The Art of Stage Dancing Part 27

Then they go over to the piano and sing. But I usually try to be tactful and let amateur singers tryout for me with no one listening, to spare them embarra.s.sment. From the piano they come up to the table and sit down before me. As they are sitting before me, I note their appearance. I engage them in conversation. I note their teeth, mannerisms and personalities, incidentally cla.s.sifying them in my mind and casting them in my mind's eye. If they are in any way possible and I feel that they should be given a chance, I make a note of it and the songs I want them to try.

Then I grade them, number 1, number 2, 3, 4 and so on. All of those who are trying for the leading parts are graded as they should be, but always on paper so that I will not forget or overlook anyone.

After I am through with them I go through the solo dancers the same way and mark them and what they can do. I get them down on paper. As I see them dance I find out which is the best dancer, with the idea of placing her or him in the show to good advantage. That's the important thing in planning your show. They all have to be placed in a certain sequence in the show. If the best numbers are all in the first act, you kill the act or acts that follow. The success of any show is in the way it is laid out. It is the placement of the personalities, and what they are given to do--when they do it--that makes or mars the entertainment. One with a great deal of personality can go into your show, and if not cast properly he or she will kill the rest of the show. Casting must be done with good judgment and common sense.

After I have my list of singers and dancers worked out, then I pick the people who are capable of playing the parts. Some of them may have had previous experience, but never perhaps professional coaching. Now the reason why these amateur shows are usually so rotten is on account of the incompetent coaches who put them on. It is always the fault of the stager if the show doesn't go over. Some of them are terrible.

They don't know anything about the show business. They don't know how to lay out a show. They don't know how to put on the dancing. They don't know a comedy scene when they see one. They do not understand how to rehea.r.s.e dialogue or how to set the inflections of the voices which make the lines get over as they should. These coaches are usually people without any actual staging experience, consequently they are not competent to rehea.r.s.e anybody. Amateur organizations all over the country are beginning to realize the necessity for professional stage direction in order to register success, both artistically and financially. It is not nearly so costly to employ my organization as it is to have some other which is only giving a very poor imitation of us, which means a thoroughly competent staff of real producing directors, who are up to the minute with their dance routines and everything else required. If you will take the trouble to investigate you will no doubt discover that the coach you have employed has been to my school for a very short time, just in order to get our latest dances and ideas in staging. Why get this service at second hand? It will cost no more to get it from me direct.

Before you let them read a part for you, you should first hand them a copy of their part and tell them to go to one side and sit down and read it through thoroughly. Some of them don't know anything about a part. A copy of a part is typewritten, and the dialogue that they are to speak begins at the margin. The cue that they speak on begins about an inch away and there is a dotted line in front of the cue, but always what they are to say starts at the margin when parts are properly typewritten. Parts are made up of what we call speeches. It may be four lines or four words or two words or even one word. "Yes"

is a speech. What they should know is what their speeches are. What they have to say is called a "speech," and in parenthesis must always be the "stage business" or what they are to do. Stage directions should always be in parenthesis. They are sometimes typed in red ink on the first copies of the parts.

When they study the dialogue, they should try to fathom the speech; that is, they should form a mind's eye picture of what the line conveys to the audience. That is how I teach them to study. They read a sentence. A sentence is supposed to express a complete thought. They must get the proper inflection by reading it out loud. No method of expression is brought into play yet. By that I mean no pantomimic by-play or facial expression. They are only reading at first. In most of the amateur shows, the players never do anything else but read the parts. They read, crossing back and forth whenever the coach thinks they ought to cross, and it doesn't mean a thing. I watched that very thing in an amateur show not so long ago, and it was inane. n.o.body should move from one place on the stage to another without a reason for moving. There is a reason for every inflection of the voice. A person with common sense will read a part intelligently, but only a person with a dramatic spark inside of the body will be able to act a part naturally. If the dramatic spark is not there, no human being will put it there. If it is there, a real director will discover it and awaken it and make much of it.

After this first reading rehearsal, where the parts should be cast, more than one person can be tried out for the different parts. I make a call for the dialogue rehearsal where I walk them through the action, holding the parts in their hands as they walk through the physical action of the play. You will find that each one has his or her own idea as to how it should be done. I have them speak their lines distinctly and slowly at first. While this is going on I do not allow any visitors. Not one word is spoken except by the person who is reading the lines, or myself. I make notes as to who reads the parts best. Many times you will find that the local folks will have ideas about who is to play this part or that part. I pay no attention to them at all. I always use my own judgment about such things; in fact, about everything concerning the production. I don't allow anybody else to dominate the show or arrange anything for me. But you must know your business before you can a.s.sume such an att.i.tude.

After the dialogue rehearsal is over, all the partic.i.p.ants are carefully marked, noting the ones who are most natural and apt at the dialogue; those who have resonant voices that will dominate the auditorium as well as those who have positive personalities. You know there are a great many negative people on the stage; they never get anything over. I always have tried to pick personalities that will go over. I can take a crowd of professionals or amateurs and place them before me in a semi-circle, seated; get them to read a play for me and immediately pick those who will score a success. This, of course, is the result of years of experience, yet if you try this you will have some with strong personalities dominating your little semi-circles.

They will usually dominate your show. There is always one personality that dominates everybody. It might be a comedian, it might be a singer, it might be a dancer, but there is always some personality that sticks out, and after all, such a personality must be reckoned with and properly cast, otherwise it may even dominate the play. It usually does. If properly cast it may carry the play to success.

A rehearsal usually lasts about three hours. Accomplish something every minute of the time. Get on with the business of rehearsal--no discussions or arguments. When rehearsal is over make your next call for these people, at a definite time and do not change it. After dividing all of your people into groups as I have said, make separate calls for princ.i.p.als and the ensemble. For instance, take your dialogue and princ.i.p.als' songs Monday, Wednesday and Friday evenings, from 7:30 until 10:30, or thereabouts; and the chorus or ensemble sets Tuesday, Thursday and Sat.u.r.day at about the same time. I think you will find that you can accomplish a great deal on Sundays. I usually call the princ.i.p.als and members of the chorus the first Sunday at 2 o'clock, and keep them until six, unless there are religious scruples against rehearsing on Sunday, which is really not considered sacrilegious. (I was brought up in the Episcopal Church and sang in the choir as a boy.) Then I run right through the play as fast as I can, to teach them the sequence of it. Then I usually call the princ.i.p.al singers back Sunday evening and give them a good rehearsal on the "business" of the numbers.

At the first rehearsal for the chorus I have the musical coach teach them the music and lyrics by ear, one phrase at a time. Provide a complete copy of the lyrics for every member of the chorus; we usually collect them at the end of each rehearsal. Do not allow any talking, laughing or playing at any of your rehearsals; make everybody concerned take everything seriously from the very beginning. They will welcome it, since it saves time for everybody. Put them under the strictest discipline; get rid of those who do not want to take you seriously; do not be annoyed by them, as they jeopardize your chances of success.

Sometimes I carry my own musical coach, and I have found out that when I don't carry my own pianist I always have trouble with my work. I have never found anybody who can play the piano for my rehearsals to suit me unless they have played professional rehearsals before. They must have a certain touch to inspire me, so a good pianist means a lot. Insist upon one who reads easily and who can play by ear as well.

If you have a rotten piano player the numbers will usually turn out to be terrible. There must be something in the way the number is played to make the members of the chorus want to dance.

After we get the numbers taught--that is, the songs--then I start to teach the ensembles to dance the different routines. I pick out what I would say would be the "hit" number of the show, the best popular tune, something that appeals to me, that has a production idea in the lyric. It is usually in 4-4 tempo, what I call the song-hit tempo.

I pick out this one song and we try a simple soft-shoe movement to the chorus of it. Our routines fit any 32-bar chorus. I work with the song for a while, then give them a 5-minute rest. Then I may pick out a waltz number and try a few steps to that 3/4 tempo. But first of all they are in a ring in a circle around me, and they first are required to walk in time to each tune in the show.

[Ill.u.s.tration: DOROTHY d.i.c.kSON AND CARL HYSON]

I show them how to walk in time to the music. You begin with your left foot and walk 8 steps in strict time with the music, then you take four steps in half-time, counting one-and on each side, taking a step on the flat of your left foot for the count of 1, then bringing the ball of the right foot up behind the left heel and touching the floor with the ball of that foot for the count of "and"; the same with the right foot, and so on. The complete movement being in strict time and "4-and" for half-time.

There may be eight, twelve, sixteen or sometimes twenty-four numbers, and the people are made to walk around in circular formation in time with the music, until they walk gracefully without any awkward mannerisms. Now, there will always be somebody who will start with the wrong foot. Someone will always be out of time. Some of them are born without a sense of rhythm. They don't belong in the show and they must be eliminated if you are going to make a success of the ensemble work; only people who do modern dancing well should attempt the dancing.

We go along and teach our regular routines, whatever I lay out for the show, but working on every number at the same time, doing maybe four steps for one number, four for another, and so on, until I have laid out the whole show in my mind. I never lay a show out in advance. I do my best work on the spur of the moment. I have tried the other way, but whatever is cut and dried is never any good. I must be inspired at rehearsals.

When those who are going to be the princ.i.p.als have learned the songs, I talk to them and try them out on a few little test steps to see what they can do. Some of them are usually able to do some little dance movements. Then I make them stand behind the ensemble and do the work I have taught them, not in front of the chorus where they would be embarra.s.sed if they missed a step, but behind the lines where they can be picking up the work. Then I eventually get them out in front, and they usually do about the same dance as the ensemble, because if they don't the ensemble shows them up. And you don't get your precision effect. You must always get in an effective finish to every number, either a final picture or an exit. If you want the chorus to get a hand, bring them on for the encore, and let the chorus exit big on the encore, but first get your effective finish. Then you have them all back for the encore, then exit the chorus if you like, and let the soloist stay on and let her or him do a solo dance if it is going to be strong enough. There are different ways to finish a number and you have to use your own judgment.

Be patient when you handle the princ.i.p.als and chorus, but persistent.

Shape up the dialogue right away, and take the entire show through as soon as you can--the first Sunday as I suggested, if possible. Make them run through the show no matter how it looks. They must stand up for the ensembles and go through what they have learned, no matter how rough it is, and the princ.i.p.als must do whatever they are supposed to do to the best of their abilities. Don't take "no" or "I'm not prepared" or anything like that for an answer. Accept no excuses; go through with it. The more you go through the sequence the better they will be at the performance.

Along about that time I am thinking about the pictorial effects. I will have worked out a costume plot for the princ.i.p.als and chorus by this time. By a costume plot I mean an a.s.signment of dresses, costumes, for both the chorus and princ.i.p.als. I make out two separate plots, one for the members of the chorus and one for the princ.i.p.als, in sequence from the opening number of the show down to the end of the show. If I have thirty-six or forty-eight members in the chorus, I put their names in and the costumes that they wear for each number, in the order that they are worn. These plots are then typewritten according to the sequence of the show. This is most important. They show every change in costume that every one of the ensemble makes during the performance. The same thing with the princ.i.p.als. Always figure the time you have allowed each person to change costume, otherwise you will strike a snag which may ruin the performance.

The show is taking a definite form by this time. I then start to give them formations or groupings on the scene. When the curtain goes up sometimes they are discovered on the scene. Some scenes I arrange for the purpose of obtaining a good, effective picture, according to the architecture and atmosphere of the scene, or I may give them some very effective entrance movement coming down a staircase, through an arch or gateway, or over a fence. This is influenced by the set. I sometimes arrange surprise entrances, or little surprise exits which are inspired by the lyrics or music. Sometimes I may use a personality in the ensemble and give her an entrance or exit last. I resort to any sort of producer's magic, as I call it, to get an effect or to provoke applause, always keeping the costumes and the color schemes in mind.

Of course, I have my own "bag of tricks" with which I can insure the success of any musical play that has any sort of entertainment appeal, and you, no doubt, will have yours in time, with experience.

During the dialogue rehearsals, I make the princ.i.p.als speak the dialogue in time, the same as the dances are done in time. They are not allowed to use their own conception of how the lines should be spoken unless I think their conception is better than mine. Every syllable they utter will have to dominate the entire auditorium. That is something that the coach must understand. When the house is full, the audience makes a difference in the acoustics. Your people in the show don't know anything about that, and so you must govern the volume of the dialogue and set every inflection, att.i.tude of the body, and gesture definitely. But never let them use gestures that are obvious.

We will next a.s.sume that up to this time we have been working in a hall. Now to perfect the dialogue it is sometimes necessary to go over one speech fifty times or a hundred times, to get a certain inflection and to set the accompanying "stage business." Stage business--all of it--creates some dramatic value for the performance. That has to be worked out, if you want to get effective pieces of "business," much depending upon the brain power and the experience of the coach, whether he is able to devise effective business or not. Sometimes you will find it indicated in the script. For a man to make a success at this business he must have inventive ability. He must thoroughly understand dialogue, how to time it and set it. They must pick up their cues, and at the proper moment, and not make "stage waits"

between lines. Sometimes the line is one that calls for a laugh.

Sometimes there is a line preceding it, preparing the audience for what is to follow. We call that a feed line. Where the period comes there should be a slight pause. We time that. The actor counts to himself, "1, 2" before proceeding with the next line, that gives a laugh a chance to get under way. If you don't give a line like that a chance, it doesn't get over and the point is lost. It doesn't get the laugh that you expect, and it would if the coaching is done properly.

Rehearsing dialogue is very tricky work. You must be very strict when you rehea.r.s.e it. If anybody on the stage should move, if a chair is moved or if a door is opened at the wrong time while the dialogue is going on, it would detract from the line and kill the play. No one can move while a line is spoken unless it is some kind of a line that doesn't call for a point. But if it is a comedy point that you want to put over, or any other kind of an effective point, the characters must be still and the line must be delivered, and after the period, after the end of the line, you can break the picture and move.

Many a play is killed because people don't understand how to rehea.r.s.e dialogue, don't understand how to get scenes over; amateur coaches teaching wrong business. I saw wrong business ruin a whole show once in Baltimore. The chorus was walking up and down stage trying to get a lyric over, with no sense of direction. They didn't know where they were going or why. The coach just told them to walk up and down. The soloist's back was toward the audience at times; she was facing right; she was facing left; in every conceivable direction except the right one to get a song over. Of course the number failed. The soloist should have been in the center of the stage so the lyric could have been heard and followed by everyone in the audience. Get the verse and the first chorus over so that the audience gets the idea of the song.

It creates atmosphere for the number. If you walk sideways and your face is sideways, the audience doesn't get the lyric. When I rehea.r.s.e a show the faces are at least three-quarters to the audience, when a person sings or speaks. n.o.body must ever have their back to the audience when a line is spoken. If they sing a song or speak a line, everything must be done for the benefit of the audience. That must be kept in mind from the time you first begin to rehea.r.s.e the company.

Whether it is a professional or an amateur company makes no difference. They are trained in the same way.

Now, let us say we have finally perfected the play. They know the lyrics, they know the numbers, they know the "business" that occurs during the dialogue, and they know the "business" of the ensembles. By this time the play has actually taken form, and it is time to rehea.r.s.e it with the scenery. When the scenery is added, both the ensemble and the princ.i.p.als who do the numbers all report in their practice clothes. Insist upon that. This insures their getting right down to business without "stalling," as nearly all people on the professional or amateur stage are disposed to do.

Go through the sets, get effective groupings so that you get the most natural and effective pictures and it all conforms to the architecture of the sets.

After you have finished rehearsing with the scenery, commence to give them the hand-props. Sometimes I use important hand-props in dialogue before I take on the scenery. That has to be carefully worked out and considered. Otherwise I work the scene rehearsals in with hand-props.

You will find that most every one who has to handle a prop will fumble it, will be terribly awkward with it. If they have to pick a chair up and set it some place else, they will drag it across the floor and make a noise with it. They can't pick it up and set it down without any noise. This must be rehea.r.s.ed. If they have to handle some hand-prop, they will drop it at the wrong time. Most people are very clumsy in the presence of an audience. Rehea.r.s.e them with hats.

Gentlemen have very often come on the stage in amateur performances and worn their hats in drawing rooms in the presence of ladies. I have seen them take them off and place them in the most ridiculous places, even in professional shows. Figure all of this out and rehea.r.s.e it carefully. I have had awful times just trying to teach them to sit down and stand up properly.

[Ill.u.s.tration: A CORNER IN ONE OF THE LADIES' DRESSING ROOMS]

After the scenery and props come the costumes. We never have any trouble unless somebody is trying to rehea.r.s.e everything at the same time. Not even in an amateur show do I do that. I won't allow it. The sequence of final rehearsals is in this order; the scenery, the props, the costumes, the lights, the orchestra.

You often have trouble with your costumes unless you get them from a good concern. There are two or three first-cla.s.s establishments in New York where you can rent most anything. I have given the names of some in a preceding chapter. There is one big firm in New York that has recently bought over a million dollars' worth of costumes from the Charles Frohman Estate, including some wonderful period costumes.

I always seem to be able to get about what I have wanted for amateur productions from certain big New York establishments in this line of business; those who make costumes for the Famous Players, Griffith, and the very best moving picture and theatrical companies. They have made many things for Marion Davies and her Cosmopolitan pictures. I had a telegram from a girl in Minneapolis the other day. She had to have a certain costume, because her engagement depended upon it. She was to work three weeks at $150 a week, and she couldn't do it without the proper costumes. I had one of my men pick out the costumes for her. They cost her $45 for the entire three weeks. They were sent to her by parcel post C.O.D. by one of these firms.

We have an art department in our studios where we make our own designs for settings and costumes. When amateurs or professionals write to me or wire me, I am usually able to put them in touch with the right people and help to get just what they need. Any of these can be gotten at reasonable prices. The prices range from $5, $6, $7.50, $10, $12 and $15 a week for each costume, depending, of course, upon the quality of costume. I used a marvelous costume once worn by Ethel Barrymore in one production, and I think I paid $15 for the rent of it. A costume like that would cost $1500 to have it made.

After I am through with the costumes, I begin to do the lighting. I will use certain lights that will affect the sets, the scenery. Other lights will be used for the characters. I use the side lights, overhead lights, border lights, and front lights. The spot-lights are used to pick up the characters; sometimes I use X-ray border lights down stage overhead to pick up the costumes. These lights are not focused on the scenery at all. The other lights are worked to tone the scenery to the desired effect, either to obscure it or to bring it out vividly.

Be very careful of the kind of light you use on the costumes. If you have trouble with the scenery or the costumes, you can usually disguise them and make them look entirely different by some sort of trick lighting effect. I remember one time staging a production at the Winter Garden. The management set a limit of $23 for each costume; that's all they would allow. I had about sixty-four girls in that ballet, and it was staged by Theodore Kosloff, who is now in Los Angeles. He was formerly at the Empire Theatre in London, when I lived in London. He couldn't speak a word of English at that time. He had to sail for Europe before he finished staging this ballet, and he turned the ballet over to me, with a friendly request that I personally finish it for him, which I gladly did. He had explained what he wanted in costumes, and the management finally ordered some costumes made at the above price. I just wish you could have seen what came in. When you are used to spending $150, $175, and as much as $1,500 on chorus costumes alone you can imagine what we got for $23. When the girls put them on I was obliged to put colored lights on them, red, blue, dark amber, and I did finally manage to get a very beautiful effect, which you can do if you find that your costumes are not up to the mark.

Experiment with your colors until you get the desired effect.

After we get through with our costumes and lights, we are ready to add the orchestra. That is the last thing of all. I bring the orchestra in for a reading rehearsal, with the composer and musical director, and we correct whatever orchestra parts there may be wrong and smooth out the music. We always have a special orchestra rehearsal without scenery, without costumes, without the princ.i.p.als, without the lights, without any stage hands being around, and we perfect the musical end of the show with the orchestra and company prior to the dress rehearsal.

Then we have the final full dress rehearsal, orchestra, stage hands, costumes, lights, props, scenery, facial makeups, everything complete.

We make them up for the dress rehearsal thinking that they will remember how to make up for the opening performance, but we always find that they can't do it, and about half past four or five in the afternoon of the opening performance we begin to make them up again.

Then we are all ready for the opening performance, and we drive them through this at a terrific pace, not allowing anyone or anything to _slow_ the performance up, which would be fatal.

When you sit in front and see a show going along prettily and smoothly, you little think of the amount of brain work, foot work and executive power and force that has been necessary behind the curtain to make the performance what it is!

Does it pay?

Here is a recent newspaper clipping:

"The Kansas City Junior League Follies, recently produced for a week's run at the Shubert Theatre, Kansas City, under the personal direction of Mr. Ned Wayburn, resulted in a net profit to them of $13,844.00."

[Ill.u.s.tration: NW]

[Ill.u.s.tration: A PRIVATE LESSON WITH MUSIC, BEING SUPERVISED BY MR.