I went to see a show the other night that I knew nothing about when I walked into the theatre. As we walked home after-wards, I learned a few things about the show that I had just seen. And what I learned completely changed my experience of it. And it got me thinking about context -- how important it is to how we take things in... how it impacts our experiences in ways far beyond our consciousness.
Here are the basic facts, followed by my impressions of elements of the show both BEFORE and AFTER I acquired this new knowledge of its back-story. I've color-coded it for easy reading. The BEFORE in green
and the AFTER in red.
Jim Henson's son (Brian Henson) and a team of puppeteers have created a bawdy improv-based muppets show called Stuffed & Unstrung which is playing at the Union Square Theatre. I was given the tickets without knowing anything about the show. After-wards on my way home, I learned that the entire production is funded by Disney and that Brian Henson (son of Jim) has received a lot of negative press for having sold the rights to the muppet family to Disney. Apparently the Mouse now owns Miss Piggy and Kermit, among others. Who knew?
The elements of the show:
1.The cast of puppeteers play to a video camera which simultaneously projects their puppets onto two giant video screens above and behind them. In order to stay in frame, the stage is littered with at least half a dozen video monitors on the floor angled upward so the actors can see the results of their manipulations of their puppets.
How inventive and ingenious! A clever simple solution to a complex problem.
I wonder how much all those monitors and that system cost. Probably a fortune.
2. There is a gay male MC (Patrick Bristow, also the show's director) dressed all in black whose polite manner and freshly-scrubbed appearance makes a sharp contrast with the bawdy content of the improvs.
It's interesting and unexpected to have such an Opie-like MC for a night of risque comedy.
Look how they've co-opted the whole "gay humor" thing with his witty vaguely sexual asides.
3. Before each improv bit, the MC asks the audience to encourage the performers with a round of applause.
Wish we'd thought of that when I was a member of Naked Brunch. What a great way to bring the energy in the house up and encourage the performers to give it their all.
What a cynical throw-back to television studio audience manipulation. Where are we, anyway, the Mickey Mouse Club?
4. There is a lone musician seated Stage Left at a keyboard and computer work-station creating accompaniment, interlude music and even the underscoring of improvised songs in myriad popular musical styles.
This guy is really talented. He seems like he can play just about anything on a moment's notice. Wow!
This poor talented brilliant musician. I bet he's non-union and getting raped financially.
5. There are women in the house selling beer, wine and even Prosecco before and during the show.
How festive! And who would've thought of offering Prosecco. Love that!
I see... they figured they'd throw in some booze to try to achieve the vibe of a bar but mount the show in a house with four times the number of seats so as to ensure making a killing.
6. There is a concession stand full of merch bearing the fun and attractive logo of the show. It's positioned House Right and it is wired into the lighting grid so that when it's referenced during the show by the MC, a warm red glow illuminates it for us.
These kids have thought of everything! They even have mouse pads. Good for them. I should buy one!
Of course. Disney could never miss an opportunity for cross-collatoralization.
7. When the cast are not performing in a given sketch, they are seated upstage in a row of clean black directors chairs, each one bearing his or her first name in clean white all-cap type.
God is in the details. I should check the name of the producer or company manager. Obviously this little show is well-put-together.
How corporate and icky!
8. One of the cast members is a white woman (Leslie Carrara-Rudolph) with an amazing singing voice who at times sounds like a cross between Aretha Franklin and Whitney Houston.
Where did they find this amazingly talented woman who can sing like and angel and act and manipulate puppets and think on her feet for improv -- both musical and comedic. Wow!
There's not one person of color on this entire stage. Wow.
