Whether it’s a new production destined for Broadway or a long-running show that has undergone cast changes, photographer Joan Marcus can usually be found in darkened theatres capturing the essence of a show through the lens of her camera. Her photographs, in turn, are then used to represent the show in everything from newspaper reviews and magazine articles to various advertising materials. Regardless of where her images end up, she plays a vital role in creating interest for the productions she covers.
“It’s not as glamorous as you think,” says Marcus. “I mean it’s a great job, it’s really fantastic. But a lot of it’s very solitary. I work alone.”
Through her extensive work over the last 25 years, Marcus has become the leading theatre photographer with more than 100 Broadway productions to her credit including JERSEY BOYS, WICKED, THE LION KING, MAMMA MIA! and THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. It’s an especially impressive accomplishment when you learn that it wasn’t a career she “ever thought about doing.”
Following graduation from George Washington University, Marcus landed a job as a photo assistant at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington D.C. where she “was right out of college trying to figure out what to do and I loved it. It was like a perfect fit.” Despite lacking a theatre background, she was able to craft her skills and develop her own technique. With the Kennedy Center as her “base,” Marcus kept busy with freelance photography work for smaller theatres on the side. In 1986, she made her Broadway foray with LILLIAN, a one-woman-play. Her professional work between both cities continued for several years until it culminated in a move to New York City in 1992 where she could plug herself into the broader theatre community.
“When I went to work there (New York) initially, it just felt right,” Marcus says. “And then it became a love affair and I kind of did everything.”
Though she tries to familiarize herself with the shows she has been hired to photograph, Marcus doesn’t always have the luxury to see them beforehand. In many instances, her first exposure to a show is during the final dress rehearsal where the camera is in her hands snapping away. Even though these performances are typically closed to the general public, Marcus must go about her work surreptitiously without distracting the performers on stage. To do so, she has to shoot from the back of the theatre much of the time. Of course, different shows have different restrictions and she occasionally has opportunities to get up close to the action but “that’s case by case.”
Once the photos are taken, she’ll edit the pictures and then a “process of getting photo approvals” will get underway. It’s during this stage that the producers and creative team determine which images will represent the show best and suit their needs. The advent of digital photography has helped simplify the routine for Marcus.
“Because the pictures are so accessible, you can use your computer to edit them and they’re done,” says Marcus. “You can send something off immediately. It’s not so crazy anymore. It used to be when you’ve got film and you have deadlines and you were relying on somebody else. Now it’s not so bad, even with a tight deadline.”
Thanks to her work ethic and professional reputation, she counts several long-running Broadway productions among her repeat clients. “There are shows I work on for years and years and years,” Marcus says. Of course, photographing new productions has its own merits because you never quite know what will become the next blockbuster.
“Every day is different. I work with people who, for the most part, enjoy what they’re doing and it’s a great atmosphere to work in.”
By: Kirk Wingerson
PHOTOS BY JOAN MARCUS:
Original Broadway Cast of THE 25TH ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE.
David Burnham as Fabrizio Naccarelli and Elena Shaddow as Clara Johnson in the touring production of THE LIGHT IN THE PIAZZA.
