The Semiotics of Celebrity at the Intersection of Hollywood and Broadway
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THE SEMIOTICS OF CELEBRITY AT THE INTERSECTION OF HOLLYWOOD AND BROADWAY Kevin Calcamp A Dissertation Submitted to the Graduate College of Bowling Green State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY December 2016 Committee: Jonathan Chambers, Advisor Kristen Rudisill Graduate Faculty Representative Cynthia Baron Lesa Lockford © 2016 Kevin Calcamp All Rights Reserved iii ABSTRACT Jonathan Chambers, Advisor In 1990, Michael L. Quinn, in his essay, “Celebrity and the Semiotics of Acting,” considered celebrity phenomenon—and its growth in the latter part of the 20th century—and the affect it had on media, society, and the role and performance of the actor. Throughout the first fifteen years of the 21st century, there has been a multitude of film and television stars headlining in Broadway and Off-Broadway shows. Despite this phenomena, there is currently an absence of scholarship investigating how the casting of Hollywood stars in stage productions affects those individuals in the theatre audience. In this dissertation, I identify, using a variety of semiotic theories, ways in which celebrity is signified by exploring 21st century Broadway and Off- Broadway productions with Hollywood film and television star casting. Hollywood is an industry that thrives on perpetuating celebrity. Film and television stars are products that need to cultivate a consumer base. Every star in Hollywood has specific attributes that are deemed valuable; these values are then marketed and sold to the public, creating a connection between the star and certain values. A film or television star is an established actor who has received fame and acclaim for a least one role that was critically lauded, or their past roles become a part of their value and product. Throughout the first three chapters of this dissertation, I explore the types of signification that can stem from product, value, and past roles using a variety of productions as case studies: Equus, Orphans, Sister Act: The Musical, Asuncion, Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, Fences, Godspell, How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying, and The Best Man. The first half of each chapter addresses how significations of product, value, and past roles are established, while the second iv half of each chapter uses the case studies to demonstrate how these significations made prior to the performance and during the performance can affect the perception and reception of an audience member. In my final chapter, I take into consideration how theatrical frames can affect the signification process, and how product, value, and past roles are recalled and signified during the star’s performance using Picnic, Death of a Salesman, and No Man’s Land/Waiting for Godot as case studies. My research found that: The star as a sign is complex and the significations a reader can call to mind are numerous. Preconceived notions and memories affect the audience as a star’s product, value and associations, and past roles become signified thus shaping the perception and reception of both the star and the production. v Dedicated to Jane and Charles Hadley vi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would not have been able to complete this dissertation without the help, support, and encouragement of many people; I am grateful for the opportunity to thank these individuals in no particular order. I must thank my family and friends for their tremendous support over the years; their encouragement has bolstered me throughout this process. I am grateful for the support of my parents—Donald and Justine Calcamp—and grandparents—Weir and Marilyn Roth, Willy and Donna Duley, and the late Donald and Mary Calcamp—who have supported me in everyway imaginable throughout many years of education and study. I am most deeply in debt to Jen Foulke, Jennifer Potter, Jenny Story, Chrissy Bartholomew, Cindy, McDonald, and Caroline Kapo. Their love and friendship fills me hope, laughter, and joy. I must also thank Cherie Clark, Lily Halstead, and Jane and Charles Hadley who inspire me to teach, serve others, and fill the world with art, as well as, Jane Peterson, Neil Baldwin, and Steve Boone for their friendship and mentorship. It has been an honor to study with the faculty and students in the Department of Theatre and Film at Bowling Green State University. I want to thank Scott Magelssen and Ron Shields for starting me down this path. I’d also like to express my deep gratitude to Cynthia Baron, Lesa Lockford, and Kristen Rudisill (my committee) for their support, guidance, and critiques. Cynthia, thank you for always being my cheerleader, for demonstrating how to have a successful career in the academy, and for helping me develop as a writer and a researcher. Lesa, you have inspired me and guided me throughout my time at Bowling Green State University. I am grateful for your mentorship and your counsel now and in the future. I am especially beholden to my advisor, Jonathan Chambers. Beyond advising, editing, and encouraging, Jonathan, you exhibit vii the professionalism, caring, passion, and intelligence that makes for an exemplary professor. Thank you for instilling in me this sense of what it means to be a part of the academy. Special thanks to those who helped contribute to his dissertation by completing surveys/questionnaires and providing me with knowledge and materials. I extend my appreciation to Jesse Eisenberg for his correspondence in response to my request. Thank you also Stephen Schwartz, Michael Cole, Stacy E. Wolf, Frederick Zollo, Ken Davenport, Rajiv Joseph, Michael Kives, Stefanie Hunker, and Jeff Witjas for time and contributions to my research. Finally, this research could not have been done without the resources at the New York Public Library for the Performing Arts; the librarians and staff have my greatest appreciation and thanks. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................................. 1 CHAPTER I. PRODUCT AND MARKETING ................................................................... 20 The Making of a Celebrity Product ........................................................................... 22 Equus (2008) ............................................................................................................ 36 Orphans (2013) .......................................................................................................... 45 Sister Act: The Musical (2011) .................................................................................. 57 Conclusion ............................................................................................................ 64 CHAPTER II. VALUE AND ASSESSMENT ..................................................................... 66 The Complexities of Value and Stardom ................................................................... 68 Asuncion (2011) ......................................................................................................... 88 Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike (2013) ......................................................... 96 Fences (2010) ............................................................................................................ 104 Conclusion ............................................................................................................ 109 CHAPTER III. MEMORY AND FANDOM ....................................................................... 110 Ghosting, Fandom, and Semiotics ............................................................................. 113 Godspell (2011) ......................................................................................................... 134 How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying (2011) ....................................... 142 The Best Man (2012) .................................................................................................. 152 Conclusion ............................................................................................................ 157 CHAPTER IV. FRAME AND PERFORMANCE ............................................................... 160 Theatrical Frames and the Semiotics of Performance ............................................... 162 vii Picnic (2013) ............................................................................................................ 177 Death of a Salesman (2012) ....................................................................................... 186 No Man’s Land/Waiting for Godot (2013) ................................................................ 194 Conclusion ............................................................................................................ 202 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................ 204 WORKS CITED .................................................................................................................... 209 APPENDIX A. CONCEIVED PROJECT ............................................................................ 217 APPENDIX B. HSRB ........................................................................................................... 218 APPENDIX C. QUESTIONAIRES/SURVEY QUESTIONS .............................................. 241 viii LIST OF FIGURES Figure Page 1 Poster from Equus ...................................................................................................... 249 2 Promotional Image from Equus