Is 90 minutes the right length for a play?
source: http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/stage/chi-0925-jones-loop-stoopsep25,0,1849156.c...
-
-
- St_Alia_10191
- added this
Chris Jones writes, "...There's no question that the bar for length has lowered -- attention spans are shorter, minds are faster and theaters no longer have to worry that one-act shows will spark complaints.
In general, 90 minutes can please a lot of people. Technology has helped too. When I saw the Las Vegas "Phantom," which is about 90 minutes, I was amazed that it seemed to contain almost all the same material found in the three-hour "Phantom of the Opera." Even the director, Hal Prince, admitted to me that he didn't miss much that he'd cut, arguing that it was at least partly filler to cover scenic transitions that computers can now engineer more quickly.
But I still say theaters have to be held accountable for substance. There are shows that are too short, just as some playwrights can't cut to save their lives. And I won't even bring up Bob Zmuda's Tony Clifton show last year, from which I emerged, dazed, after about five hours. As it was still going strong.
I will admit one bias: in favor of intermissions. Nothing is more deadly than a boring, two-hour, one-act show. Nothing is more delightful than the crisp two- (or even three-) act, allowing for conversation, refreshment and pondering in the middle."
In general, 90 minutes can please a lot of people. Technology has helped too. When I saw the Las Vegas "Phantom," which is about 90 minutes, I was amazed that it seemed to contain almost all the same material found in the three-hour "Phantom of the Opera." Even the director, Hal Prince, admitted to me that he didn't miss much that he'd cut, arguing that it was at least partly filler to cover scenic transitions that computers can now engineer more quickly.
But I still say theaters have to be held accountable for substance. There are shows that are too short, just as some playwrights can't cut to save their lives. And I won't even bring up Bob Zmuda's Tony Clifton show last year, from which I emerged, dazed, after about five hours. As it was still going strong.
I will admit one bias: in favor of intermissions. Nothing is more deadly than a boring, two-hour, one-act show. Nothing is more delightful than the crisp two- (or even three-) act, allowing for conversation, refreshment and pondering in the middle."
-
- groups:
- Entertainment, Tech, Art and Style, Culture, 5 more
-
- tags:
- Entertainment, Art and Style, Technology, Theater, 4 more
-
-
quanta
-
there ain't nothin like you had me at hello, is that too long for play.
- 2 years ago
-
quanta
