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  • 1.  Best scripts for female ensemble?

    Posted 03-06-2020 08:42
    Hi everyone,

    We have a really great group of sophomore girls in our program that I would like to feature strongly in our next production. I'm looking for a non-musical script that showcases a group of girls -- ideally, no true standout leads.

    The script that initially comes to mind is Radium Girls, but I'm definitely interested in any other scripts you can think of.

    I would LOVE to actually do "Wolves" by Sarah DeLappe, but it's bit too risque for our community.

    Please no Twelve Angry Women -- it's not on my list to do anytime soon.

    Thanks for the recommendations!

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    David Morrison
    English Teacher
    Bolingbrook IL
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  • 2.  RE: Best scripts for female ensemble?

    Posted 03-06-2020 09:30
    I don't know if sophomores would be interested in it, but As it in Heaven by Arlene Hutton is a wonderful play.  It's for 9 women. It does have some Shaker hymns sung by the cast but it doesn't need to - and maybe shouldn't - sound polished.

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    Ken Buswell
    Drama Teacher
    Peachtree City, GA
    http://mcintoshtheater.org/

    Theater kills ignorance
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Best scripts for female ensemble?

    Posted 03-08-2020 19:09
    Although As It Is In Heaven has a cast of nine female characters, it can easily expand to an ensemble of twelve or more women, using three extra women as the interrogators in the interrogation scenes. Schools have done this in the past and as the playwright I'm happy to give blanket permission to add more women to the all female ensemble. The play is published by Dramatists Play Service.
    Thanks for recommending this play, Ken! You're right -- the folk music style songs don't have to sound too polished. The songs are performed a cappella and only a few  of the singers need really good voices. I'm happy to send pdfs of the music to anyone who needs it.

    Other scripts of mine with mostly female casts include Letters to Sala and Susie Sits Shiva, which was workshopped at the International Thespian Conference last summer and published in January in EdTA's Teaching Theatre magazine.

    As a service to teachers during these challenging weeks, I'm happy to send a pdf of any scripts if you send a request to arlene@barrowgroup.org.  And I hope to see some of you at the Florida State Thespian Conference this month.

    all the best,

    ------------------------------
    Arlene Hutton, playwright
    Letters to Sala
    I Dream Before I Take the Stand
    Kissed the Girls & Made Them Cry
    As It Is In Heaven
    Susie Sits Shiva (EdTA commission)

    faculty, The Barrow Group, NYC
    arlene@barrowgroup.org
    ------------------------------

    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Best scripts for female ensemble?

    Posted 03-06-2020 11:48
    Are you willing to tackle classical with them? I love Trojan Women.

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    Shira Schwartz
    Chandler Unified School District
    Chandler AZ
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    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: Best scripts for female ensemble?

    Posted 03-06-2020 13:43
    We had a blast last year with Kate Hamill's Sense and Sensibility. Yes, there are obviously leads (the two sisters), several supporting females (the mother and little sister, Lucy Steele, Fanny Dashwood, and Mrs. Jennings, which is a comic gem!), plus a chorus of gossips (we had six). Lots of great opportunities for my talented ladies.

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    Cassy Maxton-Whitacre
    Theatre Department Coordinator
    Fishersville VA
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    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: Best scripts for female ensemble?

    Posted 03-07-2020 13:14



    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: Best scripts for female ensemble?

    Posted 03-08-2020 20:14
    I am a big fan of a play I was in long ago and directed for a HS group. It's called Kindertransport and there is only one scripted male role and I think the casting could be entirely female if needed. I like the script because all of the female roles are magnificently written and all have an arc. I too am a HUGE fan of The Wolves. Someday I may figure out if it can be cleaned up enough to fly... I also looked at Zimmerman's Argonautika which is supposed to be predominantly male cast but there was something interesting to me in possibly flipping that gender casting if allowed (i.e Medea played by a male actor etc). I didn't pursue it far enough to check in with publishing on that front... A fellow theatre teacher recommended this script to me long ago but I haven't done a ton of research on it... Miss Polly's Institute for Criminally Damaged Young Ladies Puts on a Show. You on the Moors Now has an even split of genders, but seems like a fun script as well. Hope that helps. I even pull scenes from Kindertransport often cause it's just that good.

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    Colleen Mylott
    Secondary Theatre Teacher
    Peak to Peak Charter School
    Lafayette, CO
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    Original Message


  • 8.  RE: Best scripts for female ensemble?

    Posted 03-09-2020 10:59
    Silent Sky by Lauren Gunderson has 4 females, 1 male.  Beautiful play.  I saw it done with only a very few set pieces.

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    C. J. Breland
    Retired Theatre Arts Educator
    Asheville NC
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    Original Message


  • 9.  RE: Best scripts for female ensemble?

    Posted 03-09-2020 12:24
    Hi David! I'm a big proponent of the straight play A Piece of My Heart by Shirley Lauro. There are six equal female equal roles. The play is about women who served in Vietnam, based on true events. Not sure how diverse your women are, but the cast does call for one African American and one Asian woman, both can't be "colorblind" cast because of the women's true experiences in Vietnam. Take a look!

    http://www.shirleylauro.com/a_piece_of_my_heart_11298.htm

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    Emily Howard
    Sacramento CA
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    Original Message


  • 10.  RE: Best scripts for female ensemble?

    Posted 03-10-2020 13:59
    Silent Sky and Decision Height are both awesome shows (we've done them both), but just be aware that there really isn't room to expand the casts beyond what's written. These Shining Lives (another great piece on my to-do list) might be able to be expanded a bit, but the role of Catherine is definitely the biggest. Of course, Henrietta in Silent Sky and Virginia in Decision Height carry a significant line load as well.

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    Cassy Maxton-Whitacre
    Theatre Department Coordinator
    Fishersville VA
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    Original Message


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