Madison Smith
MCOM 2613
Magazine Article
4/5/2020
MCOM 2613
Magazine Article
4/5/2020
Most college theater programs don't attempt original shows, but University of Arkansas - Fort Smith (UAFS) changed that. It started not too long ago; in fact, their program is fairly new. The head of the Department of Communications and Theater Arts Program and Professor of Acting and Directing, Bob Stevenson didn't start the program until 2001. “There had been theater program in the 80’s but it was removed from the catalog,” Stevenson states. In 2006, the program worked on their first big original show, Corrigenda. This was a risk. With hard work and perseverance, the show was a success and in 2016 celebrated its 10-year anniversary. They celebrated with a new group a student performing the show. In 2008, Stevenson was joined by Pablo Guerra-Monje, who became Professor of Theatre Arts and started teaching the technical aspects such as lighting, sound, costuming, and ect. Pablo was on board from the beginning and built the set for every original. While Bob has directed and written the plays with the students.
All plays have a script. The director, actors, and design team use the script to build off of. It gives actors ideas on how to play the characters. It helps designers chose colors and prepare for special effects. Most importantly scripts have lines for the actors for their characters to say. What happens when we take away the lines? Actor’s must then rely on actions and body language to tell the story to the audience. This can cause a lot of problems. The audience may see the story different and could also cause audiences to lose focus. So, do you think this is possible? UAFS theatre department takes this risk. “Most of them have at least some speaking, there just tends to be less speaking in them than the average play. I find that the primal root of storytelling is stronger in a physical form. And also my style of creating anything is from the physical side,” Stevenson adds. This isn’t the only risk the department has taken. The majority of the original shows have a physical aspect such as: adagio, silks, Russian bar, fight choreographed scenes, and gymnastics. Stevenson and his students took another big risk in 2018. Their show Mist and Shadows featured the audience onstage with the theme. The audience had a choice of what scenes they could watch. Audience members would often come back night after night to choose a new adventure.
Theses original shows change the process of other shows and require more detail. Especially for designers. Designers are usually the first people to have access to the show besides the director. This way designers can start research and deciding on colors and ideas they want to portray through their design. This process takes long than the acting side of things especially since actors need the set and props to work with during their process. The process changes to where the script and acting come first. The designers are the last ones who have the script, and this can cause a delay in production of technical aspects. “It really changed it. Normally I work with the director beforehand and then with other designers. In an original show the process is more fluid, and the piece might be developing until the last minute,” Pablo says about how his process for design changed. I also talk to John Smith an alumni who worked as an actor in these shows said, “it opened me up to different acting styles.”
Each year UAFS competes in the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. This festival holds 2 main festivals and an invite only festival. Each state holds the first one. Arkansas holds theirs in late October or early November. Regional festivals are held months after. Arkansas is included with Texas, Louisiana and other southern states. UAFS competes in the state festival. There is a couple ways to get to go to the festival in Abilene, Texas for regionals. At state each school brings a show. From those shows the give a prestigious acting award called Irene Ryan’s. Three actors are chosen from each show to compete in Abilene to compete for an acting scholarship. The second way is any designer can take their show documents and present them. Finally, the show that gets the director’s choice and respondent’s choice awards nominate those schools to perform their show at Abilene. All the schools from each state from each region are carefully looked over. There are only five shows that can perform in Texas. UAFS has taken all of their originals to state. Four of them have also been asked to perform in Texas. Delta V, Corrigenda, Imogen, and Dominium were invited to the invite only festival at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. and one national awards. John Smith says, “My favorite memory from my time at UAFS Theatre Department was winning 41 awards for Dromnium on the national level.” The latest original Mist and Shadows only went to state. The respondents didn’t really understand the idea and thought it was too risky. Maybe it was just ahead of its time.
I’ve learned that there are several types of original shows. I would say that there are 4 types of original work. One that is just a new script but the production process is the usual like any regular production.(We havent done this type). Other with a creator/os or director that starts with an idea and developed it through the rehearsal process (example: Corrigenda,Aurora or Imogen). Semi Devised- With a skeletonor overlying concept to go by and devise different pieces to fit (Mist and Shadows). And last, a piece that is created by a whole group of directors and actors or designers, fully devised (like Dromnium or Delta V),” says Pablo. My second year at the state festival we saw a show by Henderson State called I am Emily Doe. It was based on the Brock Turner rape case and it follows Emily Doe’s story. This is the only time I’ve seen another school do an original show at state. Steven Sellers, the Technical Director of The Alma Performing Arts Center says, “I’ve only saw original works from only Arkansas Tech and UAFS original works. Our program at Alma does a dance show every year that is original and VERY involved.” Just because we don’t see these types of show do not mean they are not happening. When they do happen teachers and professors alike are prepping students for what working in the industry is like. Broadway is full of originals of several types. Many companies around the world are working on original shows as well. Even if a student work for movies or tv each of these things are original works. They are giving us a head start and an amazing opportunity for success.
I am a student at the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith. My major is theatre. I’m mainly a lighting and sound designer. I have also acted in a couple shows at the university. I was a part of the design team for Mist and Shadows. I joined the team because doing an original show was on my bucket list. I joined the team as the sound designer. For this show the audience was on the stage with the cast. Which meant I was in charge of creating the atmosphere for the show. The show took place in medieval times and it’s a very dark show. I spent a lot of time researching music. A lot of it was dark droning tones and ominous themes. The play also takes place outside. Which meant I spent a lot of time looking up different animal sounds like elk, bears, birds, and bison. There’s also a creature who reincarnates itself into one sacrifice every 10 years. I got to create this loud screech sound that the creature makes. I sat down with the actor, who plays the creature, and had him record a screech as high pitched as he could. I also learned how to edit sound waves. I was running sound and lighting for the show due to the fact that the lighting designer was also an actor. This show was different because in the booth for a production is sound, lighting, and the stage manager (the director’s right hand man). The lighting designer was onstage, and the stage manager was onstage with the actors making sure nothing went wrong. The stage manager had a headset and would give me the “go”. Which means the show has officially started. After that I was on my own. In normal show circumstances you do not go to the next cue without a call from the stage manager. I got to run this one by myself, which was an amazing experience. I talk about this show and the experience all the time. It’s my favorite show and I hope to remember it forever.
If you can I definitely recommend seeing an original at the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith. They put their hearts and souls into these shows and create something you’ve never seen before. You’ll catch yourself laughing one minute and crying the next. UAFS creates powerful messages and morals that you will carry with you for a lifetime.
All plays have a script. The director, actors, and design team use the script to build off of. It gives actors ideas on how to play the characters. It helps designers chose colors and prepare for special effects. Most importantly scripts have lines for the actors for their characters to say. What happens when we take away the lines? Actor’s must then rely on actions and body language to tell the story to the audience. This can cause a lot of problems. The audience may see the story different and could also cause audiences to lose focus. So, do you think this is possible? UAFS theatre department takes this risk. “Most of them have at least some speaking, there just tends to be less speaking in them than the average play. I find that the primal root of storytelling is stronger in a physical form. And also my style of creating anything is from the physical side,” Stevenson adds. This isn’t the only risk the department has taken. The majority of the original shows have a physical aspect such as: adagio, silks, Russian bar, fight choreographed scenes, and gymnastics. Stevenson and his students took another big risk in 2018. Their show Mist and Shadows featured the audience onstage with the theme. The audience had a choice of what scenes they could watch. Audience members would often come back night after night to choose a new adventure.
Theses original shows change the process of other shows and require more detail. Especially for designers. Designers are usually the first people to have access to the show besides the director. This way designers can start research and deciding on colors and ideas they want to portray through their design. This process takes long than the acting side of things especially since actors need the set and props to work with during their process. The process changes to where the script and acting come first. The designers are the last ones who have the script, and this can cause a delay in production of technical aspects. “It really changed it. Normally I work with the director beforehand and then with other designers. In an original show the process is more fluid, and the piece might be developing until the last minute,” Pablo says about how his process for design changed. I also talk to John Smith an alumni who worked as an actor in these shows said, “it opened me up to different acting styles.”
Each year UAFS competes in the Kennedy Center American College Theater Festival. This festival holds 2 main festivals and an invite only festival. Each state holds the first one. Arkansas holds theirs in late October or early November. Regional festivals are held months after. Arkansas is included with Texas, Louisiana and other southern states. UAFS competes in the state festival. There is a couple ways to get to go to the festival in Abilene, Texas for regionals. At state each school brings a show. From those shows the give a prestigious acting award called Irene Ryan’s. Three actors are chosen from each show to compete in Abilene to compete for an acting scholarship. The second way is any designer can take their show documents and present them. Finally, the show that gets the director’s choice and respondent’s choice awards nominate those schools to perform their show at Abilene. All the schools from each state from each region are carefully looked over. There are only five shows that can perform in Texas. UAFS has taken all of their originals to state. Four of them have also been asked to perform in Texas. Delta V, Corrigenda, Imogen, and Dominium were invited to the invite only festival at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. and one national awards. John Smith says, “My favorite memory from my time at UAFS Theatre Department was winning 41 awards for Dromnium on the national level.” The latest original Mist and Shadows only went to state. The respondents didn’t really understand the idea and thought it was too risky. Maybe it was just ahead of its time.
I’ve learned that there are several types of original shows. I would say that there are 4 types of original work. One that is just a new script but the production process is the usual like any regular production.(We havent done this type). Other with a creator/os or director that starts with an idea and developed it through the rehearsal process (example: Corrigenda,Aurora or Imogen). Semi Devised- With a skeletonor overlying concept to go by and devise different pieces to fit (Mist and Shadows). And last, a piece that is created by a whole group of directors and actors or designers, fully devised (like Dromnium or Delta V),” says Pablo. My second year at the state festival we saw a show by Henderson State called I am Emily Doe. It was based on the Brock Turner rape case and it follows Emily Doe’s story. This is the only time I’ve seen another school do an original show at state. Steven Sellers, the Technical Director of The Alma Performing Arts Center says, “I’ve only saw original works from only Arkansas Tech and UAFS original works. Our program at Alma does a dance show every year that is original and VERY involved.” Just because we don’t see these types of show do not mean they are not happening. When they do happen teachers and professors alike are prepping students for what working in the industry is like. Broadway is full of originals of several types. Many companies around the world are working on original shows as well. Even if a student work for movies or tv each of these things are original works. They are giving us a head start and an amazing opportunity for success.
I am a student at the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith. My major is theatre. I’m mainly a lighting and sound designer. I have also acted in a couple shows at the university. I was a part of the design team for Mist and Shadows. I joined the team because doing an original show was on my bucket list. I joined the team as the sound designer. For this show the audience was on the stage with the cast. Which meant I was in charge of creating the atmosphere for the show. The show took place in medieval times and it’s a very dark show. I spent a lot of time researching music. A lot of it was dark droning tones and ominous themes. The play also takes place outside. Which meant I spent a lot of time looking up different animal sounds like elk, bears, birds, and bison. There’s also a creature who reincarnates itself into one sacrifice every 10 years. I got to create this loud screech sound that the creature makes. I sat down with the actor, who plays the creature, and had him record a screech as high pitched as he could. I also learned how to edit sound waves. I was running sound and lighting for the show due to the fact that the lighting designer was also an actor. This show was different because in the booth for a production is sound, lighting, and the stage manager (the director’s right hand man). The lighting designer was onstage, and the stage manager was onstage with the actors making sure nothing went wrong. The stage manager had a headset and would give me the “go”. Which means the show has officially started. After that I was on my own. In normal show circumstances you do not go to the next cue without a call from the stage manager. I got to run this one by myself, which was an amazing experience. I talk about this show and the experience all the time. It’s my favorite show and I hope to remember it forever.
If you can I definitely recommend seeing an original at the University of Arkansas – Fort Smith. They put their hearts and souls into these shows and create something you’ve never seen before. You’ll catch yourself laughing one minute and crying the next. UAFS creates powerful messages and morals that you will carry with you for a lifetime.
