Hi everyone-  I'm looking for a little insight because I'm frustrated/disappointed with what I've been finding thus far. 

3rd year of a community theater; our acting base primarily are HS students and college or recent college grads, with a very few selection of older adults.  I have basically no concerns about complexities of the show... we don't have a lot of money, but we've got enough that I'm not concerned about set sizes, costumes, or technical challenges.

The problem I run into, however, is that we only do one show, so I need it to be a non-Drama.  A comedy or comedic drama or murder mystery would work, but it's important to me that we have the audience leave in a good mood from laughing.

Additionally, because we're a new theater, I want to get as many people involved as possible... more people = more families = better exposure & ticket sales.  Over the past two years, we've done:

2007/Robin Hood (Nigro) - 36 cast members
2008/Get Smart - 29 cast members

I really don't feel comfortable dropping our total cast under 25 this year and am really interested in going up.

Our performers are strongest in an ensemble cast settings - something Robin Hood featured and Get Smart, but one of the other things I'm keeping in the back of my mind is that now two of our strongest male performers won't be returning for 2009 and I've got at least four really, really solid females that I'd like to feature.

Most of the big cast shows I've looked at so far have been pretty much junk and very cheesy.   With this many people, I know and am prepared to have lots of very small roles - that's great because it gets some of the new people involved, lets them get their feet wet, etc.  Our casts go all the way down to age 9, so lots of small parts is fine, as long as the story is there - appealing - and strong characters.

And we're looking straight play... musicals will come with our 2010 Season.  Some name recognition on title and/or playwright would be nice, but not entirely necessary.


Has anyone had any good experience out there with big casts and can recommend anything?

I'd love to do Shakespeare, but I'm concerned with how our target audience would react to something like that.  Not to put it bluntly, but it's not the most educated of communities - haha.   We're looking to do a traveling production of Shakespeare in the next few years though.

How does modernization work?  Do you have to get special rights to do those changes?   I hope it goes well for you!

That looks hilarious!   Shame it's back-ordered... definately something I'll ear-mark to review if it becomes available

Oh and Shakespeare became public domain a long time ago. You can do whatever you want with it and no one can stop you.

Marathon 33 - a play about a dance marathon in the 30's by June Havoc - 38 characters + extras - very exciting and fun and dramatic and ...

The Enchanted - basically a play about enforced conformity - by Jean Giraudoux - 20 characters + extras  - a chaming period classic

An American Tragedy - a story of social climbing and murder based on the book by Dreiser - 32 characters - stage version of the Elizabeth Taylor/Montgomery Clift/Shelley Winters' film "A Place in the Sun" - wonderful adaptation!

Good luck on your quest!