Plunking time in the theater pit
STORY AND PHOTOS BY MATT ROWNING
Since I ’ve arrived in college, I ’ve
acted in five plays and played in
two orchestra pits. As a guitarist, I
love the opportunity to play in an
orchestra, as the guitar is not an
orchestral instrument.
The show “ Once On This Island” at
Clackamas High School showed Nov.
6 through Nov. 14 and was my last
musical occupation. This time around
I played the bass guitar. It’s a switch
up from the norm, as the guitar and
the bass read in different clefs. Still,
as a college player, I felt comfortable
to sit and sight read the part at the
first dress.
The experience o f being in an
orchestra pit is very distinct from
being on stage as an actor. An actor
usually has more time to rehearse
and rightfully so. There’ s lines to
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be learned, scenes to be blocked
and em otions to explore. Theater
techs usually have extra tim e over
m u sic ia n s too: se ts
need to be designed and
built, sound and lights
cued. Orchestra players
w ill m eet before the
dress rehearsals for a
w eekly rehearsal only
once or tw ice before
dress. There’ s a technical
demand to be able to pick
up a score and play it well
from the first tim e you
ever see it.
Musicals pose additional
challenges to even the seasoned
m u sician. M usicals often are in
w hat’ s called “ mixed m eter,” that
is, different time signatures all back
In “ Once On th is Is la n d ,” I
to back. This kind o f songw riting
encountered
plenty of recitative, as
is usually a byproduct o f w hat’ s
called “ recitative.” Recitative is an well as lots of fast tempos and hard
Italian word from opera tim e structures. As a player, the
that describes dialogue direction and skill of the conductor
that is sung. This kind are very helpful in getting through
o f sung dialogue often these passages. D irectors’ cues
h as stran ge m u sica l guide us orchestra members through
vamps, holds and pauses where we
sid e
e ffe c ts
th a t
can’t hear or see the stage action. A
are c h a lle n g in g fo r
good director even notices if you’re
orchestra players. For
off, and corrects you accordingly.
some great examples of
Playing music is an am azing joy,
recitative, listen again to
and w henever the op portu n ity
the widely known “ Les comes to do it as a job I always jump
Misérables” and notice at it im m ediately. M usicals are an
all the sung dialogue awesome way for musicians to branch
that d o esn ’ t fa ll into out. Even if you’re not a m usician,
a norm al m usical structure. “ Into I recommend you go see one soon.
the Woods” by Steven Sondheim is The scope of talent from actors to
another great musical with plenty of musicians to techs is unbelievable,
sung speech.
and you won’t regret it.
There’s lines
to be learned,
scenes to be
blocked and
emotions to
explore.