Just wanted to let you know that we have decided to "GO FOR IT" and will be producing Fiddler this December at our school!
The show will be, by far, the biggest musical done on our little stage, and it was your collective ideas that have inspired me to believe that it could be done!
I thank you all, and my students, who are over the moon about doing this show, also thank you!
Original Message:
Sent: 05-02-2015 11:04
From: Michael Bergman
Subject: Scaled Down Fiddler ideas?
Hey Jarad,
Odd spaces are a gift. They force me to think about a show in a completely different way. (A few years ago, a music student started to transcribe the score of "Phantom of the Opera" for two pianos, which led to a discussion of whether that show could be done in a small black box theatre?) They pose challenges that demand that I get to the heart of what the show's about, and strip away the iconic baggage that seems to follow certain shows around (I wince every time I see the box-step turntable blocking in "Les Miserables" or the zebra leggings-Santa Claus Angel in "RENT". There have got to be other ways to do these). So I would definitely do "Fiddler" if it's got something to say to your community.
Some questions to answer that should shape some of the solutions to your challenges:What is "Fiddler on the Roof" really about? What's the story? (Not the play, not the scenery, not the lights, not even the music, but the story.) If you can tell this story effectively in your space, then go for it. What does the show absolutely demand? Again, it all goes back to storytelling. A house, interior and exterior, a bar, a street, a "dream sequence". Does any of this need to be realistic? Is "Fiddler" a realistic show? Can it be pared down to the simplest of story lines, set in a single, evocative setting?
The set can be as simple as a painted drop, with images of a European shtetl at the turn of the century. Can you do projections? Then you could just find public domain pictures as a backdrop. How about a series of panels with stylized images. (The original design was based on the paintings of Marc Chagall. I'm not suggesting that you copy those, but it's an interesting frame of reference.)
You could do "Fiddler" with a small cast. Who are your principals that could not be doubled? Tevye, Golde, 3 of his 5 daughters. Maybe Motel, Perchik, Fyedka, although they could be part of a "chorus" for bigger numbers like "Tradition" and "To Life".
I would cut the band down to the essential klezmer instruments- a piano, a clarinet, a fiddle, and some sort of percussion. That'll get you the sound that you need for the place and time period.
There's a lot of instrumental bits in "Fiddler" that could be rethought, in terms of blocking. Do you really need the bottle dance? The big Russian section in "To Life". Can you use those sections, without cutting the music, to do other sorts of blocking to explore the scenes and relationships without having to do big production numbers?
Now I'm inspired to think about doing "Fiddler" at our school next year!
Good luck. Let us all know what you decide.
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Michael Bergman
Teacher/Director
Alexandria VA
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Original Message:
Sent: 05-01-2015 14:42
From: Jarad Benn
Subject: Scaled Down Fiddler ideas?
I am seriously considering directing Fiddler on the Roof at my school in the coming school year. The show is perfect in so many ways for our very unique environment/community.
The biggest issue we have in producing a show like this is the size of our stage and theater. We have a pretty small stage and a house that seats 100 at full capacity. Our stage is approximately 43' wide by 13' deep and virtually no wing space. Small, for sure- because our theatre is actually a converted Atrium in an office building that we converted into an arts school. So we do the best we can and have had success, mostly with smaller scale shows with medium casts (usually no more than 20 or so).
What I would like to discuss is several fold.
1. Has anyone produced/directed/been cast in a smaller scale Fiddler. If so, do you have any set ideas that may work in a smaller space? Have you ever hired a set designer to design a set with VERY specific spatial needs/custom design for your space? If so- can you give me some names or estimated costs?
2. I wouldn't cast more than the minimum required for each cast member to play one role and provide the ensemble for the group scenes (MTI says that 21 is the minimum). Do you think that our small space will somehow inhibit some of the choreography traditionally associated with the show (the bottle dance, To Life, etc...)?
3. What are your experiences with scaling down the orchestra for the show? We usually have to hire all of our musicians from outside our school, and could probably only have no more than 6-8 musicians at the most!
Since I am just in brainstorm mode, I am happy to hear suggestions, ideas, or if you think it just couldn't possibly work. Seriously, don't be polite, just tell me the truth, as that will be the thing that will help the most.
Thanks everyone, looking forward to your thoughts/replies.
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Jarad Benn
Theater Teacher, Center for Performing and Fine Arts
Pa Leadership Charter School
Langhorne PA
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