The cancelled NBC drama Smash gave a glimpse into the world behind the making of a Broadway show, but what it didn’t honor were the meticulous decisions that must be made on an hourly basis.
One example: figuring out what kind of underwear the actor should wear during the show.
For Metamorphoses, the first show in this year’s Division of Theater season, preparation is even more detail-oriented because the company has an exceptionally large obstacle — a pool.
The play, which is an adaptation of an Ovid poem, is set in a pool, making the actors perform scenes while they are in almost 3 feet of water.
The budget to build the entire set was $2,900, said Aaron Contreras, the technical director for Metamorphoses and a third-year graduate student studying production design and technology. The pool and the planking that forms its perimeter cost roughly $2,400. The budget stems from the overall funding for the entire division’s production line of shows.
The show has an inflated budget because of the pool, Contreras said. Normally a set budget for a show is between $2,200 and $2,400.
“We have to look at the weight of the water, how to heat it and keep it clean,” said Rebecca VerNooy, assistant professor of theater and director of Metamorphoses.
“Once we get in the water, a lot of things will be shifted. Blocking will change. Right now, I have people in the water a lot, but we’ll have to see if that’s too much.”
Figuring out how the costumes will work in the water was the main challenge that Ricky Lurie, a third-year graduate student and the production’s costume designer, said he faced while drawing up ideas for the show. Beth Estervig, a draper — or costume shop worker — and third-year graduate student, said Metamorphoses called for a “heightened design,” meaning inspiration couldn’t be found in a history book.
Instead, Lurie said his design stems from trends such as high-low skirts and the research of a variety of headbands. He added that there is a Greek influence in the production, though the style is still quite modern.
Building the pool, designing costumes and creating blocking — the movement of actors on stage — were all originally discussed during the previous academic year. The 2013-14 season of shows was chosen during the 2013 Spring Semester after submissions were given to the selection committee.
Once the titles are chosen, the shows scheduled to premiere in the upcoming Fall Semester begin production meetings to discuss their creative visions. These meetings occur up until opening week and are where the shows’ meticulous details are discussed.
“The designers and I need to get on the same page about what the point of view is,” VerNooy said. “(I need to find) what (is) driving my vision so that the designers can design around that.”
Casting for any of the mainstage productions begins the semester before the show will premiere, which might leave freshmen wondering whether they are able to participate in these bigger productions. The answer: not yet.
“Our policy is that freshmen don’t perform in mainstage productions,” said David Haugen, associate professor of performance and director of Swimming in the Shallows, the second play of the season. “They can do smaller things like Midnight Madness or Lab shows… We want to make sure they come in and get adapted to school, classes and decide what their major is going to be (since) everyone comes in as a general theater major and auditions for their specific field.”
Casting is finished months before the show, but rehearsals only take place for five to seven weeks. Actors embody their characters, making it seem as if they are in a live performance, except they are in a small studio in Kantner Hall with tape and mats marking the dimensions of their future stage.
“Rehearsing every day helps because we get to know our characters so well,” said Thomas Daniels, a second-year master of fine arts actor who performs in Metamorphoses. “Going in the pool will change things, but it’s inside of us, so it can’t really throw us off.”
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