Jitters, 1988

Jitters by Canadian Playwright David French was written in 1979.

The better known Noises Off, a similar backstage comedy, was written three years later and was made into a movie in 1992.

 

When the play begins we see a traditional box set on the stage and actors come on and start to perform in what looks like it is going to be an awful play.

After a few minutes the “Director” stands up in the audience and stops the action on stage and we find out that we are watching a play-within-a-play.

Now this would have been funny except our director decided to add some preshow action with fake stage hands that gave away the joke.

He would make some other changes that did not help the show either but it was still funny, well for the most part.

After a set change the bad box set is removed and a two story dressing room unit is rolled downstage.

On this big rolling platform we also see the stage door, bathroom, stairs to the upper level and the greenroom.

Through an opening in the middle we can see part of the set that has been reassembled upstage.

It was a nice effect and worked fairly well.

I really like working on these kinds of sets and like all the added details that make it real and make it fun.

There were old theatre posters and programs, working mirror lights and even fire extinguishers under the stairs.

Fortunately unlike Picnic we did not need them during the show.

There was lots of action with people running about the set with one of the characters being knocked out at one point.

Over the years we have had many of our play adjudicated; now it is called a “response”, but the one for Jitters was extra special.

As I had said the director added some bits to the opening of the play and also cut some lines because he thought the plays was running too long.

Now we all know that if you read the fine print on your royalty payment forms to the publishers that you are supposed to do the play as written without any changes, but again we know that everyone makes a few changes from time-to-time.

The changes were big enough that during the talk with the adjudicator she asked if there was a different version of the script used in Canada because she did not recognize the play.

Opps.

As it turned out that her husband wrote the play.

VERY BIG OPPS ! ! !

This play had about three non-student actors in it but there were plenty of parts for the students.

I know that many students enjoyed the department costume designer who was in the play.

Was her over acting real or part of the show?

Depends on who you ask.

Still everyone involved had a good time.

I wonder what ever happened to that cat?

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