Storytelling in Drum Corps

[troon8]

I'm sure most on here already know this, but theme and story are not the same thing.

A story is a narrative; a tale of things happening to characters with a beginning and an end. Sometimes these are explicit. For example, Bluecoats 2008 had a pretty clear storyline.

Sometimes, whether intentionally or not, story lines aren't as distinct.

Sometimes viewers find stories where none may have been intended, see a completely different interpretation from what have been intended, or fail to recognize a storyline that was intended at all. And hey, that's cool.

A theme is a central topic, like machines, good vs. evil., love, birds, Dada, New York City is awesome and crazy, the number two, circles, the 1920's, etc.

You can certainly have a suggested (not explicit) theme about an abstract concept, or an explicit portrayal of an abstract storyline or abstract theme. I'd say Crown 2013 had a number of both.

Some shows have both themes and stories. It's getting increasingly rare (for better or worse) to find shows with neither.

Edited July 7, 2014 by troon8

[BRASSO]

Music, theatre, art is at its best when it connects profoundly and spntaneously with its audience. If it fails to connect immediately, it is not the fault of the audience, it is the fault of the performer or producer. Time is short and expensive. Most people do not have the time nor the expense to give the artist a 2nd or 3rd, or 4th viewing. That is for the navel gazers, or the idle rich, or the retirees among us. But not for most people. They can only afford to give the artist, movie, musician, etc one shot to impress them with their efforts. Few people go back to see a movie a 2nd time if it was confusing, convoluted, etc, or in some way less than satisfying with the 1st viewing.

Edited July 7, 2014 by BRASSO