Author Topic: RUNNING: Talk Backs  (Read 6600 times)

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macSM

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RUNNING: Talk Backs
« on: Aug 28, 2010, 07:11 pm »
I wasn't sure where to put this on the board...but I have a question regarding talk backs or a thought at least.

Have you ever heard or seen a talk back during intermission before? I understand after the show, that is the idea of talk backs, but before the show? Just wondering....

Edit to tag subject line-Rebbe
« Last Edit: Sep 29, 2010, 08:02 pm by Rebbe »
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MatthewShiner

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Re: Talk Backs
« Reply #1 on: Aug 28, 2010, 07:32 pm »
At intermission would be odd.

I have had talks before the show, but they were usually WAY before the show, like at 6:00p.
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missliz

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Re: Talk Backs
« Reply #2 on: Aug 28, 2010, 07:42 pm »
I have had talkbacks that were more like info sessions that were preshow, and of course talkbacks after the show with cast/designers/etc.

What would be the purpose of having a talkback at intermission?
I personally would like to bring a tortoise onto the stage, turn it into a racehorse, then into a hat, a song, a dragon and a fountain of water. One can dare anything in the theatre and it is the place where one dares the least. -Ionesco

macSM

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Re: Talk Backs
« Reply #3 on: Aug 28, 2010, 10:14 pm »
Well...let me tell you from experience, a talk back at intermission is very odd. The audience didn't know what to do with themselves. We are a very small theatre and I've been instructed to wait for the bathrooms during intermission, which intermission lasted 25 min (should be 15).

And to top it all off...the talk back continued after the show for another 15 min.

The actors did not want to go back out on stage for Act II. "Everything was said in the talk back, why do another act?" they said to me.

I wanted to make sure I wasn't the only one that thought it was odd...thanks.
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loebtmc

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Re: Talk Backs
« Reply #4 on: Aug 29, 2010, 02:30 am »
assume this was not an AEA show? A talkback at intermission means no one gets a break, resets don't happen, etc etc - and since actors are not required to be there regardless I would'a let the actors know they'd be totally justified to skip and concentrate/focus on their act 2 work.

macSM

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Re: Talk Backs
« Reply #5 on: Aug 29, 2010, 09:57 am »
I agree with you. If I had the chance not to let the actors know, I would. However, we perform in a very small theatre where the actors are sitting right next to the audience with a wall in between them, so needless to say, they heard it going on. And after the show, the actors took their sweet time to go out to the house because they were not going to participate in the talk back.

Liz..the purpose for it seemed to be that our AD doesn't feel like our audience is smart enough for our current show. So she feels the need to tell them what they should be listening to and what they should be thinking about while watching the play.

The actors did not perform in the talk back during the intermission. Just our AD. Even if it wasn't an AEA show, I still wouldn't let my actors perform in the talk back during intermission.
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NomieRae

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Re: Talk Backs
« Reply #6 on: Aug 29, 2010, 01:31 pm »
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Liz..the purpose for it seemed to be that our AD doesn't feel like our audience is smart enough for our current show. So she feels the need to tell them what they should be listening to and what they should be thinking about while watching the play.

Wow, well maybe they should write a director's note for the program, or do some front of house posters/dramaturgical information.... I would have to say if I was an audience member and I had a talk back in the middle of a show I'd be pretty confused and it would completely take me out of the experience, which I'm guessing is not what the AD was going for...

--Naomi
"First, I honor life, and with it my life in theatre." -- Jacques Burdick

macSM

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Re: Talk Backs
« Reply #7 on: Aug 29, 2010, 02:34 pm »
Nomie...The surprising thing is our AD is the director, she wrote a directors note, posters/dramaturgical information is posted and still a talk back is given. Its very strange and odd. We all sit backstage waiting to hear what is said or done during the show every night. Keeps us on our toes...

You would think the audience are taken out of the experience, but it seems like they aren't. They are there on pins and needles listening to her and are believing everything she says...So, I'm not sure if that is what the AD is going for or not.
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On_Headset

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Re: Talk Backs
« Reply #8 on: Aug 29, 2010, 03:09 pm »
As a stage manager, I would try very hard to talk my director out of doing a cast-inclusive talkback at intermission or preshow. There are a few circumstances under which I'd make an exception (if you had a large school group in and they had to get on a bus to zoom to the airport immediately after the show, for example), but it's just such a bad idea all-around. (Doing it preshow means that you need to vacate the theatre earlier, you need FoH and technical staff for an extra 30-45 minutes, actors might miss out on prep time or preshow rituals which matter to them, and anyone who arrives on time will miss the talkback. Doing it at intermission completely undermines the point of intermission [get out of your seat, go pee, get a drink, answer your cellphone, have a smoke, and otherwise do those things which the mean nasty ushers won't let you do during the performance], robs the cast and crew of their breaks, makes life difficult if the show has substantial inter-act costume or set changes and seems like the weakest time to do it: preshow would be better for dramaturgical information of the "keep an eye out for this" variety, while post-show works best in terms of answering questions and dealing with audience reactions and perspectives.)

If it must be done at intermission, I would try very hard to convince the director to bring in a company outsider (the company librarian, the artistic director him- or herself, the designers [if they're on staff], a Professor or Theatre or Literature [or History, if appropriate], etc.) rather than forcing the cast to do it.

macSM

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Re: Talk Backs
« Reply #9 on: Aug 29, 2010, 06:52 pm »
I just want to be clear on the situation that I experience. The actors were not asked to participate and they were not informed that there was a "talk back" happening at intermission. Myself as the Stage Manager did not even know that there was a "talk back" happening...I went backstage to chat with the actors and suddenly heard my AD talking to the audience about what they think so far.

I will not allow the actors to do a talk back at intermission in the first place. My actors don't even want to do one after the show, but do so in the kindness of their heart to the theatre.

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missliz

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Re: Talk Backs
« Reply #10 on: Aug 29, 2010, 07:08 pm »
The main problem I see with a talkback at intermission (and, also, perhaps a good way to present the argument to the director) is that the audience has had no time to process what they've seen. Not only is there no time for personal reflection if you go from Act I to talking about the show, it can be difficult to discuss themes, motifs, reactions, etc if the second half of the show and the resolutions of the Act I issues haven't been resolved. There have been many shows where I have not been impressed with the first act, but the second act ties everything together and makes sense of the first half of the show. An intermission talkback seems like ambushing.

If you can't talk him/her out of it, can you turn monitors off in the dressing room so the actors don't hear it?
I personally would like to bring a tortoise onto the stage, turn it into a racehorse, then into a hat, a song, a dragon and a fountain of water. One can dare anything in the theatre and it is the place where one dares the least. -Ionesco

macSM

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Re: Talk Backs
« Reply #11 on: Aug 30, 2010, 12:42 am »
I won't be able to talk her out of it...it is what she wants to do. Shes the boss, pays the bills and is her theatre as the AD. She is starting to realize that people don't have the time to digest what Act I is all about during the intermission talk back...hence why she does a post show talk back as well. The show is good, it is different for the community that we perform in, so the patrons just need to get used to the show we are doing. She doesn't realize that currently, but hopefully will so.

I wish I could turn off the monitors to the dressing rooms...however, we don't have any. Its just one of those theatres that is very very very very tiny. The actors could hear the audience talking during preshow / intermission / post show so, even if we had monitors they would still be able to hear what is going on in the house.

I'm just glad to hear that you all find this very odd...i thought i was crazy when i saw this happening.
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On_Headset

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Re: Talk Backs
« Reply #12 on: Aug 30, 2010, 12:59 am »
Quote
She is starting to realize that people don't have the time to digest what Act I is all about during the intermission talk back...hence why she does a post show talk back as well.
That's hilarious. And next she'll want a pre-show talkback, and then she'll want you to bring in a follow-spot so she can give brief lectures between scenes, then maybe she'll start wandering the audience whispering nuggets of information into people's ears... eventually you won't need any actors or technicians at all, the show will just be her explaining everything the audience needs to know, then sending them home to study for the exam.  ;D

macSM

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Re: Talk Backs
« Reply #13 on: Aug 30, 2010, 09:25 am »
exactly. We all want to get together to make a study guide that we can pass out to the audience when they leave...we think they need it after all the talkbacks that happen during the show.
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sgoldsbo

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Re: Talk Backs
« Reply #14 on: Aug 30, 2010, 06:37 pm »
Wow! This is so awkward! I can't imagine how jarring it would be to have this happen unannounced in the middle of a show. Yeesh.

Personally, I really feel like the show should speak for itself. If you need a legnthy directors note, or a talkback, then the director hasn't done their job correctly. Talkbacks should be for talking about the process, not about what's actually going on in the show.

 

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