Return to the Forbidden Planet
Ferndale Repertory Theatre, Ferndale CA, July 1998
Director: Patrick Spike
Set by Tom Roscoe
Lights by Joe Collins
Pyrotechnics by Dan Lawrence
Voted Outstanding -
Direction (Patrick Spike)
Choreography (Patrick Spike)
Make-up & hair design (Monica Anderson)
Lighting design (Joe Collins)
Pyrotechnics (Dan Lawrence)
Sound design (Joe Collins)
Music/Band (Michael Lockmiller, bandleader)
Set design (Tom Roscoe)
- by Beti Trauth - "Beti's Best" - Humboldt Beacon
Set by Tom Roscoe
Lights by Joe Collins
Pyrotechnics by Dan Lawrence
Voted Outstanding -
Direction (Patrick Spike)
Choreography (Patrick Spike)
Make-up & hair design (Monica Anderson)
Lighting design (Joe Collins)
Pyrotechnics (Dan Lawrence)
Sound design (Joe Collins)
Music/Band (Michael Lockmiller, bandleader)
Set design (Tom Roscoe)
- by Beti Trauth - "Beti's Best" - Humboldt Beacon
These photos are the property of Patrick Spike, please do not duplicate, download, copy or print without expressed permission. Thank you.
"This wild looseness and apparent easygoing style camouflages what actually is an extremely exacting production."
- Barry Blake - The Times Standard
"[RFP] is this summer's absolute must-see for North Coast theatre... Director Patrick Spike takes full advantage of the Rep's aisles as well as the stage, to move the actor/singers through the space ship illusion he has so skillfully created.. This show is, quite simply, the best technically conceived production that I've ever seen here."
- Beti Trauth - The Arcata Eye
Concept Statement, Return to the Forbidden Planet updated March 28, 1999
Introduction
The search for the perfect musical for the Ferndale Repertory Theatre summer slot went on for months. I suggested a number of shows that I felt would work well at the theatre until I remembered Forbidden Planet. It was the perfect choice - small cast, small band, single set, intriguing premise and title, and all recognizable music from the 50’s and 60’s. Following the previous summer's Godspell, it was perfect, and very creative and fun for all of us.
Concept & Goals
With the 50’s - 60’s influence of the music, the period setting of the original film, and even the campiness of the pseudo-Shakespearean dialogue, we decided to emphasize a style reminiscent of the old sci-fi movies and television shows, pushing it to it’s campy limit. This show is a romp through space: a true challenge to put on stage. The team knew we needed an enormous amount of flash and special effects. Luckily the theatre had just purchased a new computerized light board. Additionally, we knew a local explosives expert who agreed to do the pyrotechnics on the production. With a wonderful cast and a talented band leader we were ready to begin.
Challenges and Approach
The script is still in manuscript form with certain songs marked out as not available in the United States. Entrances and exits of characters are often not indicated, leaving me to determine their placement. The music was hand written and often illegible and the band, though very talented, were not experienced at theatre production and assumed, because the songs were well known, that they didn’t need to carefully read the music. Once they discovered that a great deal of dialogue had to fit into the music precisely, we got everyone on track. In it's original production, the instruments were played by the cast. Given our talent pool, that was impossible, so instead I placed the band onstage as part of the bridge crew. The audience members were treated as passengers on Interplanetary Space Flight #9, as the script suggests, and I accentuated this by having the cast usher the show and also hand out peanuts at intermission a' la stewards and stewardesses. We worked out different planned improvisational moments providing a framework in which the cast could interact with the audience and the ‘show’ in the house became a much loved portion of the audience’s experience. Aisles were utilized to bring the action of the show out into the audience and further identify the entire theatre as the ‘ship.’
Outcome
Despite the difficulties and obstacles caused by limited budget, script confusion, band inexperience and additionally, the unprofessional behavior of a couple of performers, this production was highly successful. Return to the Forbidden Planet was an enormous crowd pleaser, a unanimous critical success, highly attended, and ultimately a very unique event for the area. Personally I was very proud of this production and feel the enormous amount of work was entirely worth it. (It functioned on a few different levels, providing simple physical and lowbrow humor for some extending to subtle humor based on the use of the bastardized Shakespearean dialogue in specific ways in order to comment on the moment, the characters as well as the original Shakespearean source.)
- Barry Blake - The Times Standard
"[RFP] is this summer's absolute must-see for North Coast theatre... Director Patrick Spike takes full advantage of the Rep's aisles as well as the stage, to move the actor/singers through the space ship illusion he has so skillfully created.. This show is, quite simply, the best technically conceived production that I've ever seen here."
- Beti Trauth - The Arcata Eye
Concept Statement, Return to the Forbidden Planet updated March 28, 1999
Introduction
The search for the perfect musical for the Ferndale Repertory Theatre summer slot went on for months. I suggested a number of shows that I felt would work well at the theatre until I remembered Forbidden Planet. It was the perfect choice - small cast, small band, single set, intriguing premise and title, and all recognizable music from the 50’s and 60’s. Following the previous summer's Godspell, it was perfect, and very creative and fun for all of us.
Concept & Goals
With the 50’s - 60’s influence of the music, the period setting of the original film, and even the campiness of the pseudo-Shakespearean dialogue, we decided to emphasize a style reminiscent of the old sci-fi movies and television shows, pushing it to it’s campy limit. This show is a romp through space: a true challenge to put on stage. The team knew we needed an enormous amount of flash and special effects. Luckily the theatre had just purchased a new computerized light board. Additionally, we knew a local explosives expert who agreed to do the pyrotechnics on the production. With a wonderful cast and a talented band leader we were ready to begin.
Challenges and Approach
The script is still in manuscript form with certain songs marked out as not available in the United States. Entrances and exits of characters are often not indicated, leaving me to determine their placement. The music was hand written and often illegible and the band, though very talented, were not experienced at theatre production and assumed, because the songs were well known, that they didn’t need to carefully read the music. Once they discovered that a great deal of dialogue had to fit into the music precisely, we got everyone on track. In it's original production, the instruments were played by the cast. Given our talent pool, that was impossible, so instead I placed the band onstage as part of the bridge crew. The audience members were treated as passengers on Interplanetary Space Flight #9, as the script suggests, and I accentuated this by having the cast usher the show and also hand out peanuts at intermission a' la stewards and stewardesses. We worked out different planned improvisational moments providing a framework in which the cast could interact with the audience and the ‘show’ in the house became a much loved portion of the audience’s experience. Aisles were utilized to bring the action of the show out into the audience and further identify the entire theatre as the ‘ship.’
Outcome
Despite the difficulties and obstacles caused by limited budget, script confusion, band inexperience and additionally, the unprofessional behavior of a couple of performers, this production was highly successful. Return to the Forbidden Planet was an enormous crowd pleaser, a unanimous critical success, highly attended, and ultimately a very unique event for the area. Personally I was very proud of this production and feel the enormous amount of work was entirely worth it. (It functioned on a few different levels, providing simple physical and lowbrow humor for some extending to subtle humor based on the use of the bastardized Shakespearean dialogue in specific ways in order to comment on the moment, the characters as well as the original Shakespearean source.)