Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board: Play suggestions needed

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Nanette
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Topic: Play suggestions needed
Posted: 2/22/07 at 4:04pm

Hi everyone!

I need some help finding something girl-heavy for our spring show next year. I want something relatively familiar with a largish cast (15-20), with very few male parts (I never get more than 3 guys at auditions). Something with one or two set pieces, or representational, would be perfect.

We've done BCPE and will be doing Girls to the Rescue!, Secret Garden, and a Laura Ingals Wilder Christmas between then and now. We perform in a church, so it must be appropriate for the location, too.

Oh, and it's a children's theatre (ages 10 and up, although I may drop that back to 8 or 9 to get a few more boys involved).

Ideas? ....

In a world of margarine, be butter!

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Juror #3
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Posted: 2/22/07 at 5:56pm

Casts of 15-20 that are mostly or all women are not plentiful. I would suggest "The Women" by Claire Boothe which has a cast of 35 women (many can be doubled) and no men. "Stage Door" comes to mind, also. All of the key characters are the women who live in a slightly rundown rooming house in NYC who all aspire to make it big in show business. I think it is by Kaufman and Hart. Also, "Girls of the Garden Club" by John Patrick has 2 men and 17 women, as does "Life with Mother Superior" (don't remember authors' names) which has a flexible cast of women and 2 men's parts. It is based on "The Trouble with Angels", which was made into a pretty popular movie in the late 50s or early 60s. I don't know of any others. I have also looked at plays with large casts where I could cast some men's parts with women. These were 1930s plays when many parts were created to give actors work, but many of those parts do not need to be played by men. Good Luck!

Juror #3

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charlz
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Posted: 2/23/07 at 11:28am

Try Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea from Dramatic Publishing. I've never done either, but a friend of mine, who has the same circumstances as you, has done both shows due to their abundant roles for women. Good Luck.

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jtonner
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Posted: 2/23/07 at 5:33pm

Anne of Avonlea is a good choice. I directed it for our group and you can basically do it with benches and a table. It is narrated by Anne who is writing an autobiography for going to college. She goes in and out of the action. It does take some males (probably 6 ror 7), and you Anne need to be strong as she is on 96 out of 100 pages, but it is a good show.

John

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Gaafa
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Posted: 2/24/07 at 2:12am

If your into musicals, you could always try ‘By Jeeves’.
The music is by Laird Andy Loyd Webber (Realy Useful Company)& the Book/lyrics by: Alan Ayckbourn Based on the writings of P.G. Wodehouse.
It’s set in a church hall & it can be a fairly large cast, the set is improvised to a great extent.
I have been wanting do it for years. It looks like great fun & not that difficult to stage.
It has a touch of Panto in it, the only problem, might be the very pronounced pohmy (British) accent [BBC/’Kensington’ style].

Joe
Western Gondawandaland
turn right @ Perth.
Hear the light & see the sound.
Toi Toi Toi Chookas {{"chook [chicken] it is"}
May you always play
to a full house}

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Lazy Bee
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Posted: 2/25/07 at 9:45am

There is a script called "Daisy Pulls It Off" by Denise Deegan (I'm not sure who holds the rights) which would probably fit the bill (large cast of girls, two male roles) - however it is a parody of English adventure stories for girls, and set in a very English girls' boarding school.

Stuart
Lazy Bee Scripts
http://www.lazybeescripts.co.uk read complete play scripts on-line

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Gaafa
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Posted: 2/25/07 at 6:58pm

I think Claire from Amdram was in it last year.
From her description it sounded great, all Jolly Hockey Sticks & under sized Gym Slips!
Similar to ‘St Trinians’?

http://www.sanity.com.au/product/dvd.asp?sku=911004

http://www.sanity.com.au/product/dvd.asp?sku=911004

Joe
Western Gondawandaland
turn right @ Perth.
Hear the light & see the sound.
Toi Toi Toi Chookas {{"chook [chicken] it is"}
May you always play
to a full house}

IP Logged

Gaafa
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Joined: 3/21/04
Location: Australia
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Posts: 1181

Posted: 2/25/07 at 7:05pm

Sorry this the link for ‘Daisy pulls it off"

http://www.doollee.com/PlaywrightsD/DeeganDenise.htm#9249

Joe
Western Gondawandaland
turn right @ Perth.
Hear the light & see the sound.
Toi Toi Toi Chookas {{"chook [chicken] it is"}
May you always play
to a full house}

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lwood
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Joined: 2/10/07
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Posts: 22

Posted: 3/01/07 at 6:17pm

what about 12 angry jurors? the casting is more flexible than many shows, and there are 15 parts (although i'm not sure who the last three are, so they are probably fairly small). the only question is if it would work with your age group--i dont know the kids you're workign with so that depends.

http://dramaticpublishing.com/catalogdetail.cfm?listcode=T42

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Play Suggestions
Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board :Producing Theater :Play Suggestions

Author	Message
Nanette Celebrity Joined: 8/01/06 Online Status: Offline Posts: 399	Topic: Play suggestions needed Posted: 2/22/07 at 4:04pm
	Hi everyone! I need some help finding something girl-heavy for our spring show next year. I want something relatively familiar with a largish cast (15-20), with very few male parts (I never get more than 3 guys at auditions). Something with one or two set pieces, or representational, would be perfect. We've done BCPE and will be doing Girls to the Rescue!, Secret Garden, and a Laura Ingals Wilder Christmas between then and now. We perform in a church, so it must be appropriate for the location, too. Oh, and it's a children's theatre (ages 10 and up, although I may drop that back to 8 or 9 to get a few more boys involved). Ideas? ....
	In a world of margarine, be butter!

	IP Logged

Juror #3 Lead Joined: 9/28/06 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 31	Posted: 2/22/07 at 5:56pm
	Casts of 15-20 that are mostly or all women are not plentiful. I would suggest "The Women" by Claire Boothe which has a cast of 35 women (many can be doubled) and no men. "Stage Door" comes to mind, also. All of the key characters are the women who live in a slightly rundown rooming house in NYC who all aspire to make it big in show business. I think it is by Kaufman and Hart. Also, "Girls of the Garden Club" by John Patrick has 2 men and 17 women, as does "Life with Mother Superior" (don't remember authors' names) which has a flexible cast of women and 2 men's parts. It is based on "The Trouble with Angels", which was made into a pretty popular movie in the late 50s or early 60s. I don't know of any others. I have also looked at plays with large casts where I could cast some men's parts with women. These were 1930s plays when many parts were created to give actors work, but many of those parts do not need to be played by men. Good Luck!
	Juror #3
	IP Logged

charlz Player Joined: 7/07/05 Online Status: Offline Posts: 26	Posted: 2/23/07 at 11:28am
	Try Anne of Green Gables and Anne of Avonlea from Dramatic Publishing. I've never done either, but a friend of mine, who has the same circumstances as you, has done both shows due to their abundant roles for women. Good Luck.
	IP Logged

jtonner Star Joined: 2/02/04 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 56	Posted: 2/23/07 at 5:33pm
	Anne of Avonlea is a good choice. I directed it for our group and you can basically do it with benches and a table. It is narrated by Anne who is writing an autobiography for going to college. She goes in and out of the action. It does take some males (probably 6 ror 7), and you Anne need to be strong as she is on 96 out of 100 pages, but it is a good show. John
	John
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Gaafa Celebrity Joined: 3/21/04 Location: Australia Online Status: Offline Posts: 1181	Posted: 2/24/07 at 2:12am
	If your into musicals, you could always try ‘By Jeeves’. The music is by Laird Andy Loyd Webber (Realy Useful Company)& the Book/lyrics by: Alan Ayckbourn Based on the writings of P.G. Wodehouse. It’s set in a church hall & it can be a fairly large cast, the set is improvised to a great extent. I have been wanting do it for years. It looks like great fun & not that difficult to stage. It has a touch of Panto in it, the only problem, might be the very pronounced pohmy (British) accent [BBC/’Kensington’ style].
	Joe Western Gondawandaland turn right @ Perth. Hear the light & see the sound. Toi Toi Toi Chookas {{"chook [chicken] it is"} May you always play to a full house}
	IP Logged

Lazy Bee Star Joined: 2/21/07 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 89	Posted: 2/25/07 at 9:45am
	There is a script called "Daisy Pulls It Off" by Denise Deegan (I'm not sure who holds the rights) which would probably fit the bill (large cast of girls, two male roles) - however it is a parody of English adventure stories for girls, and set in a very English girls' boarding school.
	Stuart Lazy Bee Scripts http://www.lazybeescripts.co.uk read complete play scripts on-line
	IP Logged

Gaafa Celebrity Joined: 3/21/04 Location: Australia Online Status: Offline Posts: 1181	Posted: 2/25/07 at 6:58pm
	I think Claire from Amdram was in it last year. From her description it sounded great, all Jolly Hockey Sticks & under sized Gym Slips! Similar to ‘St Trinians’? http://www.sanity.com.au/product/dvd.asp?sku=911004 http://www.sanity.com.au/product/dvd.asp?sku=911004
	Joe Western Gondawandaland turn right @ Perth. Hear the light & see the sound. Toi Toi Toi Chookas {{"chook [chicken] it is"} May you always play to a full house}
	IP Logged

Gaafa Celebrity Joined: 3/21/04 Location: Australia Online Status: Offline Posts: 1181	Posted: 2/25/07 at 7:05pm
	Sorry this the link for ‘Daisy pulls it off" http://www.doollee.com/PlaywrightsD/DeeganDenise.htm#9249
	Joe Western Gondawandaland turn right @ Perth. Hear the light & see the sound. Toi Toi Toi Chookas {{"chook [chicken] it is"} May you always play to a full house}
	IP Logged

lwood Player Joined: 2/10/07 Online Status: Offline Posts: 22	Posted: 3/01/07 at 6:17pm
	what about 12 angry jurors? the casting is more flexible than many shows, and there are 15 parts (although i'm not sure who the last three are, so they are probably fairly small). the only question is if it would work with your age group--i dont know the kids you're workign with so that depends. http://dramaticpublishing.com/catalogdetail.cfm?listcode=T42
	IP Logged

Topic: Play suggestions needed( Topic Closed)