Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board: How do you get organized?

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peacock
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Joined: 3/03/09
Location: Bangladesh
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Posts: 58

Topic: How do you get organized?
Posted: 11/25/11 at 10:07am

I have been directing high school theater for seven years. Each season I learn a few things that I wish I had known years ago. Like many of you, I produce my shows with little funding, inadequate facilities, and mostly student help. One area where I really struggle is organization. I hate to waste kids' time. So, please share any ideas you have to keep everything going as efficiently as possible.

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jtonner
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Joined: 2/02/04
Location: United States
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Posts: 56

Posted: 11/28/11 at 6:30am

One of the best things I was ever shown related to how to schedule rehearsals, at least until we start to run full acts. At a Community Theater Association of Michigan class on directing, the instructor told us to makee a grid on a spread sheet. Across the top would be the character names, and down the side would be page/act/scene numbers. Each time a character appears on a page, you fill in the corresponding square. When the grid is fully filled in, you then have a quick reference to schedule rehearsal.

As an example assume characters 1, 2 and 3 were on pages 1-7, and then had a brief scene together on page 47. In this case you could schedule the first 45 minutes of the rehearsal for just those three actors, then schedule the next 15 minutes for the brief scene on page 47. This way only the actors who need to be at rehearsal are there. If the, for instance 1, 2 and 3 are on pages 8-15 with actors 4 an 5, you can then bring them in for the second hour of rehearsal.

I have also added some to the basic idea. I now use color codes for musicals to show when there is music as opposed to spoken scenes. This way you can schedule a day when you music director is not available for other blocking.

Hope this helps,

John

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jayzehr
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Joined: 8/11/05
Location: United States
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Posted: 11/28/11 at 6:40pm

I've been bending over backwards making spread sheets like this for a number of years but I'm strongly thinking of simplifying; work the scenes in the order that seems best for the show and if people sometimes wind up sitting and waiting then they are sitting and waiting. I'm not talking about making someone who is only in one act come on nights when they are not needed, but it seems like the more complicated the "spread sheet" gets the more difficult it is on the director. It seems harder to get people to show up when they should and you wind up rehearsing scenes out of order and out of context.

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Oberon
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Joined: 4/22/06
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Posted: 11/29/11 at 12:07pm

Knowing the script throughly and director prep work makes it all easier. I overlap pages in the schedule so that if someone misses blocking of set pages 1 - 5 those pages will be repeated a few days later for them to get the blocking the second time around. Also be prepared for compromises in schedule. If you got to work with the actors there and block/rehearse out of context of what was planned for that date just take a few minutes to find other pages for those actors. Again, knowing your piece in detail can ensure that . I work in community theatre not strictly with students, but that should not matter.

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Directing
Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board :Producing Theater :Directing

Author	Message
peacock Star Joined: 3/03/09 Location: Bangladesh Online Status: Offline Posts: 58	Topic: How do you get organized? Posted: 11/25/11 at 10:07am
	I have been directing high school theater for seven years. Each season I learn a few things that I wish I had known years ago. Like many of you, I produce my shows with little funding, inadequate facilities, and mostly student help. One area where I really struggle is organization. I hate to waste kids' time. So, please share any ideas you have to keep everything going as efficiently as possible.

	IP Logged

jtonner Star Joined: 2/02/04 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 56	Posted: 11/28/11 at 6:30am
	One of the best things I was ever shown related to how to schedule rehearsals, at least until we start to run full acts. At a Community Theater Association of Michigan class on directing, the instructor told us to makee a grid on a spread sheet. Across the top would be the character names, and down the side would be page/act/scene numbers. Each time a character appears on a page, you fill in the corresponding square. When the grid is fully filled in, you then have a quick reference to schedule rehearsal. As an example assume characters 1, 2 and 3 were on pages 1-7, and then had a brief scene together on page 47. In this case you could schedule the first 45 minutes of the rehearsal for just those three actors, then schedule the next 15 minutes for the brief scene on page 47. This way only the actors who need to be at rehearsal are there. If the, for instance 1, 2 and 3 are on pages 8-15 with actors 4 an 5, you can then bring them in for the second hour of rehearsal. I have also added some to the basic idea. I now use color codes for musicals to show when there is music as opposed to spoken scenes. This way you can schedule a day when you music director is not available for other blocking. Hope this helps,
	John
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jayzehr Celebrity Joined: 8/11/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 537	Posted: 11/28/11 at 6:40pm
	I've been bending over backwards making spread sheets like this for a number of years but I'm strongly thinking of simplifying; work the scenes in the order that seems best for the show and if people sometimes wind up sitting and waiting then they are sitting and waiting. I'm not talking about making someone who is only in one act come on nights when they are not needed, but it seems like the more complicated the "spread sheet" gets the more difficult it is on the director. It seems harder to get people to show up when they should and you wind up rehearsing scenes out of order and out of context.
	IP Logged

Oberon Player Joined: 4/22/06 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 12	Posted: 11/29/11 at 12:07pm
	Knowing the script throughly and director prep work makes it all easier. I overlap pages in the schedule so that if someone misses blocking of set pages 1 - 5 those pages will be repeated a few days later for them to get the blocking the second time around. Also be prepared for compromises in schedule. If you got to work with the actors there and block/rehearse out of context of what was planned for that date just take a few minutes to find other pages for those actors. Again, knowing your piece in detail can ensure that . I work in community theatre not strictly with students, but that should not matter.
	IP Logged