Open Forum

Hi, 
We produced this show last fall and it was so much fun.  It is short, but I'm sure you could lengthen it with annoying behaviors that are line driven.  We presented it in tandem with another comedy, but I don't think they were a great fit.  It might be fun to find a show about putting up a show and then have the audience perspective with "Appropriate Audience Behavior" as the second piece.  

My kids had a blast with it.  Wishing you all the best!
Carolyn

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Carolyn Greer
Owensboro KY
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Original Message:
Sent: 06-07-2019 17:36
From: Susan Sterman-Jones
Subject: Questions about "Appropriate Audience Behavior"

My students have requested a comedy for the fall and I really like the unusual structure and staging of Appropriate Audience Behavior by Ian McWethy, but I have a few questions for any of you who might have produced this:

1.  Is it really only approx 35 minutes long?  That's a little short -- I was hoping for something that was 50 - 60 - 75 minutes long.

2.  Did you produce it with another short one-act and if so which one?  

3.  If you didn't produce it with another short one-act, is there a short one-act you might recommend that would go nicely with it?

--

Susan Sterman-Jones

Theatre Teacher, Theatre Director

7th Grade Advisor, GSA Co-leader

Grace Church School

We produced this play along with Ian's other one act play The 9 Worst Breakups of All Time (there are additional scenes included in the appendix) so it became The 12 Worst Breakups of All Time. Both plays were well received. However, we experimented with Appropriate Audience Behavior by putting the actors into the audience placing the actors strategically in the front of the audience so they could see and listen to the action. We then played Hamlet over the sound system so the audience believed it was watching the play. Both plays offer every actor involved a nice acting opportunity. Everybody gets perofrmance opportunities.

------------------------------
William Dawson
Professional Speech and Theatre Educator, Director
Waterloo Community Schools
Cedar Falls IA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 06-07-2019 17:36
From: Susan Sterman-Jones
Subject: Questions about "Appropriate Audience Behavior"

My students have requested a comedy for the fall and I really like the unusual structure and staging of Appropriate Audience Behavior by Ian McWethy, but I have a few questions for any of you who might have produced this:

1.  Is it really only approx 35 minutes long?  That's a little short -- I was hoping for something that was 50 - 60 - 75 minutes long.

2.  Did you produce it with another short one-act and if so which one?  

3.  If you didn't produce it with another short one-act, is there a short one-act you might recommend that would go nicely with it?

--

Susan Sterman-Jones

Theatre Teacher, Theatre Director

7th Grade Advisor, GSA Co-leader

Grace Church School

By the way, Appropriate Audience Behavior went first so we felt we were teaching the audience how to behave in a performance. Pairing both plays: An Evening of Comedy (two plays for the price of one).

------------------------------
William Dawson
Professional Speech and Theatre Educator, Director
Waterloo Community Schools
Cedar Falls IA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 06-08-2019 15:37
From: William Dawson
Subject: Questions about "Appropriate Audience Behavior"

We produced this play along with Ian's other one act play The 9 Worst Breakups of All Time (there are additional scenes included in the appendix) so it became The 12 Worst Breakups of All Time. Both plays were well received. However, we experimented with Appropriate Audience Behavior by putting the actors into the audience placing the actors strategically in the front of the audience so they could see and listen to the action. We then played Hamlet over the sound system so the audience believed it was watching the play. Both plays offer every actor involved a nice acting opportunity. Everybody gets perofrmance opportunities.

------------------------------
William Dawson
Professional Speech and Theatre Educator, Director
Waterloo Community Schools
Cedar Falls IA

Original Message:
Sent: 06-07-2019 17:36
From: Susan Sterman-Jones
Subject: Questions about "Appropriate Audience Behavior"

My students have requested a comedy for the fall and I really like the unusual structure and staging of Appropriate Audience Behavior by Ian McWethy, but I have a few questions for any of you who might have produced this:

1.  Is it really only approx 35 minutes long?  That's a little short -- I was hoping for something that was 50 - 60 - 75 minutes long.

2.  Did you produce it with another short one-act and if so which one?  

3.  If you didn't produce it with another short one-act, is there a short one-act you might recommend that would go nicely with it?

--

Susan Sterman-Jones

Theatre Teacher, Theatre Director

7th Grade Advisor, GSA Co-leader

Grace Church School

I haven't done this show, but I did combine one of Ian's other one-acts ("The Internet is a Distract– OH LOOK A KITTEN") and another one (Patrick Green's "Brief Interviews with Internet Cats") to create an Internet-themed evening. I did this with middle schoolers, which they loved, since the writing is so much smarter than most MS-level plays and was genuinely enjoyable for teens and adults too. You should read "The Internet is..." I think it is really funny and not difficult to stage. (You can see a few of our photos at Playscripts...look for the ones captioned "Rosslyn Academy, Nairobi").

------------------------------
Steven Slaughter
English/Theatre
Rosslyn Academy
Nairobi, Kenya

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

Original Message:
Sent: 06-07-2019 17:36
From: Susan Sterman-Jones
Subject: Questions about "Appropriate Audience Behavior"

My students have requested a comedy for the fall and I really like the unusual structure and staging of Appropriate Audience Behavior by Ian McWethy, but I have a few questions for any of you who might have produced this:

1.  Is it really only approx 35 minutes long?  That's a little short -- I was hoping for something that was 50 - 60 - 75 minutes long.

2.  Did you produce it with another short one-act and if so which one?  

3.  If you didn't produce it with another short one-act, is there a short one-act you might recommend that would go nicely with it?

--

Susan Sterman-Jones

Theatre Teacher, Theatre Director

7th Grade Advisor, GSA Co-leader

Grace Church School

We performed this show last October for our dessert theatre showcase in tandem with "The Rules of Comedy" and "15 Minute Hamlet".  This worked well because there is the common thread of Hamlet running through all the plays to give the evening a bit of consistency and it gave us a full evening of entertainment.  The actors and audience had a blast! 
The show is short when you read it but don't let that deter you from doing it. We lengthened it some by really hamming up the annoying audience bits. At times we would go a full 3-5 minutes with just physical comedic action before a line was even said. It's a great show for students to get super creative, hone improv skills and learn the art of comic timing. I highly recommend it!

------------------------------
Jillian Lietzau
Parker CO
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 06-07-2019 17:36
From: Susan Sterman-Jones
Subject: Questions about "Appropriate Audience Behavior"

My students have requested a comedy for the fall and I really like the unusual structure and staging of Appropriate Audience Behavior by Ian McWethy, but I have a few questions for any of you who might have produced this:

1.  Is it really only approx 35 minutes long?  That's a little short -- I was hoping for something that was 50 - 60 - 75 minutes long.

2.  Did you produce it with another short one-act and if so which one?  

3.  If you didn't produce it with another short one-act, is there a short one-act you might recommend that would go nicely with it?

--

Susan Sterman-Jones

Theatre Teacher, Theatre Director

7th Grade Advisor, GSA Co-leader

Grace Church School

Original Message------

We performed this show last October for our dessert theatre showcase in tandem with "The Rules of Comedy" and "15 Minute Hamlet".  This worked well because there is the common thread of Hamlet running through all the plays to give the evening a bit of consistency and it gave us a full evening of entertainment.  The actors and audience had a blast! 
The show is short when you read it but don't let that deter you from doing it. We lengthened it some by really hamming up the annoying audience bits. At times we would go a full 3-5 minutes with just physical comedic action before a line was even said. It's a great show for students to get super creative, hone improv skills and learn the art of comic timing. I highly recommend it!

------------------------------
Jillian Lietzau
Parker CO
------------------------------

Original Message------

Happy summer, all!

I've been away for awhile and just read this posting. Who are the playwrights and where may I find these shows?

Many thanks!

Nancy L. Bernhard

retired theatre teacher

Salinas High School, CA