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  • 1.  Benefits of a Two-Weekend Run? Have you ever tried a 2 weekend run?

    Posted 05-14-2018 17:17
    What the benefits and arguments for a two-weekend run? If you do a two-weekend run, what do you think your program or students gain from having two weekends? Is there anyone out there that thinks two-weekends is not a great idea? Why? 

    Looking to build a proposal for why we should have a two-weekend run for our play, and appreciate anything that you can give to bolster this!

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    Jessica Harms
    Theatre Director
    Acton MA
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  • 2.  RE: Benefits of a Two-Weekend Run? Have you ever tried a 2 weekend run?

    Posted 05-14-2018 18:15
    I came into a program that had already established a system of two weekend runs for years before I got here.  Some administrators have tried to get us down to one weekend because they say packing everybody in one weekend would make the same amount of money and have more butts in the seats per performance.  We have mostly pushed to keep two weekend runs for the following reasons.

    1) It gives our students a more professional experience by giving them a few days off after opening weekend and they have to learn to "maintain" the show as a professional would

    2) It has been established so long that people in the community expect it and many students come here over a couple of other area high schools because they put in so much rehearsal time and the parents love that they get more pay off time with audiences in the seats rather than just 3 performances and done after 50 hours or more of rehearsals.

    3) Word of mouth from the first weekend usually picks up sales in the second weekend.

    Our newest admin. has not pushed for cutting down performances recently after we made these points.

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    Joel King
    Atlanta GA
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    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Benefits of a Two-Weekend Run? Have you ever tried a 2 weekend run?

    Posted 05-15-2018 14:38
    HI,
      I have done two weekends of shows for several years. I agree  with the first person who commented. I would add that I have one rehearsal between the two weekends to make minor changes and fix areas that need work. This results in a better show the second weekend and an understanding that you are never finished with a show til it is over. This will stand students in good stead if they go on in theatre as it is rare that a show has a one weekend run.
    Cathy

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    Cathy Archer
    Rutland VT
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    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Benefits of a Two-Weekend Run? Have you ever tried a 2 weekend run?

    Posted 05-15-2018 04:24
    I've done both (and still do). I love doing two-weekend runs: Fri, Sat , Fri, Sat matinee. When we do one, we been doing Thur, Fri, Sat afternoon. (In your question, you say its the same number of shows – are you doing Thurs, Fri, Sat, Sun when you do one weekend?) 

    I like two weekends mostly because it gives us three weekend evening performances. Thursdays can be tough – typically smaller audience, kids tired on Friday at school. Thurs just doesn't feel as fancy – still a school night in our minds instead of a weekend out at the show. And if you are doing four shows on a weekend, that is pretty exhausting. 

    Another reason two weekends is preferable is the buzz you can get from the first weekend to fuel ticket sales for the second. Assuming the show is great – which, let's be honest, all of ours are, right?! – we definitely feel that bump in sales. Kids who didn't bother getting tickets hopefully hear good things from their friends and we can maybe get them to come. 

    I also like it because it gives the kids a little more time to bask in the pleasure of performing the show. One weekend is gone so quickly after months of rehearsal, and this just gives them the chance to enjoy it for a little bit longer. 

    We also sometimes use the Wed DR between weekends to do a free show for a worthy organization. We were able to do Annie last year for a room full of Kenyan orphans. Such a lovely and humbling privilege for us, and for most of them the first time they had ever seen anything like this. When I was in high school, we'd use this mid-run dress rehearsal as a free performance for senior citizens/retirement-nursing homes. 


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    Steven Slaughter
    English/Theatre
    Rosslyn Academy
    Nairobi, Kenya

    "Be joyful, though you have considered all the facts." - W Berry
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    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: Benefits of a Two-Weekend Run? Have you ever tried a 2 weekend run?

    Posted 05-15-2018 08:01
    We are doing a two-weekend run or our musical in March 2019. it is the first time in 20+ years that the school schedule has allowed it.

    I expect that it will make tech week easier on the kids with fewer late nights and stress. Plus two extra days of rehearsal that week.

    I am also hoping that positive word-of-mouth will help sell more tickets for the second weekend.

    --
    Mark A. Zimmerman
    Theatre Director,

    Akron School for the Arts
    Firestone High School
    470 Castle Blvd
    Akron, Ohio 44313

    330-761-3275

    FirestoneTheatre.com




    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: Benefits of a Two-Weekend Run? Have you ever tried a 2 weekend run?

    Posted 05-15-2018 09:46
    We have done both, but only with our musicals. We’ve done 6 shows over 2 weekends and crammed 5 into one weekend. There are pros and cons to each. I personally prefer the 2 weekend choice.

    A) Parents, friends, community members can have something that will prevent them from seeing a show over one weekend (out of town, big test coming up, rehearsing/performing in a show themselves), but will often be available for the second weekend.

    2) On the Wednesday between shows, as our “pick up” rehearsal, we do a during the day performance for the entire special education department of our school. It’s about 60-70 kids and all of their teachers and aides. For the RSP students, the teachers can give them an assignment to review the show. For the autistic students and SDC students, it gives them the opportunity to see a show where they are not expected to be silent and not react, wiggle, make noise, or get out of their seats when they need to. I also have a number of special ed students in my program, and it’s nice for their friends to see them.

    iii) The show tends to improve over time. You’d think that it would be more exhausting and the kids would just wear out, but they build and nuance their performances over the first weekend. I often catch things when watching with a full audience that I didn’t notice. We have been known to build new set pieces or add new lighting/sound effects for the second weekend.


    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: Benefits of a Two-Weekend Run? Have you ever tried a 2 weekend run?

    Posted 05-15-2018 10:17
    I inherited a program that always did only one weekend. I immediately changed that to two weekends, and I'd say it has been a success. Here are my reasons:

    1. As someone else said, it helps build word of mouth. We generally have slightly higher ticket sales in the second weekend.
    2. It lets the show breathe. There is so much build up from tech rehearsals until opening night and the next evening performance. It's high stress. I've found that some of our best performances have been in the second weekend. The students are able to relax, and with the break in between, the students sometimes get out of the habit of performing something the same way each time, which allows for a more natural performance.
    3. Having two weekends allows more people to see the show. I know I have many people who come during a particular weekend because they have plans or are out of town the other weekend. If there was only one weekend of performances, they might miss the show entirely.

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    Christopher Hamilton
    Drama Teacher
    Kennewick WA
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    Original Message


  • 8.  RE: Benefits of a Two-Weekend Run? Have you ever tried a 2 weekend run?

    Posted 05-15-2018 23:40
    A great reason to run to weekends is to capitalize on word of mouth. Some productions are not "name" shows, but audiences will love them once they get in the door. That second weekend gives time for those who attend the first weekend-and your cast/crew-to talk up the show and bring in more people.

    We often run our first weekend Friday-Saturday, and the second weekend Thursday-Saturday. This gives our kids a dress rehearsal period of a Tuesday-Thursday (our dress is at night and ends by 10:00) and gives them one extra night during the first week to get homework done and get some sleep before starting the demands of dress rehearsals.

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    Krista Carson Elhai
    CA Educational Theatre Association, President
    Theatre Director
    Claremont HS
    An International Baccalaureate World School
    Claremont CA
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    Original Message


  • 9.  RE: Benefits of a Two-Weekend Run? Have you ever tried a 2 weekend run?

    Posted 05-18-2018 09:20
    Hi.

    One of the big benefits of two-weekend musicals I have found is the ability to double cast leads. I try to have an upperclassman and a lower-classman share a role and then the "younger" ones perform the first weekend and the older the second. What they gain from working together on parts is immeasurable, and it helps with conflicts and illness- you always have one of them there who can then share the blocking, notes, etc. with the other before the next rehearsal. It is harder in a few ways--they have to be really committed and work together, and each of them gets less rehearsal time then if they were not sharing. The benefits far outweigh the challenges, and the experience pays off greatly as the actors develop immensely through the process. 


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    Maripat Wilkinson
    Milwaukee WI
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    Original Message


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