Professional Documents
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Performance Studies
May 2, 2017
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The Performances of the Playbill - Draft #1
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The playbilla universal pamphlet of sorts, a symbol of commercial theatrical
performance adorning many a young, aspiring actors bedroom walls. The trademark yellow and
black, immediately recognizable, acts as an all-purpose frame for successes and flops alike. A
sort of great equalizer, the playbill seems to scream this is a professional production! It heralds
great performances to come and remembers great performances in the past. While playbills are,
no doubt, a signature of western theatre, what is their actual purpose? While this question may
seem foolishly simple to answer, the playbills thin pages contain far more than simply headshots
and 150-word bios. A playbill not only acts as an introduction to the show being attended, but, as
an intersection between character and actor personas via a public platform, is a performance in
a purpose during the show itself, it performs even after the play has ended. The status of a
playbill as an audience members guide into both the formal performance and backstage levels of
the show being watched intersects with the performative and backstage performances of the
direct purpose is to aid in the audiences depth of understanding of the performance; however, it
does so by shedding light on the real aspects of the production. As Gillian Russell, in her
article Announcing Each Day the Performances: Playbills, Ephemerality, and Romantic Media/
Theater History, writes: The playbill enunciated the play to be performed, the actors, the
existence of the playhouse, and implicitly, a potential audience, while at the same time signifying
dimensions of theater and theatricality beyond the specific performance event. (Russell 242).
By delving into the history of the playbill as well as its place in performance, the personal scope,
and theatrical society, I will seek to explore the contrast of ultimate specificity and the sense of
Playbills date back to as early as 1587, and, since their conception, have been integral
parts of the theatergoing experience. Playbills served as means of advertisement and combined
theatricality with practicality. As Russell writes, The importance of the playbill in theatrical and
urban culture dates from the early modern period, the records of the Stationers Company
showing that a succession of printers were authorized to produce playbills from 1587
onwards. (Russell 242). These early playbills, slightly different from those that we see today,
were more or less alike in content. They told audiences when and where performances took
place, the program and sequence of entertainment, the performers names, and the prices of
different sections of the house. Playbills came in various different sizes, from handheld to poster-
size. Russell writes that, even in these early years, the status of the playbill as an icon of the
theatre was already established. The reach of the playbill was undeniable: it was not uncommon
to see playbills littering the streets surrounding the theatre, and performers would bang on drums
In the context of a performance, a playbill serves the purpose of giving the audience a
gateway into the world of the show. It may clarify plot and include other important information
that the audience needs to know in order to reach a level of understanding about the show in a
way that the creators of the piece intend. In order to explore this concept, I will use the playbill
of the Broadway musical Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812, written and directed by
David Malloy. Self-defined as an Russian electropop opera, Great Comet is based on Leo
Tolstoys opus War and Peace. The ensemble, in the opening number, sings the lyrics: Theres a
war going on out there somewhere and Andrey isnt here / And this is all in your program / you
are at the opera / Gonna have to study up a little bit if you wanna keep with the plot / cuz' its a
complicated Russian novel everyones got nine different names / so look it up in your program /
wed appreciate it, thanks a lot. In the program, then, are pictured the family trees of Natasha
and Pierre. In this case, the playbill serves as both a clarifying help to the audience, but also a
direct tether to the performance. By breaking the fourth wall and directly referring to the
audiences programs, the musical therefore utilizes those programs as a piece of the performance
itself. The audience is drawn into the world of the play both on the level of plot understanding
but also into the actual show itself as an audience. In addition, the playbill serves as a tool to
enhance the quirky nature of the performance. As a whole, the show certainly asserts itself as
unconventional and wildactors play instruments and dance dressed in costumes that could be
described as 17th century Russian meets punk chic. Certain scenes that take place in a Russian
drinking salon are instead presented as modern-day raves complete with pounding electronic
dance music and strobe lights. Despite being a wonder of lighting and production values, part of
the charm of the show is that it is incredibly detail oriented. From the period side tables placed
strategically throughout the theatreeven in the mezzanineto the various different paintings
that cover the entirety of the theatres walls, there is no detail missed in this production. The
playbill, in this case, becomes yet another detail that punctuates the mood of the performance as
quirky and effervescent. By directly referencing the program in the lyrics of the song, the actors
poke fun at the audience and the confusion that they predict will ensue due to the large amount of
characters with complex Russian names. The ensemble poses themselves as our savior and
guide: when they sing, it is almost as if they personally have written the helpful guide included in
the program. While this is not true and the program has been put together by others not in the
show, the sense of community and personal understanding created by the playbills link to the
performers onstage creates then, in the audience, a sense of communitaswe are all confused
and we are now all looking at our programs after hearing that we should. Furthermore, the
tangibility of the playbill serves as a mobile and lasting reminder of the show that allows the
performance and the concrete nature of a playbill is almost ironic. How a symbolic piece of
paper could, in many years, become more real than a live performance put on by actors is aptly
described by theatrical scholar Jane Moody: these thin, fragile bills on cream or pale blue paper
did indeed memorialise and embody a vanishing theatrical past (Moody 2). Playbills serve the
performance both upfront and many years later in a practical waythey make sure it lasts.
In addition to being a window into the world of the play, the playbill gives insight into the
backstage world of the playthe actors, the creative team, and other important people whose
efforts have been integral to the inception of the show. While in the last example I gave, the
lyrics in Great Comet utilized the playbill as a device to break the fourth wall, the playbill, in
itself, serves this purposes as well. It identifies actors as more than just their characters and gives
a small look into who they are behind the scenes. The playbill takes on a Brechtian quality in
that it is a constant reminder that the people onstage are, in fact, not who they proclaim
themselves to be. It allows the audience to maintain a level of distance from believing that the
action unfolding onstage is reality. To better explore this concept, I will break down the actor bio
based on specifics as well as what I have noticed are general commonalities in bios that I have
seen throughout the years. Taking into consideration the bio of actress Manna Nichols in the
2016 broadway production of Allegiance, she writes Broadway debut!!! Regional: Miss Saigon,
Les Miserables, My Fair Lady, Guys and Dolls, The King and I. Love to God, Family, Will,
GGJFZ, BRS/Gage. www.MannaNichols.com As with Nichols bio and many others that I have
seen, there are several key components to what sheand otherschooses to present to the
audience. She writes about previous rolesmany actors also add general achievementsand
makes a note that this is her broadway debut. She gives thanks to her family, loved ones, and
agents, and also adds a spiritual aspectmany actors include mention of their faith system and
occasionally will add reference to a bible verse in their bio. Taking into consideration all of these
points, I argue that the playbill is a platform for actor promotion of self and promotion of values
all going to serve the purpose of creating as much of an identity as can be created in a few
sentences.
The playbill is also a representation of the larger theatrical community and acts as a
magazine of sorts, advertising upcoming theatrical events and showcasing articles with stars of
various shows that are currently playing. Quizzes and other interactive elements intensify the
theatrical experience, heightening it to encompass not only the specific show to which the
playbill belongs, but the theatrical community at large. As the playbill is made by a team within
the Playbill company, it is a piece of work made by a corporate entity responsible for creating
playbills for every Broadway and off-Broadway show. As such, from its conception the playbill
is part of a larger network of theatre. For example, included in the playbill of the 2016 revival of
Spring Awakening were an advertisement for Grease Live!, an article about BroadwayCon, a
feature on actor Brian dArcy James, and an advertisement for The Cherry Orchard at BAM. The
playbill takes advantage of the captive audience seated in the theatre and the time before
performance and during intermission where they might idly browse. It assumes that, as the
audience has been able to find their way to the theatre, that they are of a certain financial
standing and are interested in a specific genre of entertainment. While, as in the example above,
each playbill advertises of a vast range of theatrical experiences, all of them are similar in the
fact that they are all commercial and all quite expensive. In this way, the playbill performs as an
In addition to what the playbill does for the production and performers, it also becomes a
prop that allows that audience to assume the roles of theatergoers and good audience
members. The ritual of going to the theatre is further punctuated by the existence of the playbill;
many associate attending a theatrical performance with a sense of heightened formality, and by
having a sanctioned activity as a prelude to the next two and a half hours of viewing, the
audience enters a warm up of sorts. Given that attending a Broadway show nowadays is
incredibly expensive, many audience members treat seeing a show as a special occasionthey
may go out to dinner beforehand at a restaurant in the theatre district and may even dress up
more formally than they usually would. The anticipation that accompanies attending an event
with expectancy not only to be entertained or emotionally moved is coupled with the fact that
many have spent hundreds of dollars for this experience; thus, what happens in the first moments
of the theatre is of critical importance to the attitude that the audience will wear for the rest of the
performance. The playbill, in this instance, acts as a bridge between the outside world and the
world of the theatreit is small and unassuming enough to not jar the attentions of audience
members, but manages to present the show in a professional and easily palatable package. When
audience members enter the theatre to partake in a shared experience, they undergo a
transformation of sorts. Rather than being two hundred different people with completely separate
lives, they effectively take on the communal role of the audience. While a sense of community
is already created by the shared experience of going to the theatre as well as the physical four
walls that enclose a group of people who, very possibly, have never all been in the same room
together, the playbill furthers a sense of intentional communitas. If two hundred theatergoers
were to simply enter the theatre and whilst, waiting for the show, act in whatever manner they
wanted to, they would arguably be at incredibly varied emotional, mental, and physical states
when the performance began. The device of the playbill, however, creates a centralized and
socially appropriate action that binds the group together and could potentially create more of a
level emotional and mental playing field for the actors to then begin the show with. While, of
course, this is not to say that the playbill immediately wipes the brains of all single-minded
audience members and causes them to think, feel, and act the same way, I do think that it can be
argued that the shared physical and mental actions of holding, reading, and flipping through a
playbill do create a sense of stasis within communitas that is beneficial to how audiences view
the performance. As Russell writes, The playbill was also capable of facilitating and
event itself and its relationship to other similar experienceswhat might be called
intersociability. (Russell 244); having read the playbill, audience members may confer with
friends about actors who they like, perhaps ones who they think are good looking or even who
have attended their own alma maters. If chatty or outgoing, they might even confer with
strangers. In this way, the playbill is also a social device that could stir up conversation and
community in themselves could be considered a good audience. Russells quote and the
relationship of the playbill to other sociabilities is further echoed in the social media performance
of an audience member: taking mandatory selfies with artfully posed playbills against the
backdrop of the stage to be posted to Facebook or Instagram. Even in a larger sphere, the playbill
performs as a tool to aid the audience member perform a certain persona that can be
Furthermore, even after the performance is done, the playbill is elevated in status to being
who might visit the audience members home, and even a financial investment. The audience
member often takes the playbill home and displays it on a wall, shelf, or perhaps in a collection.
Similar to how seeing the playbill at the beginning of the performance paved the mindset of the
audience member to be prepared to view the show immediately at hand, seeing the playbill later
on takes the audience back to their viewing experience. As a kind of portal, playbills seem to
transcend their own textuality, summoning back the forms of subjectivity and kinds of inside
knowledge at the heart of the theatrical event. (Moody 3). Even more than simply the theatrical
event, the playbill may stir up memories of the whole trip taken to New York or even just the
dinner beforehand. In addition, playbills and playbill collections can become collectors items
especially for shows that close quickly or have a big star in them. They not only become status-
makers in terms of elevating the stance of the audience member to that of a theatrically cultured
person, but are also symbols of economic wealth. Commercial theatre has become a luxury
experience; to possess a playbill of a show is indicative of being able to afford that experience.
Moreover, the playbills themselves can gain monetary value, and can be resold on sites such as
eBay.com for far more than it cost to produce them. While not necessarily practical or
consistently lucrative, playbills can possibly perform as investments similar to art pieces or
antiques.
While small and unassuming, the playbill certainly packs a punch with its amalgam
performance. While I have detailed several functions of the playbill, I have no doubt that there
are countless others and that there will continue to be more performative aspects as playbill.com
and its multiple platforms continue growing in this digital age. From the 14th Century to today,
there is no doubt that the playbill has ever been anything other than an integral piece of theatre to
everyone involved in the productionthe creative team, the actors, the audience, and even the
wider theatrical community. The beauty of theatrical performance, many say, is that it is fleeting.
While a show may run for years upon years, every nights performance will be different. While,
of course, the playbill does not manifest the entirety of theatricality that is created with live
When the curtain is closed and the set has been taken down, theatergoers might still be able to
flip through a playbill wherever they are in the world and remember not only the performance
itself, but the feelings that they feltplaybills seem to transcend their own textuality,
summoning back the forms of subjectivity and kinds of inside knowledge at the heart of the
theatrical event (Moody 3). The irony of all the life, energy, heart and sweat of live theatre
will never be real life. Perhaps, then, the playbill takes on another role not only as bridge into the
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Bibliography
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Bratton, Jacqueline Susan. New Readings in Theatre History. Cambridge (GB): Cambridge UP,
2003. 38-39. Print.
Russell, Gillian. "'Announcing Each Day the Performances': Playbills, Ephemerality, and
Romantic Period Media/Theater History." Studies in Romanticism, vol. 54, no. 2, 2015, pp.
241-268. EBSCOhost, ezproxy.library.nyu.edu:2048/login?url=http://search.ebscohost.com/
login.aspx?direct=true&db=edsmzh&AN=2015582764&site=eds-live.
Moody, J., (2009). Response: Jane Moody. 19: Interdisciplinary Studies in the Long Nineteenth
Century. (8). DOI: http://doi.org/10.16995/ntn.503
Ross, Blake, Pam Karr, and Scott Hale, eds. Spring Awakening. New York City: Bruce Hallett,
2016. Print.
Ross, Blake, Pam Karr, and Scott Hale, eds. Allegiance. New York City: Bruce Hallett, 2016.
Print.
Peikert, Mark, Scott Hale, and Jenna Perrino, eds. Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812.
New York City: Glenn Shaevitz, 2017. Print.
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