JULY 1997 ----------------------------In this issue------------------------------------------ Spotlight on - A New Column: Enter Laughing (Take my Seat...Please!) The Play's the Thing: Gilbert & Sullivan, The Strained Marriage of Two Great Minds CyberTheatre Monthly: What does the theatre-crowd on MSN do outside the Theatre Forum? I'm so glad you asked. Voices: Theatre in the Mind - this idea is too good not to share, Letter from London Rubin's Corner: New Globe Theatre Opens Norman's Theatre, Trivia, Gossip & News -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- SPOTLIGHT ON: TRE's newest column ENTER LAUGHING This Month's Topic: Take My Seat....Please! For many decades, luminaries involved in the show business have wondered aloud, "Why don't more people come to the theatre?". Wall Street fanciers have likely paid consultants millions of dollars to find answers to that question. No one asked me. I have the answer! It came to me in an epiphany of discomfort while attending a recent Broadway show: It's the seats! Surely in today's world, a theatre could be built that takes into account the equitable distance between patrons sitting next to each other. While attending a production at a play in San Francisco the other day, I was sitting so close to the lady beside me that I feared she might claim I'd impregnated her! Think about it. At your next theatrical performance, ask yourself these three simple questions: 1.Is having my knees thrust to my chin a comfortable experience? 2.Do I secretly like to engage in arm-wrestling bouts over armrests? 3.Do I actually enjoy cushions with springs that have explored intimate parts of my anatomy even I didn't know existed? If you answered "no" to any of these question, you are part of the masses who have turned from theatre simply because the seats suck. Actually, I can't understand why nobody has realized this simple fact before. It was obvious centuries ago. The Greeks built theaters which had stone bleachers. Now who was the brains behind that pearl of wisdom? Can't you envision the conversation between the ancient Greek architects?: Sprio: Beautiful theatre, Dyonesius. But where do the plebeians sit? Dyonesius: On these rocks, Sprio. Why do you look so stone faced? Spiro: Ahhhhh, you have cushions to put upon the rocks, yes? Dyonesius: Ooops! Obviously rock seats were not a big hit, so few people attended Greek theatre. I sometimes wonder if the reason the Greeks left their theatres standing was to warn us, "Hey! Don't let this happen to you!". And take the case of the Elizabethans. They took no chances at all... they made the people stand! Any of you who have tackled "posterior-itus" sitting through a Shakespearean production knows just how lucky those Elizabethans were. Most of today's "modern" Broadway theaters were built in the 40's and 50's. The American public then were a smaller, gentler nation. Today's theater-going public has, shall we say, broadened. I'm sure anthropological scholars will back me up on this folks! We need bigger seats, and bigger aisles to accommodate a new society! I propose, here and now, that every theatre on Broadway remove 125 seats! The average theater seat is 22 inches (give or take an inch). That means, we'd gain nearly 230 feet of seat by doing so! I'm sure producers will automatically scream, "Hey, the more seats, the more tickets we can sell. The more tickets we can sell, the more money we can make." However, removing 125 seats, at a cost of $75 a ticket, would mean a loss of only $9375 per show (I've done my math, people!). It costs that much just to raise and lower the Titanic every night, or to fly in Ms. Saigon's helicopter, or to fix the Phantom's chandelier. Wouldn't the general public gladly give up some spectacle for just a little comfort? In the end, I'd guarantee it. Wayne's Bio: Born and raised on the beaches of California (in Santa Cruz, to be exact), lived a 'white trash' childhood. Miraculously, developed a passion for culture, and attended UCLA in hopes of becoming the next Barrymore. I settled on a degree in English. Later I obtained a Master's degree in Library and Information Science from San Jose State University, and now serve the public as 'Super-Librarian' for the City of San Jose. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Gilbert and Sullivan The Strained Marriage of Two Great Minds Throughout the years people have heralded the collaborations of Gilbert and Sullivan as one of the great partnerships of the theatre. Their operettas including The H.M.S. Pinafore, the Pirates of Penzance, and The Mikado are perpetual favorites on stage. Many people recognize the music from the operettas and can hum these lasting little tunes. Beneath the success that the years of working together brought Gilbert and Sullivan lays resentment, professional jealousy, and astonishment that the two were able to leave such a rich legacy of mirth and merriment behind. To understand the partnership of Gilbert and Sullivan, the lives that the two led before meeting should be examined. The marked contrast in their personal lives might make it clear how each man dealt with the world and later would deal with each other. William S. Gilbert, born November18, 1836, was the son of William and Anne Gilbert. Stern characters with little ability to show affection to their son, his parents left a lasting mark on their young son. They were known to be very inflexible to the point that their own relationship grew strained and caused them to split up in 1876. The young Gilbert was fonder of his father but little information is known about his relationship with them over the years. Detachment from experiences in life remained a prominent characteristic in Gilbert's life. Gilbert approached the world like an arsonist, setting fires everywhere he could and then standing back to watch it burn. The fire never touched him but did extensive damage to those who fell victim to his sharp criticisms. After attempting such careers with the government as a clerk and a barrister, in 1861 Gilbert began contributing artwork, prose and poetry to a comic journal. The first Gilbert play to be performed was Uncle Baby, which opened in October of 1863 but only ran for seven weeks. The style of burlesque was not conducive to the work of the emerging Gilbert. Artistic control was unheard of as the demands of the burlesque star took precedence. When Gilbert produced No Cards for the Gallery of Illusion in 1869, he found a place that freed him from the interference of stage managers and stars. He was allowed to develop the style he would become famous for in years to come, as the keeper of artistic integrity of his work. He studied stage directions from Tom Robertson. Gilbert also began to direct his own plays. He now had a venue to put on stage what had been scribbled on paper. The next change in Gilbert's career came about when he met Sullivan and they embarked on their first collaboration, Trial by Jury. The two met and began working with Richard D'Oyly Carte, the man who would keep them working together for the next fifteen years. The first big success for the trio came with H.M.S. Pinafore in 1878. The operetta was so successful that productions sprang up in America, unauthorized and freely interpreted texts. Carte and the authors arrived in the United States with productions of H.M.S. Pinafore and The Pirates of Penzance. Gilbert began to realize that the collaborations with Sullivan were quickly becoming to source of his greatest successes as his solo attempts were weakly received and poorly reviewed. In the 1880's seven of the eleven Gilbert presentations contained Sullivan's music. With the knowledge that his successes were dependent on Sullivan, Gilbert sets a course of self-destruction over what became known as The Carpet Quarrel. Gilbert, Sullivan and Carte would soon fall into sharp disagreement that would lead to the demise of the great collaborations. Before discussing the incident that ruptured their partnership, the life of Sullivan should be illuminated. Sir Arthur S. Sullivan was born in London on May 13, 1842. As the son of a bandmaster, Sullivan began to learn music early on in life. By the age of eight he could play, with some skill, nearly every instrument in the band. He received an appointed to the Chapel Royal School and was promoted to "first boy" of the Chapel choir in 1856. After winning the Mendelssohn prize, Sullivan became a student at the Royal Academy of Music until 1858. He then traveled to Europe and enrolled in the conservatory at Leipzig Germany. Sullivan felt the move to Germany was an important factor in his artistic development as a composer, instrumentalist and conductor. He often wrote his family detailing his progress, especially in playing the pianoforte of which he remarked, "I am a tolerably decent player." In 1862 Sullivan's first performed work of an orchestration of Shakespeare's The Tempest garnered much attention. He continued to write and his notoriety as a composer was growing. Among some of the works he wrote during this time are several hymns including the standard church classic Onward, Christian Soldier. For all the serious work Sir Arthur composed, it was the light operettas that would gain him the most fame. Sullivan considered this work less serious and almost beneath his talent. Yet Sullivan, full of the classical influences, was sometimes considered too academic in his approach to composing his oratorios. Little inspiration was to be found in the body of the music itself. In 1871 Sullivan met William S. Gilbert. The men were introduced by Fred Clay. Impresario John Hollingshead commissioned Gilbert and Sullivan to compose a comic opera for the Gaiety Theatre and the result was Thespis. The opening of the opera heralded to the world that a change was coming to the world of comic opera. Richard D'Oyly Carte commissioned the two in 1875 and with Trial by Jury, began the greatest composer/librettist teaming of theatre to that date. With Carte, this trio began a fifteen year span of hits. But with Carte, and his contract with the two, also began the downfall to come. The contract of 1883 made Gilbert and Sullivan the employees of Carte who must provide a new opera at six month's notice. Sullivan soon began to feel handicapped by his work and responsibilities to Carte and Gilbert. Where Gilbert, acting as auteur, autonomous and setting the tones of the work, had a free hand to produce whatever he desired if it stayed in the parameters of the commercial success of past shows, Sullivan was restricted to working within the limits set by Gilbert, thus stripping him of most of his artistic creativity. Sullivan felt as though he was just filling in colorful pieces to Gilbert's artistic puzzle, not acting as an equal determining partner in the direction of a production. At one point Gilbert stated that the music was becoming too serious and Sullivan fired back an accusation that Gilbert was becoming too mechanical in his librettos and giving too few opportunities for music. Gilbert sets his sights on Carte also. Gilbert always mistrusted Carte and felt that Carte was getting rich off the labor of the collaboration. As far back as 1875 Gilbert wrote to Sullivan saying "It's astonishing how quickly these capitalists dry up under the magic influence of the words 'cash down'." No there was nothing wrong with what Carte was doing. He was like the early producer of theatre, seeing to all the things that Gilbert and Sullivan could not attend to. With Gilbert's need to be involved in every aspect of the theatre, controlling all that went on, the situation grew worse. He kept close eye on the finances of the Carte Company waiting to find some kind of financial mishandling of the funds. Sullivan, on the other hand, was eager to be supportive of Carte and his plans to build the Savoy, a new opera house that would be home to all the productions of Gilbert and Sullivan. Carte even promised to mount the grand opera that Sullivan was writing, giving him the opportunity to branch out in a new direction. In opera it was the music, not the words that was important. Sullivan even talked with Gilbert about writing the libretto for the opera but Gilbert refused citing that he would be little more that the puppet of the composer. This must have stung Sullivan a bit who felt like the puppet to Gilbert all those years. Gilbert did not trust Carte with the finances. Sullivan resented Gilbert's auteur style. Carte was giving Sullivan a chance to emerge from Gilbert's shadow and a bond between them formed. Thus the stage was set for the showdown. Gilbert wrote to Sullivan on April 22, 1890 that he was having difficulty with Carte. Among the problems was money being spent on the theatre. He wrote, "But the most surprising item was £500 for the new carpets for the front of the house!" The agreement the three men had in the 1883 contract stated that all expenses for producing performances and repairs that came up were deducted from the profits and then the remainder was split equally between the three. Gilbert argued that replacing the carpet was not "repairs incidental to the performance" and should not have been deducted. Sullivan doubted Gilbert's claims from the onset but agreed to be arbitrator between Carte and Gilbert. Sullivan would have to balance his desire to stay on good working terms with Carte in order to produce the opera Ivanhoe with his desire to stay on good terms with Gilbert which meant he would have to openly declare his support of Gilbert's assertions. Gilbert seemed to think he finally had the proof he had long waited for; that Carte was indeed mishandling the financial affairs of the Savoy. He was at the time in complete artistic control of the Savoy. Now he had a chance to take over complete financial control if he could prove Carte guilty of financial irresponsibility. Sullivan had little reason to want to support Gilbert. His resentment of Gilbert's controlling manner and attitudes came to the surface. The years of putting up with Gilbert's taunting barbs had worn him down. Sullivan wanted something for himself now and Carte was the way to get what he wanted. When Gilbert realized that Sullivan would not be supportive, he wrote a letter to him on May 5, 1890 informing Sullivan of a decision he had reached. The letter stated that, "The time for putting an end to our collaboration has at last arrived." Gilbert broke with Sullivan and the end of the successful partnership was at hand. The partnership that had begun amiably grew into incompatibility as their artistic temperments began to emerge. The pressure of satisfying the growing audiences with show after show took its toll. The only thing that held them together so long was the magic that was created when Gilbert's words were teamed with Sullivan's music. In the end, Sullivan escaped the prison to which Gilbert confined him musically. Gilbert and Sullivan did collaborate a few years after the split but not with the success previous teaming had brought them. Gilbert was writing in a much different style by then and Sullivan was no longer enamored of Gilbert's words. Arthur Sullivan died on November 22, 1900, alone. Gilbert read about it in the paper. Carte, who was too ill to be told of Sullivan's death, saw a funeral procession pass his window. It was Sullivan's funeral he saw. Carte died four and a half months later. Gilbert died on May 29, 1911. While giving a swimming lesson to a young woman at his home, he dove in to help her when she got out too far and he died of heart failure in the middle of the lake. The world of theatre is blessed to have the works of Gilbert and Sullivan as part of theatre history. The work seems to shine even brighter when one can see the struggle that took place to create such beauty on the stage. The clash of such theatrical titans led to their triumph and their downfall. Not all marriages are made in heaven. Some crack, some strain and very few attain lasting perfection. For a time Gilbert and Sullivan found the paradise of a match made in heaven, but both quickly fell down to the reality of the stage floor. Special Note: The illustrations used in this article are from the William S. Gilbert sketches called the Bab Illustrations. "Bab" was how he signed the works; the name being a pet name he was called as a baby. Internet Sites Related to Gilbert and Sullivan Gilbert and Sullivan Archive Home Page Edward Grigassy's George Bernard Shaw Page Oscar Wilde Biography A Brief Introduction to Gilbert and Sullivan The Bluffer's Guide to Gilbert and Sullivan QUOTE OF THE MONTH "The goal is to try and have people in the audience take away something that lasts and will haunt them, be it either a subject for debate or of their dreams. They'll have an unresolved experience. " --Robert Brustein WHAT DO YOU THINK? Your opinions are invited on these and other burning theatre issues. Start a thread in the Theatre Forum Bulletin Boards --- Caprice Woosley is currently pursuing her BFA in theater (directing and playwriting), after 25 years working in and around the theater. She is a produced playwright, actress, and amateur dramaturg who enjoys researching plays. She is a host in the Writing Forum where she co-hosts a Writing Discussion Group. She also hosted "Shakespeare Unplugged" and "Murder and Mayhem" in the Theatre Forum. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- CyberTheatre Monthly What does the theatre-crowd on MSN do outside the Theatre Forum? I'm so glad you asked... Meow In honor of CATS becoming the longest running Broadway musical, the Pets Forum sends congratulatory catnip mice to these great Theatre Cats of the past: Pyewacket, the ever-purring Siamese familar of modern-day witch Gillian Holroyd in Bell, Book, and Candle Mushi, the cat taken into hiding by the Frank and Van Daan families in The Diary of Anne Frank Felina, Queen of Sorrows, "my eyes are the color of molten topaz. Many proud Toms have drowned themselves in Old Nile for love of them! Tragedy is my lot", She's right. She wreaks havoc throughout Act III of Peter Schaffer's Lettice & Lovage just by existing. Of course Maggie the Cat, in Cat on a Hot Tin Roof wasn't a real cat, and didn't have one as a pet. We think most Tennessee Williams characters would have been much happier if they had a pet. Now not everyone prefers cats...Joanna sings to songbirds in Sweeney Todd, Annie sings to her faithful dog Sandy, and Snoopy doesn't expect anyone to sing to him - he has his own songs in Charlie Brown. We in the Pets Forum invite all those who sing to their cats, dogs, birds, hamsters, snakes, etc... to come on over and explore... A Comedy Tonight Lulu: But "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Comedy Connection" just doesn't scan Marie: I don't care. "A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum" has already been done. By Stephen Sondheim no less. Lulu: I still want to use it Marie: You want to take on Nathan Lane and Whoopie Goldberg at the same time Lulu: I take your point. Some jokes and riddles Some puns and lim'ricks Humorous stories for kids Comedy Tonight! Marie: There's a phonecall for you, Lulu. It's Sondheim. Lulu: Okay, Okay. I won't sing..."From jokes and riddles to puns, limericks, humorous stories for kids of all ages as well as our very own Improv ensemble, you'll find great entertainment in the Comedy Connection Forum!! " I'm gonna wash that man right outta my hair ... Married 25 years. Could be better, but you're committed and you're trying. Then the bomb drops. What's next? If it's Broadway Bound or Plaza Suite, it's great bitter-sweet drama. If it's life, it's not so hot. Check out the Mens Forum's new Men, Love and Betrayal section. How about this: Who has a better (worse) grasp of male-female relationships? Henry Higgins or Cyrano de Bergerac? Who would you rather draft into couples therapy? The Perons? the MacBeths? or the kids from Rent?" Never mind, we don't want to go there. But if you'd like to talk real "Men, Women & Relationships" check out this Men's Forum weekly chat" Have an idea for CyberTheatre Monthly? Send your suggestions to Theatre_msn@msn.com -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Voices: Theatre in the Mind - this idea is too good not to share On Saturdays at noon during the season, Alabama Shakespeare Festival offers Theatre in the Mind, a free, adult humanities program featuring lectures, author talks, and actor discussions designed to help audiences learn more about the plays. The Series is hosted by ASF's resident dramaturg, Susan Willis, and designed around each seasons' plays, providing free pre-show discussions, author, and director talks, and sometimes features members of the acting company, costume, set, and lighting designers, and other backstage areas of interest. Better still, they broadcast the programs on the SouthEastern Public Radio Network every Sunday at 7 PM. C.S.T. Many, many theatres have panels & discussions like this - many could probably arrange for radio placement if they choose, and many more could provide the programs as real-audio on their websites. Several of us in the forum have bemoaned the hometown directors, actors, even production managers who's 'vast knowledge of theatre' consists entirely of the output of the local ponds' big fish. Making programs of this nature available to a wider regional audience could change that. Let's brainstorm... FROM THE MAILBAG... I propose that the Reality Pill...Missing the Point Award, Go buy yourself some perspective award, and What planet are you on award to TITANIC. Why? ...having swept every prize they could (i.e. that Chicago did not also have a nomination for) these people did nothing but gripe and moan about reviews and 'theatrical handicappers.' Well a) they made a musical out of a famous shipping disaster, did they really think nobody was going to notice or comment on it and b) if you don't want people talking about your work, become an actuary, a typesetter, hang drywall, open a Burger King - but DON'T become a theatre or movie director, producer, actor, or writer. Letter from London... Here's what Matt Wolf recommends on the current London stage: Five to flock to: •Amy's View at the Royal National Theatre, Lyttelton: Dame Judi Dench, a supreme actress, plays an actress regaining her supremacy. Which is to say stage acting simply doesn't get much better. •Art at Wyndham's: A friendship deteriorates when Serge buys a painting that Marc detests. Yasmina Reza's hit play that has as much to say about life as it does about art. •Closer, Royal National Theatre, Cottesloe: Two couples, one superb play (by Patrick Marber), though its depiction of the bruises of love and lust is not for the squeamish. •Guys and Dolls, Royal National Theatre, Olivier: Imelda Staunton's near-definitive Miss Adelaide is the first reason to revisit Frank Loesser's Broadway classic in London. And if you disagree? Sue me. •The Life of Henry Fift, Shakespeare's Globe: Yes, that's how they spell it. Shakespeare's "wooden O," the Globe Theatre, comes to life with the play that immortalized it. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Rubin's Corner: New Globe Theatre Opens The new Globe in Southward, London is the work of many people and the dream of one man. When the young American actor came to London in 1949 he set our to visit the site of Shakespeare's Globe. Amazed to find the only testimony to its existence was a blackened bronze plaque on the wall of a brewery, he conceived of a fitter memorial to the greatest playwright in western civilization a replica of the Globe itself. Sam Wanamaker's enthusiasm, tenacity and energy inspired a worldwide effort to rebuilt it as faithfully as scholarship and craftsmanship can achieve, only a few hundred yards from where Shakespeare's original theatre stood. The original Globe opened in 1599, burned down in 1613, and was immediately rebuilt. It was closed in 1642. Her Majesty the Queen officially inaugurated the Globe on Thursday, June 12, attending a show called Triumphes and Mirth. Seen from Southwark Bridge, the Globe looks as though it has strayed out of Toytown, a dinky building surrounded by warehouses. The romance of Sam Wanamaker's dream has to be appreciated inside. The thatched roof, gaudily painted, is now in place over the stage, supported by the much disputed, marble painted pillars. Behind is the balcony where musicians, actors and member of the audience mingle, as perhaps they did in the original Globe. Anyone who has any interest at all in Shakespeare should go at least once, but it is up to Mark Rylance and his company to make sure they return. Concentration is difficult for those who have come to see the play and not just experience an event. Some members of the audience are always on the move, the hawkers hawking and the ushers intrusively ushering. Rain falls, airplanes pass, and plastic cups are crunched at the most crucial moments. The greatest irony is just how much attention increases as night falls and the anachronistic lighting takes over. What is clear is that this is a space that celebrates the art of the actor. All those actors who have ever complained about being swamped by the concepts of their directors or designers should line-up to work here. The atmosphere is one of a July 4th fireworks display and it demands full attention from its stars and their followers. Perhaps an old-fashioned style of acting is required. Laurence Olivier and John Gielgud would have been perfect in the role of Romeo and Mercutio at the Globe. David Freeman, who directed the opening production of "A Winter Tale" appears to have made all the wrong decisions especially trying to work against the building before discovering what it has to offer. The other piece in repertory is Henry V. It is well worthy of its home. It will take a committed company of actors, directors and designers who are able to learn from their mistakes. It will take fine weather and silent ushers to make this a great venue for Shakespeare. Forbidden TRE Trivia: What classic musicals do the following Forbidden Broadway lyrics parody: •I dreamed a show in times gone by...when Act I wasn't so damn long •People come; People go; People move chairs •Come on do something trite with your life •Hey, Bob Fosse, spend a little time on the book •Maudlin melodrama has a special place, albeit; this show's such a downer you would rather die than see it •There is no shop in London town, just two small flats that are painted brown. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Copyright 1997, Mersinger Theatrical Services