SORRY - The title of this post should have been Middle School PRODUCTION class - but I seem to be unable to edit the subject line.
Anyway... we are transitioning our Middle School musical production from an after school activity to a class that takes place within the school day and I'm looking for some guidance. I'm excited about this change, as it frees up my schedule after school to work with my Upper School actors and directors on various projects, but am also aware of the limitations this change will bring.
I will meet with them three times a week, throughout a 15-week semester, for an hour each session. While I have the liberty of introducing musical theater history and other stuff into the day-to-day curriculum, the ultimate goal of the class will be a performance of a one-hour musical (i.e.e MTI, Junior or comparable).
I will be the main instructor/director, with periodic assistance from one of our dance teachers and our choral director. There is also the possibility that students from the Middle School chorus will also be in the show, though we are still working out the logistics of that. Any thoughts on how to structure the class and rehearsals, or suggestions about shows to look at, would be appreciated. (I'm going to need to use rehearsal tracks for most of the sessions and will be working in a large, carpeted meeting room space that does not have a piano, so there are those limitations to consider.)
Thanks, in advance, for any and all advice.------------------------------
Susan Speidel
Chairman of the Performing Arts Department
Morristown-Beard School
Springfield NJ
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