Theatre in the Southern Zone

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 Last year the employees of SOUTH PACIFIC REAL ESTATE SERVICES went to see the Christmas Production, a musical with lively skits!

Check out what Dominical Days Montly News paper has to say about the Centerstage.

 CENTER STAGE

Dominical Little Theatre, news, updates & other whimsies

Talking` the Talk…by Shawnell Parker 

Every theatric production begins with orienting the new talent, both performing and supporting, to the lingo of the art and the stage. Since I am sure you are all getting ready to participate in DLT`s next production whatever it is, I have prepared a little primer that will make you appear to be really savvy in front of the other rookies!

Pretty much everybody knows the old stage left and stage right. These terms were created to make sure no one in the audience knows what is going on during rehearsal as in fact from their perspective stage left is just the opposite. Most of us have also heard the term “to upstage” someone. This of course to the averagely intelligent person would mean that an actor is standing in front of another thereby drawing attention to themselves….wrong. The theatre stage was at one time titled toward the audience, hence when you are away from the audience you are upstage and when you move toward the audience you are moving down the tilt therefore moving downstage. Hmmm, that`s clear as mud.

Okay, now it gets a little more obscure, huh? “Green Room” is a term used to describe a room where the actors can rest while they are not onstage. The room is not always or even often green; in our case it is actually the parking lot at Roca Verde or for some of the more recalcitrant of the actors, the bar.  “Wings” are supposedly the areas offstage on either side; this is where the term “waiting in the wings” comes from, but actually “wings” are what I wish I had on my 27 trip to San Isidro for costume shopping. The “Booth” is the control room where the light-board operator runs the show; in our case, it`s the cement table, stage left, or the bar, stage right, where Ian hangs out.

Very good, now for some more advanced terms. The “Flies” is the area above the stage where scenery is hung and is lifted high in the air during scenes it is not use. Say what? Actually these are just some of the insects one must deal with in an open-air theatre. A “Money Note” is the strongest note in an actor`s singing range, aka every note Frank hits! The “Road” is everything outside of New York or the thing that keeps people from coming to the show from Quepos. “Dark” is a night when there is no performance in the theatre or whenever ICE feels like it. A “Call” is what Monica makes everyday to remind Gino to come to rehearsal. The “Apron” area sticks out beyond the curtain but Tom says it`s what Shawnell should be wearing at home in the kitchen instead of being at the theatre and the “House” is the place where the audience sits or the place where none of the actors or crew ever get to go in the three months we are preparing for the production.

 Finally, our last two important terms are “Shtick” which is a sure-fire piece of action that will get a laugh, such as when Sean makes the ptchew ptchew sound when the gun doesn`t go off and “Chewing the Scenery”, trying too hard to get a laugh or what the termites do when we build sets out of formuleta. Now you`re talking!

 CENTER STAGE is a publication of Dominical Little Theatre and is intended to be a means of communicating on an ongoing basis with our friends, sponsors, and volunteers. Please feel free to send your comments and article suggestions to dominical_theatre@yahoo.com

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I can be reached at  1 888 581 1786 or email annie@costaricaretirementvacationproperties.com

Now, my life is more complete! Five years ago, the Dominical Little Theatre began live productions featuring all time favorites and casting local residents of Dominical, Uvita and Ojochal.