Speaker 1  [0:02] 
Linda, this Reo is at New Salem State Park in Illinois, and it's July 31 1966.

Speaker 1  [0:19]  
This report will cover the production by Southern Illinois University southern players who are mostly graduate students and students attending here as part of a practical summer theatre productions session, for course credit which began at Southern Illinois University before they came up here for the production of the two plays prologue to glory, and Our American Cousin. Paragraph first a footnote about the general situation. This area where Kermit hunters forever this land was played in the mid 50s. Is not a tourist area in any other sense than a pass through area. It's very similar to Harrisburg and its situation in that a great many people come through to see in New Salem State Park. But these are wanting to our transient visitors and not those who would necessarily be staying to see a play period paragraph. In addition, the

Speaker 1  [1:48]  
production of the Kermit 100 Play, which lost about $50,000 in his two seasons of operation left considerable hostility in the town to dramatic ventures. And the motels mostly with one exception, the motels around are in very poor shape and rather badly operated. The park itself is not kept up the amphitheater and the backstage buildings and equipment have not been kept up by the state parks department.

Speaker 1  [2:33]  
Which means considerable problems for the production company paragraph in the area. Lincoln who is the featured figure in the area is not promoted since Springfield's the State Capitol in quite the same way that tourists things are, are promoted in other areas there is lack of cooperation between elements. The available Lincoln attractions the local people themselves are somewhat jaded with Lincoln, this and Lincoln that so that the tendency to drive from Springfield to New Salem State Park is not as great perhaps as it would be if some other types of plays were being played. Period paragraph The Southern players have wisely after last year's test run experiment wisely selected one play which is about Lincoln, prolonged glory and the second play Our American Cousin which was the play that Lincoln was viewing at the time he was assassinated, but which essentially is a a type of old fashioned comedy melodrama. Very typical of its time and thoroughly enjoyable when, when played as comedy in contrast to the more serious play played on older nights. This does give the company a chance for those park visitors who do remain to encourage them to remain for two nights. It does give greater incentive to people in Springfield and other areas to come over. And probably the company will draw a bigger attendance this year than it did last period. The company is starting in a very small way and in terms of its promotion and it's front of the house handling. It's more closely allied to a summer stock, minimum summer stock operation and its business procedures than it is to the larger outdoor historical dramas, period paragraph. These productions are the first two that I have seen which were miked from live actors. The miking to my way of thinking it is not horribly objectionable, but it is a distraction in that the direction and location of voices being spoken is not always quickly established that makes have a tendency at times to react Oh, it's impossible to balance voices on the mics between different characters or from the time a character moves upstage to downstage toward the position of the of the mics. So that the level of projection is not quite the same. I do not in the size theater that they they have here feel that the miking actually is necessary. I feel that that perhaps it would not have been necessary to mic the shows had the actors been encouraged to project during the rehearsal period, I have some feeling that the director agrees with me. Period paragraph, the lighting equipment in the State Park is old and needs maintenance. Also, the lighting is insufficient for the purposes with a total of about 48,000 watts on the stage where possibly 70 or 80,000 would have been more appropriate for the space to be covered. The scenery and the plays in prolonged glory is semi realistic. It's rather modern, suggested new realism with a good bit of permanent or semi permanent built units that will stay in for the entire season. The play prolonged glory flows very well between the various stages, no scene shifts are necessary only some property shifts. the playing of the play therefore proceeds very easily and rapidly. Period. The acting is generally a bit better than college productions. Because more experienced college actors have been selected for the situation. And entrance to the company is by audition or by recommendation. And it's not an open company to just whoever would like to come. Paragraph liplay prolonged glory plays very well in his situation. In terms of its effect or ability to reach out to the audience, the director has made some steps to assist it's spectacular quality. And I think quite successfully, perhaps some more thought could be given to the, to the dances and to the way they're worked into the show and of the dances themselves. I did feel on opening night that the place suffered from lack of rehearsal. timing was off there were a number of technical arrows, speeches reversed, and so on with the plated flow along and the production that I saw last night the play had pulled together and will undoubtedly continue to improve as the season goes along. It is undoubtedly talking numbers of the actors a good experience for them. And it certainly is a presentation that is thoroughly enjoyable to an audience and about a subject being written about New Salem that is certainly appropriate for the for the area. I think probably the biggest problem is in the promotion and advertising in terms of successful audiences. And this seems to be gradually in a situation to be gradually improving with audiences growing as we indicated earlier, American cousin has done an old fashioned melodrama style with the director of supplying the bits of technique at times when the actors maybe we're not up to it. It plays in high contrast to the other show and is very well done giving in their repertory so far two plays in good contrast and plays that undoubtedly will prove that a repertory of related plays about a historical situation can be mounted. The scenery was specially designed to play in front of the permanent sets for prolonged glory and scene shifting as adapted from the old type of press proceeds from wing and dropped scenery with sliding panels to change the set and is highly successful at playing in a very shallow part of of the of the main stage. The concept of doing these two plays together technically has been handled very well except for the insufficient lighting for the, for the larger play prolonged glory paragraph I felt that the biggest problems that company faced here in terms of their moderate or or summer stock type of effort have been in their, in their publicity and promotion against something about hospitals situation in the community not hostile to them but more or less hostile to the possible success of any drama. Increased support from the state parks department in maintenance and repair and a general sprucing up of New Salem State Park would be of great help to these groups as with the cooperation of state publicity agencies, which essentially have ignored the fact that they're here. Period paragraph. I enjoyed both these plays, but neither are on a scale from any point of view to compare to the standard outdoor symphonic historic historical drama period. Because of the living conditions, where the actors are forced to live in the dressing rooms, because no immediately local housing as available, probably in my opinion, will cause morale problems later, in the later in the season. The attempt here to start on a small scale with outdoor drama of historical nature. And attempting to build the program, step by step has a good chance of success, in my opinion, and certainly, if successful, will prove the that repertory of plays is possible in this type of situation.

Speaker 1  [12:13]  
That's the end of this report, Linda. Linda, I am at Spearfish, South Dakota. I'm talking to Mr. Joseph Meyer, a producer of the Black Hills passion play. This is August first.

Speaker 1  [12:38]  
Correction this tape is made August 2 1966. Mr. Meyer, I'm going to ask a general question first. In terms of theatre production, and having having toured this particular play in many indoor theaters, and now producing it here, of course, outdoors for so many years, and so successfully. Could you comment on what you feel are the greatest advantages of being able to stage a production out of doors.

Speaker 2  [13:15]  
Our particular play has been presented primarily indoors. But when I came to the United States, the desire to put it into a setting suitable as the background for the play was very foremost in my mind and I began to search the country for a an area that would lend itself for outdoor drama. There are certain plays Mr. Summer that are particularly suitable for an outdoor production. And ours of course, is one of them. The ability to unfold the magnitude of the story and to develop its pageantry and to add this background of authenticity, you achieve to a greater degree in the outdoors. And the development of the stage here has been in the following a pattern that would establish the most suitable staging arrangement for the story, so that the realism of the play can be maintained and heightened throughout its presentation. The there are certain scenes in our production that I think are more advantageous from a viewpoint of observing them when they are presented indoors. Our scene of the Last Supper, for instance, lacks the intimacy that you experience when you are indoors when it is presented outdoors. The big map scenes the triumphal entry, gains greatly the scene before pilot the big pilot scene as we refer to it when the mob rushes the stage and demands that Christ be crucified, again, games out of doors, so does the march to Golgotha. And the first part of the crucifixion. Very often the weather cooperates and the experience of witnessing such a scene under these unique conditions, leaves and any reasonable impression upon the minds of the spectator. Therefore, the outdoor drama has a great deal to add to stories that basically fit out of those.

Speaker 1  [15:44]  
Perhaps we can come back to this business of story material. A bit later, of course, I'm concerned with something that you mentioned last night as a as a problem. This has to do with the voices. And the way to get the voices to the back row, you have, of course, far more seats than the average Amphitheater in our part of the country, which means a greater projection problem. I wonder if you would move a little bit from advantages to disadvantages here. And to give us some indication of the problem and the way you have solved it?

Speaker 2  [16:20]  
Well, are we entering a production undertaking of this type, of course gives you a sufficient amount of problems and you must approach them logically and find the solution for them. It is like establishing a painting on a on a large canvas. That's the way I would refer to it. You're, you can't enlarge the human being to be in proportion as far as the audience is concerned, but his projection and his delivery has to be in such a manner that even people in the last row have a clear understanding of the story that is being told we at first worked without any amplification here later on, we had amplification added and it was not quite satisfactory, but we have now developed a system that is very definitely satisfactory as far as the audience reception of the plays concerned. However, in preparing a an actor for working on a stage of this size and scope, and to fit into the story, we employ a very definite method of reading our lines. The speech is measured, permitting it to travel this long distance from the point where it originates to the very last rule, the words are, are clear, they are properly pronounced that the endings are there, so that there is a distinction to the language, which again enables the listener to properly receive the line. When people come to us, they are there very often, well, they are not experienced at all in this type of reading. And so it is a matter of training them and gradually taking them through their paces. We rehearse despite the fact that this production has been presented in this country since I didn't and then 32 Almost without interruption, we still have two major rehearsals here, which we find is necessary not only for the newcomers, but also for the men who have participated for 1516 years in this production. Because unless the audience not only sees the story, but also hears it, it's a verbal interpretation, they miss a great deal of it and that is to the disadvantage of the play if people cannot hear properly. And so, we have solved this problem. I think effectively we have some very fine speakers and the acoustics naturally are quite good in our era. However, there are certain weather conditions on occasions where we are grateful for having the aid of the of the microphones. microphones to staged in such a position that each actor has to reach for it in order to get over it. It is not placed at his convenience on his lapel or within easy reaching this distance of about 10 inches. The mics are about 12 to 14 feet away from everyone necessitating the natural projection, the proper interpretation of speech taking away this intimacy that people so often produce when they read over a mic, because the there is no place in this production for that intimate reading. It is a bold, beautifully told story it is it is it is very dramatic. It encompasses the passion of man, and that there's nothing whispery about it. It's a bold interpretation, and he must remain

Speaker 1  [20:34]  
Mr. Davis, Cherokee, he was responsible for direction of the production layer has called this, this thing commenting to the same point and from the same point of view, but using different words called the the production that he was doing unnecessarily extroverted with little with a little opportunity to be introverted.

Unknown Speaker  [20:58]  
Yes, that's quite true.

Speaker 1  [21:01]  
You mentioned training the actors and one of the things we hope to come up with at the conclusion of the survey, and as a matter of fact, one of the things that we hoped indicate would be methods for improving training to make this available to the colleges and universities or at least to to certain areas where the information will eventually filter in that direction. I wonder did you find the performers from the colleges and universities that

Speaker 1  [21:31]  
apply to you for position or that come from professional schools and the normal indoor training? situation? Is it easy for them to grasp this with the use of the mics? Or do you you said train assume you have to work these people over?

Speaker 2  [21:47]  
Yes, quite thoroughly. For one thing, I believe in teaching speech, where we are still lacking the determination to go to the foundation of speech. I often have students here with college degrees, and they read lines intelligently and with considerable feeling. But when it comes to clarity of speech itself, it isn't there, it's perhaps it's our modern trend of tossing a line away. It's not my school. Each line that has written has a specific purpose. And unless it is properly injected in its place, and takes his position of importance in your story, your story suffers, I find it necessary that I take a an applicant, or someone who has been engaged and start from basic protection. In English, the vowels are our only means of getting a word across and that they are they're there, they're covered, they're there, they're muffled, they're, they're not clear. A word or two is fused with the next one. diminishing the ability to understand so I take my tools of direction and I carved them apart and they said now finish this before you start the next don't well use this phrase, through the gate of the Well I came, which is one of our lines in the opening of the production. The eye is lost entirely. The word came loses its meaning because they are fused together and there is no no such words as I came. So you start from from the very beginning to teach them how to properly speak their words and how to properly use their vowels in order to get protection and to finish their words in order to achieve clarity. And then you definitely have to slow them down time and again, because they have a tendency of reading much too fast. Eventually, after sufficient rehearsals and preparations when they work with the rest of the group, little by little they fit into the same pattern and you it's like a canoe going down the rabbit, a rowboat going down the river with both force pulling at the same force and then keeping the boat on an even keel.

Speaker 1  [24:41]  
I'm concerned and of course a little bit at a disadvantage about the tremendous number of people that you have to handle to get on stage and to get off stage. I just went over the theater and saw the places that they come and go along with handling numbers of of animals in the full scope of this. And I wanted to ask, as I say, my disadvantages, I have not seen the production and one until tonight, I wanted to ask in some general terms, what method you use to control and handle the the vast numbers of people that you do use from time to time,

Speaker 2  [25:20]  
we have a maximum of about 250 people that we use in the production. And the these people are supplied by our various churches in our community here. Many of them have been participating in the play with us for quite a number of years during the summer months, and they're quite up on the queues and their position in the place. Still, we do have a rehearsal. But unfortunately, there too, we never have quite the amount of rehearsal time because it's a voluntary participation on the part of these people. And if you if you need their services for a series of 40, or 45 performances during a season, as we do every Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday night, they feel that the attendance and performance itself is sufficient and rehearsals are not needed. Because they've done the same thing last year, well, you run into this situation, and it complicates your ability to handle them forever. I've always found it rather easy to handle the message group, my own people are trained, we have 38 in our company that have specific obligations and specific duties. In connection with handling these groups, they're always with them or amongst them to pass on cues and to pass on information at the time, even during the scene itself. But we have two general rehearsals in which we hit the top the highlights of their participation in the production. And it is, as I say, not too difficult to direct. Although you have this constant problem of watching for the untrained person walking around with glasses, because there are no glasses or wristwatches or there, their jaws growing, while they're not speaking align. And if that happens, you know, they're chewing gum, which is something they're not supposed to do, you can have one of these in a group of 30 and the audience will pick him out, even if he stands in the background. So these are things that we constantly on the lookout for. But by and large it isn't and then I find it necessary that perhaps all twice during the season, I have to have a session backstage and we pick up a few of the things where we feel that we are slipping the responses in certain scenes are the the improper behavior of teenagers. I asked for the cooperation of the adults to help me to control that situation and it's very effective and it works very well. But it is a constant matter of supervision you you play your part and you are in the production but your eyes are everywhere. And of course I've been accused of having eyes in the back of my head and I just assumed let that stay as as as it is. Because I find it it's a valuable asset even though I don't see out there I sense that something is wrong. And as long as to think I can see them they are less inclined to misbehave during a scene.

Speaker 1  [28:43]  
I was wondering in terms of of arranging the reactions of the various people do you do you have well I guess the best way to phrase it would be crowd captains are to you individually give the people in the scene a pro or a con attitude toward what may be taking place for it in order to arrange the crowd reactions.

Speaker 2  [29:12]  
Yes, we have of course we use the same group for for two scenes and they are definitely opposed to one another at the triumphal entry the Palm Sunday story. They are jubilant and welcome Christ with an enthusiasm that results in the waving of palms and the spreading of garments and a shouting of Hallo Hosanna   and then a little less than an hour and a half later they the same group comes out with fists up in the air shot in crucify Him to death with him. Having the attitude entirely changed as to what it was in this first scene. I Get the first of all, we have the rehearsals and I'd thoroughly explained the the the the nature of the scene and their own attitude. Rather than doing it with individuals, which time does not permit I must of necessity take groups, but they're rather easy to handle. However, to ensure continuation of the same rehearsed procedure, we do have group captains, people who are constantly in certain groups who continue to supervise before they come on, they may be at gate number 12345, or six are in each of these groups are waiting the entrance, which is either in accordance to lights or in accordance to a Music cue. Prior to entrance, they are being briefed by these group captains so that again, they come out with everything refreshed in their mind. But even so I do find, for instance, when I want a sustained reaction from from a map, it's at the first performance is fine, and the next one is very good. And the next one, it's good. But after 10 or 12 performances little by little that that brilliance that you must have that you look for that you need so badly to add life to the scene begins to diminish, well, that's when it's time for you to gather them backstage, to remind them of the fact that whether they just carry a spear, or whether they have the leading role, they are equally as important to the production, and they must equally enthusiastically contribute to the production and they must never flag for one single moment. Because even when they do the play as such suffers. And we're not getting we're not producing what we are called upon or promised to do. Then these little sessions, remedy the situation again for a little while until this occurs, that's the it's the normal non professional reaction on the part of participants in the play. Well, even with the professional, you will get to a certain degree if and when there is fatigue, your mental unrest or so it reflects in the performance and but your own company members you can take behind the scene and you can talk to them briefly and remind them of their professional obligations, and they snap out of it. But supers is something else again, there, you have to approach an appeal from an entirely different point of view. reminding them that even though they do portray a smaller part or a minor part that it is just as vital as your own, which may be the leading role.

Speaker 1  [32:58]  
Let's use some of the volunteer or Well, let's say the the local participants who are essentially except for the training that you have given them in terms of their past experience. And in terms of their rehearsal period. Do you have many, many people who simply drop out? Do you ever have to find replacements? Or is it a matter of? Well, I have to do something tonight, but I'll be back and being seen next performance? Would you care to comment on this because a number of groups do use local volunteers. And a number of them have had various problems. And I just wondered if they if you had this problem, and if so how you control it or what buildings safety guards you had put into the production to take care of that. So

Speaker 2  [33:44]  
to a certain measure, we are subject to the same situations that it's a long summer and people are being called upon to give up three nights a week, which is quite an obligation. And there are occasions when they must go to visit a relative or somebody who is ill or they themselves do not feel too well. In that case we have an arrangement whereby they provide a substitute, they each church is called upon to provide so many people for each gate we have six gates. And so the for each gate we need so many adults and so many youngsters these figures are being set up and at the end of the season each church receives a remuneration for this participation. The individual is not being paid but but his church is being paid. And therefore they feel what what they are doing actually as somehow first of all for their own denomination for their own church. Next it is for their city because the place of extreme benefit to the community from a commercial point of view, and third, I think they they very definitely like to make a contribution and to make people who come here to see the play, take something home that they remember, I think there is that pride in their own mind.

Speaker 1  [35:15]  
From my brief contacts in town, I would say yes, there's certainly yes, not just here. But in the whole region in which you work here. I would say certainly, I felt the same thing and Rapid City, crowd that the play was here and wanting, anytime it was mentioned, or even if it wasn't mentioned, as I watched it, some of the tourist places the suggestion and said with pride, have you seen and with an explanation, so I think that's, this has nothing to do with our tape. But you're right.

Speaker 2  [35:47]  
It's our but it's so vital for the success of outdoor drama to develop that type of a feeling in those who you asked to participate, whether you pay them for their services, or whether like in this instance, you pay the institution with furnish system, you must still give recognition to the individual's contribution. And you must give him that pat on the back. And you must tell him how wonderful it is that he or she is there and makes this contribution, and how much the people who come from many, many miles to see this play, have appreciated what they have received through the play a remembrance, which will stay with them for a great many years, we have people come time and again and they have seen the beauties of the hills, which are certainly outstanding here. They have been up to Yellowstone Park, where nature has been generous in providing worthwhile things to behold, still, after all this day, right back when they go home, and they say the highlight of this entire trip was the passion play. So when you can give such a remembrance to people, you receive a certain amount of satisfaction and our supers share in this with us. And we that's what we keep alive on we know it's it's necessary, it's necessary for the individual, he must have that feeling of achievement and accomplishment to encourage him to do better the next time even a an untrained, unskilled, professional super, must have that.

Speaker 1  [37:26]  
I have one other question here that arises somewhat out of other elements of this conversation. Having produced this play both indoors and out. Have you found your comment commented a little bit on this as why I asked this question. Have you found that in general in order to achieve the effects effects which are possible outside and sometimes not so possible in and inside in terms of the emotional impact of the impressiveness of the scope, all the pageantry all of this on the audience? For the performer? Now you are in the unusual position of being producer, director performer which gives you a look from every direction. Do you find that the energy the energy required to accomplish outdoors in performance is greater than it is indoors? This is almost a yes or no question. But I'm very curious about the

Speaker 2  [38:31]  
I would say no. I think I as one individual and my company members that I've been working with for years and professionals. I think almost instinctively, you adjust yourself to a situation if you have a large theater, if you have bad acoustics. If you have any any handicap that you do not encounter under normal conditions. The moment you become aware of it, you compensate for it because you want to do your best no matter what the circumstances are. You want your performance to be as impressive as it can be indoors or outdoors. Let us say from a physical point of view, perhaps the outdoor is a little bit more taxing. Due to run for indoors I carried the cross which weighs about 160 pounds. Sometimes it depends on the apron if it's a 30 or 40 foot apron I carried across that short distance and then somebody takes it over. Here on this stage when I take up that same cross I have to carry it for almost three city blocks up to the hill. Most of it myself later on I'm aided by someone who assists me in carrying the cross, but the physical task of doing it is proportionately greater than indoors. However there is there is still something within you the reason for your being where you are the reason for doing what you are doing, which automatically and mechanically almost releases the energy, the strength, the inspiration, the

Speaker 2  [40:25]  
pipe, whatever is needed for for the C in that it's an automatic release and instinctive release. And I think that's what you must have when whenever you choose the stage as a, as a professional working.

Speaker 1  [40:41]  
Following from from that question now, as a, as a director, do you find managing and controlling production outdoors to be a more difficult job than it is indoors? Or is this a fair question in this situation? No,

Speaker 2  [40:57]  
it is a fair question, I would go back to you our ability to have selected key men upon whom you can depend at all times, they must be as thoroughly familiar with what you are doing as you are, they must have that same feeling and sense of responsibility that you have. And if they are in their key position that they live up to their obligation there is here and there a location where the error occurs wherever somebody falls down on his job, and and that is human nature, those those are the things you correct. But by and large, I would say that I find it no more difficult to manage and handle the obligations out of doors. As compared to indoors, it either capacity as a director or as a producer or as an actor. Perhaps the the the answer to that lies in the fact that well, this thing up here was was conceived in my mind and developed in my mind and born out of my heart that has my sweat and my blood in it, and I'm part of it is part of me, that might be the answer to it. And yet, I find my well, people that have worked with me that I have in key positions, they have that same feeling toward it. And yet they came to us after it had been established, they were not present during the period of conception, and it's maturing, and it's coming into being still need. The story too, has a great deal to do with it. Telling the story of Christ as we do, there is that effect upon the participants, which is quite vital and quite important.

Speaker 1  [43:02]  
Confidence in the material, and certainly more than a confidence but an emotional response to the material you're working with would seem to be to me to be important in almost any artistic performer situation. And here, of course, you have not only the history and legend, this is a religious element to tie that in as to in terms of the value on the performer and the audience to Yes. I had one other one other question when I was listening so intently that I forgot it. Go it concerned? Well, it's oh yes, it concerned the decision to to arrange the stage and the auditorium section as you have done in terms of the of the design. I say this, because in our part of the country that plays have, such as The Last Colony, our Cherokee have followed a little different arrangement, the space is almost the same, but they use side stages to bring in around the sides of the audience using a more oval shaped auditorium. This purpose, and I wondered whether it was that in terms of deciding this arrangement? It was because of the arrangement of the areas of the play where you shift with lighting that determined the seating or was it the nature of the ground here that determined the stage in other words, the relationship of the performance areas to audiences what I'm asking you about decisions led to this

Unknown Speaker  [44:41]  
seating has been primarily arranged to provide the most advantageous location for the spectator for the play as a whole. Now the the spectators here, perhaps you have recognized are removed a little bit farther from this Stage and then in most theaters, they come down further and they come down on the sides more. When you when you face the stage here on your right stage left across that bridge and you go up that mountain, if we were to come in with audience right and a wing focusing into the main area of the stage, it would be unable to properly view the crucifixion on the hill, and they would have to turn in their seats and be rather uncomfortable. This way, I've removed them farther back from the stage and kept the seating area open except for the North wing, which I have on a slight angle here. But the rest of it is straight. And of course, it rises to give full vision to anyone in any seat and the person sitting ahead does in no way interfere with the clear free view of the person behind the stage itself,  the buildings are arranged in such a way and now there is no specific need for it to have it this way. In Florida, for instance, where we have the same arrangement of buildings, the order in which the buildings are is slightly different from here. But other words, the Bethany's seen here is unstaged, left, rather stage right, in Spearfish, and the tomb and the garden area is stage left. In Florida, it's the opposite way. The Bethany's on stage left and the garden scene and tombs in this stage right. But the center stage is in the same location, the pilot house, again, is reversed in Florida from the position here, it presents no major problem as far as the entrances and exits, and the succession of the scenes are concerned, it's merely a reversal, that it's very simple. But the mechanics of the stage, it's a matter of entrances and exits and lighting, to our merrily an expansion of what we've been doing for so many years indoors. In instead of a small Footlight of let's say, 150 200, but we have 500, but bolts in our Footlights, we have a long trough of the three colors, red, amber and blue. And even that is divided into 369 11 sections that are the 11 different controls in order to enable to give us light of a certain quality in any particular area of the stage, we do sometimes use the entire stage length and then again, for scenes, we only use a section and that section is illuminated putting the rest into more or less darkened to conditions so that your audience focuses on the on the area where the scene takes place. You will see the mechanics this evening when you watch the performance and it's really not at all complicated not at all difficult, but something which  was developed after a great deal of thought had been given to it and even some experiments were done. Now in constructing the states in Florida, which was done about 15 years after this had been established, we tried to eliminate certain disadvantages that we encountered here due to original basic construction. Still, the the play here moves along at such a fine pace that even though I have these minor complications, I still almost prefer this set to the Florida set. The Florida set is much more easy to work in. We have a slightly different physical condition of the theater here we are on a hillside in Florida we are in a depression. It's what they refer to as a sample where we have a completely down in Hello. And then there is a certain amount of humidity in the Florida air which we do not have here. Which enables us in the theater in Florida to not use any mics at all. Maybe we have only natural voice to On that there's no amplification at any phase of the production and the acoustics are excellent. We have no trouble with our voice to carry this 3500 seat FET and every line is as distinct and as clear up on top of the hill is down below. Here in South Dakota, we would have difficulties on on windy evenings and evenings and the atmosphere is very dry and the atmosphere is usually right up here. So we are in need of the aid of amplification here and not in Florida. Still, the personal preference of working on the stage for me is still Spearfish.

Speaker 2  [50:40]  
Linda, we have been talking to Mr. Joseph Meyer Spearfish, South Dakota. July. Well, August 2 1966. I'll be back with you on another real later. Linda, would you please on a separate sheet, make a note that I want to write a comment about footings for the rear of seating chairs. I want to make a note about a further note about drainage and about drainage outside the amphitheater as well as drainage of the amphitheater itself. Linda, I think we'd better write a thank you note to Dr. Harold Hanson. And I suppose you will have to look up is Provo Utah address in the current file? As I was pretty sure he was going back to the university after the hill Kamara pageant was over. Simply Dear Dr. Hanson. I do want to offer my sincere thanks for your wonderful cooperation and hospitality during my recent visit to the Hill Kamara pageant, period, paragraph I do hope that it will not be too long before we will be able to welcome you to Chapel Hill period paragraph I do want to offer my congratulations to you and to your staff on what I think is a fine Artistic Achievement paragraph yours very truly. And I think we'd better write

Speaker 1  [52:59]  
Dr. Chris Mo. Lincoln land Drama Festival, New Salem State Park Petersburg, Illinois. Dear Chris, my sincerest thanks for your wonderful hospitality and assistance during my recent visit to Cal so holla amphitheater that's ke LSL H O LL. O W.

Speaker 1  [53:43]  
Paragraph I am most grateful for the welcome extended by your staff and by members of the company which in addition to an opportunity to see two very enjoyable productions

Speaker 1  [54:04]  
gave me an opportunity to enjoy the work that I had come to do cureat paragraph I am impressed with the project you have started and the gains you have made.

Speaker 1  [54:24]  
And I offer sincerest best wishes to all on the successful season that I'm sure you will have cordially yours. This next note should go to Mr. Joseph Meyer J OSEFME. i e our Black Hills passion play Spearfish South Dakota 57763 Dear Joseph,

Speaker 1  [54:58]  
I would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your hospitality and for your assistance during my recent visit to your exciting project, period, paragraph

Speaker 1  [55:23]  
two you comma to hell comma and to all I must extend my sincere admiration period I enjoyed my visit from start to finish and I must simply extend a heartfelt thank you. Period paragraph. I do hope that at some early time in the future we will be able to welcome you to Chapel Hill period in the meantime, all best wishes for your continued success. Sincerely yours. And then the next note should go to Mr. Ag Rogers Black Hills passion play Spearfish South Dakota 57783 deer hell

Speaker 1  [56:36]  
in addition to valuable information for our production survey, comma It is exciting to me to find what I can best describe as in quotes kindred spirits and quote and Spearfish period paragraph thank you for making my stay in Spearfish an exciting and informative one and I hope you will thank your wife for the hospitality extended period paragraph my sincerest Thank you. And I do hope it will not be long before we will be able to welcome you again in Chapel Hill. Best regards. Now Linda if you would be kind enough to in a pair of envelopes each place put five brochures and if you can get them five copies of the publications available. Use as many envelopes as necessary send them to Chris mo at the project in Illinois sin route What did I say copies of our brochure folder and saw a few copies of publications available to them. And I wonder if you would send about five copies of the brochure and a copy of publications available to Harold Hanson. The following is a note on the stage at Spearfish and on the production at this writing I have not seen the production yet this is just on physical equipment. Some things I would like to note are that they have found and are now beginning to install as they are repairing the amphitheater. A plastic stadium seat which can be bought in sets and bolted into the concrete step at the rear of each seating aisle or ramp. I guess a stadium seating you would call it out probably get prices on this but I've not seen any of these plastic ones anywhere. They're they're quite heavy and of course our rain proof and don't need painting. They've had one group of them up here that had been up for a whole summer and showed absolutely no deterioration and now they have added others since they found out that they are tough. Also, this amphitheater includes semi permanent scenery and permanent buildings built into the back of the stage as part of the scenery so the lights may shift from place to place and change the set that way without having to actually change any scenery. But the backs of these buildings contain the dressing rooms and ready rooms for the various members and makeup rooms. In addition to a rather extensive array of buildings and stables at the rear of the theater where costumes are made and stored. The company uses about 250 people on average with the Psalm 30 principles and then the rest are brought. The rest are brought in on a voluntary basis. All other groups that sponsor them and as you want to notice from the note by Joseph Meyer are from churches and churches are paid at the end of the summer. It's not exactly like a completely voluntary cast the they're voluntary to the churches, but the churches do derive income from the passion play. The ramps of the theater that is the seating tears are all in straight lines except that the stage left or rather the auditorium left side is banked down to allow for increased sightlines toward the right the stage is about 360 feet across plus an extension that must run another 300 feet to a hill to the right side of the auditorium. The stages I mean the auditorium area is nearly square or I should say nearly rectangular, and not elliptical as in most of the theaters. About the same space is available for the main buildings as isn't available as isn't available in our single main stage and to start Deej arrangement except that the wings. Although the stage curves slightly around the nose of the audience, it is not nearly to the extent that the theater is not part of the country do sight lines are apparently good from every place in the house. The drainage in the auditorium to keep the water from just pouring down the tiers of seats is handled by a drain. Concrete drain ditch that runs from left to right at various levels across the amphitheater with a metal grille top. Now these are placed sort of under the seeds and mediately against the rise to the next tier so that the water rolling from the top tiers can roll into these rain traps. Period. I think it's time to rewind. That's all here.