Interviews with Two Theater Pros: Theater Photographer & Dance Captain

[When most people who aren’t part of the theater world—whom one of my teachers fondly called “civilians”—see a play, I suspect they think of actors, singers, dancers, and maybe playwrights, directors, or occasionally choreographers if they’re famous.  Playgoers may see the sets, the costumes, the lights, and all the parts of the show known as “spectacle” or “production values,” but I think most just figure they get on stage by some kind of magic.  

[(When I was teaching and directing in middle school, my boss called this “magic-wanding”—the way kids that age, and often their parents as well, thought all that stuff happened.  Part of my job was to disabuse them all of that notion.  Apparently, I think it still is!)

[The artists and technicians who create, build, maintain, and handle those important aspects of a show and those who manage, promote, and administer them are often entirely unknown outside the business.  I like to post articles on Rick On Theater that define, describe, or explain the efforts of theater workers about whom most theatergoers know little—or even nothing at all.  

[On 14 January 2014, I posted “Stage Hands,” a description of the work of stage managers and dance captains; in “Two (Back) Stage Pros” (30 June 2014), I ran articles  that profiled set designer Eugene Lee and wig-designer Paul Huntley; on 28 November 2015, I posted “Broadway’s Anonymous Stars,” an article about actors who replace original stars on stage.  On 9 March 2016, I ran a collection of pieces about swings and on 22 August 2018, I posted an interview with Tony Carlin, a Broadway and Off-Broadway understudy or stand-by.

[I even ran a whole series on lighting designers and their work called “‘Light the Lights” in October and November 2018.  Now I’m going to leave the stage briefly for an interview with Teresa Castracane, a theater photographer, the professional who takes the pictures for publicity, press coverage, and, occasionally, program covers.  Then I’ll return to the stage artists who do the practical work on and back stage with another piece about a dance captain, an interview of Michael Callahan.]

“IN THE MOMENT: INTERVIEW WITH THEATER PHOTOGRAPHER TERESA CASTRACANE”

by David Siegel

[The following interview ran on the website DC Metro Theater Arts, “Washington, DC’s most comprehensive source of performing arts coverage,” on 13 November 2017.]

Often, images of a theatrical production help establish the initial interest and expectations for a potential audience. Photographs can draw an audience into a production even before reviews or word-of-mouth. Pictures can capture the essence of a production or of a particular stage character.

A theater photographer is responsible for creating a production’s visual record. The best theater photographers aim for emotion in their work. And to tell a visual story without a word spoken. This is way beyond mere snap-shorts or flat emotion-free images.

In the DC area, Teresa Castracane is one of the go-to photographers for a number of theater companies. Wanting to learn more about Teresa and her photographic work, I decided that an interview was in order.

So, let’s get right to the good parts; the interview with Teresa Castracane. And please enjoy the pictures, all taken by Teresa, of recent DC area productions.

David Siegel: How did you become a theater photographer?

Teresa Castracane: In my first (and continuing) career, I’m an actor.  At some point during the search for the supplemental work that would keep me happy, I turned my love of photography into a business. I started with actor headshots, and soon after, production photography. It was a natural direction for me to go in, and one which has dovetailed well with my acting work.

Do you read the script before deciding what shots to take? If so, why?

As a theatre artist, I’m often familiar with the scripts of the shows I’m shooting. But if I’m not, I do not read the script ahead of time. Part of my job is to capture the story as its being told at this moment in time, by this particular group of artists. I usually get all the information I need by giving my full attention to the work in front of me,

David: Why are theater photographs important to marketing a particular production?

Theatergoers attend a play in the hope of having an emotional reaction to it. If an image of mine can create an emotional response, then the viewer has an impetus to go find out what’s happening on stage.

What makes a theater photograph emotionally memorable?

What I look for as I’m shooting, and as I’m culling the best images afterward, is the moment of fullest emotional expression. So, in the same way that, if you’re photographing a ballet dancer doing a grand jete, the shot you want is the one where her body reaches its fullest height, and its fullest extension, the shot I want of an actor at work is the one where her body reaches its fullest emotional expression. For an individual shot, this might have a good bit to do with facial expression. If there is more than one actor in the shot, I’m looking for the fullest expression of the moment, of the event. This will have more to do with body language, and actors’ physical relationship to one another on the stage. Sometimes, set, light, or costumes will contribute to the feeling of that moment, and then you’ve really got something. I believe this applies to any genre, any emotion. There’s an arc upwards to the fullest expression – of joy, of grief, of ridiculousness, of rage – and then a release, a transition into the next moment.

David: Do you shoot during a final dress rehearsal, an actual production or by blocking a shot?

I normally shoot during a dress rehearsal. I prefer this to shooting during a performance when my movements are restricted because I’m trying not to annoy the audience.

David: What are some of the challenges shooting photography for theater?

Running around in a dark space while holding a black box in front of my eyes is definitely up there. Photographically speaking, the low light is challenging. But digital cameras become more capable every year, which is a great help.

I find the wide shots slightly more challenging because there are more elements that need to come together to make the image work. If you’re about to catch a dramatic moment, but actor #1 is blinking, or actor #2’s fly is down, or actor #3’s body language is simply not contributing to the moment being documented, you may have lost your shot.

Does it make a difference if you shoot is in color or Black & White?

I deliver all my production photos in color, as that’s the standard these days. But I’ll never not love black & white. A black & white image can feel more nostalgic, and more iconic than one in color.

David: Why do you enjoy being a theater photographer?

When I’m photographing a show, I employ the same emotional intuition that I use when I’m performing– there’s a heightened awareness of one’s fellow actors, and their emotional states. I know when to take the shot because I’m responding emotionally to the play – in much the same way, one hopes, that the audience will, once they arrive. I love letting my intuition take over from my reason for a short while, and I love the feeling of connection to the actors. It sustained me during the break I took from performing after my children were born.

What aspects of being a theater photographers do you think that theater-goers would be surprised to learn?

Possibly the fact that I might shoot, say, a thousand frames, but deliver only two hundred or so to the client. There’s definitely a process of elimination involved.

One last question. What play/comedy/musical would you like to shoot in the future?

A particular play doesn’t immediately come to mind, but I would love to find a situation where I can actually be on stage, photographing from among the actors, perhaps from each character’s point of view, to produce some really dynamic and intimate images. There would need to be real trust between the actors and me, and I would need to know the staging as well as they do. I’m not sure how useful it would be from a marketing standpoint, but the idea fascinates me. Maybe it’ll be my next fine art project.

[David Siegel is a freelance theater reviewer and feature-writer whose work appears on DC Metro Theater Arts and ShowBiz Radio, and in the Connection Newspapers and the Fairfax Times.  He’s a judge in the Helen Hayes Awards (the Washington area’s Tonys) program.  He’s a member of the American Theatre Critics Association (ATCA) and volunteers with the Arts Council of Fairfax County, Virginia.  Siegel’s been associated with theater in the Washington, D.C., area for nearly 30 years and has served as Board President, American Showcase Theater Company (now Metro Stage) and later with the American Century Theater as both a member of the Executive Board and as Marketing Director.]

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“INTERVIEW:

IT’S HIGH (STEPPING) ADVENTURE TIME FOR ‘ALADDIN’ DANCE CAPTAIN MICHAEL CALLAHAN”

by Lauren Van Hemert

[Van Hemert’s interview appeared on RDU on Stage (no date [11 September 2019]), “the leading source for North Carolina theater news and information,” based in Raleigh,, North Carolina.  (RDU is the International Air Transport Association [IATA] abbreviation for Raleigh-Durham International Airport.)]

When “Good Morning America” anchor Lara Spencer made a snide comment about boys and ballet, it was the proverbial shot fired at dancers around the world, including Michael Callahan, dance captain on the national tour of Aladdin.

“I think what worried me the most about that comment is that it was trying to normalize that it’s okay to make fun of a kid for doing something different,” says Callahan. “For me, young men should feel comfortable having the opportunity to explore whatever it is that interests them and, you know, whether it’s football or dance, I think they should be respected by all people the same way.”

“It ended up being a beautiful moment because all a sudden all of the male dancers, and the dance community in general, you know, just went up in arms,” he adds. “It was beautiful to see everyone and be like, ‘We’re not taking this anymore, our young men and our young women will not be bullied for being dancers. It’s done.'”

Fortunately for Callahan, who began dancing around 11-years old, his family was very supportive of him dancing.

“My parents were both athletes, so their deal with us as we had to try like every sport and every after-school activity to figure out which one was ours,” he says. “So, we did that, we tried every single one, and they were very, very surprised, but I took a dance class and c’est la vie.”

Callahan took classes and even went to a performing arts high school in his hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. But he says it wasn’t until a school theater trip overseas that he realized what he wanted to do with his life.

“I saw the original cast of Billy Elliot in London, and I just remember crying for like two hours,” he says. “I left and was like, ‘That’s it, we’re good, this is what I’m doing.’ That was the moment that I really knew.”

Callahan attended Elon University where he says he trained to do exactly what he is doing now.

“I always laugh with people that I was training to become a dance captain without knowing it because I was in this class of 17 unbelievably talented kids of my year, and we all specialized in something different,” he says. “I obviously was the dance specialist, so when we would have dance finals, I would be the one quizzing people, helping them get ready.”

“I was very proud to say that that ended up kind of being what I did, what I do, for a living,” he adds. “I teach people dance. I get them ready to be performers in this show or elsewhere.”

Now Callahan, who says he was always a fan of Disney parks and movies growing up, is living his Disney childhood dream touring around the country with Aladdin. He is not only the show’s dance captain and a swing but also the understudy for Aladdin and Iago, something he says gives him a chance to flex his funny bone.

“I never imagined like when I was in college even that I would be understudying like the funny guys, that’s not where I saw myself going, but it’s actually become like a through-line in my career since I graduated,” he says. ”It’s a blast to get to work that part of my ability as well, you know.”

“I’m dancing so much and teaching so much, and in the ensemble when needed, it’s nice to be able to go out and work that muscle that otherwise I would have to find elsewhere.”

Callahan says he is grateful to be part of what he calls a monster of a tour, certainly one of the largest national tours ever, and a cast of beautifully, ethnically diverse people. And while the show is steeped in nostalgia for many people coming to see it, Callahan hopes that now more than ever its moral message isn’t lost on the kids.

“Our show has a very strong voice about like being who you are and doing what’s right over what’s easy.”

“I hope that they [the kids] leave feeling like they’re capable of anything and that they don’t need to be someone else to achieve anything. They just need to be themselves.”

[Lauren Van Hemert, the editor of RDU on Stage, is a native of Miami, Florida.  Her love of musicals started at the age of 6 when her dad took her to New York City’s Radio City Music Hall to see a revival of the movie The Sound of Music.  Prior to graduating from Indiana University-Bloomington, she hosted her own weekly talk show on Public Radio WDNA Miami and worked as a production intern for the soap opera As the World Turns. 

[As the former contributing editor for the website Broadway World Raleigh, Van Hemert covered over 50 shows in the Research Triangle of North Carolina.   In January 2019, she launched the RDU on Stage website to expand coverage of the Triangle theater community.  She also hosts the weekly RDU on Stage podcast.  Van Hemert is a member of the American Theatre Critics Association.]

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[In my introduction to “Interviews with Two Theater Pros,” I said I believe that some spectators think some elements of theater appear on stage as if by magic.   I recall quite vividly a theater experience I had when I was very young when I thought just that.  (I wrote about this in “A Broadway Baby,” (22 September 2010.)  

[When my family spent part of the summer on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, back in the 1950s, we always went to the Cape Cod Melody Tent in Hyannis at least once during the season.  To this day, I remember being amazed at a production of The Wizard of Oz when, after the tornado generated by the tech crew with lighting and sound effects, the lights came back up—and there sat Dorothy's house, with the legs of the Wicked Witch sticking out from under one side!   How did that house get there?  The Melody Tent being an arena stage, with no curtain to hide behind, this all happened right before our eyes.  It was impossible!  It had to be magic!  I was probably 6 or 7 at the time, maybe younger.]