If you want trophies, do another show. If you want to give your kids and audiences the joy of their lifetime ... Do. This. Show.
We have done it twice in competition and did NOT win either time. In one instance, the winning director all but apologized to me. That play was a heavy drama and two of the judges wrote that our show, while wonderful, was too "light-hearted." It's a common theme: dramas are more "important" than comedies. It's not always the case; we've all seen wonderful comedies win these events. However, in looking over the list of winners over the years, dramas dominate. And so it goes.
They did award us "Best Ensemble" "Set Design" and individuals were cited as either "Best Actor" (male and female) and "All Star Cast". In both productions, I had about 20 performers on stage and received permission from the publisher to make cuts to fit the show into our 55-minute window. We also got permission to update cultural references to make the show more relevant to modern audiences. This is invaluable.
We had huge audiences for our public performances both before and following the competitions. My kids loved it as did our English and History teachers. Even the Athletic Coaches that attended the public shows enjoyed the section in which the Wars of the Roses is played out as a football game!
We were even asked to take the shows on tour to our local feeder schools -- middle schoolers loved it! A local theatre venue also had us perform the show in their space (and no, they didn't ask this of the winning show!). Professors from nearby colleges even had their students see our show as part of their English and Arts Appreciation courses (a high school play!!!).
Yes, I consider the experience with "Compete Works..." an overwhelming success -- EVEN THOUGH we didn't win the competitions. We got to show off the unique aspects of our theatre program. A large number of student actors got to not only perform, but they actually had the experience of "touring." And, for what it's worth, we made money with this show. Above all, both the cast and our audiences learned important facts about art, literature, history, and personal development through the process of live theatre. Trophies are wonderful, we have won many. But nothing beats applause.
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Josh Ruben, M. Ed.
Fine Arts Head
Northwest Whitfield HS (dba, The Northwest Theatre Co.)
Tunnel Hill, GA
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Original Message:
Sent: 06-26-2019 19:05
From: Tim Mooney
Subject: Complete Works Of William Shakespeare (Abridged) For Competition?
If what you're looking for is condensed Shakespeare, I've assembled three "Breakneck" Shakespeare pieces, including "Shakespeare's Histories; Ten Epic Plays at a Breakneck Pace," "Breakneck Hamlet" and "Breakneck Julius Caesar." I performed all three of them as one-hour one-man plays, but they can all be divided up into near-full-cast shows, or performed by a small core of actors each playing multiple roles. I'd be happy to send a copy of the script to any who inquire.
Tim
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Tim Mooney
www.timmooneyrep.com
www.moliere-in-english.com
Original Message:
Sent: 06-25-2019 12:11
From: Tiffany Garner
Subject: Complete Works Of William Shakespeare (Abridged) For Competition?
Has anyone done it for competition before? How did you cut it? Was it successful?
And if not, what would you suggest instead?
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Tiffany Garner
Theatre Director
American Leadership Academy Gilbert Noth
Gilbert AZ
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