First Time Director
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=3247
Printed Date: 11/26/24 at 12:50am
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Topic: First Time Director
Posted By: jarellano
Subject: First Time Director
Date Posted: 6/23/08 at 1:12am
| Good Afternoon everyone. I am trying to decide on a good, easy play to direct for a community theater. Any suggestions would be helpful. But keep these things in mind, the crowd are good Christian folks, so try to suggest plays with little profanity, and family plays would be most helpful as well. Another factor would be a small cast. Thank you, any ideas would be most helpful. |
Replies:
Posted By: lmar12
Date Posted: 7/08/08 at 4:31pm
Rumors by Neil Simon is hysterically funny. LOTS of language problems but they are easy to clean up without losing the atmosphere of the play. Calls for good actors but really ----it directs itself. Someone on this site posted their set plans and we used them (tweaking a bit for our stage) and the set went up 1-2-3! (Of course we already had platforms, and stairs, and flats--we just repainted and repurposed) Costumes a breeze and not prop-heavy at all. Another one that is pretty is one my husband looooves ---- The Good Doctor also by Simon.
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Posted By: B-M-D
Date Posted: 7/08/08 at 6:46pm
Not to go off topic but: Please, please, please DO NOT advise anyone to "clean up" language without first getting permission to do so. Neil Simon will rarely grant such permission and has closed down productions for doing so. There are at least two postings that discuss extensively on the subject of changing diaglog for whatever reason. I've commented and posted on the subject in depth on this board till my fingers have fallen off. The bottom line is ask before you do it and obtain the permission or just don't do the script.
On a more subjective matter I'd question how much of a "breeze" the costumes are for Rumors. We're talking well fitting tuxes and very fashion concious eveningwear for the ladies in addition to one costume that's supposed to be an antique Russian dress for Cookie.
If you do go the Neil Simon route there are plenty of his scipts that do not have language issues. The Odd Couple, Barefoot In the Park, Brighton Beach Memoirs, Broadway Bound to name a few.
Other language safe shows you might want to consider: Laura, Sabrina Fair, The Man Who Came to Dinner and Our Town come immediately to mind. ------------- BD 
"Dying is easy, comedy is hard." |
Posted By: GoldCanyonLady
Date Posted: 7/09/08 at 10:33am
|
We did Rumors and it was very good but our audiences loved, The Curious Savage best and the set and costumes were easy. Great play.
------------- Barb Hofmeister, MountainBrook Village Players, Gold Canyon, Arizona. |
Posted By: tdsands
Date Posted: 7/09/08 at 9:36pm
|
"Over the River and Through the Woods" by Joe Dipietro
No language problem, one set (Combination living rm./Dining Rm.)
Cast is 3m 3f
Our audience loved it! ------------- tdsands @ NRT |
Posted By: gaftpres
Date Posted: 7/15/08 at 9:04am
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"A Barrell Full of Pennies" has a cast of 6 and great characters to develop.
Loads of Laughs for all ages. ------------- Old volunteers never die, they just get recycled! |
Posted By: ahadon
Date Posted: 8/05/08 at 2:07pm
|
We just did the glass menagerie, it went over really well in our bible belt area. Even with the whole line "bastard son of a Bastard" which i fought not to change with the chairman of the committee for the venue. (we have to have our shows approved by them)
It has a cast of 4 (2 and 2) and is a great classic play and REALLY DOES direct itself, all the blocking is in the script, and as long as you stick to the diagram in the back of the script for the set layout, you cant go wrong. It was the first show that i directed about 15 years ago, and i just did it again to open our new theatre company.
The language is not an issue in it either. it has some but its more like hell and damn, which aren't too bad.
but thats just my own 2 cents.... lol
Im sure you will make the right choice, and chose a show that is going to be great!
Break a leg!
Don ------------- Currently at Bartlett Community Theatre, Bartlett, TN Technical Director Set Design |
Posted By: tristanrobin
Date Posted: 8/06/08 at 6:19pm
|
"The Secret Garden" (not the musical version!) "The Enchanted" "Picnic" "Play On!" "Our Town" One word of caution: With all respect to ahadon, beware of using the blocking that is included in any script. That blocking is kept by the stage manager of the original production. Usually blocking comes from specific intent and motivation by the actors. If you don't know what the actors were thinking/feeling/showing/doing, the blocking doesn't make sense. I find it is so much better to make up your own blocking that is organic from the emotions of your characters in your play at the time. Just make sure you DO blocking LOL. |