Play Suggestions: Looking for a show

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Looking for a show

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=4990
Printed Date: 11/25/24 at 1:24pm
Software Version: Web Wiz Forums 8.05 - http://www.webwizforums.com

Topic: Looking for a show

Posted By: Rorgg
Subject: Looking for a show
Date Posted: 3/01/11 at 2:43pm

So I've been approached by a company with basically an open offer to put on a show.

The Good: I have a good network of people who've put on many a production and can be trusted to handle the production side and let me direct. Also, the sponsoring company has a good reputation and draw, and has a reputation for pushing the envelope on content and style, so there are pretty much no limits there.

The Not-So-Good: The budget will likely be smallish, enough so that a musical is probably out of the picture. It's a proscenium stage and it's small, so there's not a lot of room to play in.

So I'm looking for a straight play, interesting, small cast is better, and something offbeat or edgy will probably play well to the audience. I'm looking for something with a performance history -- I'm a playwright, too, and I've rejected the idea of doing something original already.

Just to give an idea of where I am on this, the first thing that came to mind was "Picasso at the Lapin Agile" but I'm iffy on that specifically for a couple reasons.

Replies:

Posted By: KEB54
Date Posted: 3/01/11 at 8:38pm

The one that immediately came to mind was "Fuddy Meers" by David Lindsay- Abaire, another is "Wonder of the World" same author. Plays I've wanted to do but just too edgy for my venue. Hope you can do them!

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KEB

Posted By: Lazy Bee
Date Posted: 3/02/11 at 8:30am

How big a performance histroy do you want? The following had their debuts in the authors' home states (and have yet to reach Broadway):-

http://www.lazybeescripts.co.uk/cgi-bin/Search_Results.asp?iSc=828 - For the Good of the Family by George Douglas Lee (Texas)
http://www.lazybeescripts.co.uk/cgi-bin/Search_Results.asp?iSc=1090 - A Rose for Danny by Kevin James Moriarty (California)
http://www.lazybeescripts.co.uk/cgi-bin/Search_Results.asp?iSc=975 - The Future by Andrew Harrison (London, England)

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Stuart
Lazy Bee Scripts
http://www.lazybeescripts.co.uk - http://www.lazybeescripts.co.uk read complete play scripts on-line

Posted By: donzolidis
Date Posted: 3/02/11 at 3:34pm

I'd second the David Lindsay-Abaire. Love him.

In addition to those two, I'd look at Kimberly Akimbo, which requires an older actress to play a 16 year old, but is both hilarious and touching.

Here's a good place to start:

http://www.tcg.org/publications/at/ATtopten.cfm - http://www.tcg.org/publications/at/ATtopten.cfm

Almost all of these are small-cast, small-venue shows.

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www.donzolidis.com

Posted By: bnk01
Date Posted: 3/02/11 at 8:30pm

If you want something edgy and out there, look at Original Works Online's site. Maybe Seven Redneck Cheerleaders?
http://www.originalworksonline.com - Original Works Online

Also: recent, small cast & award winner: A Gulag Mouse
http://www.shop.nextstagepress.net/product.sc?productId=67&categoryId=4 - A Gulag Mouse - Next Stage Press

Posted By: edh915
Date Posted: 3/06/11 at 3:51pm

"Dead Man's Cell Phone".
"The Drawer Boy"
"Visiting Mr. Green"

Posted By: Rorgg
Date Posted: 3/10/11 at 12:11pm

Thanks for the tip on Fuddy Meers. Read it through yesterday and it seems to be right on what I was looking for. Going to propose that one up the chain, I have a feeling it'll play very well both within the company and with the audience.

Posted By: Capra_Fan
Date Posted: 3/20/11 at 7:07pm

well a good off beat comedy is Nights At The Roundtable by William Missouri Downs. You can read the full script online at ProPlay Scripts website. Our theatre group put it on last summer and it was really well recieved.

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Posted By: NDTENOR
Date Posted: 3/25/11 at 12:28pm

I've always thought a real " winner" from an audience and production standpoint is "On Golden Pond" . It's comedy/drama that appeals to many age groups. One set. Simple costumes. 7 in the cast. I saw the original broadway production and was in a community theater production of it years later. And from the movie version it has name recognition.

Posted By: Rorgg
Date Posted: 3/29/11 at 12:01pm

I've never thought of On Golden Pond as either "offbeat" or "edgy" in many ways, but maybe I missed something. Actually, Fuddy Meers was so on the mark, it was actually on the company's list of shows to investigate for future production, so my gang may end up producing it for them, or they may just expand their next season by a show to have me do it. Either way, excellent call. Great script.

On a related note, to twist the subject, I liked Fuddy so much that I picked up a copy of Rabbit Hole. So, so good -- had me in tears at the end of the first act, and the dialog is magnificent. But I wonder if anyone would actually WANT to see it -- seems like it's a hard play for an audience, no?

Posted By: Lazy Bee
Date Posted: 3/29/11 at 6:23pm

New, and edgy: http://www.lazybeescripts.co.uk/cgi-bin/Search_Results.asp?iSc=1292 - Fools Call it Fate by Jessica McHugh. (Can be read in full on-line.)

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Stuart
Lazy Bee Scripts
http://www.lazybeescripts.co.uk - http://www.lazybeescripts.co.uk read complete play scripts on-line