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GoldCanyonLady
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bullet Topic: An Evening of One Act Plays
    Posted: 6/20/07 at 9:59am
Our stage is a simple stage. We have no way of hanging backdrops or flying anything. We can build a nice set, but can't do much in the way of changing a set in between acts. We also have no curtain. We would like to do an evening of one act plays (2-3). How do we go about finding plays that work with the same set or with a minimal set? It seems that finding plays that work together could be very difficult. Any ideas would be most helpful.

Barb
Barb Hofmeister,
MountainBrook Village Players, Gold Canyon, Arizona.
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biggertigger
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bullet Posted: 6/20/07 at 4:01pm
There is a show called All in the Timing by David Ives.  http://www.dramatists.com/cgi-bin/db/single.asp?key=30
It is six one-act comedies.  Simple settings. 
Since you have little space, I would suggest using various size boxes to create levels and suggest areas.  A large box with two small boxes for seating is a table, rearrange the boxes by placing three boxes together you have a bench or sofa.
The two greatest days in a theater persons life, the day you start a new show and the day the damn thing closes.
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Debflo
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bullet Posted: 6/20/07 at 4:37pm
We recently did an evening of one acts and we have the same type of set up. (no curtain, small stage) We had a few of the David Ives pieces that Biggertigger suggested and we paired that with a few pieces from "An Adult Evening With Shel Silverstein" It was a lot of fun and a big success. The set was black box, with 6 large white boxes to move around for set pieces. The boxes were a bed, a desk, a counter, chairs... etc....
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TimW
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bullet Posted: 6/21/07 at 11:24am

Here are a couple one acts which may or may not work for your setup. We went overboard and changed the set (we made the set a little smaller to put the props backstage). I would imagine that just by moving pieces around you could accomplish the same effect.

Also, in our production, both actors performed both acts. This coud be done with different actors in each act. Here are some pics to look at.
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donzolidis
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bullet Posted: 6/21/07 at 11:28am
The "Good Doctor" by Neil Simon also has a bunch of funny one-acts in it that don't need hardly anything by way of a set.
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ManMan
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bullet Posted: 6/21/07 at 3:15pm
Graceland is funny and it is about two women getting into Graceland first on the first day it open to the public.....funny minium set
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tristanrobin
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bullet Posted: 6/21/07 at 7:52pm
Oh, my!
It's been years since I've heard about "Graceland!" What a charming little play that is!
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tdsands
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bullet Posted: 6/21/07 at 8:35pm

2 one acts that worked well together for a group I know were "Businessman's Lunch" by Michael David Quinn and, "The Cowboy, The Indian, and the Fervent Feminist", by Murray Shisgal. Both use table and chairs and a few props that can be easily changed between shows. 5 cast members in the first and 3 in the second.

I also like "All in the Timing" by David Ives that biggertrigger suggested.
tdsands @ NRT
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GoldCanyonLady
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bullet Posted: 6/22/07 at 10:54am
Thanks everyone. These sound great. I am out to find them and order copies so we can read them. If I can't find them, I will come back for help.

Barb Hofmeister,
MountainBrook Village Players, Gold Canyon, Arizona.
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eveharrington
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bullet Posted: 6/23/07 at 4:38am
Originally posted by donzolidis

The "Good Doctor" by Neil Simon also has a bunch of funny one-acts in it that don't need hardly anything by way of a set.


I was just going to say "Good Doctor"! A start-up group did it here in what was basically a corner of a cafeteria with nothing but two small tables, three ladderback chairs, and a floor mirror (which was lavish). They did have a curtain rigged behind them for their exits, but they could easily have exited to one side between "acts". Besides, if you have any budget at all, it can be fairly simple to build a curtain/backdrop setup. All you need really is a forked post on either side and a crossbeam. Just make sure the bottom of the post is wide enough to be stable and the crossbeam can be removed and it's easily stored and good for a variety of things.
sorry for the long post, I just came off an opening night, I'm kinda jazzed.
"If nothing else, there's applause... like waves of love pouring over the footlights."
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