Challenging play suggestions
Printed From: Community Theater Green Room
Category: Producing Theater
Forum Name: Play Suggestions
Forum Discription: Need help finding a show that's right for your theater? Ask here.
URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3118
Printed Date: 11/25/24 at 10:48am
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Topic: Challenging play suggestions
Posted By: lmar12
Subject: Challenging play suggestions
Date Posted: 4/16/08 at 6:58pm
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Hi Everyone I am looking for a good drama or a murder mystery for a high school production. I have plenty of boys to choose from and also (of course) plenty of girls. They are extremely talented for their age and I would like to really challenge them. They did Shakespeare two years ago (Richard the Third) so I would not want to go that route again. If the play is interesting enough, I have a designer for a complicated set--so I am really open to just about anything. Thanks a lot! BUT--we have an extremely conservative community--so really controversial subjects are definitely o-u-t!
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Replies:
Posted By: ty.gab
Date Posted: 4/16/08 at 9:21pm
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Since you have boys...
Death of A Salesman
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Posted By: Jim_L
Date Posted: 4/17/08 at 8:30am
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Can they sing?
http://home.comcast.net/~castle.walls/tavern/ - http://home.comcast.net/~castle.walls/tavern/ ------------- 
http://home.comcast.net/~castle.walls/tavern/ |
Posted By: spikesgirl
Date Posted: 4/17/08 at 11:01am
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I hate to suggest an old chestnut, but what about "Mousetrap"? There's also "Blythe Spirit" We also just finished "Wait Until Dark" which was pretty intense, but also pretty conservative. Charlie
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Posted By: bernster74
Date Posted: 4/17/08 at 11:32am
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I agree with the Wait until Dark suggestion - that show is a challenge from set to actors to props. And it's a delight for the audience when well done.
Another suggestion that comes to mind is Tea & Sympathy which takes place in a boy's school. Very interesting script.
If you do have the talent and want to do soemthing really artistic with the set, look at To Kill a Mockingbird.
And finally, another challenging piece would be One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest. Not as complicated on the set, but the time you'll save there you'll use on the actors for sure.
Hope this helps - cheers.
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Posted By: tristanrobin
Date Posted: 4/17/08 at 6:21pm
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"Who's Happy Now?" - my all-time favorite play ANY Tennessee Williams play "Ordinary People" - good stage version of the screenplay "Witness for the Prosecution" - wonderful play that gives character actors the leads for a change "A Few Good Men" - great if you have a lot of guys - good mystery, too (film was based on this play) "Anatomy of a Murder" - another good mystery with lots of roles for guys (film was based on this play) |
Posted By: notmyshoes
Date Posted: 4/18/08 at 4:22pm
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My number one suggestion: "Bang Bang You're Dead" by William Mastrisomone. It is an amazing play for high school students. There are 3 leading males, 3 leading females, and an ensemble of five. I played Emily in a high school production and we brought numerous audience members to tears at every performance. I believe the script is available online at: bangbangyouredead.com
I also agree with One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Ordinary People... I would also suggest: Twelve Angry Jurors, The Importance of Being Earnest, and Moliere's The Imaginary Invalid. If you want a musical, I reccomend "Working by" Studs Terkel or maybe Sondheim's "Company" or "Sunday in the Park with George." ------------- http://notmyshoes.net/monologues - The Monologue Database - by These Aren't My Shoes Productions |
Posted By: SherrieAnne
Date Posted: 4/18/08 at 8:51pm
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Arthur Miller's ALL MY SONS or THE CRUCIBLE. ------------- There's a little bit of diva in all of us. Some just have a larger helping than others. |
Posted By: Ken W
Date Posted: 4/18/08 at 11:17pm
| when I was in high school, we did "J.B." by Archibold McLeish. Really out there and very challenging |
Posted By: lmar12
Date Posted: 4/21/08 at 10:20am
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Hi--
Just an update to clarify---We also do a musical each year and we will probably do Children of Eden. We did a small non-musical this year, (Rumors) so we want to go with a larger one next year. Oh, and to further clarify--The person who suggested Company--I agree, a great show but we would be in SERIOUS trouble if we ever tried to do that show! (I could see the Letters to the Editor now! We did George Washington Slept Here a few years ago and we had a letter published in the local paper from an irate citizen complaining about the language!
 ) When I say Conservative, I really mean Conservative! Thanks alot--I am already looking into many of your suggestions.
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Posted By: JoeMc
Date Posted: 4/21/08 at 10:06pm
Well just imagine all the free publicity if you did 'Steaming' or 'educating Rita' ? 
I'm sure if you engineered it right with the media, you would get packed houses & even get on local TV!  ------------- [western] Gondawandaland "Hear the light & see the sound! TOI TOI CHOOKAS {may you always play to a full house!} |
Posted By: lmar12
Date Posted: 4/25/08 at 4:52pm
| Of course I wouldn't have a job after it ended, but oh well!!??!! |
Posted By: JoeMc
Date Posted: 4/25/08 at 11:36pm
Well what's in a job? 
Barnamise & shake the conservative blue rinse sets tree a bit - this is theatre!
I remember with steaming' a fair while back, on tour in a bush town. Getting a load of publicity coverage on TV & the local Rags. Because one patron who took her 12 year old son to the show, wrote a shocked letter to the newspapers. Stating "the theatre did not advertise there would be women in the nude on stage!", even though the marquee banners had the words '6 NAKED WOMEN' in large letters on the advertising boards.
Because she believed there was a big difference between being naked & in the nude on stage
 Pity it all happened after the show left town or it could have been held over for a longer season. Not that it really mattered as it always played to packed houses anyway.
I'm sure it did not bother the 12 year old young bloke anyway
- but that's the show game!Sorry to trot out this old Horse Chestnut, but to me it is becoming more apt!
 ------------- [western] Gondawandaland "Hear the light & see the sound! TOI TOI CHOOKAS {may you always play to a full house!} |
Posted By: notmyshoes
Date Posted: 4/28/08 at 11:51am
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J.B. is also an excellent suggestion!
------------- http://notmyshoes.net/monologues - The Monologue Database - by These Aren't My Shoes Productions |
Posted By: stockhamlj
Date Posted: 4/28/08 at 4:18pm
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Here are several suggestions:
EASY VIRTUE ALL MY SONS AND THEN THERE WERE NONE ONE FOOT IN HEAVEN THE GREAT SEBASTIAN AS YOU LIKE IT CURIOUS SAVAGE If you have more boys than girls: MISTER ROBERTS THE HASTY HEART |
Posted By: stagechild
Date Posted: 5/16/08 at 2:55pm
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For a play that does have a small challenge I would suggest: S.P.A.R. (Steve's Play About Renata) by Stephan Gregg. The cast for this one-act isn't huge however when the lead actors need to be repreformed by different actors with the same movement, it gives a sort of copying excersise.
Another play that is fun to do with a large cast is 'The Lottery'
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