Statement: Producing the Play

Production Problems by the Text

In Phantom of the Opera, there are actually quite a few problems that I have seen. Most if not all of them are production problems. First has to do with the underground area. In the underground area, the Phantom uses a boat to go from one side of the lake to the other. This would be very difficult in several ways - one of the ways being steering the boat if a boat is used. There are also various other architectural problems. The one that stands out for me personally is the chandelier(s). If one is used - or two depending - then they have to be careful with it/them since night after night they would have them "crashing" to the floor - twice a night if they have just one. And then there is the stairwells. There are multiple scenes with some sort of stairwell and it would be difficult with not only building at least two sets of stairs but figuring out how to get the cast members up to the top of the stairs if that is where they are supposed to start the scene.



Production Problems Posed by Our Context

As far as context production goes with Phantom there are only a few problems. The largest problem to take care of of the issues is actually having to do with costuming. Several of the costumes for the in-production plays are extremely elaborate - especially with Hannibal and Il Muto. There are also the late 19th century French uniforms that have to be done as well and the dresses and costumes for the masquerade scene at the start of the second act. There isn't much with morals that has to be worried about. It would be slightly troublesome for some if people don't like the thought of a murder or two men lusting after one woman - especially since one of the men is old enough to be her father. Other than that there is no real foreseeable issues with the context of the play.



Other Productions Solutions

Upon what I've seen and read about other productions many of the problems have been solved. With Baldwin-Wallace's production, they actually altered some of the scenes so that extreme special effects did not have to be used. Two of such scenes were the underground boat scene and the chandelier crashing to the ground. In one photo I saw from them, I assume that instead of a boat they actually used a live horse instead. Other productions have used boats from what I have seen of them and they have actually done very well. As far as costuming has gone, when Carroll Senior High made their production they raised the money themselves - over $75,000 when is was all said and done.



Critical Response

When reading each of the review, the critics of the ones that I had found had nothing but good things to say. Each had known the script and were familiar with it. The script was a favorite with little if anything changed about it from production to productions. Mostly what was reviewed though was how the production was put on from place to place. In the cases of the schools, they continually had to remind themselves that these people weren't professionals putting the plays on. They were impressed with each production and whether it was the amateur versions or the actual Broadway production, it didn't really matter in the end.