Tag: Theater

Acting Producing Writing

The Devilish Details to Get Theater Done in DC, or, How the Sausage Gets Staged

By Bjorn Munson | by Bjorn Munson

Longtime readers may recall I do post about theater from time to time. I’ve worked for many theater companies and started attending theater performances long before then. The Washington, DC area has close to 100 active theater companies, a fact that seems obvious when you realize how clearly Washington likes drama. Alas, pretty much all theaters were hard hit by the Pandemic. Another issue then, and definitely now, is the availability of performance spaces. Now,…

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Writing

Familiar Phrases from, yes, Shakespeare

By Bjorn Munson | by Bjorn Munson

The last time I checked, scholars were not absolutely certain about Shakespeare’s birthday, though April 23rd is a contender. They are, however, quite certain of his death day, which is… also April 23rd. That seems fitting for Shakespeare in a thematic symmetry kind of way. Okay, I see a few John Webster fans raising their hand at the mention of Death, but stay with me and the Bard for a moment here. I’ve been a…

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Various and Sundry

All the World’s a Stage, But How is it Managed?

By Bjorn Munson | by Bjorn Munson

Having grown up regularly attending live theater and later doing it myself, I was keenly interested in what impact COVID made during the beginning outbreak of the virus and what theaters would do afterwards. Well, now we’re in the afterwards and Angie Ahlgren has an article for American Theatre that is close to my heart, because it focuses on the “hub of the wheel” of any good theater production: the stage manager. As someone who…

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Various and Sundry

When You Can’t Stage Your Play in a Meat Freezer…

By Bjorn Munson | by Bjorn Munson

While not necessarily my favorite aspect of stagecraft at the moment of assignment, some of my fondest memories of being a stage technician involve props. There is often an inherent playfulness and ingenuity in a prop solution that is amplified by the fact that actors get to handle them… and that joy is seen on stage. The fact that prop solutions often require ingenuity may explain my apprehension (at the assignment) and subsequent elation (assuming…

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Various and Sundry

Those Wacky Theater People: Sweeney Hamilton Edition

By Bjorn Munson | by Bjorn Munson

This past weekend, seeing as it was Independence Day and all, I had an opportunity to introduce my sister to what comfortably remains one of my favorite musicals: Hamilton. Little did I know that the cast once did a version of Hamilton’s opening number as if they were the musical Sweeney Todd, another one of my favorites. Of course, given the hijinks (and shenanigans and tomfoolery) are endemic among theater folk, so I suppose I…

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Various and Sundry

Prepare Ye the Oral History of Godspell

By Bjorn Munson | by Bjorn Munson

I’m not sure the “oral history” long-form article became more popular in the social media age, but I certainly have noticed it a lot more in the past 15 years… and I usually enjoy the pieces about seminal stage and screen productions. It’s a good reminder of how, even when we see these works that are exquisite faits accompli, they are the result of hard-working humans, who are on their own journey. So I very…

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Raves Writing

Something for Everyone, but Specifically Just for You: Remembrances of Sondheim

By Bjorn Munson | by Bjorn Munson

As the New York Times obituary put it, a “Titan of the American Musical” has left the stage. Stephen Sondheim has died at the age of 91. The whole article is a long and excellent read — and I tend to agree with Mark Evanier in that there doesn’t seem to be much for me to individually add about my own personal connections to Sondheim’s work. However, one thing that has become evident to me…

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Acting Producing Writing

Little (Mobile) Theater on the Prarie

By Bjorn Munson | by Bjorn Munson

The events of last Wednesday are still dwelling on my mind, so it was nice to catch this article by Lia Kvatum in the Washington Post Magazine about an itinerant creative who’s connecting communities to their history through theater. It provides some much needed light and joy… and the notion that we can communicate with one another. Reading about how Ashley Hanson has been traveling to different communities and talking with the people reminds me…

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Producing

Theater Strategy Post-Covid

By Bjorn Munson | by Bjorn Munson

I’ve been watching how theater and film productions have been coping with the pandemic (as you can see from June, July, and earlier in December). Safely producing new works is important not only considering my role in running Jabberwocky Audio Theater, but also thinking of my many colleagues whose livelihood requires being on stages and sets. So this article in Fortune, not my usual source for theater news, was an interesting read. Author Michael Barra…

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Raves Various and Sundry

“I’m standing in a very happy place right now” Behind-the-scenes of Hamilton

By Bjorn Munson | by Bjorn Munson

As I mentioned the other week, we saw Hamilton along with a good many millions of people at the beginning of the month… and that’s led to listening to the soundtrack non-stop the following weekend, at least one rewatch so far, and delving into all sorts of reading and watching of supplemental material. Just about none has topped my theater geeky glee quite like seeing Adam Savage looking at the props used in Hamilton. As…

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