August Extra Blog

Last week, I got to go see the Broadway tour of Once with some people I knew from a theatre I interned and got my summer mentorship hours at. From watching the show and looking at the stage, I learned about some techniques that could possibly enhance a production and entertain the audience. When I was watching the show, I thought the plot was fairly simple, somewhat overly dramatic, cheesy, and predictable. However, I thought the show fared better from a technical stand point. Although the scene changes were also simple, and hardly any props and sets moved during transitions, I thought the sound system was amazing, especially since all the actors were playing their own instruments for music. I was sitting so far in the back, I couldn't even see the performers' faces, but I could hear everything as if they right next to me. This taught me that sound is important because if you can't hear anything, then you won't know what's going on. The show also had some cool lighting effects that I thought contributed to the mood and plot, but I did not take any pictures because it was during the show.

The faces I could not see

I also learned that audiences like being involved. Before the show and during intermission, members of the audience were allowed to go up on stage and talk to some of the cast and order drinks since the show is set in a bar. I think this helped the audience become more immersed in the show and make them feel as if they were a part of that world.

Picture of the stage before the show with audience members, cast, and crew mingling on it

In the building, there was also a wall inviting people to post up notes on how they met someone significant to them.

After the show, it was the effort to engage the audience and some of the technical aspects that got my attention, and it is what I believed made the show better than it was.