Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board: High School Theatre Seasons

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actorgeek
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Joined: 1/27/08
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Topic: High School Theatre Seasons
Posted: 3/05/08 at 5:11pm

My high school is really just getting it's theatre program up and running. They've been doing shows for about 4 years and they just finished "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" and "The Diary of Anne Frank" and we're looking for stuff for next season. We have anywhere from 20-60 kids tryout depending on the time of year and show. Very few boys. We don't have a real theatre we just create our sets in our cafeteria or meeting hall. So no huge musicals. Next year we want to do one comedy, one drama/historical, and one musical. What would be your ideal season. By the way, we're Catholic, so nothing with wizards/ witches/ folklore. Haha.

I've looked at...

The Diviners

Godspell

--Matt

actorgeek@cox.net

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B-M-D
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Joined: 11/03/05
Location: United States
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Posts: 346

Posted: 3/05/08 at 8:02pm

I guess The Rocky Horror Show wouldn't be an option either.

"Dying is easy, comedy is hard."

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tristanrobin
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Joined: 4/25/05
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Posted: 3/06/08 at 7:43am

The Miracle Worker (mostly female)

The Odd Couple: Female Version (mostly female)

Working (musical with gender-blind casting opportunities)

I don't know this is an "ideal season" LOL - but it kinda fulfills your requirements

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whitebat
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Joined: 8/05/07
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Posted: 3/12/08 at 7:12pm

Our HS has done one musical & one straight play a year for ages.

I liked "Rehearsal for a Murder" and "Wait until Dark". I was in "Popeye", which I do not particularly recommend, and "The Outsiders", which I would recommend. See if there are any plays based on novels that your students (or Middle School students) have to read in school, as seeing the play of a novel they've read & analyzed seems to fascinate the students.

Certain shows may bring out the male actors you don't currently have. Our HS recently did "Oklahoma!", which is a big production musical, but the guys turned out for it! I would recommend "The Outsiders" along that line as well, I think it is a show guys might enjoy acting in.

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Lazy Bee
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Joined: 2/21/07
Location: United Kingdom
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Posts: 89

Posted: 3/13/08 at 5:39am

Anna of Nazareth is a very thoughtful Christmas musical, with a flexible cast with the focus on the female characters.

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

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JoyExcellence
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Joined: 2/21/08
Location: United States
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Posts: 11

Posted: 3/16/08 at 6:49pm

Children's Letters to God is absolutely wonderful! We produced it a few years ago. It's a musical, but very, very simple set. You could cut some songs out if it's too much. We used one piano and 22 kids. There are 5 leads, but you can divide the songs among the cast. I changed one of the boy leads to a girl. The little brother "Kicker" was changed to "Kat". That way, we had 3 lead girls a 2 lead boys. The rest of the cast was supporting.

Dear Edwina Juinior is a great show, too. It is a broadway Junior show so you have the accompaniment CD to work with. This provides lots and lots of songs for kids. I had 28 in that cast. Lots of great moral lessons!

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P&M Sales
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Joined: 4/18/05
Location: United Kingdom
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 38

Posted: 3/21/08 at 7:19am

Matt,

We have a very successful play in our catalog ideal for HS students which has 4m, 16f characters ...

The Magdalen Whitewash
Brought to recent attention by the film 'The Magdalene Sisters', this play vividly portrays the despair and inhumanity inflicted on the 'Maggies' - those unfortunate girls who had the misfortune to be institutionalised in the Magdalen Laundries.

These laundries were set up in collaboration between the Church and the State in Ireland and were still going until the late 1990's. They were attached to convents and girls were signed in by their families. Once in there, they could not leave until their families came to get them out- which in some cases meant a lifetime of washing and virtual imprisonment.

Their crimes? Being pregnant mainly. Their punishment? To be separated from their familes and work long hours in the laundry. This powerful drama requires a mostly young cast (11-18 and some playing adults).

best regards

David
http://www.stagescripts.com

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

Author	Message
actorgeek Walk-On Joined: 1/27/08 Online Status: Offline Posts: 0	Topic: High School Theatre Seasons Posted: 3/05/08 at 5:11pm
	My high school is really just getting it's theatre program up and running. They've been doing shows for about 4 years and they just finished "You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown" and "The Diary of Anne Frank" and we're looking for stuff for next season. We have anywhere from 20-60 kids tryout depending on the time of year and show. Very few boys. We don't have a real theatre we just create our sets in our cafeteria or meeting hall. So no huge musicals. Next year we want to do one comedy, one drama/historical, and one musical. What would be your ideal season. By the way, we're Catholic, so nothing with wizards/ witches/ folklore. Haha. I've looked at... The Diviners Godspell --Matt actorgeek@cox.net

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B-M-D Celebrity Joined: 11/03/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 346	Posted: 3/05/08 at 8:02pm
	I guess The Rocky Horror Show wouldn't be an option either.
	BD "Dying is easy, comedy is hard."
	IP Logged

tristanrobin Celebrity Joined: 4/25/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 704	Posted: 3/06/08 at 7:43am
	The Miracle Worker (mostly female) The Odd Couple: Female Version (mostly female) Working (musical with gender-blind casting opportunities) I don't know this is an "ideal season" LOL - but it kinda fulfills your requirements
	IP Logged

whitebat Celebrity Joined: 8/05/07 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 137	Posted: 3/12/08 at 7:12pm
	Our HS has done one musical & one straight play a year for ages. I liked "Rehearsal for a Murder" and "Wait until Dark". I was in "Popeye", which I do not particularly recommend, and "The Outsiders", which I would recommend. See if there are any plays based on novels that your students (or Middle School students) have to read in school, as seeing the play of a novel they've read & analyzed seems to fascinate the students. Certain shows may bring out the male actors you don't currently have. Our HS recently did "Oklahoma!", which is a big production musical, but the guys turned out for it! I would recommend "The Outsiders" along that line as well, I think it is a show guys might enjoy acting in.
	IP Logged

Lazy Bee Star Joined: 2/21/07 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 89	Posted: 3/13/08 at 5:39am
	Anna of Nazareth is a very thoughtful Christmas musical, with a flexible cast with the focus on the female characters.
	Stuart Lazy Bee Scripts http://www.lazybeescripts.co.uk read complete play scripts on-line
	IP Logged

JoyExcellence Player Joined: 2/21/08 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 11	Posted: 3/16/08 at 6:49pm
	Children's Letters to God is absolutely wonderful! We produced it a few years ago. It's a musical, but very, very simple set. You could cut some songs out if it's too much. We used one piano and 22 kids. There are 5 leads, but you can divide the songs among the cast. I changed one of the boy leads to a girl. The little brother "Kicker" was changed to "Kat". That way, we had 3 lead girls a 2 lead boys. The rest of the cast was supporting. Dear Edwina Juinior is a great show, too. It is a broadway Junior show so you have the accompaniment CD to work with. This provides lots and lots of songs for kids. I had 28 in that cast. Lots of great moral lessons!
	IP Logged

P&M Sales Lead Joined: 4/18/05 Location: United Kingdom Online Status: Offline Posts: 38	Posted: 3/21/08 at 7:19am
	Matt, We have a very successful play in our catalog ideal for HS students which has 4m, 16f characters ... The Magdalen Whitewash Brought to recent attention by the film 'The Magdalene Sisters', this play vividly portrays the despair and inhumanity inflicted on the 'Maggies' - those unfortunate girls who had the misfortune to be institutionalised in the Magdalen Laundries. These laundries were set up in collaboration between the Church and the State in Ireland and were still going until the late 1990's. They were attached to convents and girls were signed in by their families. Once in there, they could not leave until their families came to get them out- which in some cases meant a lifetime of washing and virtual imprisonment. Their crimes? Being pregnant mainly. Their punishment? To be separated from their familes and work long hours in the laundry. This powerful drama requires a mostly young cast (11-18 and some playing adults).
	best regards David http://www.stagescripts.com
	IP Logged

Topic: High School Theatre Seasons( Topic Closed)