Jane Austen's manner play, "Sense & Sensibility," is a certain type of play that I find hard to photograph. There is very little action in the play except for the interaction of characters. And, even that is somewhat reserved by both the British nature of the characters and the fact it is set in the late 1800s when there were few real emotions that were allowed to fly between people. So, the scenes in this play make for troubling still photos.
But, the Theater in the Round Players production is a good one largely due to the actors who perform their roles in a credible and entertaining way. Again, the TRP is a terrific venue for emerging actors. In this case, eight of them were new to this theater and the director had never staged a performance in the TRP's circle. But, their familiarity with the roles proved to fit well within the circle and the audience loved it.
I am reaching a point with the production photography of these plays where I want more than just the straight-forward document of what takes places with the actors. Instead, I am trying to press for interpreting the scene much the same way the actors are. It is hard for a prosaic play like this one, but the difficulty is the same for all plays: The photos must "say" something, and it is necessary to show the passion and the verve of the action in a way that summarizes something larger than just the scene itself. That is what I am working on.
RPW
But, the Theater in the Round Players production is a good one largely due to the actors who perform their roles in a credible and entertaining way. Again, the TRP is a terrific venue for emerging actors. In this case, eight of them were new to this theater and the director had never staged a performance in the TRP's circle. But, their familiarity with the roles proved to fit well within the circle and the audience loved it.
I am reaching a point with the production photography of these plays where I want more than just the straight-forward document of what takes places with the actors. Instead, I am trying to press for interpreting the scene much the same way the actors are. It is hard for a prosaic play like this one, but the difficulty is the same for all plays: The photos must "say" something, and it is necessary to show the passion and the verve of the action in a way that summarizes something larger than just the scene itself. That is what I am working on.
RPW