Imágenes de páginas
PDF
EPUB

CHAPTER II

ORGANIZATION

The Value of a Permanent Organization

The organization of the producing group is an important factor in the economical and effective process of play production. The process is made tremendously easier if there is a permanent group. The old system of getting together a number of amateurs in a community and giving a play is fortunately becoming very rare; "amateur theatricals" are giving place to nonprofessional play production of a much more worthwhile variety. In the school or college the exigencies of the situation often demand that classes or even less well-organized groups be allowed, or even encouraged, to produce plays. But in both community and school, the superiority of some permanent dramatic organization over constantly changing groups is so obvious that argument should be unnecessary. The full value of dramatics can never be secured unless there is some method of attracting and discovering ability, and giving it a chance to grow. Newer and untried members can be started in humble rôles and less important positions, and advanced as their progress warrants, until they are able to bear heavy executive and artistic burdens. They can learn from their predecessors and teach their

successors. In this way a valuable mass of experience should be rolled up.

The form taken by the permanent organization should be one that will allow the ablest members of the group to control the activities-this is, perhaps, the only rule that can be laid down for guidance. Two different types of organization are found. The first is that controlled by a board of directors, and may be called the typical Little Theater organization. The second is the more common club type of organization, with a president, secretary, treasurer, and other officers.

Membership

In either case, however the group is organized, one important principle should be kept in mind: the membership should be comparatively large-much larger than it usually is. There should be room for every one who has an interest that can be tied up with play production-every one, that is, who is willing to manifest that interest in some concrete manner. No group of actors can make a successful organization. For every actor there should be two or three other persons who are interested in scenery and costume designing, in carpentry and painting, stage managing and stage lighting, business managing and advertising, or in any of the other activities that must come together in the full process of successful play production.

Of course, it is probably unwise to admit every one who merely expresses a wish to become a member of such a group. But every one who wishes should be

given an opportunity to prove his ability, in acting, or in any of the varied activities of stagecraft. He should be allowed to become a member of the organization by successfully doing definite work of some sort. Those who wish to act should be encouraged to report to the director when plays are being cast, and they should be allowed to become full-fledged members only after they have played in a performance. Those interested in the crafts ought to be on the list of the stage manager, who should give them work as opportunity offers. And prospective business managers should also be given the chance to prove ability in that field. Only by some such system can amateur dramatics grow into the great democratic art that it should be.

A. OFFICERS OF THE PERMANENT ORGANIZATION

Executive Head

The executive head of a dramatic club is usually a president. He will preside at meetings, appoint committees, and in general guide the policy of the organization. In student clubs, where there is a faculty director as well as a student president, the faculty director may often assume actual charge of the work, because of his superior skill in play production and his comparative permanency in the club. Perhaps it is wise not to define the duties of these two officers too sharply, but to allow the situation and their tact to govern. The executive head of a Little Theater may be a director. Sometimes he is a salaried official, who gives a great part, or all, of his time to the work. In addition to

being the executive head, he should be able to assume artistic control and to direct the actual work of play production.

Treasurer.

A treasurer should have the usual duty of controlling the funds of the organization. Some Little Theaters have a professional business manager.

Secretaries

The secretarial work is often very heavy, and should usually be heavier than it actually is. It may, therefore, be wise to have several officers to share in this labor. There might be a corresponding secretary to carry on the duties implied by the title-write official communications, keep files of letters, etc. This officer might well assume the duties of press representative, also, and do what he can to keep the organization and its activities before the eyes of the community or the school. A recording secretary might keep the minutes, and he should keep fuller records of activities than is usually done. He should keep a file of programs and reports of performances, a collection of newspaper clippings and criticisms, pictures of performances and actorsin short, everything that may be of future interest or that will help to build up a tradition. Clubs having the use of an auditorium should make this theater a picture gallery. They should display photographs of their own performances, sketches and designs, old programs, etc. It is a simple matter, by a skillfully planned campaign, to produce an odor of great and respectable

antiquity in two or three years. The value of this sort of tradition is great.

Caretaker of Club Property

One duty that should be performed by the officers of a dramatic club is so often neglected in schools and colleges that it may be better to have a special officer for it. That duty is to act as the caretaker of club property. He might be called the caretaker, or the trustee, or some such title. The office should be competitive, being filled by the appointment by the outgoing officer of one from among the candidates who show the greatest skill. This official is really a permanent stage manager, but he does not need to stage manage every performance given during the year. However, he checks off the scenery and property taken from the store for any given performance, gives his permission to its being rebuilt, and sees that as much of it as has future usefulness is saved after the performance. Only by such a scheme can the proper physical requirements be built up, so that elaborate production becomes a more easy and less expensive matter.

A similar duty should, of course, be performed in respect to costume. In small organizations it may be done by the same official, but in larger ones a separate office may well be created. Master (or mistress) of the wardrobe is an ancient and appropriate title.

Executive Committee

To avoid the obvious difficulty of attempting to settle questions of policy or detail in general business meet

« AnteriorContinuar »