Theater – Bjorn Munson

When You Can’t Stage Your Play in a Meat Freezer…

By Bjorn Munson | June 3, 2024June 3, 2024 by Bjorn Munson

While not necessarily my favorite aspect of stagecraft at the moment of assignment, some of my fondest memories of being a stage technician involve props. There is often an inherent playfulness and ingenuity in a prop solution that is amplified by the fact that actors get to handle them… and that joy is seen on stage. The fact that prop solutions often require ingenuity may explain my apprehension (at the assignment) and subsequent elation (assuming…

Various and Sundry

Those Wacky Theater People: Sweeney Hamilton Edition

By Bjorn Munson | July 8, 2022July 7, 2022 by Bjorn Munson

This past weekend, seeing as it was Independence Day and all, I had an opportunity to introduce my sister to what comfortably remains one of my favorite musicals: Hamilton. Little did I know that the cast once did a version of Hamilton’s opening number as if they were the musical Sweeney Todd, another one of my favorites. Of course, given the hijinks (and shenanigans and tomfoolery) are endemic among theater folk, so I suppose I…

Various and Sundry

Prepare Ye the Oral History of Godspell

By Bjorn Munson | May 23, 2022May 23, 2022 by Bjorn Munson

I’m not sure the “oral history” long-form article became more popular in the social media age, but I certainly have noticed it a lot more in the past 15 years… and I usually enjoy the pieces about seminal stage and screen productions. It’s a good reminder of how, even when we see these works that are exquisite faits accompli, they are the result of hard-working humans, who are on their own journey. So I very…

Raves Writing

Something for Everyone, but Specifically Just for You: Remembrances of Sondheim

By Bjorn Munson | November 29, 2021November 29, 2021 by Bjorn Munson

As the New York Times obituary put it, a “Titan of the American Musical” has left the stage. Stephen Sondheim has died at the age of 91. The whole article is a long and excellent read — and I tend to agree with Mark Evanier in that there doesn’t seem to be much for me to individually add about my own personal connections to Sondheim’s work. However, one thing that has become evident to me…

Acting Producing Writing

Little (Mobile) Theater on the Prarie

By Bjorn Munson | January 12, 2021January 12, 2021 by Bjorn Munson

The events of last Wednesday are still dwelling on my mind, so it was nice to catch this article by Lia Kvatum in the Washington Post Magazine about an itinerant creative who’s connecting communities to their history through theater. It provides some much needed light and joy… and the notion that we can communicate with one another. Reading about how Ashley Hanson has been traveling to different communities and talking with the people reminds me…

Producing

Theater Strategy Post-Covid

By Bjorn Munson | December 28, 2020December 28, 2020 by Bjorn Munson

I’ve been watching how theater and film productions have been coping with the pandemic (as you can see from June, July, and earlier in December). Safely producing new works is important not only considering my role in running Jabberwocky Audio Theater, but also thinking of my many colleagues whose livelihood requires being on stages and sets. So this article in Fortune, not my usual source for theater news, was an interesting read. Author Michael Barra…

Raves Various and Sundry

“I’m standing in a very happy place right now” Behind-the-scenes of Hamilton

By Bjorn Munson | July 23, 2020July 23, 2020 by Bjorn Munson

As I mentioned the other week, we saw Hamilton along with a good many millions of people at the beginning of the month… and that’s led to listening to the soundtrack non-stop the following weekend, at least one rewatch so far, and delving into all sorts of reading and watching of supplemental material. Just about none has topped my theater geeky glee quite like seeing Adam Savage looking at the props used in Hamilton. As…

Acting Various and Sundry

O.G. Theater, Live This Saturday!

By Bjorn Munson | July 22, 2020 by Bjorn Munson

I was about to do a theater post anyway today, but I had to go ahead and share this. Per this article by David Gordon, the National Theatre of Greece will be doing a performance of The Persians from the historic –and we’re talking anciently historic– theater of Epidaurus this Saturday, July 25th. The YouTube link is here. Get your O.G. (Original Greek) theater on!

Producing Various and Sundry

Live Theater & Audio Theater

By Bjorn Munson | June 26, 2020June 25, 2020 by Bjorn Munson

A lot of our company members of Jabberwocky Audio Theater usually make some of their living from performing in live theater… though at the present you can imagine that isn’t as easy. Still, I know that live theater will return. Last month, I shared a message from the artistic director of the Guthrie Theater in Minnesota about theater’s enduring qualities. In the interim, theaters are finding ways to weather the closures and one way, as detailed on…

Acting Producing Writing

Theater in the Time of Coronavirus

By Bjorn Munson | May 12, 2020May 12, 2020 by Bjorn Munson

All sorts of physical businesses are suffering during this global pandemic and I know many people, dependent on in-person gigs for their livelihood who now have no income stream (to say nothing of creative freelancers, as one Nation article notes). So this video posted last week by Joseph Haj, artistic director of the Guthrie Theater resonated: I was lucky enough to grow up going to the theater and live performances frequently, something I’ve tried to…

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