Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board: Southern Plays with small cast

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AnnetteLogue
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Topic: Southern Plays with small cast
Posted: 3/01/10 at 11:29am

We are not really equipted yet for musicals. However, I would like to find a several "Down Home" shows (We are in Georgia) to add to our 2010-2011 line-up. Since financing these days are critical and slim, I would like to see how many I can find that have minor sets/props/costuming.

We are a new company so I would like to do at least one or two well known show as well as one or two good, semi known ones. We have a local play written by someone regionally that we will kick our season off with this year.

Any suggestions would be wonderful!

Also, I am looking for a small cast 45 minute show for our local high school to use in it's competition. It would seem that the school that "wins every year" does a small cast show dealing with some type of social or emotional issue....maybe I can fight fire with fire??!!

Annette Logue
McIntosh Theatre Arts Company
Darien, Georgia

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tristanrobin
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Posted: 3/01/10 at 12:58pm

"Taken in Marriage" - fab show - 5 women

"Who's Happy Now?" - my favorite play - 2women/3men

any play by Beth Henley

- there's a million of 'em!

http://tristanrobin.blogspot.com

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pdavis69
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Posted: 3/01/10 at 1:52pm

One I would suggest is Dearly Departed by David Bottrell and Jessie Jones. The cast is 4 men 6 women. We did this show with just basic set pieces such as a free standing screen door, a couch, folding chairs, a car seat (all in different sceens). It is available through Dramatists Play Service.

THE STORY: In the Baptist backwoods of the Bible Belt, the beleaguered Turpin family proves that living and dying in the South are seldom tidy and always hilarious. Despite their earnest efforts to pull themselves together for their father's funeral, the Turpin's other problems keep overshadowing the solemn occasion: Firstborn Ray-Bud drinks himself silly as the funeral bills mount; Junior, the younger son, is juggling financial ruin, a pack of no-neck monster kids, and a wife who suspects him of infidelity in the family car; their spinster sister, Delightful, copes with death as she does life, by devouring junk food; and all the neighbors add more than two cents. As the situation becomes fraught with mishap, Ray-Bud says to his long-suffering wife, "When I die, don't tell nobody. Just bury me in the backyard and tell everybody I left you." Amidst the chaos, the Turpins turn for comfort to their friends and neighbors, an eccentric community of misfits who just manage to pull together and help each other through their hours of need, and finally, the funeral.

Whoopie Goldberg did a mediocre movie of this named Kingdom Come with an all star cast. The play is much better.

Patrick L. Davis
Fort Findlay Playhouse

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Dough Boy
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Posted: 3/01/10 at 3:43pm

I agree on Dearly Departed. They've also got one called Dearly Beloved, (though I've never seen it produced) also
Sordid Lives (Samuel French)
and Messiah on the Frigidaire 8 characters One set (Samuel French)

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donzolidis
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Posted: 3/02/10 at 1:58am

I don't have a good southern play for you, but I have some suggestions for your high school group.

The Bells of Charlemont - (2 females, 6 males, bunch o' extras) 2009 North Dakota State Champion. Has advanced to the state finals in nearly every one-act competition it's been in. Here's the blurb:

"On Christmas Eve, 1944, a small group of American soldiers are occupying a burned-out village in northern France. The town mayor's widow makes an extraordinary request, asking if they will help revive the town from the crippling malaise of Nazi occupation by restoring a lost Christmas tradition. But before the men can complete their task, they are given orders to join what will become known as the Battle of the Bulge. Will they desert the army to help the people they have come to love? Based on a true story, The Bells of Charlemont beautifully evokes the power of the human spirit in the midst of war."

read it online here for free:

http://www.playscripts.com/play.php3?playid=1160

The Audition (2009 winner of the Kotler Memorial One Act Play competition in Georgia, no less)

"A new theater teacher is bringing a production of A Chorus Line to the high school. Though the hopefuls range from shy to outrageous, and from diva-like to determined, everyone has a chance to step into the spotlight. A hilarious and heartbreaking look at the madness of auditioning and the actors who brave the process for that perfect part."

Read it here:

http://www.playscripts.com/play.php3?playid=1427

And probably not what you're looking for, but this play has won two state competitions before, so you never know...

The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon (cast of 5 - expandable, comedy, but it was 2008 State Champion in Virginia and 2008 State Champion in Missouri, so it might do well in competition)

"Two narrators attempt to recreate all 209 of the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm in a wild, fast-paced extravaganza. To make it more difficult, they attempt to combine them into one gigantic fable using Rapunzel, Rumpelstiltskin, Hansel and Gretel, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and other more obscure stories like Lean Lisa and The Devil's Grandmother."

read it here:

http://www.playscripts.com/play.php3?playid=1163

Hope that helps!

www.donzolidis.com

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edh915
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Posted: 3/03/10 at 1:52pm

When you get around to doing a Christmas play, I'd recommend "FrUiTCaKeS" by Julian Wiles, handled by Dramatic Publishing. A Mayberry-esque town as seen through the eyes of a runaway teen from the big city. Funny and heartwarming. The sets can be elaborate, or kept simple, depending on your resources. Four men, four women, six boys, and seven girls.

From the script cover:
"Mix together a batch of fruitcakes, three dozen Christmas trees, 10,000 outdoor Christmas lights, a chicken pox epidemic, two southern spinsters, an estranged old man and a Christmas hog named Buster and you've got a recipe for a fun-filled and touching evening filled with holiday cheer. Into this bucolic world comes Jamie, a kid who has run as far away from home as his money would take him. At first he thinks this town's inhabitants are "nuttier than fruitcakes," but he soon comes to admire, appreciate and adore this nutty little town. A moving story of alienation, understanding and reconciliation, FrUiTCaKeS provides audiences with a heaping helping of holiday warmth and Christmas cheer.

Edited by edh915 - 3/03/10 at 1:53pm

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raleighmarcell
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Posted: 3/06/10 at 7:18am

I am a Savannah-based playwright/screenwriter with 4 published plays as well as a professional production.

I have several plays that you might find suitable, especially one called I AM THE GUMBO (a comedy with food!)

You can visit my website

http://webspace.webring.com/people/er/raleighmarcell

or contact me directly

raleighmarcell@gmail.com

If you do one of my plays, and my schedule permits, I would love to be present at the production.

Thanks,

Raleigh Marcell

Raleigh's website is at http://www.geocities.com/raleighmarcelle

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tdsands
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Posted: 3/13/10 at 1:48am

Our theater produced "The Dixie Swim Club" by the same authors as Dearly Beloved, Dearly Departed, etc.

I have to say it was one of my favorite shows. Cast is 5 women who age from 40's to late 70's through the show.

tdsands @ NRT

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ozzieparker
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Posted: 3/19/10 at 2:29pm

How about Pamela Parker's "Second Samuel"? Here is a like to a prodution that is opening in Perth

http://www.tazentertainment.com.au/specialevents.htm#secondsamuel

I can put you in touch with the playwright realy fast.

You never know what's comin' for you.

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ozzieparker
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Posted: 3/19/10 at 2:33pm

How about Pamela Parker's "Grass Widows" It's a one act with one set and a cast of 3 women and 2 men, but one of the men is dead so he won't have a lot of lines to remember but he will need to remember his knee pads. They toss him around a great deal.

I can put you in touch with the playwright really easy.

You never know what's comin' for you.

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

Author	Message
AnnetteLogue Player Joined: 2/28/10 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 27	Topic: Southern Plays with small cast Posted: 3/01/10 at 11:29am
	We are not really equipted yet for musicals. However, I would like to find a several "Down Home" shows (We are in Georgia) to add to our 2010-2011 line-up. Since financing these days are critical and slim, I would like to see how many I can find that have minor sets/props/costuming. We are a new company so I would like to do at least one or two well known show as well as one or two good, semi known ones. We have a local play written by someone regionally that we will kick our season off with this year. Any suggestions would be wonderful! Also, I am looking for a small cast 45 minute show for our local high school to use in it's competition. It would seem that the school that "wins every year" does a small cast show dealing with some type of social or emotional issue....maybe I can fight fire with fire??!!
	Annette Logue McIntosh Theatre Arts Company Darien, Georgia

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tristanrobin Celebrity Joined: 4/25/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 704	Posted: 3/01/10 at 12:58pm
	"Taken in Marriage" - fab show - 5 women "Who's Happy Now?" - my favorite play - 2women/3men any play by Beth Henley - there's a million of 'em!
	http://tristanrobin.blogspot.com
	IP Logged

pdavis69 Celebrity Joined: 3/26/06 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 437	Posted: 3/01/10 at 1:52pm
	One I would suggest is Dearly Departed by David Bottrell and Jessie Jones. The cast is 4 men 6 women. We did this show with just basic set pieces such as a free standing screen door, a couch, folding chairs, a car seat (all in different sceens). It is available through Dramatists Play Service. THE STORY: In the Baptist backwoods of the Bible Belt, the beleaguered Turpin family proves that living and dying in the South are seldom tidy and always hilarious. Despite their earnest efforts to pull themselves together for their father's funeral, the Turpin's other problems keep overshadowing the solemn occasion: Firstborn Ray-Bud drinks himself silly as the funeral bills mount; Junior, the younger son, is juggling financial ruin, a pack of no-neck monster kids, and a wife who suspects him of infidelity in the family car; their spinster sister, Delightful, copes with death as she does life, by devouring junk food; and all the neighbors add more than two cents. As the situation becomes fraught with mishap, Ray-Bud says to his long-suffering wife, "When I die, don't tell nobody. Just bury me in the backyard and tell everybody I left you." Amidst the chaos, the Turpins turn for comfort to their friends and neighbors, an eccentric community of misfits who just manage to pull together and help each other through their hours of need, and finally, the funeral. Whoopie Goldberg did a mediocre movie of this named Kingdom Come with an all star cast. The play is much better.
	Patrick L. Davis Fort Findlay Playhouse
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Dough Boy Walk-On Joined: 3/20/06 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 0	Posted: 3/01/10 at 3:43pm
	I agree on Dearly Departed. They've also got one called Dearly Beloved, (though I've never seen it produced) also Sordid Lives (Samuel French) and Messiah on the Frigidaire 8 characters One set (Samuel French)
	IP Logged

donzolidis Celebrity Joined: 5/15/07 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 156	Posted: 3/02/10 at 1:58am
	I don't have a good southern play for you, but I have some suggestions for your high school group. The Bells of Charlemont - (2 females, 6 males, bunch o' extras) 2009 North Dakota State Champion. Has advanced to the state finals in nearly every one-act competition it's been in. Here's the blurb: "On Christmas Eve, 1944, a small group of American soldiers are occupying a burned-out village in northern France. The town mayor's widow makes an extraordinary request, asking if they will help revive the town from the crippling malaise of Nazi occupation by restoring a lost Christmas tradition. But before the men can complete their task, they are given orders to join what will become known as the Battle of the Bulge. Will they desert the army to help the people they have come to love? Based on a true story, The Bells of Charlemont beautifully evokes the power of the human spirit in the midst of war." read it online here for free: http://www.playscripts.com/play.php3?playid=1160 The Audition (2009 winner of the Kotler Memorial One Act Play competition in Georgia, no less) "A new theater teacher is bringing a production of A Chorus Line to the high school. Though the hopefuls range from shy to outrageous, and from diva-like to determined, everyone has a chance to step into the spotlight. A hilarious and heartbreaking look at the madness of auditioning and the actors who brave the process for that perfect part." Read it here: http://www.playscripts.com/play.php3?playid=1427 And probably not what you're looking for, but this play has won two state competitions before, so you never know... The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon (cast of 5 - expandable, comedy, but it was 2008 State Champion in Virginia and 2008 State Champion in Missouri, so it might do well in competition) "Two narrators attempt to recreate all 209 of the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm in a wild, fast-paced extravaganza. To make it more difficult, they attempt to combine them into one gigantic fable using Rapunzel, Rumpelstiltskin, Hansel and Gretel, Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella and other more obscure stories like Lean Lisa and The Devil's Grandmother." read it here: http://www.playscripts.com/play.php3?playid=1163 Hope that helps!
	www.donzolidis.com
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edh915 Celebrity Joined: 11/19/09 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 325	Posted: 3/03/10 at 1:52pm
	When you get around to doing a Christmas play, I'd recommend "FrUiTCaKeS" by Julian Wiles, handled by Dramatic Publishing. A Mayberry-esque town as seen through the eyes of a runaway teen from the big city. Funny and heartwarming. The sets can be elaborate, or kept simple, depending on your resources. Four men, four women, six boys, and seven girls. From the script cover: "Mix together a batch of fruitcakes, three dozen Christmas trees, 10,000 outdoor Christmas lights, a chicken pox epidemic, two southern spinsters, an estranged old man and a Christmas hog named Buster and you've got a recipe for a fun-filled and touching evening filled with holiday cheer. Into this bucolic world comes Jamie, a kid who has run as far away from home as his money would take him. At first he thinks this town's inhabitants are "nuttier than fruitcakes," but he soon comes to admire, appreciate and adore this nutty little town. A moving story of alienation, understanding and reconciliation, FrUiTCaKeS provides audiences with a heaping helping of holiday warmth and Christmas cheer. Edited by edh915 - 3/03/10 at 1:53pm
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raleighmarcell Walk-On Joined: 4/30/06 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 0	Posted: 3/06/10 at 7:18am
	I am a Savannah-based playwright/screenwriter with 4 published plays as well as a professional production. I have several plays that you might find suitable, especially one called I AM THE GUMBO (a comedy with food!) You can visit my website http://webspace.webring.com/people/er/raleighmarcell or contact me directly raleighmarcell@gmail.com If you do one of my plays, and my schedule permits, I would love to be present at the production. Thanks, Raleigh Marcell
	Raleigh's website is at http://www.geocities.com/raleighmarcelle
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tdsands Walk-On Joined: 5/30/07 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 1	Posted: 3/13/10 at 1:48am
	Our theater produced "The Dixie Swim Club" by the same authors as Dearly Beloved, Dearly Departed, etc. I have to say it was one of my favorite shows. Cast is 5 women who age from 40's to late 70's through the show.
	tdsands @ NRT
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ozzieparker Player Joined: 10/19/09 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 23	Posted: 3/19/10 at 2:29pm
	How about Pamela Parker's "Second Samuel"? Here is a like to a prodution that is opening in Perth http://www.tazentertainment.com.au/specialevents.htm#secondsamuel I can put you in touch with the playwright realy fast.
	You never know what's comin' for you.
	IP Logged

ozzieparker Player Joined: 10/19/09 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 23	Posted: 3/19/10 at 2:33pm
	How about Pamela Parker's "Grass Widows" It's a one act with one set and a cast of 3 women and 2 men, but one of the men is dead so he won't have a lot of lines to remember but he will need to remember his knee pads. They toss him around a great deal. I can put you in touch with the playwright really easy.
	You never know what's comin' for you.
	IP Logged