Nudity in the theater

[NewAndNude]

I'm looking for books or articles on nudity in the theater. Preferably how actors and actresses have dealt with the various ways and means of changing costumes in between scenes or acts. Would anybody know where I might start looking for such a subject? Besides writing my own, I mean.

[NewAndNude]

I'm looking for books or articles on nudity in the theater. Preferably how actors and actresses have dealt with the various ways and means of changing costumes in between scenes or acts. Would anybody know where I might start looking for such a subject? Besides writing my own, I mean.

[aquaman]

I'm not sure about other sources. I know Robert Duvall was filming a movie, Wrestling Ernest Hemingway, where he had a skinny-dipping scene with Richard Harris. Duvall, in the movie, told Harris they were going to "dip their worms". Harris was shocked when Duvall stood up in the rowboat and started undressing. Duvall was very insecure about this at first. The two of them helped each other through by "practicing" off screen. One of the lesser-known actresses in the movie talked about how odd (& somewhat amusing) to see these two old guys walking around the studio and suddenly drop their trousers for no reason. Due to their age, she wasn't offended for some reason.

Cher has so many costume changes in her shows that she has handle bars mounted in her dressing rooms. She'll literally run in and grab hold while others, men & women, rip off one costume and add another. She says it doesn't bother her because it is so fast & there's so much pressure that there's no way anyone could find it sexually stimulating. Plus, her daughter was photographed once in her teens when she & mom werer both wearing a type of pants with no backside. Newspapers had a field day with how she was "corrupting" her daughter somehow.

Hope it helps.

[aquaman]

BTW, both of those stories were on one of the E channel shows or Entertainment Tonight. You may consider searching lexus-nexus for articles using key words.

[johny]

Yeeaahh!
We have one extremely talanted theater regissor here (in America You may be call him director, but here director forms only the finances and salaries, but regia is made by regissor).

He made his screen name G.G.Gillinger (wasnt original GGG the famous gangster at Wild West?), and he produce about one new play each month and so many years long, so being the absolute recordist between all other regissors who are capable best if for one play at year.

So G.G.G. plays are taking about 2/3 of main theater repertuar here and 9/10 of them have at least couple of minute long naked scenes, what have been discussed by theater critics (of course) controversial way.

I like him, all his spectacles are less or more but great. But the same time the theater directors hate him and never allow to show his art in the main hall (~1000 places), for him is free only use a `cameral hall` (~40 places). So big hall stays permanently empty, but small overcrowded.

What is a lesson? May be mister Murphy - "Noone of good deeds at this world will not left to stay without of penalty".

[johny]

For ""NewAndNude""

Book I dont know but generally the changes are made by a proffessional "dresser" what are coming around and You have no a time to blink with an eye as You have re-dressed.

More, if the play have been designed to quick change of the dresses, then of course the dresses are designed to be redressed in nontraditional fast way. For that every theater have an own clothes designer or couple with big sewing store with some half of dosen sewers.

I know quite well that actors and actresses have a quite free moral and frequently they gain their position through the right bed/beds (even man too, for theater makers was historically first here showing off the homosexual scandals). But it changes from place to place and not all artists are equal in this meaning.

But I never had heard, even from my relatives working in this branch, that they have been having "nothing under" the garments on the screen or at the changing room.

[Rex]

My second wife was a model [before we met] and she told me how the models, male and female, just got out of one outfit and into another as quickly as they could. Being nude in front of one another was a non-event.

Whilst we were together, she was a performing cabaret style belly dancer and was often in shows, some of which were at some of Perth's most popular theatre venues. Sometimes I'd be in the shows too, but usually I'd be dressed as a sultan or similar and just be "part of the scenery". Often the men and women would be in the same dressing room and no-one cared.

About 30 years ago, I was friendly with the wardrobe mistress at a Perth university which had a performing arts graduate course. The uni theatre had one dressing room, which all had to share. I expressed surprise at this, because I realise that some people would find this "difficult". The wardrobe mistress told me that "getting used to it" was part of the course, to prepare the budding actors and actresses for the realities of real life theatre.

Wasn't some of this covered in a film? May have been "Fame".

[Kari P]

The original question was about changing costumes in between scenes, but the title can be read as referring to plays where there are nude scenes. Is it so rare in the US that you don't even ask if the readers have seen nudes in the theater?

Well, here nudity can sometimes be seen on the stage. In my nearest bigger town there is such a play going, and the critics do not concentrate on nudity, they only mention it. But I haven't seen any plays with nude scenes in the theater.

Kari P

[Rex]

I have seen a lot of nudity in Australian theatre.

"Shirley Valentine", Australian performing rights bought by English/Australian actress Amanda Muggleton, where Amanda [as Shirley] spends a substantial part of the time nude on stage, sitting, walking aroung, generally being just herself.

Another English play about the council proposal to close down the public bath-house being fought by the female regulars, all of which are nude on stage for extended periods of time.

Another, very serious and poignant play, about a blind couple meeting and falling in love and exploring one another's bodies by touch. Very sensitively done and not the least bit pornographic.

A farce featuring English actor Robin something-or-other, famous [infamous?] for his nude roles in the comedy film series "Confessions of a -----". [Not a "naughty" word, just representative of several in the series.]

And of course "Hair". We were right in the middle of the front row. The lead actor, wearing his little Hippy loincloth, made the mistake of "jiggling" at my wife in a suggestive manner. She leaned forward and lifted up his loincloth. I don't know if he was wearing anything underneath or not, I was too busy laughing!

[Craignude]

What about "Oh Calcutta" I wanted to try for a part in the play when I was in college. Never got the chance. I was surprised when I saw the play as I thought all in it would have perfect bodies which they did not.

I did perform in "Butterflies are Free" There is a part where I had to walk around in my underware and we discussed doing it nude of course we were not allowed to do so.

Craig

[lightmetal]

I haven't heard of any books being written on the subject (haven't looked either [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img] ), but I do know from my own personal experience that costume changes are no big deal. While in High School (many moons ago), the theatre director, on the very first day of auditions, would tell the potential thespians that "the actors tool is his/her body. You don't see a carpenter hiding his hammer when someone is around, do you? If there is anyone here who is not comfortable with the possibility of seeing someone naked, or being seen naked yourself, now is the time to leave."
There were many times that actors and actresses had to do costume changes in 30 seconds or less (during the blackouts between scenes). They did not have time to go to the dressing room. Behind the stage curtain, in the wings, became the dressing room, and whomever was around helped with the change. During one show, I had to assist a female do a complete change, while she played the piano! Now remember, this is in High School, raging hormones and all! But the fact that I had just helped her strip down to nothing and get dressed again was a non-issue. We both had a job to do, and that's how we looked at it. The show must go on.
Sorry if this seemed to ramble...it's past my bedtime [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_rolleyes.gif[/img]

[pukunui]

As an actor, director, acting teacher and playwright I feel I should put my 2 cents in.
Nudity in the theatre both on stage and back stage is an non-issue. Back stage complete nudity rarely happens but stripping down to your undies in front of everyone is the norm. If you are required to completely strip it's so fast and everyone else is so busy that it's really not a problem. It's hectic back there, noboby has the time to look or be embarressed.
On stage nudity is another matter. Most GOOD actor's will do it and feel at ease. It is after all not them on stage, it's the character. If you are not completely IN CHARACTER and it's YOU on that stage, you will have a problem and shouldn't be on stage.
The public's reaction to nudity on stage can be tricky. Brief nudity is accepted a lot easier in a comedy than a drama but most companies won't do prolonged nudity and community theatre doesn't do it at all, well, not the ones that I know off.
I'm writing a comedy now (almost finished) called "Open Day". Guess what that's about. All but one of the characters are nude through out. I've had several plays produced, all to good reviews but I can't get anyone interested in producing this one. Maybe I should send it to INA.
As for books on the subject. Sorry, don't know of any.