I saw King Lear at the Goodman Theater today and 3 actors were completley naked for part of the performance. King Lear (Stacey Keach), Edgar (Joaquin Torres), and Cordelia (Laura Odeh) were all naked at some point. Not for very long, maybe 5 minutes for Edgar and Cordelia and just 30 seconds for King Lear. It didn't bother me, just thought that is wasn't done or allowed.
2006-09-30 14:37:02 · 14 answers · asked by Skepticalist 5 in Arts & Humanities ➔ Theater & Acting
I wouldn't say "common," but there are certain shows in which is it required by the text (i.e, "Hair," "Equus," "Quills"), and other shows in which it is certainly defensible.
I haven't seen the production of "Lear" you're describing -- I wish I could! -- but, if you think about it, Lear spends much of the play "divesting" himself of the trappings of royalty. In the "mad" scene with Gloucester, he's normally dressed in some sort of rough garment; I don't find it much of a stretch to think that he might be wandering around in the buff. Similarly, there's a scene in the play in which Edgar disguises himself as "Poor Tom." A lot of productions put the literal transformation offstage, but, if a director chose to show it ("There's something yet. Edgar I nothing am."), why not have the guy strip down?
The point I'm trying to make is that there is such thing as TASTEFUL use of nudity onstage, and then there is nudity that is merely gratuitous. It all depends on the production.
2006-10-02 06:30:21 · answer #1 · answered by shkspr 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Ive seen it quitea bit.. you wont see it often in dramas or anything like that. the more artistic shows (Cirque de Soliel, etc.) and some comidies use it because its funny and is part of the subject matter. I just finished a run working sound tech asst. on the Full Monty. No full frontal, but it's written so that there could be. Just a matter of how far you want to go for a laugh. But the more artsy and foreigin shows will tend to be more of the places that youll see this. Nudity is much more accepted in alot of cultures and is used to depict natrualness and beatuy. Same reason people do nude photography and still life drawings and its not porn. Theres a difference between eroticisim and art. Being nude can make things much more emphasized, such as grace, beauty, innocence, life, and such. Then theres just porn meant to satisfy the horny side of human nature.
2006-10-02 21:29:02 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Oh my Gosh ur F*cking from chicago!! What up buddy me too, I'm seeing King Lear in a couple of weeks during the student matinee (they will be wearing body suits for the nudity scenes, my theatre tech/ drama teacher is SOOO NICE AND AWESOME but she's kind of prudish so she made us get "Permission slips signed" by our parents Nevermind that we are all 16 - 18 (I'm 16) years old and have seen much worse in movies, and interenet pop up ads (that I didn't want to see but saw because they popped up and of course I ex-ed them out right away but I have a nearly photographic memory just thinking about it gives me the creeps); well at least I have. Truth be told nudity doesn't bother me cuz it's not my naked body on stage LOL. But regardless; Yea lots of plays have nudity, but it depends on the play. Like for Example I read onlie Daniel Radcliffe (aka Harry Potter) is doing some stage acting in London later on this year and slightly into next year and in the play there is a scene where he is totally nude on stage {I wouldn't mind seeing that LOL} and people had a heart attack cuz he's only 17. Of course he wasn't particularly comfy with the idea but he's an actor and he's knows his job will require him to do some stuff he might not be too okay with doing.
Actually In my opinion being that brave makes him sexy I could possibly {on a good day} walk out topless, or in lingerie, but I could never walk out on a stage totally nude I would be way to un-comfortable and nervous
Debbie 16
2006-09-30 23:03:12 · answer #3 · answered by deby r 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It isn't super common but it does happen. I've seen several plays at the Goodman and at the Steppenwolf with nudity. Sometimes it is tasteful and sometimes it can be very jarring. It is not illegal. Usually, at some place in the program or on a sign in the house the theater will explain that there is nudity. This prevents the overly sensitive from being freaked out.
Did you enjoy the play?
2006-10-02 00:18:59 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
It's quite common for some plays, but not for most plays. For instance, Equus, the play mentioned above who doesn't mind nudity as long as it isn't hers, lol, is almost always done with a nude scene. Frankie and Johnny at the Claire de Lune has two brief nude scenes.
But Shakespeare nude is quite unusual.
2006-10-01 15:52:35 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
I think some nudity is pretty common.
Every theater can interpret a play differently, that's party of the beauty of art!
2006-09-30 21:45:22 · answer #6 · answered by Katherine 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
You won't see nudity in most productions, but that doesn't mean that you won't see it at all.
When I have seen it, sometimes I knew well in advance to expect it.... other times it was a complete surprise. But I was never offended by it, nor did I see it as inappropriate.
2006-09-30 23:05:00 · answer #7 · answered by Mark 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
ever see the 70's stage production of Hair?
2006-09-30 21:44:40 · answer #8 · answered by Mopar Muscle Gal 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Nudity is allowed in theater as long is its not lewd.
2006-09-30 21:44:13 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
No, I don't think it is common. I would mind if I saw them naked, good thing I didn't.
2006-09-30 21:45:29 · answer #10 · answered by Hayla 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋