Theatre has served as Atlanta’s foremost theatre, working within the local, national and international communities to become one of the leading theatres in America. The Alliance theater in Atalanta is now into its 41st season. It is a well known theater and the recipient of the 2007 Regional Theatre Tony Award, which is an honorable achievement. Being the leading resident theatre organization in the Southeast, The Alliance Theater prides itself on creating the powerful experience of shared theatre for diverse people on two stages for youth and adult audiences. The theater is run under the leadership of Artistic Director Susan V. Booth. Being a national theatre, it still keeps a local address, reaches out annually to almost 200,000 patrons and members of the community. Well known for its high artistic standards and national role in creating noteworthy theatrical works. The Alliance launched three Tony Award-winning hits to Broadway including Alice Walker’s The Color Purple, Elton John and Tim Rice’s Aida and Alfred Uhry’s The Last Night of Ballyhoo. And, in a rare event for a regional theatre, it originated the national tour of the Tony Award-winning Broadway musical The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Further evidence of the Alliance’s commitment to new work is found in its nationally recognized Kendeda Graduate Playwriting Competition, a cutting-edge program introducing student playwrights to professional networks while producing the world premiere of the winning student’s work. This is one of the reasons the theater appeals to me. It gives aspiring students great opportunities to live out their dreams and if chosen their playwright is shown. The Alliance Theatre also offers extensive education and outreach programs such as the Institute for Educators and the Collision Project for high school students. The Alliance continuously brings and flourishes Atlanta with the finest talent and supreme art. Giving the city such culture proves that the Alliance provides great theater experience and opportunities for all the lives it touches.

The Alliance Theatre is also a division of the Woodruff Arts Center in Atlanta, Georgia, which also includes the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra, High Museum of Art, Young Audiences and the 14th Street Playhouse.
The mission of the Alliance is clear-cut and motivating:

As the premier theatre of the Southeast, the Alliance Theatre sets the highest artistic
standards, creating the powerful experience of shared theatre for diverse people.

Another reason this theater stood out to me, is because it is not just a theater, but also serves the community as an entry into the world of art for children and adults. There are many programs The Alliance Theatre has offered throughout the years that are designed to develop an appreciation and love for great works.

Some in include launching the first annual Alliance Theatre National Graduate Playwriting Competition in 2004. This national program introduces student playwrights to professional networks while producing the world premiere of the winning student’s work on the Hertz Stage. The Alliance Children’s Theatre is one of the nation’s oldest and most esteemed programs targeting youth. Every year as many as 45,000 students and families experience fully-staged productions by professional actors, directors and designers. The Alliance also brings education to the classrooms through their Institute for Educators and Teaching Artist. Throughout the school year, Alliance professionals visit more than 180 classrooms at 45 Georgia schools.

The Alliance Theatre also offers many prosperous and challenging internship programs to qualified college students and recent graduates who are actively pursuing careers in professional theatre. Their intent is to connect the student or grad’s education with their goal of the professional world. By providing hands-on experiences in the day-to-day workings of a professional theatre the interns have the opportunity while benefiting from the knowledgeable and experienced staff and artists. Some of the internships offered include: Artistic Internship, Development Internship, Literary Internship, and Marketing/PR Internship. Overall the Alliance is a great theater group that is really impacting the world of arts and encouraging youth to enjoy and appreciate the art of theater.

Passion Piece- The Wizard of Oz

I chose to do my personal passion piece on an oldie but a goody, “The Wizard of Oz.” This is a musical I have never seen live but I know is something I would love to see eventually in my life. I have seen the movie numerous times as a child and even today I still enjoy watching the movie. To give you a background about the show. L. Frank Baum first published The Wonderful Wizard of Oz in 1900, and the success of that book then led to a number of sequels. Several adaptations of Baum's Oz stories for stage and screen appeared before MGM's classic movie was released in 1939. Surprisingly, this film was never regarded as a box-office success in the years following its original release. Its status as an American classic owes more to television, as The Wizard of Oz became an annual television event in the 1950s and 1960s.The movie originally premiered in Chicago but later got its debut in Broadway in 1903. In Broadway the Wizard of Oz ran for nearly 293 performances from January 21, 1903 to December 31, 1904, followed by travelling tours of the original cast. The show starred Anna Laughlin as Dorothy Gale, Fred Stone as The Scarecrow and David C. Montgomery as the Tin Woodman, Arthur Hill played the Cowardly Lion, but in this version, his role was reduced to a bit part.
The movie is a charming story that is based on the popular L. Frank Baum stories. As many know, Dorothy the protagonist lives on a farm in Kansas with her family and lovable dog Toto. When a malicious neighbor tries to have her dog put to sleep, Dorothy takes Toto and runs away. A cyclone appears and carries her and Toto to the magical Land of Oz. I love how in the beginning the movie is shown in black and white, but when she arrives in Oz it magically becomes color. In the Land of Oz, Dorothy befriends many different creatures. She learns that in this magically land not everyone is nice and friendly there is some evil in Oz as well. Dorothy is helped by Glenda the Good Witch of the North, but she's also in trouble with the Wicked Witch of the West, who seeks revenge on Dorothy for the death of her sister. The Wicked Witch of the East, for which she blames Dorothy since her house landed on the sister and killed her. Scared of the threats in Oz Dorothy is determined to get home and learns that she needs to find the Wizard of Oz. He has the answers to the land and can help her return home and even grant her new friends their goals of a brain, heart and courage.
This musical has always had such an impact on me because I believe even though a story for all ages, there is many meanings, themes, and life lessons to learn from the musical as well. The first lesson I see in the movie is really to accept your friends for who they are. Friends are a great thing in life that will help you in life journey. Even though they may have quirks or different habits, as a friend they are there to help you. So even though the lion had no courage or the scarecrow did not have a brain they were still there to support and help Dorothy in her journey back home. The yellow brick road is another analogy of life itself. Dorothy is told by the good witch that she needs to follow the yellow brick road which was right there in front of her. Surely Dorothy would have been able to find the road on her own, which is lesson everyone should realize in life. Even though we have people guiding us down certain paths it really is our own responsibility to discover the path we want to take. Once we come to self realization of what we want, you should make sure that is how you want to live and then pursue it. One of the monumental moments in the movie, is when you find out the Wizard of Oz is just a man behind a screen. He really does not have any magical powers. Instead he is hiding behind a screen and lying about his true identity to everyone in the land. This is something we should not do in our lives. It is important to show your true self and learn to love it. This is the key to life happiness. These and many other lessons in the story is why I will always have a deep love and passion of the Wizard of Oz.

Broadway

One of the most popular tourist attractions in New York City, Broadway, refers to theatrical performances presented in one of the 40 large professional theaters. With over 500 seats, Broadway is located in the Theater District, New York. There is also one theatre in Lincoln Center in Manhattan, New York City. According to The Broadway League, Broadway shows sold approximately $943.3 million worth of tickets in the 2008-09 seasons.

When researching Broadway I went to the most common website and the first hit on Google, Broadway.com. On this website, a customers can purchase tickets for all Broadway shows either online or you can call the toll free number 1-800-Broadway. You can also purchase most off-Broadway shows in London’s West End. It is very easy to buy tickets on the website you would just search for the show you want to see and then there is a buy tickets button you hit where you can then enter your payment information. But for those who do not feel comfortable paying online, they can always call and order tickets off of the toll free number. When you decide on a show, the website will bring you to a calendar of the dates the show is playing and the seats that are available at that date and time.

This website is great for traveling visitors of the city as well as natives. The site also contains the latest coverage, news, reviews, and interviews about the shows, so you can log on and get updates instantly. The website also offers theater packages that help those from out of town find hotels and restaurants during their visit. They also offer last minute Broadway deals and group rates.

The top 10 most popular shows as listed on the website include:
1. Wicked
2. The Addams Family
3. Chicago
4. Memphis
5. Promises, Promises
6. Million Dollar Quartet
7. South Pacific
8. The Lion King
9. Avenue Q
10. Blue Man Group

There is a whole tab related to the Broadway buzz to keep customers up to date with shows. There are 36 shows playing on Broadway right now. The Lion King which is one of the hottest shows to ever play on Broad is included in the shows playing right now.
The stars of the show include:
• Simba Dashaun
• YoungMufasa Nathaniel Stampley
• Nala Ta'Rea Campbell
• Rafiki Tshidi Manye
• Young Simba (alternating performances) Marquis Kofi Rodriquez
• Scar Derek Smith Young
• Simba (alternating performances) Alfonso Romero Jones II
• Zazu Cameron Pow
• Timon Danny Rutigliano

The Lion King is the number one Broadway show I want to see. Since it is so well know and has great reviews. I personally have never been to any Broadway shows but I plan to go to one very soon, and hopefully The Lion King will be my first show. The director of the show is Julie Taymour and the music is done by the famous Elton John. What every raves about the show is the beautiful and creative costumes and puppets that draw the audience into the African show. The Lion King has been one of the shows that has won many awards including, six 1998 Tony Awards. Some recent news I read about the show on Broadway.com includes the cameo appearance by Whoopi Goldberg, and there was some interviews done on Dashaun Young who plays samba in the show.

Currently the longest running show on Broadway is “The Phantom of the Opera which has won 7 Tony Awards and 7 Drama Desk Awards in 1988. “The Lion King” as I mentioned earlier has also won 6 Tony Awards and 8 Drama Desk Awards in 1998.

The show “Cats “was the first musical opened on Broadway in 1982. It won many awards, including both the Laurence Olivier Award and the Tony Award for Best Musical. The show ran for 18 years before it had to close due to lack of audience but it still holds records for longest running Broadway play.

Chicago Set Deisign

I decided to design the set for the play Chicago. This play has a very dark and scandalous plot full of dramatic action. The set is focused on a very stage like atmosphere with a jazzy feeling and bright lights that depict Chicago and the city feeling. The first thing I would focus on would be establishing the time and place for the audience. Since the play takes place in the 1920s in the city of Chicago, during prohibition so the set will give the audience this feeling by dark and dreariness with object such as cars, phones and setting from the time period. The stage will be very limited in lighting and since majority of the time is focused on the girls in death row which is not something that should be bright and cheery. The background will have a very industrial look with bars and cement like materials used in all scenes to have a feeling of jail and the ill intentions the girls have. I want to make sure to keep the set limited and straightforward since the main focus of the play is the great music and songs performed by the girls. The play is very flashy and all about Hollywood and the girls desires to be famous so there will be bright vibrant accents that are flashy and give an old Hollywood experience. Reds and orange gold accents such as blinking signs and will be used to set a depressing and restricting mood that the play depicts. Silver glitter and accents will also bring out the Hollywood feeling with draping beads from the ceiling. The infamous C that is in the background of a lot and scenes will be the main focus of the show. As I said before it will be light with red and orange lights also.

Concluding Statement of Theater

As we come to the end of this term, I really have to say that my conclusion of theater has truly changed through my wisdom and experience I have gained with this course. As I have traveled through the world of theater, I have really learned all the different elements theater possesses and how relate to my own life. I have learned that theater is an art form, especially live theater. It really takes talent, love and passion for the art to accomplish and present the audience with a great show.
I have come to learn that the driving and motivating force behind all shows is the world that we live in. It was interesting to learn all the different forms different cultures have created, and how they all interrupt and show theater in their own points of view. As I have reviewed what I and the class have written I can even see the differences in our each other’s work. Even though majority of us have grown up in the American culture, we all have our own experiences and view on everything. Growing up in different lives really does affect how we view and interpret different things. The one think that has become evident to all of us is that theater in a sense is a mirror of life as a whole. It really does show us the different roles and aspects of life in a light you may have never thought of before. Watching a play is really making us consider and think about our lives in a deeper more thought provoking way. It is easy to get caught up in the fast paced technology based world that we live in today. But the theater gives us a chance to step back, really relax and understand that life is a show. It gives up time to rethink and understand life and the different roles we play and come in contact with throughout our lives. Overall it shows the different focuses on the world and how everything interacts and affects the outcome and future.
Theater demonstrates how different people portray themselves and tell their own stories. This is something I personally experienced firsthand by just reading the other student’s interpretations throughout the course. I really felt like I did get a piece of people’s stories and life even without personally or physically meeting them. By displaying their personal thoughts and understanding throughout this course. This is something that we do not always take the time to listen to on a day to day basis. Since a lot of times today’s world is very focused on looks and the physical aspect of something. But this course has really shown me that understanding the culture and background of a person really depicts the inside and better understand how that person is feeling and reacting to life in comparison to yourself. Overall you can say that theater in a way presents us with the questions and answers of life.
Overall it has become very evident to me that life is a theater. We all have roles and play and become different people and characters depending on the environment and role we are exposed to at that time. Even when watching a show you come to realize that the actor is a live person playing a role that is based on life. It may be something that relates to your own life or it may be something completely new to you. But I have learned either way you should take the time to learn from the scene. How can you relate it to your own life? There really are hundreds of ways to do so. It is all dependent of how creative and open you want to be.
I am so happy I took this class. I really has giving me a chance to vent and understand myself as wells as others in a new way. I was not expecting to grow and learn as much as I have throughout this course. This is something I will take with me on my journey through life and use it to relate and understand my surroundings and the people around me. I really think that everyone is this class feels this way in some sense. Even though we did all start on a different level and understanding of theater it really did not hinder our learning process at all. Instead it let us see the difference though process and views and even people who were more experienced in theater can learn from those who were not. This is the beauty of life and the learning process we all go through.

Relate Theater to your LIFE!

As I come to the end of this course, I really have developed a new and greater appreciation of theater and how it relates to my life. If you really think about it you can basically relate theater to every aspect of your life with a little imagination and understanding of theater. When it comes to my passions, as a fashion merchandising major I have always had a passion for the arts and beauty in life. Creativity and imagination have been important to me and the career path I want to take. Theater perfectly exemplifies these aspects as well. I really have taken a second thought about how I can relate my major to theater in the sense of developing costumes and being the stylist in shows. One of my professors actually started her career there and has always told us about that but I personally never completely understood the level it really related to until now with the completion of this class.
When it comes to family theater relates in the sense that we all play a role in our everyday life. For me I play the role of a daughter and older sister. As we have been raised in the American culture, we learn what exactly that entails and what is considered appropriate behavior and role. As a daughter it is important that I know my role and show respect and appreciation for everything my parents have provided me with. When it comes to being the older sister I know I have a large impact and set an example so it is important that I show them how to become an abiding citizen in the world.
I can continue to relate theater to my friends and roles I play there as a member of the sorority and just in our everyday life. I am considered one of the more responsible of my friends since I am oldest. In a way I somewhat play the mother. Since I am always someone to come talk to and get support if needed. Theater is very relevant to “gaming” in the sense that it teaches us that in a way life is somewhat of a game. Almost like a large monopoly board. Many people are concerned about making money and being successful and getting far in life. But sometimes it is important to take a step back and look and appreciate the beauty of life. This is something theater tries to teach and show us through its performances. It takes different aspects of life and the world and brings out its beauty with costumes, music and creativity. Movies are very big today and really have a lot to owe to theater since they are in a way the more modern day and technical version of theater and shows. Even today movies are brought back to the theater. When this happens often times they are also portrayed and interpreted slightly different then they were previously on screen. This is because theater has a way of really taking something really anything and making the audience view and understand it in a different way depending on how they focus on it.
Many people search all their life to find what their part is in life. In a sense you could say they are searching for their role. Theater is basically the acting out of life and different situations. But it is not the situation itself but in reality the way you interpret it. This is something one should carry into life as well. We are always told to stay positive in life and view the glass as half full. This is actually telling you have you should be interpreting life just as we do with theater. This course has taught me a lot about realizing my passion of creativity and beauty that I aspire to create and obtain in life through my fashion career. I have learned I need to understand my role currently and the steps I need to take and accomplish to better improve my role and achieve the success and desire of the future. Since I do picture myself in a sense of possessing a higher my desired role later in life I realize I need to put work into it. I aspire to become as a buyer and/or leader in the fashion world. This is something I know I need to work on and earn just as you would earn a higher part in a show with practice and dedication to the art.

How Fashion Merchandising relates to Theater:

I am a senior Fashion Merchandising major here at IUP. As I knew before I took this course, Theater and fashion have a huge correlation with each other. This is why I think I was so interested in taking this course. I love going to shows and seeing the different and creative costumes they come up with and how they fit with the show’s era of time. The originality and imagination that is put into the costumes really makes a good show great. I have already learned that theater is a form of art. This can be said the same for Fashion, as it is an expression of one’s personality and how they want to be seen in the world. Fashion can be played up and exaggerated dramatically however one would like to be perceived and in a way can be considered a type of costume to show the outside world your own personality. Both theater and fashion have a large correlation with culture around the world. They are both a beautiful representation of the differences in culture with dress and how they impact society.
I believe that theater is largely dependent on the creativity and passion costume designers have for fashion. It is important that costume designers understand fashion and how it changes throughout different eras. If they did not do their research on the appropriate clothing style of the era of their show it would not be as captivating or understood by the audience. I had a historic costume class just last semester where we studied the development of textiles from ancient times to present day with special emphasis on techniques used in constructing historic textiles. This is something a costume/ set designer would have to research was well to fit properly with the play era and location they are working on. I believe both fashion and theater have a large correlation with each other in many facets of life.
As a fashion merchandising major I have many options in career paths once I graduate. Since I am also getting my minor in Business Administration I have decided to focus more on the business side of fashion. But still this is very relevant the theater since once I graduate I could be involved in the buying of costumes and or selling of them. I have never wanted to be a designer, but I would love the chance the chance to be a type of stylist at some point. I believe being a stylist/ costume coordinator in the theater area would be such a fun job. I do have a strong interest in the dramatic and elegant side of fashion and styling and believe theater would be a wonderful fit with this interest. It would allow me to have fun with the dramatic side of fashion as it fits on stage.
I have heard often enough how the runway is a form of Broadway in the fashion world. Since often times runway shows are very extreme beautiful fashion designs that you would not normally see on everyday people walking down the street. As well as Broadway can be viewed as the high fashion of plays in the theater world. This strong bond both theater and fashion have is the main reason I took this class. It is my last semester and I need just a couple extra credits. Instead of taking an easy useless class, I decided that this introduction to theater class would be perfect, since it is so relative to my major. This way when I graduate I do have an understanding of theater and if I wanted could find a career in costume styling’s and collection.