HERE WE ARE AT THE THEATER AT ST.
JOHNS IN MIDTOWN ST.
LOUIS, MISSOURI.
THIS BEAUTIFUL BUILDING WAS BUILT IN 1928,
AND THE THEATER SPACE HERE IS A CONVERTED GYMNASIUM
THAT IS USED BY THREE DIFFERENT LOCAL THEATER COMPANIES.
LET'S GO ON IN.
WHAT WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT IS WHAT'S COMMONLY KNOWN
AS A BOX SET.
AS WE SAID EARLIER, A BOX SET REPRESENTS
A ROOM OR ROOMS OF A HOUSE, OR OTHER TYPE OF BUILDING,
WITH THE DOWNSTAGE WALL REMOVED SO THE AUDIENCE CAN KIND OF
PEEK INTO THE HOUSE, AND PEEK INTO THE LIVES OF THE
PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THAT HOUSE.
THIS SET, DESIGNED GENE WEBER, LIGHTING BY JIM DAVIS,
AND TECH WORK DONE BY THE OFF-CENTER THEATER COMPANY,
IS PROOF THAT TALENTED DESIGNERS, DIRECTORS,
PERFORMERS, AND TECHNICIANS DON'T NEED A BRAND-NEW
STATE-OF-THE-ART FACILITY TO DO GOOD WORK.
THE DIRECTOR AND SET DESIGNER WANTED TO GET THE ACTION
DOWN CLOSE TO THE AUDIENCE, SO THEY DECIDED ON AN EXTENSION,
OR THRUST, EXTENDING FROM THE NORMAL
ACTING AREA INTO WHAT WOULD NORMALLY BE
THE AUDIENCE.
PUSHING THE PERFORMANCE SPACE INTO THIS AREA
LENDS A SENSE OF INTIMACY TO THE PRODUCTION,
SINCE THE PROSCENIUM NO LONGER SEPARATES
THE ACTORS AND AUDIENCE -- LIKE A PICTURE FRAME WOULD,
OR A TV OR MOVIE SCREEN DOES.
THE ACTORS KIND OF ENTER INTO THE AUDIENCE'S SPACE,
AND VICE VERSA.
THIS PLAY IS SET IN AN UPSCALE APARTMENT
THAT HAS BEEN VACANT FOR SOME TIME.
IT'S A COMEDY THAT HAS A GHOST APPEARING
TO SEVERAL OF THE OTHER CHARACTERS,
A STAIRCASE AND LANDING THAT LEADS TO AN OUTSIDE AREA,
AN EXIT INTO THE REST OF THE APARTMENT,
A FIREPLACE, AND AN EXIT TO THE OUTSIDE HALLWAY.
THE MAIN ACTING AREA IS A LIVING ROOM AREA,
AND THE LARGEST NUMBER OF ACTORS ONSTAGE AT ANY PARTICULAR TIME
IS FIVE ACTORS.
EVEN THOUGH THE PLAY TAKES PLACE IN MODERN TIMES,
THE APARTMENT AND MOST OF THE FURNITURE ARE FROM THE 1930s.
THE PRODUCTION TEAM FROM OFF-CENTER
DECIDED TO GO FOR REALISM WITH THIS SET.
NOTICE THE ATTENTION TO DETAIL WITH THE FULL SET OF ARMOR
AND REALISTIC PERIOD WEAPONRY, THE PERIOD FURNITURE, AND OTHER
EXTREMELY REALISTIC PROPS.
REMEMBER WHAT WE SAID EARLIER ABOUT BEING REALISTIC ABOUT
YOUR FACILITY, FINANCES, AND THE ABILITY
OF YOUR TECHNICIANS?
ONE OF THE CHALLENGES A DESIGNER FACES HERE
IS THAT THIS PERFORMANCE SPACE IS ON THE THIRD FLOOR
OF THE BUILDING, AND THERE IS NO
FREIGHT ELEVATOR.
EVERYTHING MUST COME UP AND DOWN THESE STAIRS.
THE GROUPS THAT PERFORM HERE SHARE SCENERY,
LIGHTING AND SOUND EQUIPMENT, AND MANY OTHER TECHNICAL ITEMS.
THAT KEEPS HAULING SCENERY AND OTHER EQUIPMENT
UP AND DOWN THE STAIRS TO A MINIMUM.
AS MONEY IS MADE, THE GROUPS DONATE MONEY
BACK TO THE THEATER, WHICH IN TURN MAKES IMPROVEMENTS
TO THE SPACE, LIKE NEW LIGHTING CONTROL,
SEATING, RISERS, STAGE CURTAINS,
ET CETERA.
THAT HELPS THE FINANCIAL SITUATION
FOR ALL THE GROUPS INVOLVED.
AND THE TALENT OF THE PEOPLE WORKING HERE IS OBVIOUS.
AS WE LOOK AT THE SET, WE NOTICE THAT THE WALLS
ARE RAKED SLIGHTLY TO ALLOW FOR GOOD SIGHT LINES.
NOW, THE STAGE IS SMALL, SO THE RAKE OF THE WALLS
CAN'T BE TOO GREAT,