[SML] the great comet

Thu Dec 24 01:02:09 UTC 2020

Part of the scenic design concept for both the ART and the Imperial (Broadway) run was to make the show as close and intimate as possible.  This was a callback to the beginnings of the show, which was really, really tiny -- dancers were literally within kicking distance of the audience.  So while it's not as immersive as, say, Sleep No More or The Donkey Show (both also produced at the ART), you do get to be right next to the actors and musicians.

The ART has a very flexible theater arrangement; there's no balcony, but three large seating wagons on air casters.  The stage can be positioned as either a traditional proscenium stage, a thrust stage, and so on.  For our production of Comet, those seating wagons went upstage and spun around, putting the theater into more of an 'alley' configuration.

The main portion of the set was composed by Mimi Lien as three interlocking ovals, with additional stairs and platforms joining other sections of the theater, with the goal of making the entire theater (auditorium + stage) into performance space.  The center oval was reserved for Pierre and his piano (and the conductor), with many small pods scattered throughout for musicians or discreet acting areas.   At the ART, there was a single large platform in the center of the fixed seating section.  For the Broadway production, there was a much longer walkway through the audience, as well as stairs on both sides of the stage going up to the balcony, so again, a lot of connections to the audience.

Oh!  The bunker!  The entire audience entrance to the auditorium was a slightly longer path than usual (through front of house to the West lobby, which is usually the intermission / reception lobby), then through what would normally be backstage, through the big doors and finally to one's seat.  This part really reminded me of the Donkey Show, which made "waiting in line to get into the club" part of the show experience... which is doubly interesting, since some parts of Comet are also set inside "The Club."  (Man, Brad, those strobes....)  "(And, in passing, Diane Paulus and Rachel Chavkin are two *extremely* different types of directors.)  The entry experience is a nice little coup de theatre; it's lengthy enough that the audience gets used to its sparseness, before encountering the luxuriousness of the theater set.

We ended up using four followspots at the ART, since the show was essentially in the round; two up in the FOH catwalks and two on towers positioned behind the 'upstage' walls.  The spots were converted Mac Vipers, with local control (pan/tilt) controlled by the operators, color and beam controlled by the board op, and iris and intensity shared between the two.

There were a million-kajillion paintings on the walls of the set (actually, curtains), each with their own display light.  It did not take nearly as much time to wire them as I thought it would.  There were also a lot of mouseholes drilled through the set for music stand lights, backline power, and audio.

I could tell you a bit about the sound design and reinforcement, but I'm rambling on.

One major aspect of the show and the set design -- as much as I loved it, I've always wondered on how well it would tour!  I've worked on both 'sit and stay' tours (where you essentially stay in one city until tickets sales start to dry up, then move to another city, and so on) and 'one week wonder' tours (where you go to a different city each week -- sometimes more frequently).  Some of the sit-and-stay shows do an amazing job taking over a theater and making it their own, but always with some understanding with the theater owner, so I think Comet would do all right there.  For the on-the-go shows though ... Comet would really have to be scaled down.  Since the show got its start in a tent, I'd expect they'd lean back toward those roots.  If Ringling Bros could do it, I'm sure the Team could, too!

I guess this is a long way around of answering your second question, Kristi, that I don't see that it would do so well as a proscenium piece.   It's meant to engage the audience, with actors, musicians and dancers swirling all around them.  From the zakuski served at the beginning of the show, to the egg shakers and the letters, the show doesn't hesitate to grab your hand and pull you in.

Matthew Breton
Design for Theater and Dance
________________________________
From: Kristi R-C <misswisc at aol.com>
Sent: Wednesday, December 23, 2020 4:44 PM
To: stagecraft at theatrical.net <stagecraft at theatrical.net>
Cc: theatricalmatt at hotmail.com <theatricalmatt at hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: [SML] the great comet

Please ask the questions here!

I'm curious, was it as "environmental" as it was in NYC - with the action and audience so intermingled?

Do you think it can work in a traditional proscenium space?

Kristi R-C

-----Original Message-----
From: Matthew Breton via Stagecraft <stagecraft at theatrical.net>
To: Stagecraft Mailing List <stagecraft at theatrical.net>
Cc: Matthew Breton <theatricalmatt at hotmail.com>
Sent: Wed, Dec 23, 2020 3:38 pm
Subject: Re: [SML] the great comet

Hi Abbey --

I worked on the show when it was at the ART (Cambridge, MA) as an electrician and followspot operator.  It was a complete delight!  The whole team -- Rachel, Dave, everyone -- are an absolute joy to work with, and it was incredible helping push it toward its Broadway debut.

I'm glad you're excited about the show - years later, and it still thrills me, too.  It's an absolute masterpiece.  Brad's an amazing lighting designer, and I'm glad he nabbed the Tony for his work.

Please feel free to contact me on or off-list with any questions you might have.

Thanks!

Matthew Breton
Design for Theater and Dance
________________________________
From: Stagecraft <stagecraft-bounces at theatrical.net> on behalf of Abbey K. via Stagecraft <stagecraft at theatrical.net>
Sent: Wednesday, December 23, 2020 12:46 PM
To: Stagecraft Mailing List <stagecraft at theatrical.net>
Cc: Abbey K. <xmanaxeman33 at gmail.com>
Subject: [SML] the great comet

Hi all!

Is anyone schooled in / educated on the theatrical work for Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812? I've been listening to it non-stop and it's just... such a masterpiece, I want to know everything about it.

Sincerely,
Abbey
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