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Desperately Seeking Fall Play with 20+ characters

  • 1.  Desperately Seeking Fall Play with 20+ characters

    Posted 05-21-2015 20:14

    Hello all-

    I am really struggling to find a Fall Play for this upcoming season.  I have numerous strong upperclassmen and talented freshmen coming in.  About 9-10 women, and a few more men than that. (Total cast will most likely be about 25-28 people and about 20 of those need speaking parts). I cannot make cuts. All in all, I need a show that is challenging, yet not too dark.  I want something endearing, technically interesting, and uplifting.  

    In the past few years we have done Skellig by David Almond (magic realism), Hamlet, Our Town, Alice in Wonderland, The Winter's Tale, and Museum.  I don't want to do Shakespeare this upcoming year. 

    Any ideas are appreciated.  

    LH


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    Lisa Houston
    Pennington NJ
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  • 2.  RE: Desperately Seeking Fall Play with 20+ characters

    Posted 05-22-2015 06:08

    Something a bit "historical" that could lead to discussion about how education/school has changed would be "Up the Down Staircase."

    http://www.dramaticpublishing.com/p1632/Up-the-Down-Staircase/product_info.html

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    Lynda Gibson
    Jr. Troupe 88305
    Flushing MI
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    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Desperately Seeking Fall Play with 20+ characters

    Posted 05-22-2015 06:12

    Can you double cast any of the parts?  I have an advanced theatre class and every year we have between 22-30 students that all have to have speaking roles, but I do double cast some parts (especially women) and then those actors are extras or have smaller speaking parts on their off nights.  In the past 5 years we have done A Tale of Two Cities, Dracula, The Three Musketeers, Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde, The Map Reader, and Sweeney Todd.

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    Kristie Bach
    Traverse City MI
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    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Desperately Seeking Fall Play with 20+ characters

    Posted 05-22-2015 07:17

    Mary Zimmerman's Arabian Nights is originally written for 12 actors, but I've seen it performed with more.  It incorporates dance and movement and has lots of opportunities for cool tech moments.

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    Lee Daugherty
    Mt. Vernon High School
    Alexandria VA
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    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: Desperately Seeking Fall Play with 20+ characters

    Posted 05-22-2015 07:44

    Our fall play for next year is Charlotte's Web. It has about 23 speaking parts and you can add extras to the fair scenes with spectators. 

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    Tracey Filben
    Monarch Company Director
    Glen Dale WV
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    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: Desperately Seeking Fall Play with 20+ characters

    Posted 05-22-2015 07:49

    Hi, some that I've really enjoyed are Radium Girls - which has an expandable cast size and some really cool technical elements for glow in the dark (radium), and a dream sequence. I also highly recommend Clay McLeod Chapman's Volume of Smoke. The script is available free online if you search for it. It can be a massive cast or a very intimate one and all of the characters are ghosts reliving the night they perished in a theatre fire. Really intense, some really cool components like a play within a play and you can make use of things like shadow play and the like to tell parts of the story.

    This year we did a Devised Show (we made the whole show ourselves) which has been really rewarding because it allowed each student to really contribute their greatest strengths and to build parts for themselves that highlight said strengths. It was a very difficult and long process but the end result and satisfaction of the student's in their own work had been profound.

    If you're looking for musicals let I highly recommend Thoroughly Modern Millie, and if you can get away with it- Cabaret. Most educational and engaging musical I've ever done.

    ------------------------------
    Victoria Kesling Councill
    Chapter Director - VA EdTA/ Virginia Thespians
    Theatre Director- Fine & Performing Arts Department NKHS
    Artistic Director - NKHS Trojan Theatre
    Artistic Director - Kent England Exchange Production
    Virginia Commonwealth University BFA Theatre Education, BFA Art Education '08
    University of Houston - MA in Theatre Candidate '16

    "Love the art in yourself and not yourself in the art." - Konstantin Stanislavski
    ------------------------------


    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: Desperately Seeking Fall Play with 20+ characters

    Posted 05-22-2015 08:17

    Look at Trevor Nunn and John Caird's PETER PAN OR THE BOY WHO WOULD NOT GROW UP.  Very faithful and theatrical straight version of Barrie's play and novel which was done for the RSC.  Also Mary Zimmerman's ODYSSEY, ARGONAUTIKA, or JOURNEY TO THE WEST--all wonderful--large casts--both challenging and uplifting.  THE CRUCIBLE is also always great.  Another one is Barry Kornhauser's CYRANO.

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    Ron Parker
    Appleton WI
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    Original Message


  • 8.  RE: Desperately Seeking Fall Play with 20+ characters

    Posted 05-22-2015 08:39

    "Almost, Maine"  if you don't double, has lots of great parts. I once did it casting most of the women once and men in two scenes. 

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    Jenny Brotherton
    Drama Coach-Teacher
    Scranton PA
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    Original Message


  • 9.  RE: Desperately Seeking Fall Play with 20+ characters

    Posted 05-22-2015 08:44

    Consider Thornton Wilder's The Skin of Our Teeth, which I will be doing (again) this fall.  I last produced it in 1994, so it's OK to repeat, I think.  It's funny, and deep, and provides many people a chance to speak.  Some fun tech to do as well.

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    Nathan Rosen
    Baltimore MD
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    Original Message


  • 10.  RE: Desperately Seeking Fall Play with 20+ characters

    Posted 05-22-2015 09:20

    We had a wonderful success with Mary Zimmerman's Metamorphoses. A small pool can be built fairly easily and your staging can happen around and in the water. 

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    Dawn DeMaio
    Wantagh NY
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    Original Message


  • 11.  RE: Desperately Seeking Fall Play with 20+ characters

    Posted 05-22-2015 09:16

    I have written a modern version of A Midsummer Night's Dream that has a Woodstock-Disco director's concept.  I have many costumes and props already gathered.  Set design is simple.  I have had as few as 20 and as many as 100 in the cast.  Have produced the show with middle and high schools.

    Jay County High School, Portland, IN

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    Carol Knarr Gebert
    Celina OH
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    Original Message


  • 12.  RE: Desperately Seeking Fall Play with 20+ characters

    Posted 05-22-2015 09:30

    We had a great time with "The Man Who Came To Dinner"

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    Zachary Mazouat
    Morristown NJ
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    Original Message


  • 13.  RE: Desperately Seeking Fall Play with 20+ characters

    Posted 05-22-2015 10:56

    Almost, Maine- 20+ characters possible.  Light, romantic, charming, everyone has a "leading" role.  My kids loved it.  We had the best spirit of any show we have done.

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    Rick Osann
    Theatre Teacher
    Standish ME
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    Original Message


  • 14.  RE: Desperately Seeking Fall Play with 20+ characters

    Posted 05-22-2015 11:10

    Hey Lisa!

    A few years ago we did ALMOST, MAINE- it can hold about 20 or so, but it's a vignette play so you could potentially double cast each scene and take around 40 if you wanted. It's such a great show and the kids loved working on it.  That might be a good option!

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    Summer Rickman
    Hobbs Municipal Schools
    Hobbs NM
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    Original Message


  • 15.  RE: Desperately Seeking Fall Play with 20+ characters

    Posted 05-22-2015 11:15

    We just finished "The Government Inspector." We had 22 cast members but you could add more. I used the Adrian Mitchell adaptation since it was a bit less dense. We also modernized it. It's an ambitious piece, but loads of fun!

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    Jen Jordan
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    Original Message


  • 16.  RE: Desperately Seeking Fall Play with 20+ characters

    Posted 05-22-2015 11:21

    Still Life With Iris is a lovely work with a large cast. It was one of the first plays I produced as a teacher, so it holds a special place in my professional heart. 

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    Melissa Wood
    Theatre Teacher
    Savannah GA
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    Original Message


  • 17.  RE: Desperately Seeking Fall Play with 20+ characters

    Posted 05-22-2015 13:10

    The Laramie Project --when I did it, I cast 23.  (3 narrators)

    Radium Girls by DW Gregory--I cast 23 in this one as well (I must like that number!)

    Museum by Tina Howe--several larger roles, several smaller roles--kids can play multiple parts

    Good luck!

    ------------------------------
    Cindy Skelton
    Drama Teacher
    San Mateo Union High School District
    Burlingame CA
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    Original Message


  • 18.  RE: Desperately Seeking Fall Play with 20+ characters

    Posted 05-22-2015 13:22

    In addition to the ones already mentioned (Skin of Our Teeth esp.), you might want to consider "The Madwoman of Chaillot." As was also mentioned, either double-casting or having understudies (who get to perform too) can be very helpful on so many levels- I've done that with every show for over 25 years now. It's a logistical challenge, but there are many benefits as well.
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    Stephen Jackson-Clark
    Portland OR
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    Original Message


  • 19.  RE: Desperately Seeking Fall Play with 20+ characters

    Posted 05-22-2015 16:52

    We did Up the Down Staircase last year and it was great.  The kids loved it, the community loved it and our teachers really related to it.

    This year we did Charlotte's Web (Joseph Robinette) with a cast of 40.  HUGE hit with our community.

    I'm thinking we'll do Alice in Wonderland in the next couple of years which will be a big cast as well.


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    Laura Steenson
    Theatre Director
    Reynolds High School
    Troutdale OR
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    Original Message


  • 20.  RE: Desperately Seeking Fall Play with 20+ characters

    Posted 05-23-2015 13:27

    Check out Archibald MacLeish's JB.  It is a brilliant text that has roles for students of all ability levels--with plenty of room to customize things.  It's also a difficult, poetic work that allowed my kids to feel that they had accomplished something big.

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    Greg Varner
    Teacher / Theatre Director
    Upper Arlington City Schools
    Columbus OH
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    Original Message


  • 21.  RE: Desperately Seeking Fall Play with 20+ characters

    Posted 05-26-2015 07:52

    Hey!!! 

    Look at Women and War - Jack Hilton Cunningham - SF - you know I am crazy about this show, but it could meet your needs - large cast (more females than males) and lots of challenges!  Order both versions full and one-act to give you an idea of staging the full version!!

    Cobweb Dreams - Lindsay Price - Theatrefolk - sweet and challenging...lots of room for interpretation and lots of character development - some Shakespeare without being Shakespeare!!

    Sending love from your theatre soulmate!

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    Carolyn Cork Greer
    Owensboro KY
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    Original Message


  • 22.  RE: Desperately Seeking Fall Play with 20+ characters

    Posted 05-28-2015 10:30

    Lisa,

    If you are still looking for a show, I highly recommend THE TRIANGLE FACTORY FIRE PROJECT. The show was originally produced with about six actors playing a multiplicity of roles AND using a variety of accents. It's a terrific show, and you can do a lot with it, technically. Like creating a fire effect, for example.

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    Nancy Bernhard
    Salinas CA
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    Original Message


  • 23.  RE: Desperately Seeking Fall Play with 20+ characters

    Posted 05-30-2015 01:44

    I did It's A Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play last fall and it was amazing!! The set can be as simple or elaborate as you want your radio station to look, and then you need your sound effects area. The audience loved it and brought grandparents who'd lived during the age of listening to shows on the radio - the grandparents expressed that they felt taken back in time. They loved the live sound effects and commercials!! You can make the cast as large or small as you'd like since characters can use different voices for different characters. The commercials were reminiscent of that era and we even wrote a commercial advertising our spring musical. I'd considered doing the play (not radio show) but am really glad we did the radio show. My Jimmy Stewart was amazing and maybe you have an actor who can take on his characteristics. There is a shorter version and a long version - we did the long version and no, it didn't seem to run slow. It was a great experience for the kids to learn about that era and about radio.  It's a show I would do again.

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    Connie Sandoz
    Theatre Director
    Henderson NV
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    Original Message


  • 24.  RE: Desperately Seeking Fall Play with 20+ characters

    Posted 06-09-2015 23:59

    The Crucible has a billion people in it, along with Inherit the Wind. I guess those aren't exactly uplifting, though. 

    I second Radium Girls - we just did it for fall and it was a lovely performance. We teamed with the science department and the chemistry teacher came and taught everyone about radium. Very cool.


    ------------------------------
    Kandace Arens
    Drama Teacher
    Sehome High School
    Bellingham WA
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    Original Message


  • 25.  RE: Desperately Seeking Fall Play with 20+ characters

    Posted 06-10-2015 06:29

    I am always doing large plays (I hate to say no to kids), not sure if all of these would work for you but here's what I have done for the past ten years:

    Midsummer Night's dream

    Up the Down Staircase

    Tiger at The Gates

    The Rimers of Eldritch

    Twelfth Night

    Anne of Green Gables

    Pride and Prejudice

    Romeo and Juliet

    The Crucible

    Nevermind What Happened How did it end

    And next year I will repeat for the first time and do Midsummer again because I have a totally new staging / concept for it.

    Hope that helps.

    Jeff

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    Jeffrey Davis
    Plainsboro NJ
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    Original Message


  • 26.  RE: Desperately Seeking Fall Play with 20+ characters

    Posted 06-11-2015 07:14

    When I have wanted to do a larger show, I have used Don Zolidis' plays. They are funny, silly, and the kids have fun with them. My favorite was "Greek Mythology Olympiaganza."

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    Shana DeRose-Smith
    Huron OH
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    Original Message


  • 27.  RE: Desperately Seeking Fall Play with 20+ characters

    Posted 06-12-2015 09:33


    I would look at the Kaufman/Hart plays like You Can't Take It With You/Man Who Came To Dinner

    Neil Coward has a few - Waiting in the Wings is a hidden gem with tons of female parts (at least 14 if I remember from when we did it) and only 3-4 guys but may not reach 28 total.  It's about a retirement home for actresses so....both funny and touching.

    I will keep pondering......


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    Brandon Becker
    Denver CO
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    Original Message


  • 28.  RE: Desperately Seeking Fall Play with 20+ characters

    Posted 06-12-2015 10:59

    This past fall I produced Don Zolidis' play, THE ELECTION, as the first full-length play at our new high school in our district.  I chose it for a few reasons--mostly the flexibility in casting and the fact that we were in the midst of mid-term elections at the time.  I had never done one of Zolidis' plays before, but I found there to be significant challenges in the piece for our student actors and was very happy with my choice to produce it.  The script had a lot for my entire cast of 27 to do--it moves very quickly.  It was really fun.

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    Adam Pankow

    Sheyenne High School
    West Fargo, ND
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    Original Message


  • 29.  RE: Desperately Seeking Fall Play with 20+ characters

    Posted 06-12-2015 07:20

    Tina Howe's "Museum" is a fantastic show. I have done it with a cast of 20+ and folks still play multiple roles. There are some curse words. Insert "Freaking"... and bastards. A real crowd pleaser the two times I've done it. Once in the 90's and once in the 00's

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    Mark Bishop
    Washington DC
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    Original Message


  • 30.  RE: Desperately Seeking Fall Play with 20+ characters

    Posted 06-13-2015 14:48

    Heaven Can Wait is a good one.  Lots of parts that can be played by men or women.  18 speaking parts and about another eight walk ons.  There are three movies versions.  One from the 1940s, one from the late 70s or 80s ( with Warren Beatty, Julie Christie and Dyan Cannon) and a all black version from the 90s.

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    Roger Graziani
    West Covina CA
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    Original Message


  • 31.  RE: Desperately Seeking Fall Play with 20+ characters

    Posted 06-14-2015 12:18

    Here are a few suggestions:

    1. THE LARAMIE PROJECT (1st or 2nd one)

    2. YOU CAN'T TAKE IT WITH YOU

    3. THE MAN WHO CAME TO DINNER

    4. THE CRUCIBLE

    5. DON'T DRINK THE WATER

    6. THE DIVINERS

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    Elizabeth Brasler
    Woodland Hills CA
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    Original Message


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