Showstoppers’FootlooseFeedback:Fresher’s2015
Direction,MusicalDirectionandChoreography
Andy,HarryandKimberlyallbroughtdifferentaspectsofagooddirectingteam
totheshow,buildingonAndy’sexperience,thecastrecognisedthatHarryand
Kimberlytooksometimetogetintothegroove,butwhentheydidthey
producedafantasticshowwithabrilliantcast.Harrybroughtenergy,Kimberly
broughtideasandAndybroughtconsistencyandcontroloveranewdirecting
team.Thereweresomecallsforworkonactingtechnique.Thedirectingcanbe
summedupinoneaudiencefeedback:“Achallengingtaskforayoungdirecting
teamandIwouldhopeawarmglowofsatisfactionafterthelastperformanceof
ajobwelldone.”
Thereweresomeissueswithscheduling,withsomecastmembershighlighting
howtheywerecalledearlyjusttositaroundandwaitforthemtobecalled–
however,thiswasanissuewhichwasbroughtupmidwaythroughtheprocess,
andthecastallfelttheyhadimprovedtheirtimetablingbytheendoftheshow,
withintensiveweekverywellorganised.AsiscommonwithFresher’sshows,
thecastareneversureofwhatthey’vegotthemselvesintountilintensiveweek.
Butthiswasaprocessmadeharderbypeopleturninguplate,somecast
membersidentifiedthatharsherpunishmentsratherthanacomicalJustDance
neededtobeenforcedbytheproductionteam.
ThecastadoredBeckyandMegan,theymadetheprocessfunandenjoyable,
withmanyhighlightinghowtheteamworkedtogetherwellasaunit–makingit
thebestpartoftheprocessforsome.Theywerealwayshappytogooverany
harmoniesthecaststruggledwith,andpraisewasgivenforrecordingharmony
linesforthecast.Somecastmembersthoughtitwouldhavebeennicertoseethe
twoswitchtheirrolesmoreoften,toallowthembothtoexploretheothersideof
musicaldirecting.
It’seasytoseethecastandcrewlovedKennyandJosephine’spersonality,they
madeeverydanceanenjoyableexperiencebecauseofthepeopletheywere.
Theywerepraisedconsistentlyforthestrong,collectiveimagetheir
choreographygaveofthecastasaselectedunit,andthiswasasimilartrait
pickedupbyaudiencemembers.Afewissuesarosewiththestyleofteaching,
especiallywhenlearningthedancesforthefirsttime.Castmembersfeltitwould
bemoreusefultogooverthedancesataslowerpace,andovermultiplesessions
ifnecessary,ratherthanjustrepeatingthedancewhentherewerestillvisible
issueswherecastmembersstruggled.The‘recapsessions’wereconsidereda
greathelptomanyofthosewhostruggledwiththeroutines,anditisadvised
thatfutureprodteamsstartthesesessionsearlierintheprocess,especiallyas
videosoverFacebookonlyprovidelimitedhelpinlearning.Someextraworkon
dancetechniquewouldbeuseful,thoughthiscouldbelookedatfurtherin
workshopsandisnotthefaultofKennyandJosephinewhodidaspectacularjob
ofcreatingasimpleandenjoyabledanceenvironment.
Production
Whilstnotexplicitlypartoftheproductionaspectoftheshow,itisimportantto
addresstheroleplayedbytheProducersinconstructingthephysicalsideofthe
castinFootloose.Charlie,JessandBenreceivedparticularpraisefortheirwork
onkeepingcostumesandpropsathighqualitywhilstworkingonavery
restrictivebudget.Furthercommentssuggestedtheteamwereexpertlyfocused,
especiallyduringtheshownights,whenthecastneededthemthemost.There
weresomecommentsoverpeopleneedingtosupplytheirowncostumes,butit
shouldbeappreciatedallproductionteamsactwithinabudgetanditisunlikely
thattheproducerswillbeabletosourceeverypieceofcostume,especiallygiven
alargenumberofcostumeswereeverydaywear.CharlieHousealsodida
brilliantjobinpublicisingtheshow,althoughthiswassomethingwhich
productionteammembershighlightedheshouldn’thavehadtogetinvolvedin.
Largely,theproductionteamfeltthepresenceofaproduceratrehearsalswas
useful,allowingthemgoodcommunicationwiththeothersideoftheproduction
team.However,thisusefulnesswaslimitedbytheactionsoftheproducerat
certainrehearsals.Althoughthisprovedtobeanissuewithintheproduction
team,manyofthecastweresplitbythepresenceoftheproducer,withone
sayingthepresencewasappreciatedandshowedgreatcommitmenttowardsthe
showactingasan‘unofficialcastliaison’,whilstothershighlightedtheywere
unhelpfulanddistractingtothecastandproductionteam,throughoutthe
process.
Producingwassplitratherunevenly,withoneproductionteammember
highlightingthattheoriginal2producersofBenandJessshouldhavebeen
enoughtoworkontheshow.Theworkloadwasnotsharedevenly,andthis
resultedinoneAssistantProducerbeingneglectedandtheotherbeingbumped
uptoaFullProducerbecausetrustissuesemergedwithintheteamoverthe
abilitytodothejob.ThemainlessontolearnfromtheproducingofFootlooseis
thatpeopleneedtohavecleardistinctionsandpeopleshouldnotlookto
oversteptheirboundaryontheirworkload,butsimilarlytheymustnotshyaway
fromtheroletheyweregiven.
TechandStaging
Techcontinuestoplayavitalroleinallofourshows,andthepraiseforStageSoc
andtheirfresherteamwasnolessthanbrilliant.Thecastandprodteam
commentedonhowtheteamwereconstantlylookingtohelpthem,especially
whenitcametosafetyandsortingtheirmicpacks.
Onecommentfromacastmemberhighlightedanissuewiththegetout,which
leftamajorityofthecastsittingaroundnotknowinghowtoaidStageSoc.The
listofjobsontheboardwashelpful,butthetechnicalnamesanduseof
equipmentmeanttheystillfeltlargelyclueless.Onecommentsuggesteda
possible‘getouttutorial’forveryheavytechshows,butwhetherthiswouldjust
complicatetheclearupfurtherisdowntoStageSoc’sdiscretion.
Thestagingreceivedpraiseallroundforit’sgooduseoflevels,withmany
audiencememberspickinguponhowa“relativelysmallstage”wasusedtogreat
effect.Theaudiencelovedthecombinationbetweenthesetandthelights,no
commentcansummarisebetterthanonecastmember:Theybroughttheshow
tolife.
AOB
Regardingthecoin-gamethat,ifusedinthefuture,provedtobeasuccessful
fundraiserfortheShowstoppers’Ball.Itreceivedmixedfeedbackasbeing“too
enforced,notbeingabletoleave”,butoverallreflectedpositively.“Aanaside,the
youngmanwhodidthe"heads&tails"intheintervalshouldbecongratulated.It
isagreat(andeasy)waytoraisefunds.Theaudiencewasveryrowdyandquite
mean.Hecarrieditoffwithconfidence,butmaybeanoteintheprogrammemay
helptoencouragemoretotakepartinthefuture.”
Summary
Ialwaysthoughtfeedbackvoicesashow’spraisebetterthananyliaison,soI’ve
endedfeedbackwithsomequotesfromtheprocess.Overallitwasthoroughly
enjoyableandbothcastandprodteamspokehighlyoftheirexperiences.The
showredefinedtheleveloffutureFreshershowsandallthoseinvolvedshould
beincrediblyproud.
Cast:“ILOVEFootlooseandamsogratefultohavebeeninitandtohavebecome
apartoftheShowstoppersfamily.”
Audience:“Ireallyenjoyedtheproductionthereweren'tanyemptyseatssothat
musttellyousomething.”
Audience:“Ithinkeveryonewhowasinitshouldbecongratulatedincommitting
toaproductionwithafairlyshortrun-intimeandcarryingitoffsuperbly.
Brilliant”.
Audience:Asourex-Presidentstated,“Oneofthebestdanceshow’sI’veseen
Showstopper’sdo.”
ProdTeam:“GOLDSTAR!”
ProdTeam:“Ilovedthiscastsomuch,andImissthemalready.”
ProdTeam:“IfIhadatimemachineandcouldgobackandrelivethewhole
experienceagain,Iwould.ButIcan't,soIwon't.”