I performed in our church Christmas musical this past weekend. This was our second year of putting on the same show, and will likely do it again for the next couple of years, which excites me greatly! There were many great moments, and a few issues as well, as would be expected. Two of them made me think…
This year we had a first, a Saturday matinee show at one o’clock in the afternoon. Being a live stage production, there are many spotlights used during the production. There are also moments that require blackouts for scenes to be reset, props to be moved around, and characters to move into position. Our auditorium has a nice group of windows on one side, and doors and windows to a hall with outer windows on the other. There are also three sets of windowed doors on the back leading to a foyer with more doors and windows that lead outside. And, of course, Saturday was blessed with brilliant sunshine. The stage crew was tasked with blocking out as much light as possible. Curtains were hung and door glass was covered to allow as little light as possible to enter. Sitting backstage beforehand, I was speaking with a fellow actor about the light issue. I wasn’t, however, able to gauge how effective their efforts were until I was on stage.
During a lull in my part, I was able to glance out at the windows, and take in the stage crew’s light-blocking ability. The dark red curtains placed over the windows were fairly effective, and yet I could see the curtains still glowing slightly from the sunshine’s assault. On the other side, the windows were effectively covered, but there was light coming under the doors, a bright albeit thin line on the floor. The rear doors were effectively covered, but again, with the bright thin line underneath. A little later in the show, a group of carolers enter through the rear doors. Normally, at night in December, there is darkness outside, so the only things initially seen are the candles held by the carolers. With the foyer awash in brilliant sunshine, light bathed the carolers as they entered, and from my vantage point, I could see straight out the outer doors and into the parking lot.
I thought about this later, and was amazed at how difficult it is to try and block light from entering one’s life. It requires a great deal of effort, and even the best guesses aren’t going to cover all the cracks, and all the situations where light will find its way through. To live in a complete blackout, one must face the light, search out the cracks, and seal them. Finally, one must stay sequestered in this blackened area to avoid light entirely.
Being on stage is something I love. I’ve done so little of it, yet it has taken a deep hold in me. To perform a scene well is good. To create a memorable moment for an audience is bliss. To react to unscripted moments is great fun, and is a skill I’m developing. Staring into a spotlight, or in that general direction at least, causes a wonderful case of blindness that isn’t very useful backstage. If you haven’t had the experience, being blinded by a spotlight, then rushing offstage and through a small, very dark passage is an adventure. Its even more fun when one encounters not only the darkness, but stage crew, props, and other temporarily blinded actors.
To alleviate this dilemma, there were numerous solutions proposed, many of them vetoed due to their projecting too much light onto the stage. In the end, there was glow tape used on the floor, and chemical glow sticks giving off a dull light to mark the way. My observation here occurred during a mass exit offstage, where the first blind actor was able to see the glow tape on the floor and find their way. The second actor couldn’t see the floor due to the actor in front of them blocking the tape, but was able to follow the first actor sufficiently well. From the third actor back, it was fairly useless trying to follow anyone, and became a task of feeling the wall with one hand and a hand in front to avoid walking into something or someone else. Again, completely blind. There was some help from the stage hands, who would grab me and point me in the right direction, and say “Straight Ahead”, but that only worked for a step or two, after which “straight ahead” bore little meaning. It was the walls that eventually got me there, knowing which actors I should bump into at certain places, and eventually, if I was backstage long enough, my pupils adjusting to the low light levels.
When I am blind, there are useful things to help. The stagehands can direct me, but that only helps for a bit. Unless my eyes adjust quickly, I will lose my way. The walls certainly help, and if I am familiar with the walls, and the stage construction, I can find my way around by feel. There are even other blinded actors who are attempting to lead the way. There are ways to compensate for blindness, but they are not equal to sight. The only thing that will cure darkness is light.
No comments:
Post a Comment