Play Suggestions: Suggestions for a new season

Print Page | Close Window

Suggestions for a new season

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=4717
Printed Date: 11/25/24 at 5:30pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 8.05 - http://www.webwizforums.com

Topic: Suggestions for a new season

Posted By: ThreeGraces
Subject: Suggestions for a new season
Date Posted: 7/18/10 at 1:14pm

Hi there!

We are a relatively new theatre troupe. We are just wrapping up our first season, and luckily we have finally found a venue that wants to continue to rent to us (for a fairly cheap price!)

We have a focus on the classics - Our first show was a locally written play that extends the Oedipus trilogy and explains what happens to the youngest daughter, Ismene.
Our second show was contemporary, 'night, Mother, which we performed as a benefit for a local suicide prevention group. All proceeds were given to them.

The show we are working on now is a compilation of Shakespeare scenes that I put together. I call it From Shakespeare, with Love, because all of the scenes have something to do with love.
This was done to first test how our audience will react to Shakespeare, and to see if we even have the actors willing to do it. (You'd be surprised at how many actors refuse to do Shakespeare because they think it's too hard!)

Things are going well, and we've even been asked to produce a Christmas show.
So our next season lineup has been asked about, and here is what we've come up with -
Christmas show - A christmas carol (We want a script with kids in it.)
Spring Show - ?
Summer Show - Taming of the Shrew

I'm at a loss for what to do as our spring show. As this is our first season in the new theatre, I feel like we need to do a range of shows that will display what we can do.
There are a few suggestions on the table, but I would love more!

Suggestions so far:
Noises Off! - I'm hesitant to do this because of the set and the inherent difficulty in doing a true farce.

Prometheus Bound (Aeschylus)

The Brothers Menaechmus (Plautus)

Arsenic and Old Lace

I'm willing to try just about anything!

Replies:

Posted By: rick491
Date Posted: 8/06/10 at 10:31pm

I have an original comedy with a cast of 18 which I just completed. If interersted please contact me.

-------------
Rick M.
www.richardmonaco.com

Posted By: tristanrobin
Date Posted: 8/07/10 at 8:35am

how about something light - but with a backbone? - Durang or Henley?

-------------
http://tristanrobin.blogspot.com

Posted By: Melvin
Date Posted: 8/08/10 at 12:47pm

Might be a good idea to give us an idea of how many males and female parts you need and other limitations. Is your venue huge, tiny? Can you do any and all costumes? Set limitations?

Posted By: Martin
Date Posted: 8/10/10 at 12:07pm

My two-act murder mystery, The Man in Seat 24 or (The Uninvited Guest), has a cast of 15- 8 females and 7 males- and is published by Brooklyn Publishers. www.brookpub.com
Synopsis: An irate, rude, and combative theatre patron (in your audience!) hijacks the cast, the crew, and his fellow theatre-goers and winds up stone cold dead at center stage. The Man in Seat 24 Or (The Uninvited Guest) is a murder mystery, a play-within-a-play, where a harried and frazzled theatre director investigates a murder--during a night of theatre gone wrong--and realizes that there is more to this evening’s performance than meets the eye.

Posted By: donzolidis
Date Posted: 8/10/10 at 12:39pm

What about Proof?

An awesome show if you have an older actress is Kimberly Akimbo by David-Lindsay Abaire.

-------------
www.donzolidis.com

Posted By: edh915
Date Posted: 8/10/10 at 6:23pm

You've got "family" and "traditional" covered with "Christmas Carol".

"Comedy" and "classic" covered with "Shrew".

I'd go for "20th century" and "drama". Look towards Arthur Miller ("All My Sons" is my favorite) or Tennessee Williams ("Glass Menagerie" "Streetcar Named Desire" "Night of the Iguana") Or Edward Albee. (Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?")

Posted By: mark_j
Date Posted: 8/16/10 at 12:55am

Don't Dress for Dinner (comedy)

12 Angry Men (drama)

Dearly Departed (adult comedy)

One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest (as written or "reformed")

Posted By: mommathes
Date Posted: 8/19/10 at 12:00am

If you want to consider something other than A Christmas Carol that is great for families and has name recognition I have a show that was a huge success for our group two years ago and was produced last year by another theater who had sold out performances too. The audience laughed and cried when they were supposed to so I think it worked well. The script uses both contemporary and period scenes based on the famous editorial response, Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus. Let me if you would like to see an excerpt.

Posted By: Chook
Date Posted: 9/28/10 at 8:53pm

'Errol Flynn's Great Big Adventure Book For Boys' by Rob George is a rollicking play with music for as large a cast as you want, charting the rise and fall of the swashbuckling hero.

'Percy and Rose' by Rob George about the life of the composer Percy Grainger & his dominating mother is for a cast of 4 or 5.

Both are plays that have had major success here in Australia in both professional & community theatre. Our production of Errol also won a best play award at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

The plays are available to read on proplay, together with the playwright's contact details.

http://www.singlelane.com/proplay/flynn.html

http://www.singlelane.com/proplay/percy.html

-------------
www.prospectfilms.com
Melbourne Australia

Posted By: GracieGarland
Date Posted: 10/06/10 at 11:45am

I would love to see an excerpt from Yes, Virginia there is a Santa Claus.

Best Regards,

Gracie

Posted By: mommathes
Date Posted: 10/13/10 at 4:21pm

I would be happy to send that to you. Where would you like it sent.

Posted By: bnk01
Date Posted: 10/14/10 at 7:09pm

What about an evening of one acts or ten minute plays? Those are pretty good at expanding your audience by reaching those that are hesitant about going to the theatre in general...