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.]

Stage Hands

[In recent months, the stage actors’ union has run articles about some of the work its members do in production other than playing characters on stage.  Equity News published a profile of the indispensable backstage professional, the stage manager, the company’s drill sergeant.  Following that, the newsletter ran an article about the work of the dance captain, an important member of the company for musicals.  Since most people, especially if you don’t actually work in the theater, don’t know what these pros do (or, I suspect in some instances, even that they exist), I decided to post them on ROT for everyone’s edification.  If Equity News runs more such pieces as time goes on—along with actors, Actors’ Equity represents chorus dancers and stage managers—I’ll keep posting them as well because not only is it useful to know about these backstage workers, but it’s really interesting to learn what they do during rehearsals and performance.]

“Stage Managers Wear Many Different Hats”

by Michael Sommers

[On Monday, 20 May 2013, Court Theatre stage managers give a tour of the Court Theatre facilities to AEA members. This is the first of the Central Stage Manager Committee’s new event, “The Booth Series.” AEA stage managers across the city of Chicago are opening up their facilities for tours to other local stage managers. The stage managers are welcomed into the stage manager booths, walk the stage, peek backstage, and visit the different shops and offices of Equity theatres. Another Booth Series took place in late June or early July.  Michael Sommers is an actor, acting teacher, and acting coach who works on stage and in TV and film.. This article ran in the June 2013 issue Equity News [Actors’ Equity Association] (volume 98, issue number 5).]

Stage managers agree that their job encompasses far more than just running the show.

Parent, psychologist, interpreter, scheduler, documentarian, communicator, enforcer, collaborator, administrator, diplomat and problem-solver are among the many different hats that stage managers wear in their constantly shape-shifting role as the theatre’s ultimate character performer.

“You are the one backstage that people depend upon to address whatever their immediate issues may be,” says Malcolm D. Ewen, a resident stage manager for Chicago’s Steppenwolf Theatre who is the First Vice Chair of AEA’s Central Regional Board. “Boil it all down, you are the main one there to support the actor,” says Ira Mont, production stage manager of Broadway’s Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella and Third Vice President of Equity.

Depending upon the particular theatre situation, stage managers also assign dressing room berths, coordinate increasingly advanced automation systems, supervise safe and sanitary procedures, and, among many other duties, in some cases sweep the stage. “Equity does not define the role of the stage manager because the job varies so much from theatre to theatre,” notes Ewen.

Stage managers’ responsibilities include handling a never-ending blizzard of paperwork, starting with developing a production’s “bible” and other documentary references during the rehearsal period and continuing all the way through a show’s run with maintaining a daily log and filing various reports on every performance. Then there are the hurried pre-show conferences with dance captains and other department heads to make certain that everything and everybody is in place when the curtain rises.

And, oh yes, they also call the show cue by cue with assistants or sometimes alone. Should an accident occur, they are the arbiters responsible for “making the proper decision about what to do – without ever panicking,” says Ewen.

It is a complex job. “Stage managers need to be facile in all the different disciplines that it takes to make a show happen and to have a significant vocabulary in order to communicate with everybody involved,” says Mont, who teaches graduate courses in stage management at Columbia University. “You are usually the first person in the building and the last one to leave,” remarks Gary Mickelson, a stage manager who is now readying the pre-production aspects for First Date, a new Broadway musical. “You really have to be a total multi-tasker,” asserts Hethyr Verhoef, resident stage manager for the Pasadena Playhouse, who adds, “I especially like the give-and-take of doing it all.”

Nobody knows how far back stage managers go in theatre history, although it can be assumed that for the original Medea in 431 BC somebody cued the entrance of the chorus while signaling the crane for the deus-ex-machina. Historically, stage managers have been members of Equity since its founding. In those 1913 days of stock companies, actors often performed stage manager duties while stage managers played small parts so it seemed a natural fit that they would join forces together in a union.

For more than 60 years, however, stage managers were employed under a standard actor’s contract. Then an ugly dispute over Mass Appeal – a 1980 showcase production that intended to transfer to Broadway without compensating or taking along its original stage manager — led to the development of contracts specifically designated for stage managers.

During the same period, increasing internal demands for greater representation in the union resulted in the establishment of two Council seats for stage managers in 1982. A decade later, when Equity reorganized into its present decentralized governance system, stage managers were duly represented on its regional boards and Council. A stage managers’ committee, which addresses needs and concerns, is operative in every region. According to the union’s latest statistics, some 5.6 % of all Equity jobs relate to stage management.

Although stage managers usually conduct brush-up rehearsals and direct players who join long-running shows, that traditional task – particularly on the Production Contract – has been increasingly assumed by resident directors or other management supervisors. Yet the stage manager still remains “the eyes and ears on a nightly basis,” as Ewen puts it, whose responsibility is to keep the production on its toes. “Even the best performers need input for the maintenance of their show,” says Ewen, who believes in offering the artists “gentle guidance.”

Dealing effectively with the actors, crew and backstage personnel can be tricky. “We are there to protect union rules and members,” says Zoya Kachadurian, a veteran currently preparing a revival of Tennessee Williams’ The Two-Character Play for Off-Broadway. “It is always a challenging tightrope for us to walk.” By the nature of the job, patience also is necessary. “You have to check your ego at the stage door because when people need to vent you are going to be their first stop,” says Alexis Shorter, a Cinderella stage manager.

Calling the production cue-by-cue can be an art in itself. “You have to ride that extremely fine line of being a drill sergeant and letting the show breathe,” observes Gary Mickelson. “It is exhilarating when you understand how to make everything work onstage and backstage in concert,” says Verhof.

It all makes for a long work week. “I think that stage managers have an affinity for going that extra mile and accept to a certain degree that we are not being compensated for every hour spent on the job,” says Mont, who believes that producers often are unaware of stage managers’ multiple responsibilities. “Although we don’t view it as a burden, they should realize everyone believes we are 24/7 on call,” he adds. “You have to do a lot of work on your own time because it simply has to be done,” explains Shorter, a view that the other stage managers share.

The flexibility inherent to being a stage manager is helpful as they currently adapt their personable craft to the theatre’s growing reliance upon automation and complex technology. “We are learning all this on our feet,” says Mont, who contended last year with the astonishing stagecraft for the Broadway musical Ghost. “Stage managers have to reinvent themselves for every show they do,” says Kachadurian. “Just like the actors, we are professionals who constantly evolve.”

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“A Day in the Life of a Dance Captain”

By Jennie Ford, Equity Councillor

[This article appeared in volume 98, issue number 7 of Equity News (September 2013).  Jennie Ford is a dancer and choreographer whose last Broadway show was the 2012-13 revival of Evita for which she served as dance captain.  Ford was assistant choreographer for Dance of the Vampires (2002-03) and dance captain for All Shook Up (2005) and The Music Man (2000-01)]

It’s almost impossible to write about “a day in the life of the dance captain.” It wouldn’t capture the full scope of what we do to write about one day. Every day is different from next. It might be simpler to ask, “What doesn’t a dance captain do?” Not only do you have to dance, but you also have to be a clear communicator, a teacher, a mediator, an organizer, a quick thinker, a problem-solver, a confidante, a multi-tasker and a good listener.

Here are some typical expectations ranging from rehearsal to after opening:

Making a Show Bible: You find some stage diagrams to start notating the staging and choreography so you don’t forget the details. You try to learn everyone’s names quickly to notate where each actor is placed at all times. This can take weeks or months to perfect.

Tech rehearsal: The choreographer is working on a number and some actors don’t remember where they go. You are asked where people were in the studio. You look at your bible and tell Sally she was “stage right 7 with heels on the track.” The choreographer decides it could be pictured differently so every actor gets moved to a different place on the stage. You quickly notate those changes.

An actor has to go for a costume fitting during the afternoon and the swing has to step in for the first time. You work with the swing to make sure he or she is comfortable. You make sure they know where to go and grab their partner to help them work together for the first time.

Rehearsals during previews: The creative team tried a new number for three days and now thinks it doesn’t work. They want to go back to the way it was but the actors don’t remember. You are glad you didn’t throw out your old notes, because you are asked to remind them what they did before.

“Noting” the show: The creative team has left. Now it’s time to make sure their vision is maintained and every audience gets to see it as if it was opening night. You watch the show and notate what needs to be fixed. At intermission, Beth tells you Greg keeps kicking her in one number but she doesn’t know why. You write it all down on your note pad for tomorrow.

Giving out notes: You arrive an hour and a half before the show because you have 25 notes to give out. You tell Steve that he could turn his head a little quicker to match the others. You tell Sally her extra head movements look great on her, but she is now the only thing you watch onstage. Judy rushes in and although you have five things that she could work on, you give her one for her performance for tonight. (Then praise her tomorrow for doing it and give her the next.) As you go from room to room, Lilla tells you that she doesn’t feel safe in a lift. The rest of the notes wait while this becomes priority. You find her partner and rehearse the lift until both are happy. You look at your bible to see why Jim is out of the light. He is on the correct number but has migrated downstage. You tell him that if he took a big step upstage, he would be lit and all his terrific acting would not be lost. The rest of the notes will have to wait.

Don’t be shy about giving out the good notes! It goes a long way. There are endless notes of improvement that go out daily but it’s important for the morale of the company to remind them what they are doing right and how amazing they are!

Running auditions: You go to the studio from 10 am-6 pm to audition 300 actors who want to be in the show. You teach the combination and then dance with each group to help give them the best chance of remembering it. You dance full out many times to “save face” and then you go home and take an epsom salt bath before the evening show.

Cut-shows: The stage manager calls you two hours before the show and says four people are out sick tonight adjustments to make. You grab your bible and see who could be cut in each number, who manages what props and how you can get through the show. You let the stage manager know what you need to rehearse before the show to make it work. You go to the show early to tell everyone what their alterations will be for that show. because the flu is going around. There aren’t enough actors to cover the show so you have to figure out what adjustments to make. You grab your bible and see who could be cut in each number, who manages what props and how you can get through the show. You let the stage manager know what you need to rehearse before the show to make it work. You go to the show early to tell everyone what their alterations will be for that show.

Scheduling: To create a weekly schedule, you look at what the understudies need to learn, what the swings need help with, who is going on vacation and how to be prepared for that, and if you need to rehearse specific areas of the show that can’t be fixed with notes.

Teaching replacements: You go to the theatre for five hours and teach Tiffany’s replacement. You teach where she enters and exits the stage, where to grab props, where to change, where to stand onstage, traffic patterns, director and choreographer’s intentions and other tips. There will just be you, the pianist and her. You find yourself singing and dancing all the parts to help her. It makes for a lot of knowledge to be stored in your head or easily referenced in your show bible. It helps to look at every actor as a multi-alented person who is always trying to do his or her best. It’s hard to get a note when you are trying your best, so it’s important to be kind and never let your ego get in the way. A dance captain’s day is never dull!

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“One of my favorite things is working with all ranges of people: 8 to 68 years old, sensitive to tough. To make a company happy you must learn the details early, stick to the integrity of the piece and listen to all sides of the story when dealing with a situation. Being a dance captain is a big job, so the extra effort to get details is crucial for the success you have with your company.”  — Antoinette DiPietropolo (dancer, actor, and choreographer in regional theater, upstate New York)

“Someone took me aside and said he was really upset that I noted him on his ‘attitude’ and he hoped he never gave off bad energy. It took me a second to realize what he was talking about and then I couldn’t stop laughing. He misunderstood my note on his ‘(leg) attitude.’”  — Sarah O’Gleby (dance captain for How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, 2011-12; Promises, Promises, 2010-11)

“The most interesting part is figuring out what the choreographer wants from you. Some don’t want to be bothered by small details and want you to clean the choreography and make decisions. Some want you to note any questions and check in with them before locking things in. Talk to your choreographer; if you’ve never worked with them before, and find out what they want from their dance captain.  — Ariane Dolan (dancer, actor, and choreographer in regional theater, Illinois and Pennsylvania)