Ragtime - Shaw Festival Theatre

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FUN FACTS from WARDROBE RUNNING Once a production is on stage, all the costumes need to be maintained on a daily basis. Laundry, small repairs, ironing, sorting, resetting costumes into dressing rooms, and assisting with quick costume changes - these are the responsibilities of Wardrobe Running. RAGTIME has 180 costume changes in the first act alone; 80 of these are 3 minutes or less, including a few that are only 30 seconds long! Many of the actors looking calm and collected on stage, have just frantically had their clothing ripped off and an entire new outfit put on in less time than it would take someone to turn on a cell phone and make a call. Ragtime uses approximately 24 full wigs and 25 different moustaches. None of the actors have their own facial hair and change their moustaches and side burns with their characters. They are mostly secured with toupee tape. Every moustache has to be cleaned and set for every show. Nothing is worse than when a moustache goes missing backstage because it can accidentally become stuck to anything and travel out on stage when it’s not supposed to (sometimes sticking to a jacket, skirt or boot!). Extra care is always taken to place facial hair in a specific spot during quick changes to avoid ‘unplanned stage appearances’. While the audience watches the show in front of the curtain, there is a well-choreographed ‘silent dance’ going on between the actors and stage crew behind the scenes. Major set pieces are silently rolled around, props are removed, carried about and pre-set, costumes are laid out or returned to the dressing rooms, and around all of this commotion actors are getting changed or moving into position to prepare for their next entrance. One wrong move could throw the entire rhythm off. The action backstage has to occur quietly so as not to disturb the action on stage, often during a musical like Ragtime, the actor’s body microphones are switched on and they are singing while they are moving about behind the curtain to provide background vocal to the music/singing that the audience sees happening onstage. There is a lot of communication that happens using hand signals and body language—all of which is done in very dim light! Contributed by the Shaw Festival’s Ragtime Wardrboe Running crew When all three shows at the Festival Theatre are up and running, each day Wardrobe Running’s staff of 5 will press and fold approximately 60 dress shirts, 40 pairs of socks, not to mention hosiery, hankies and other ’unmentionables’ that will be returned to the dressing rooms in time for the next performance. It’s at this time that repairs are done, shoes shined, suits and gowns touched up and a variety of other bits and pieces spruced up from the show the night before. After every Ragtime performance, 7 loads of laundry are done, plus a large basket of hand washing. Long after the audience members are in their cars and on their way home, Wardrobe Running is at work, preparing for the next show. 12
“The tumultuous early years of the 20th century in America were marked by confidence, energy, and ambition. These were years of social change, immigration, exploration, and technological progress, alongside class warfare, racial discrimination, and anarchy”. - Lois Kivesto UNDERSTANDING THE WORLD OF THE PLAY Ragtime tells the story of three families struggling to adapt in a rapidly changing society. Early 20th century America was booming with technological innovation and industrialization, faced with civil rights struggles, injustice, and social unrest. On the stage, we see the beginning of a number of social movements: feminism, radicalism, the civil rights and labour movements, as well as other components of the struggle for reform. To paint a picture of the times: - In July 1900 the US census totals 76 million - There are more telephones than bathtubs - There are more blacksmiths than doctors - There are eight thousand cars, and less than 10 miles of concrete road in the entire United States of America - Most Americans still live in rural areas without running water, indoor plumbing, or electricity - Machines begin to replace farm workers - Trains provide transportation - Seven million people move to cities nationwide - The wealth of the country is in the hands of a small number of financiers who have established monopolies. Among the most prominent of these men were John D. Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, Andrew Mellon, and the most powerful of them all, John Pierpont Morgan—a real historical figure who appears as a character in Ragtime. SOCIAL CHANGE Refers to a significant change in the behavior patterns and cultural values or norms of a society— changes that have profound sociological consequences. Examples of significant social changes having long-term effects include the industrial revolution, the abolition of slavery, and the feminist movement. Social change can be driven by a number of forces, including: culture, religion, economy, science, and technology. SOURCES: http://pbskids.org/bigapplehistory/index-flash.html— continue research here http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/1900/tguide/tguideprogram.html http://www.randomhouse.com/catalog/teachers_guides/9780812978186.pdf 13 C ONNECTIONS Shaw Festival Study Guide
Page 1 and 2: Ragtime Book by TERRENCE McNALLY Mu
Page 3 and 4: C ONNETIONS Study Guide A practical
Page 5 and 6: Production History RAGTIME This mus
Page 7 and 8: EMMA GOLDMAN Anarchist Emma Goldman
Page 9 and 10: “ The Tony winning score of Lynn
Page 11: Design Notes SUE LePAGE talks about
Page 15 and 16: THE WORLD OF THE PLAY cont’d TECH
Page 17 and 18: THE WORLD OF THE PLAY cont’d CLAS
Page 19 and 20: THE WORLD OF THE PLAY cont’d Whil
Page 21 and 22: “ People ” love to see what peo
Page 23 and 24: DISCUSSION QUESTIONS—POST SHOW 1.
Page 25 and 26: Sweatshop any working environment c

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