The Theater Life

 Today's post is about theater life, because some of my non-theater friends have been asking me questions lately about terms and traditions I used to take for granted. I'm going to do this as a Q&A, like my Chanukah post...and I hope it will not only be informative but also its own Emilesque Ode to Theatre.

1. What is "tech" and why are you so tired during it?

Back in high school, we would call Tech Week "Hell Week" because it is the intense week before a show goes up. The cast (ostensibly) knows what to do, now, and it is time for lights, sound, costumes, pit and all the other magical elements to come into play.

2. You mentioned "sitzprobe." Is that some kind of rectal exam?

No! It's a long rehearsal. First, let's clarify that the "s" is pronounced as a Z, (Zits Probe) and it refers to the first rehearsal where the pit orchestra joins the singers. It is a long rehearsal dedicated to getting the music all in sync. I am always terrified before it, and usually come away happily surprised.

3. And "Red apples?" What's all that?

This is a quaint opening night tradition which stems from a Barrymore anecdote. When Ethel Barrymore had her debut, she was told to do a good job, and then she would get a red apple. Since then, for those in the know at least, it's been customary to wish people "Red apples!" In some theaters, there are actual red apples backstage opening night, but that is rare now.

4. How is live theater different from watching films of performances? Will movies replace the theater?

You know, my grandfather was a movie projectionist and he worried that Betamax and VHS would replace the movie theater. But people still go to the movies (Covid aside), because it's an experience. Live theater is its own experience too. Each performance is different; each moment has its own unique flair. The audience affects the morale, and there is a synergy of being together, live, with the uncertainty of what will happen that makes it so thrilling. Live theater is a way of communicating and adapting en masse. It is ephemeral, and so you must live in the moment.

5. What did you miss most about the theater when you couldn't do it for a year?

I missed playing the piano and having people sing around me. Most people don't understand how shy I am-- I really take a lot of medicine to help me not be super anxious-- but I am completely myself by the piano. I don't sing well, but my fingers dance. I hit wrong notes but I do so joyfully. When I am accompanying actors, they add their own intensities and goofiness and free spirits and we come together and it's magic. I was hesitant to do indoor theater as Omicron spiked, but I knew I just had to, because another winter without theater would have hurt my soul. I am so grateful to have theater people and dancing fingers!