The latest show I did photography for – Little Shop of Horrors at the Compass Rose Theater. They have an amazing show, by the way I strongly encourage you to check it out though their shows have been having this habit of selling out so you might want to get your tickets sooner rather than later. If you do manage to get tickets, it’s right there in downtown Annapolis so plan a nice evening out along with it. Their show will be going Through March 30. Check it out, you won’t regret it.
From left to right: Martin Egna as Mushnik, Keila Mumphord as Crystal, Cristen Young as Ronette, and Barret Johnson as Chiffon.
For theater photography you start at the same place with any type of photography – research and planning. Know what the show is about, even better if you can watch a version of it that is probably available on any number of websites if not on YouTube. Understand, of course, that part of the art of acting is that every director and actor is going to interpret and present the show differently. That’s what makes seeing shows at different places so cool – it is never the same.
Left to right: Andrew Agner-Nichols as Dr. Orin, Maxwell Wolf as Seymour.
As for planning, figure out how you are going to approach it. Me personally, I usually see what the directors/producers have in mind as far as marketing goes – usually they have an idea already for some posed shots and start from there. Then I try to get permission to get photos of the dress rehearsal as it is happening because there is usually a shot there the directors and producers don’t realize they want. This sort of hybrid set up tends to get some great results and gives them a lot of photos they can use to market their show with.
I have a few more thoughts on this, maybe I will post them next week. But go see Little Shop of Horrors at the Compass Rose Theater.