Theater

There are many things a judge needs to take into consideration when trying to pick a winner at a talent show. The talent is a major part of the overall score, but other factors also come into play...

Ventilating a wig takes a great deal of time and practice. It is a professional craft not easily undertaken. Do not think this is a task you can accomplish a week or two before opening night. It...

Visit The Tournament of Roses Parade And Have An Optimal Experience, A Rose Parade Guide to Securing A Seat, Locating Parking and Provisions to Bring This New Year’s if you are considering taking...

Spiking a stage is the process of placing pieces of colored tape at the base of set pieces so that the running crew knows where they go during scene changes. Spiking a stage is a very important...

The stab is a time-honored and interesting special effect in horror films, war movies and westerns. You have seen a machete protruding from Kevin Bacon's chest in "Friday the 13th," an arrow from...

The process of making a marionette you can use in a professional show is literally a sum of parts rather than a whole. While a marionette can be made as one lone object without movable parts, the...

Knowing how to use makeup to create wrinkles is essential in theater productions where young actors need to be transformed into elderly characters. Highlighting and shadowing are key when it comes...

West Side Story first premiered on Broadway in 1957 and has been a beloved musical ever since, staged thousands of times all over the world. The role of Maria, a latter-day Juliet, caught between...

Fund raising is essential for theater because it costs money to put on productions. But most people are not too fond of being on either end of door-to-door solicitations, and old standbys, such as...

No matter if you are young or old, fat or skinny, we have all encountered aliens and one point. If you have ever been abducted by a space creature then you know how horrible the experience is....

Black light puppet shows are increasingly popular forms of puppetry that use technology to create a visually interesting art form. One of the chief advantages of black light puppet theater is that...

One object that says "a theater" or "a movie set" is a Fresnel lighting instrument with its trademark circular stepped lens. Fresnel lighting instruments are ubiquitous on both theater stages and...

Use cardboard cutout figures of fantasy characters, actors or other objects in a variety of effective and creative ways during live stage shows. Construction methods for these cutouts will vary:...

Light gels are used in theater, photography, film and video production to either create mood or to balance out uneven temperatures from different lighting sources. Light gels were once made from...

Burns to the skin, whether they are mild or severe, have a unique look to them that sets them apart from other types of injuries, presenting challenges to a special effects makeup designer more...

The old saying, " laughter makes the best medicine " is certainly true. The ability to make someone else laugh is a gift you can give anyone one, and best of all, it's free! By following...

Casting props with soft polyfoam centers is a delightful "mad scientist" type of project. By mixing two inert liquid chemicals together, you can instantly produce fluffy foam rubber material...

While polymer clay is not flame resistant and therefore can't be used to make a functional smoking pipe, polymer clay is an excellent choice for making a realistic-looking prop suitable for...

If you can weld steel, you can create trusses for carrying the weight of platforms and lighting equipment. Make trusses from round steel pipes for holding lighting instruments. Make trusses from...

From "Mary Poppins" to many other Dickensian stage productions, chimney sweeps need their signature brooms to make the scene authentic. Modern chimney brooms are not only expensive but are also...

Pneumatic engineering uses compressed air to power a specially designed piston. You can harness this unique system to operate several types of special-effect props or use it to automate common set...

Press releases are announcements made available to the media. By giving them the pertinent information about your event, you are offering them the opportunity to either run your press release...

Clowns are entertainers and have skills that are geared towards making an audience laugh or become happy. There’s more to being a clown than just dressing up in a colorful, silly outfit and...

If expensive theater tickets have been keeping you from enjoying live theater performances, refrain no more! There are ways around the big ticket prices. Prepare to save money going to the theater.

The beauty of wooden pallets is that they are ugly. The wood is often very weathered and stained; and thus a perfect material for making Ghost Town scenes and props. The recycling aspect is...

Portable stage units are a necessity for any theatre organization that wants to go on tour or compete in educational theatre competitions and festivals. While there are sophisticated and expensive...

Whether appearing to be made of wood or stone, columns are an interesting design element on any stage set. A variety of materials and building techniques will mimic the look of fluted columns,...

Makeup has been a part of the theatre as long as theatre has been a part of world culture. Painting the face has always been a way to convey character. But stage "greasepaint," made of heavy...

Performing an ill prepared scene is usually nerve wrecking as you feel somewhat vulnerable. The lack of absolute control drives you of the wall, but if prepare properly then performing is a...

Monologues are very fun to perform but have the potential of being dreadful if you slack off on the preparation. Unlike scene work you don't have to worry on relaying on a partner and don't have...

Life sized stand up characters, based on photographs or drawings, are easy to make thanks to computer graphics technology and widely available printing services at neighborhood printing and copy...

LEDs: Light Emitting Diodes. They're bright, compact, use very little energy, create very little heat, have a long life, and they're all the rage. LEDs seem to be the ideal lighting product. But...

What constitutes the "best" black light effect is up for debate. The best effects are those that offer an element of surprise and create that "Ooo, Ah!" response from an audience. Black light...

Several stage musicals call for a car on stage, especially "Greas," where the car is the center of much of the action. An important consideration is how real the car needs to be. If actors do not...

Edinburgh, is located in the south east of Scotland, near the North Sea, it is the capital and second largest city in Scotland. With its rich history and stunning medieval architecture, it is one...

A well-known principle in the theater is that if a mirror must appear on the stage, handling it with care is important. This isn't to fend off the threat of seven years of bad luck but to avoid...

You have plywood, but you want hardwood. You could either spend a lot of money to buy hardwood, or you could paint your plywood so that it looks like hardwood. Knowing how to upgrade the look of...

A great aspect of live theater is that it can be done anywhere. All you need are a few actors, props, costumes and a place to perform. If you are planning on taking your show on the road, you may...

Acting is a beautiful art we are all capable of achieving great heights if we put our mind to it. How to become and actor is not that difficult. As a matter of fact at one point in your life you...

Auditioning for a musical takes preparation, practice, and a well thought out plan. To land the role of your dreams, follow these steps and you'll be more likely to get cast in the show!

Hanging a lighting instrument is an essential part of preparing for a show. After the light is hung, it can be focused and added to the lighting panel for use throughout the show. Failure to...

Stage actors are spotlighted by powerful lights, which wash out their natural coloring and details. Theater makeup, more pigmented than daytime makeup, restores the details of an actor's face and...

Of all the elements in a theatrical production, lighting may be the most important. While it's possible to do a play without a set or intricate costumes, you will not be able to see your actors...

Classic, medieval or Gothic stone columns can set the scene for any stage play. Building realistic "stone" columns takes some research and preparation. Along with being designed to scale, they...

Staging is a term used in theater that refers to setting up props, blocking actors, and making sure lighting is in place. These elements, and several others, need to come together to ensure a...

Everyone has heard nightmares of people writing a play or a novel, and after sending it out to be reviewed, they hear nothing. A year later, their creation is on the silver screen, in a playhouse...

While professional stage lighting equipment is more affordable than most people would imagine, there are situations where building your own lighting equipment "from scratch" is necessary. Homemade...

Ever wanted to see a play, musical or opera but thought it was too expensive? Not anymore! With these tips, you can see the hottest shows in town - all for free.

Stop missing the mark for your singing auditions. Make the right choices going in and you will be happy coming out!! It's all about the stomach.

Actors hate auditions-they seem artificial and contrived and extremely high pressure. That is exactly why they are excellent measures of who is a professional actor. The actor has the opportunity...