Confessions of a Theatre Brat
Written on January 26, 2004
Most people get ever so amazed when they go to the theater to see a play. They always get lost in the "magic" of the story, the gorgeous romantic lead actor, or the spectacular sets. They look on in awe for an hour or two at how the actors perform "perfection".
What they donÂ’t know is that behind all that, the set is just plain wood, glue, and old newspapers covered in paint, the supposedly "gorgeous" actor is just some sweaty guy "beautified" and is most likely to be gay, and the supposedly flawless performance is actually a result of a whole lot of sweat and tears.
I'm not really an expert in the theater business, but people call me a theater freak because IÂ’m quite the fanatic. So I guess you can say that I was more than flattered when I was asked to write an article about theater.
Part of the reason why I wanted to get involved in all aspects of theater is that I wanted to see how the "magic" works. ItÂ’s like seeing a magic trickÂ’s secret being revealed by the magician.
IÂ’ve been working as an apprentice in professional theater for two and a half years. It was partly a requirement for my course in school (technical theater), but out of pure love of what I was doing, I even exceeded my maximum number of hours without asking for pay.
Last year, I was a trainee for Dreamgirls, a musical loosely based on the girl group The Supremes, by Atlantis Productions. I found myself working with such well-known talents in the local theater and television scene. Having worked with an international stage actress the year before, my jaw now hardly falls at the fact that IÂ’m in the same air space with these people. Despite the fact that these people are professionals and are always seen by the public eye, I learned that theyÂ’re also human, therefore not perfect. Being a trainee, I held back for a while, kept myself aloof and just opened up to the crew, who are actually graduates of my course and school. Eventually, I found the cast pretty accommodating. Never mind that theyÂ’re celebrities in the entertainment scene, these people are just as crazy as you and I.
Then I finally entered professional theater late last year as a paid crew member. Working once again for Atlantis Productions, I got involved in Urinetown, a musical thatÂ’s still running (?) on Broadway. I worked much harder then than as a trainee. Attending rehearsals was mandatory, unlike before when I can come and go whenever I want. If someone missed a rehearsal or even just came in late, they get a deduction from their talent fee. You always have to come on time and leave on time. If youÂ’re not doing anything 100% (hahaha, kind of like Lea Salonga in that Cream Silk commercial on television), youÂ’re let down, and probably never hired again. COMMITMENT is the key word. ThatÂ’s why people in the theater biz are committed to their craft. They love what theyÂ’re doing to they commit.
I guess thatÂ’s why IÂ’m also in theater. I enjoy the things that I do, plus no one cares how old you are, because everyoneÂ’s willing to make a fool of themselves no matter what age theyÂ’re in. Maybe thatÂ’s why everyone I know in theater looks young and so full of life.
IÂ’ll see you all after the curtain rises. IÂ’ll just be backstage amidst the chaos.
Most people get ever so amazed when they go to the theater to see a play. They always get lost in the "magic" of the story, the gorgeous romantic lead actor, or the spectacular sets. They look on in awe for an hour or two at how the actors perform "perfection".
What they donÂ’t know is that behind all that, the set is just plain wood, glue, and old newspapers covered in paint, the supposedly "gorgeous" actor is just some sweaty guy "beautified" and is most likely to be gay, and the supposedly flawless performance is actually a result of a whole lot of sweat and tears.
I'm not really an expert in the theater business, but people call me a theater freak because IÂ’m quite the fanatic. So I guess you can say that I was more than flattered when I was asked to write an article about theater.
Part of the reason why I wanted to get involved in all aspects of theater is that I wanted to see how the "magic" works. ItÂ’s like seeing a magic trickÂ’s secret being revealed by the magician.
IÂ’ve been working as an apprentice in professional theater for two and a half years. It was partly a requirement for my course in school (technical theater), but out of pure love of what I was doing, I even exceeded my maximum number of hours without asking for pay.
Last year, I was a trainee for Dreamgirls, a musical loosely based on the girl group The Supremes, by Atlantis Productions. I found myself working with such well-known talents in the local theater and television scene. Having worked with an international stage actress the year before, my jaw now hardly falls at the fact that IÂ’m in the same air space with these people. Despite the fact that these people are professionals and are always seen by the public eye, I learned that theyÂ’re also human, therefore not perfect. Being a trainee, I held back for a while, kept myself aloof and just opened up to the crew, who are actually graduates of my course and school. Eventually, I found the cast pretty accommodating. Never mind that theyÂ’re celebrities in the entertainment scene, these people are just as crazy as you and I.
Then I finally entered professional theater late last year as a paid crew member. Working once again for Atlantis Productions, I got involved in Urinetown, a musical thatÂ’s still running (?) on Broadway. I worked much harder then than as a trainee. Attending rehearsals was mandatory, unlike before when I can come and go whenever I want. If someone missed a rehearsal or even just came in late, they get a deduction from their talent fee. You always have to come on time and leave on time. If youÂ’re not doing anything 100% (hahaha, kind of like Lea Salonga in that Cream Silk commercial on television), youÂ’re let down, and probably never hired again. COMMITMENT is the key word. ThatÂ’s why people in the theater biz are committed to their craft. They love what theyÂ’re doing to they commit.
I guess thatÂ’s why IÂ’m also in theater. I enjoy the things that I do, plus no one cares how old you are, because everyoneÂ’s willing to make a fool of themselves no matter what age theyÂ’re in. Maybe thatÂ’s why everyone I know in theater looks young and so full of life.
IÂ’ll see you all after the curtain rises. IÂ’ll just be backstage amidst the chaos.
Page created: January 7th 2006 07:54 PM
Page updated: January 7th 2006 07:58 PM