Straight play with flexible cast size
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Category: Producing Theater
Forum Name: Play Suggestions
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URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=5383
Printed Date: 10/31/25 at 3:53am
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Topic: Straight play with flexible cast size
Posted By: Rorgg
Subject: Straight play with flexible cast size
Date Posted: 9/18/12 at 1:11pm
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So, the wife and I have a proposal out to the city Parks & Rec department to start a theatre program through them for this upcoming Spring season. We're getting down to brass tacks, now -- a solid write-up for the upcoming catalog including a show name. Due to budgetary constraints (we need to get the whole thing on for $1000 or less, more or less) it needs to be a straight play (also, we don't have musician personnel readily available). However, we don't really know what kind of response we're going to get, so something with a flexible cast size allowing for both adults and children would be ideal. Nothing too edgy, let's not freak the norms here the first time out. :)
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Replies:
Posted By: bnk01
Date Posted: 9/19/12 at 9:47am
Your safest bet is one of the predictable, overdone "popular" comedies... (i.e.: Neil Simon)... which also have pretty high royalty rates.
I'd suggest going for a collection of short plays - audiences tend to be more willing to take a risk on a bunch of ten minute plays; every actor gets to play a lead role, and rehearsals when you only need two or three actors at any given time tend to be easier to schedule!
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Posted By: bnk01
Date Posted: 9/19/12 at 9:49am
Your safest bet is one of the predictable, overdone "popular" comedies... (i.e.: Neil Simon)... which also have pretty high royalty rates.
I'd suggest going for a collection of short plays - audiences tend to be more willing to take a risk on a bunch of ten minute plays; every actor gets to play a lead role, and rehearsals when you only need two or three actors at any given time tend to be easier to schedule!
We did a collection all on a theme, ("love plays on") all by the same playwright at our community theatre - the audience loved it & we got to cast just about everyone that showed (including the kids), and have a couple of outstanding actors play 2 or 3 roles in the show.
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Posted By: edh915
Date Posted: 9/21/12 at 10:44am
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If you really want to include children (which does increase audience participation exponentially, so I can see why you'd want to), I'd recommend "Cheaper By the Dozen" or "Life with Father", or - my most emphatic recommendation - "I Remember Mama".
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Posted By: Rorgg
Date Posted: 9/25/12 at 1:12pm
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I love Simon, and I've been trying to direct Brighton for a couple years, as soon as I can get one of the other local companies to schedule it, but I can't think of which of his comedies has a largeish, flexible cast size?
Looked up "I Remember Mama" -- I think the setting needs to be period, so that probably nixes that for costume reasons. Would "Life with Father" be the same? Cheaper's a large cast, but we're looking for something that might not get that many participants.
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Posted By: edh915
Date Posted: 9/25/12 at 4:55pm
"Mama" officially takes place in 1918 or so, but men's clothes haven't changed so much since then, and all the women need to be "period" is long skirts. I think you could swing it. "Life with Father" is similar. Early 1900's. Men's clothes not too much difference. Women's clothes: long skirts.
As for Neil Simon, go for the "suite" shows. "Plaza Suite" (IMHO the best of the lot), "California Suite", and "London Suite". Each show is three one-acts. Originally done with the same few actors in all acts, but easily done with three separate casts, or a little overlapping if necessary.
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Posted By: edh915
Date Posted: 9/25/12 at 4:58pm
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Simon's "The Good Doctor" is worth looking at, too. A series of sketches based on Chekov short stories - very flexible cast, although you'll run into the "costume" thing again.
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Posted By: Rorgg
Date Posted: 9/26/12 at 3:53pm
Hmm, while hunting online yesterday, this jumped out at me. Looks like fun, very easy set/props/costumes.
Dr. Evil and the Basket of Kittens
http://www.pioneerdrama.com/SearchDetail.asp?pc=DREVILANDT&id=56#
Wish I knew what "coming soon" meant exactly.
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Posted By: donzolidis
Date Posted: 9/26/12 at 5:21pm
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You've probably heard me suggest this before, but I'd plug The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon. Cast of 5 to 40, flexible costume requirements and easy set - it's been produced at about 40-50 community theatres. It's kind of like the Complete Works of Shakespeare (abridged) except with the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm and more PG. It's been done in lots of middle schools as well, so I could see some younger children in some small roles. You can read it online here: http://www.playscripts.com/play.php3?playid=1162 - http://www.playscripts.com/play.php3?playid=1162 Click read sample to read the entire thing online.
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www.donzolidis.com
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Posted By: Rorgg
Date Posted: 9/27/12 at 3:53pm
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Nice of you to plug your play, but it doesn't seem that it would fit the "minimal costuming" requirement. That seems to be a stumbling block for a lot of these.
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Posted By: Majicwrench
Date Posted: 9/27/12 at 4:16pm
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I'm suprised costuming seems such a big obsticle for you. Lots of creative, inexpensive options for costumes, but that's for a diff thread I suppose.
Keith
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