Theatre In Film Series: Cinema’s Love Affair with the Stage
Written by Ashleigh Gardner
August 1, 2018
From the theatrical sets of Viaje a la Luna (A Trip to the Moon) to the big-budget CGI effects in the Avengers series, the world has been obsessed with film. But film wouldn’t be where it is today without the efforts of playwrights, directors, actors, and designers from the stage — the origin of acting, drama, and storytelling for the masses.
I’m a theatre geek at heart, but my personal love affair with cinema began when I watched Charlie Kaufman’s Being John Malkovich for the first time. This love affair continued throughout my post-grad years when I studied contemporary character-centric cinema alongside Victorian literature and gender studies. My interests led me to the films of Wes Anderson, Orson Welles, Sofia Coppola, David Fincher, P.T. Anderson, Kubrick, Tarantino, Scorsese, Hitchcock, Lynch, and so many others. I love theatre; I adore film. And so “Theatre in Film” became a passion project that showcases a different movie every entry — movies that celebrate, document, and reveal the stories theatre artists experience behind the scenes. In each entry, I provide the director, the cast list, a synopsis, and a breakdown of the film’s theatrical, cultural, and symbolic meanings. These articles can be used in theatre or film classes or for extra credit assignments. There are roughly five films per unit, and each unit focuses on a different aspect of theatre, ranging from theme to character style to technical achievements. Take a look. I’m sure you’ll find something you identify with.
Sincerely,
Ashleigh Gardner
Performer Stuff Editor
Part 1: Behind-the-Scenes Drama in Black and White
Classic Hollywood films that display theatre and the backstage and home lives of actors, directors, writers, and dancers who inhabit the stage. (Pictured above is Limelight from 1952.)
Part 2: Comedy and Drama in Full Color
The latter years of Classic Hollywood Cinema when Technicolor was new and movie musicals, filled with rich color and vibrant acting, lifted off the screen. With a transition into Part 3 with John Cassavetes’ film Opening Night. (Pictured above is The Producers from 1967.)
Part 3: The Struggle of the Theatre Artist
Private struggles of the theatre professional, from directors and choreographers to actors and dancers, informally introduced from John Cassavetes’ Opening Night from Part 2. (Pictured above is A Chorus Line from 1985.)
Part 4: Backstage Drama in the Contemporary Theatre
Interpersonal relationships within theatre — the love, the complications, and the comedy that inevitably occur when actors, directors, playwrights, and technicians share the same space for extended periods of time. (Pictured above is Noises Off! from 1992.)
Part 5: Ethics, Gender, and Politics in Theatre
Cinema from 1995 to 1999 that feature social, moral, ethical, and political issues within the theatre. (Pictured above is Cradle Will Rock from 1999.)
Part 6: Internal Conflict
Films from 2003 to 2008 that feature characters overcoming internal and very personal struggles to find their happiness in a life of theatre. (Pictured above is Me and Orson Welles from 2008.)
Part 7: The Gamut
Films with biting humor, fantastical plots, and theatre family values. (Pictured above is Don’t Think Twice from 2016.)
Part 8: Personal Struggles Meet Professional Obligations
Films that showcase the absurdity of a life in the theatre: backstage accidents, drama queens, and ridiculously comedic catastrophes. (Pictured above is Birdman from 2014.)
Part 9: Bonus Features
Films that didn’t make the first cut (holiday films, big-budget musicals), but still deserve an honorable mention. (Pictured above is White Christmas from 1954.)
Hungry for more theatre history? Check out our other stories below!
- Diva Alert #1: Ethel Merman
- Diva Alert #2: Mary Martin
- Diva Alert #3: Marilyn Miller
- Diva Alert #4: Gertrude Lawrence
- Diva Alert #5: Nanette Fabray
- Diva Alert #6: Gwen Verdon
- Diva Alert #7: Carol Channing
- Diva Alert #8: Julie Andrews
- Diva Alert #9: Barbara Cook
- Diva Alert #10: Barbra Streisand
- Diva Alert #11: Angela Lansbury
- Diva Alert #12: Elaine Stritch
- Diva Alert #13: Nancy Walker
- Diva Alert #14: Chita Rivera
- Diva Alert #15: Dolores Gray
- Diva Alert #17: Bernadette Peters
- Diva Alert #18: Patti LuPone
- The Island of Misfit Plays: Coco (1969)