1984 ticket question re: Big Brother?

[TigerBait88]

Posted: 7/18/17 at 10:28pm

Hi y'all! Quick question regarding 1984 and the tickets I currently have. 

I currently have two tickets in the balcony row D seats 2-4 which is on the stage left side of things. I saw on a review on another site that there is apparently some sort of image/screen of big brother on the stage left side that is hard/impossible to see if you are seated from the aisle to the wall on that same stage left side. 

Is this true? I can exchange to similar tickets on the other side of the balcony for my performance so I was wondering if this was necessary. I am so excited for this show and don't wanna miss anything that I wouldn't naturally miss from the balcony. 

Thanks!

P.S. I know some might wonder why I'm sitting in the balcony for this show...while I'm excited for this show I'm going with my mom so I wasn't so sure about being smack dab in the middle of the orchestra (ha). Anyways, thanks again!

Tiger

[Lot666]

Posted: 7/19/17 at 8:29am

I saw the show during the first week of previews, but I don't recall any video specifically on stage left. When video was used, the screen spanned the entire stage; the view would not have been better on one side than on the other. 

The "ceiling" of the set is made to look like office-style acoustic tile (like a drop ceiling), but it is built at an angle to create visual perspective and allow the audience to see its surface (similar to the ceiling of Phil's bedroom in Groundhog Day). This entire surface becomes a video screen at key points in the show.

[TigerBait88]

Posted: 7/19/17 at 10:06am

Thanks for the reply! So you're saying I may miss this upper ceiling screen if I stay in the balcony?

Just real hesitant to eat my balcony tickets and drop nearly a couple hundred on orchestra tickets for this show. As much as I'm excited, I know this show is a bit like marmite. 

[TrChSpHa]

Posted: 7/19/17 at 10:16am

There's also a "telescreen" that hangs at an angle downstage left which the characters often acknowledge, but the audience never sees what's actually on it.

[Lot666]

Posted: 7/19/17 at 10:27am

In this picture, the word "HATE" is on the "ceiling" video screen. You can see that the "ceiling" is not parallel to the floor of the stage (i.e., the floor, walls, and ceiling do not actually form a cube); rather, the video screen is lower at the bottom edge (where it meets the rear wall) than it is at the top edge. This angle creates a forced perspective for the audience and allows them to see what's on the ceiling/video screen. 

I sat in center orchestra, about six rows from the stage, so I don't know what the balcony view is like. However, I don't think they could sell the balcony seats without an "obstructed view" disclaimer if the screen isn't visible because the video segments are too important to the show. At some points, all of the action is on video (no one is on the stage) for several minutes at a time.

Also the "telescreen" mentioned by another poster above is the relatively small black rectangle mounted on the wall in the blue area above the man's shadow on the right side of the picture below. You only see the back of the video monitor; no one in the audience can see what the cast sees on the screen.

Updated On: 7/19/17 at 10:27 AM

[TigerBait88]

Posted: 7/19/17 at 1:03pm

TrChSpHa said: "There's also a "telescreen" that hangs at an angle downstage left which the characters often acknowledge, but the audience never sees what's actually on it.

 

"

Yes! That's what I'm sure the other review was thinking of. No worries then for me. Thank you both so much for the help and clarification. 

[thedrybandit]

Posted: 7/19/17 at 1:09pm

TigerBait88 said: "Thanks for the reply! So you're saying I may miss this upper ceiling screen if I stay in the balcony?

Just real hesitant to eat my balcony tickets and drop nearly a couple hundred on orchestra tickets for this show. As much as I'm excited, I know this show is a bit like marmite. "

That's actually exactly how I got to see this production. A friend had balcony seats and bought front orchestra tickets and just gave us his now unused balcony tickets. We were in the front row of the balcony, and had no problems seeing anything on stage, or on the large ceiling screen. I didn't mind the view at all.