recruiting boys
Printed From: Community Theater Green Room
Category: Producing Theater
Forum Name: Directing
Forum Discription: For questions about handling shows, actors, crew, board members, children ...or do we repeat ourselves?
URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2286
Printed Date: 11/23/24 at 5:34pm
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Topic: recruiting boys
Posted By: Nanette
Subject: recruiting boys
Date Posted: 3/06/07 at 10:32am
Any idea on how I can encourage more boys to audition? Our theatre is in a SMALL town (our population is less than 500!) and I usually get three or fewer boys at auditions. I would LOVE to do Peter Pan or some other "boy heavy" show, but only come up with girls. I've pleaded with the girls to drag their brothers and cousins to auditions, but my turn-out remains the same.  Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated.------------- In a world of margarine, be butter! |
Replies:
Posted By: NagarWSF
Date Posted: 3/06/07 at 12:38pm
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Although Peter Pan is "boy heavy" it is still old school and may be a turn off to guys. (Come on, the lead "boy" is typically played by a girl and flies around in tights!)
You need to do a show that is well known and involves guys doing guy stuff. Grease always brings them in. Everyone still knows it, and it's "cool" enough. Damn Yankees is old school, but jazzy and about baseball, so there's the guy hook. West Side Story is about gangs and guys beating eachother up over turf. (Yeah it's more than that, and if they've seen the movie, the may think the guys don't seem very tough at all, but the subject matter is raw.)
I guess it all depends on show choice, how you spin it, and marketing. Is there a local HS that would be willing to give extra credit to the baseball team if they are in Damn Yankees? Can you get a choreographer who will tune up the dancing in West Side to make it more urban, violent, manly?
The other part to this is to start setting up some workshops at the elementary school level. Get 'em while they're young before anyone has a chance to tell them it isn't cool. If they are not going to come to you, you gotta go to them! Build that base of young boys who have cool and interesting theatre experiences, and by the time they are in HS, they will be the football players who do the show in the spring! Good luck!
-Sandy Nagar
WSF ------------- Working Class Theatre Company www.workingclasstheatre.org |
Posted By: Kibitzer
Date Posted: 3/06/07 at 2:24pm
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Some great stuff from NagarWSF! I'd like to pick up on one: "If they are not going to come to you, you gotta go to them!" "Build it and they will come" was a great catch phrase for a movie, but it really falls far short as a marketing plan. You need to consider strategic partnerships similar to what NagarWSF was suggesting. Who you partner with depends on what age group you're going after. The idea of starting with elementary kids is great - it'a a real LONG-TERM strategy, but if you keep at it, over time, you will develop a steady pipeline of talent. I can't tell you how cool it is to watch kids "grow up" in the theatre. My experience is that these kids also tend to group up as better students and become even better people in adulthood even if they never use the theatre skills they gain through their childhood years. You can start at a school offering creative drama and other theatre classes, but perhaps have some of the sessions at your theatre. Or, as a part of the "class", they will all be in a real show at a real theatre! How cool is that? Basically, you are casting the entire class in your show! Hype the glamour of the theatre. The interesting thing about working with the schools is that you might end up tapping into others (teachers, administrators, and/or parents) who might also get involved in any number of ways with your theatre. Beyond schools, also look at community centers, YM/WCAs, Boys & Girls Clubs, scouts, church groups, and other youth-oriented organizations. (Scouts are interesting -- there's probably a badge they can get for getting involved!) Use the same concepts -- start at their facility and work your way back to yours. Keep us posted on how things work out for you! ------------- "Security is a kind of death." - Tennessee Williams |
Posted By: falstaff29
Date Posted: 3/19/07 at 11:32pm
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How to encourage more boys to audition? Cast hot girls. Sorry, just joking. Um.... finding guys is always a problem. Outreach to the local high school is a good idea; if you can convince a sympathetic English teacher to give extra credit for being in a show, or even attending, that might pull out a few teenage boys for the next one. I think another long-term strategy is reputation. Do shows with those you've got that the audience will really enjoy. Do some targeted campaigning to get people to come see it. Sometimes knowing that the community is supportive of a good production might bring guys to auditions.
What ages are you looking for? Are we talking adults, teens, both? Does your theater just do musicals or straight plays as well? What's your target audience (eg, family friendly or can we be a little naughtier)? If I knew a little more about what you want (besides casting Peter Pan), I might be able to offer better advice on particular shows that might appeal to guys.
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Posted By: Nanette
Date Posted: 3/19/07 at 11:59pm
We're a children's theatre ... no adults, very few teens, even fewer males. I've cast as young as 5 (never again!  ) and have ages 10+ in my present show. Next season we're dropping the age back to 8+ to try and get more boys in the troupe. So, shows like 'Grease' or 'West Side Story' ~ while great! ~ simply won't work. (There's just something about a 10 year old singing " ... feel your way ... " I don't know; it's simply not the image of Sandy I want in my head!) Besides, we only do straight plays at this point ... and our shows are all based on literature.
It's a very rural, farming community ... if it's not considered "manly", (EG: farming, 4H, sports, hunting, racing, etc.) you don't get the males. We have no Jr or Sr high school (that's the next town over, 12 miles away) and they have the same problem casting males for their one production a year. Lucky for the guys that do show up, though .. they get great parts and LOTS of experience!!!
So, I'm working on getting them interested while they're young, but since I get mostly girls at the auditions I'm forced to stage "girl heavy" shows, or have the girls play the male roles (which they don't really mind doing). The gals are also helping with recruitment, and I know it'll take some time. I'm staging more "manly" shows in the near future ... 'Sleepy Hollow', 'Red Badge of Courage', etc. ... in the hopes of getting them in the door.
Just wanted suggestions and ideas on how to get them out of the seats, and up on the stage. ------------- In a world of margarine, be butter! |
Posted By: lola
Date Posted: 4/02/07 at 1:33pm
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i feel your pain. i've played a man a time or two myself, and i aslo direct childrens theatre. i have the same problem you do, but i've found a few shows that are fairly flexable. if your brave enough to do a musical, try "Dogs:the Musical". it is so touching and laugh out loud hillarious. not to mention that the male dogs are verry "cool". and they sing "cool" songs that any middle school boy could sing without feer of being beat up. its also flexable with ages, so even your yougest children can be in it. i did it with a 7 year old without any trouble. hope that helps. ------------- you know you work in community theatre when your couch has been in more shows than you have. |
Posted By: theGeneral96
Date Posted: 4/11/07 at 10:49am
 Our CT has a saying, 'If you go to the bathroom standing up, you're in the show'. ------------- It's been Surreal! |
Posted By: theGeneral96
Date Posted: 4/11/07 at 10:50am
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Seriously though, I see how it can be hard to recruit males, especially 10-13 years old. After they're 14 or so, usually the thought of being the center of attention in a large group of (mostly) girls tends to draw them in. ------------- It's been Surreal! |
Posted By: mtgirl118
Date Posted: 4/20/07 at 12:53pm
HAHA that might work.
Ellen Marie ------------- Once upon a time I was a shy young thing ~ Could barely walk and talk so much as dance and sing ~ But let me hit that stage I want to take my bow ~ Cause Momma I'm a big girl now - "Hairspray" |
Posted By: suzecue1
Date Posted: 4/20/07 at 6:30pm
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I don't have any answers - we have pretty much the same problem here during the school year. I direct children's theatre in the summer, and we manage to keep a good number of boys involved year to year 1st grade through high school graduation. We lose a few when they start getting jobs, but there isn't as much competition for their time in the summer. I also coach speech (forensics) at the high school level and we have the same problem. Not enough boys. Once the boys hit High School, and are in sports or other activities, you might as well forget doing the shows that have boys in them. Neither the coaches, or the directors, will budge because of the practice schedules / rehearsal conflicts, either that or the peer pressure takes over and it is no longer a cool thing to do. I agree doing the "cool" shows helps. We had a great turn out for Grease and Footloose, but there are only so many "cool" shows that the kids know. What we really need is more cooperation. Encourage the kids to try it all. Make it is easier for them to do it all. Stagger rehearsals, practice schedules, shows and games. Be flexible. Then maybe we won't lose as many boys. ------------- Sue ***** So many hats.....so few heads! |
Posted By: trutter
Date Posted: 5/09/07 at 1:40pm
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Boys/Guys always seem to be a problem. The only advice I can give is to make it fun. There are a LOT of distractions for kids these days between video games, computer, scouts, tae kwon do and other sports, etc. Many just don't consider theater in their circle of vision. What has worked for us is finding good directors who have done "kid-friendly" shows and having them do another kid-friendly show. this was the kids say "oh, they're doing that???" but that puts a big strain on that director. At our theater we are entering a unique era, in that one of our long-time actors is now overseeing the high school plays and musicals.... so there is a definite IN for the crossover talent. ------------- ------ Troy A. Rutter Author, "Kids in the Biz: A Hollywood Handbook for Parents" http://www.kidsinthebiz.com/ - http://www.kidsinthebiz.com/ A Heinemann Drama Publication |