[Fuji X-E2, 55-200mm, ISO 4000, ƒ/4.5, 1/200]

My daughter is helping teach a summer camp theatre class. This past week the camp was about what in the theatre they call the Triple Threat: Act, Sing, and Dance.

This energetic session focused on popular Broadway musicals and plays from Mary Poppins to Matilda and Pippin to Wicked. It included a dance/choreography class and a song component in the voice class.

Compare just these two photos. The main difference between the two is the actors in a peak performance moment and just standing there.

Over and over, way too many people take the last photo than the first. The reason is pretty simple. They need a picture of their kid on the stage. Both images do the same thing for those parents. They see a photo showing their kid on stage.

Theatre people are some of the most talented artists on the planet. To be considered a strong artist in the field of theatre, you must be able to act, sing and dance excellently. Not only must you be able to memorize lines, but you must also learn a routine, hit all the right notes in a song, and maintain that audience’s interest at all times. As opposed to other art forms, theatre happens entirely live, so there are no re-dos. It would help if you were on it at all times.

If you pick the right moment in a musical or play, you can capture the peak performance showing this talent.

For me, theatre is simple to shoot. I believe playwrights have compacted the best moments in a storyline that is quite compelling. Capturing these moments in real life would take days or years compared to a 2-hour show.

This photo of the lady taking a selfie of her friends and the ladies walking by looks to me like the beginning of a song in a musical. I can picture the people on the bench breaking into song and the ladies walking by also responding. The words would give us insights into people’s thoughts in real life.

If you are learning photography, go to the theater and look for moments. The playwright has assembled the best moments of a story for you.