Pros and Cons
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=3257
Printed Date: 4/21/25 at 6:51am
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Topic: Pros and Cons
Posted By: nahtod1
Subject: Pros and Cons
Date Posted: 6/27/08 at 1:41pm
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Mousetrap Ten Little Indians Whodunit 12 Angry Men Dearly Departed Thanks for any help  |
Replies:
Posted By: pdavis69
Date Posted: 6/27/08 at 3:45pm
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Throw in a musical and you have one heck of a season. ------------- Patrick L. Davis Fort Findlay Playhouse |
Posted By: B-M-D
Date Posted: 6/27/08 at 4:09pm
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I could die happy without seeing or doing an Agatha Christie ever again.
Not familiar enough with Whodunit.
12 Angry Men - always in favor of doing an American classic.
Dearly Departed - one of the funniest shows I've ever been in. ------------- BD 
"Dying is easy, comedy is hard." |
Posted By: jayzehr
Date Posted: 6/27/08 at 8:42pm
| I was in a version of 12 Angry Men years ago with women cast as half of the parts. But from what I've been reading here that's actually illegal. I don't know about where you are, but for us finding 12 men let alone 12 good actors that fit all the parts would be next to impossible. |
Posted By: Topper
Date Posted: 6/27/08 at 11:39pm
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All the plays you mentioned require uniformly strong actors in all the roles.
Both "Ten Little Indians" and "Whodunnit" have complicated sets to build and props lists that read like the Smithsonian's inventory. ------------- "None of us really grow up. All we ever do is learn how to behave in public." -- Keith Johnstone |
Posted By: jaytee060
Date Posted: 7/01/08 at 7:17am
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Actually Jayzehr, the play 12 Angry Men has been written by the author in 3 different versions. 12 Angry Men, 12 Angry Women and 12 Angry Jurors.
But you are correct otherwise. Gender bending cast members is somewhat of a no-no. ------------- "REMEMBER ME IN LIGHT" |
Posted By: donzolidis
Date Posted: 7/01/08 at 11:14am
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True, but you can always ask for permission from the author.
A quick email to the publisher is usually enough to get a response, and as long as the character isn't absolutely required to be that sex by plot or logic, most authors are pretty amenable to changing genders. What's the worst they can say? no? ------------- www.donzolidis.com |
Posted By: Topper
Date Posted: 7/01/08 at 2:13pm
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And for CT's with small acting pools, there's the lesser-known "Six Angry Women, 3 Cranky Men, 2 Tempermental Kids, and a Really Ticked-Off Hand Puppet".
We make do.
Sometimes we make doo-doo.
------------- "None of us really grow up. All we ever do is learn how to behave in public." -- Keith Johnstone |
Posted By: POB14
Date Posted: 7/02/08 at 9:08am
When I was in Cheaper By The Dozen, I called it Twelve Angry Children.
Is Whodunit the one where the guy dies, and comes back from heaven to solve his own murder? I was in that one, and I have some very unpleasant memories - mostly due to the fact that the lead didn't know his lines very well.  ------------- POB Old Bugger, Curmudgeon, and Antisocial B**tard |
Posted By: Topper
Date Posted: 7/02/08 at 11:20am
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The "Whodunit" I was referring to was written by Anthony Shaeffer ("Sleuth") and it involves a large cast moving about a library with hidden panels, floor-to-ceiling shelves, etc. There is a voice on tape (or off stage on mic) that narrates to the audience.
I don't feel it's as good as "Sleuth" (few scripts are) but it seemed rather cumbersome to stage. ------------- "None of us really grow up. All we ever do is learn how to behave in public." -- Keith Johnstone |