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  • 1.  Summer Scholarship Show

    Posted 07-06-2016 14:09
    Hello all!

    I am looking for a play that can be done simply (tech wise) for a summer scholarship fundraising show. "Almost Maine" was my first choice, but it was recently done in the community.

    The actors will be coming from an 'alumni and parent booster club', with the tech and backstage help from current students. All of us will be working as volunteers as this is the first year of this and there is no money! We cannot afford to do musicals yet because of the royalties and we are only doing a 3 show run. Set, costumes, and tech requirements need to be kept simple as we will have one week to move in and do final rehearsals, open/close and strike all in one week (in on Monday and out on Sunday).

    My preference would be shows that are slightly more adult in theme, but that are fun to do and fun for the audience. Any help (especially play titles, your scholarship fundraising ideas, funding sources 😄) you can send me would be gratefully accepted.

    Warren Kerr - Theatre Arts
    Auburn High School
    wkerr@auburn.wednet.edu
    warrenkerr@rocketmail.com
    Auburn, WA


  • 2.  RE: Summer Scholarship Show

    Posted 07-06-2016 22:09

    I did "11 Variations of Friar John's Failure" by Yuri Baranovski a couple of years ago. Pretty good size cast, or you can double cast, and we used a very minimal set. A few pieces as needed per scene. It's got classical language but is very entertaining. If you're looking for something that's plain fun I'd recommend "Oz" by Don Zolidis. It's another show with suggestions of sets, good size cast, and an easy to follow plot. 

    If you want something in the dramatic line I'd suggest either "And" by Alan Haehnel (which addresses date rape), "Booby Trap" by Ed Monk (a soldier triggers a mine), or "Voices in Conflict" by Bonnie Dickinson (which is based on writings from people in different circumstances dealing with the war in the Middle East.

    All of the theses are available through Playscripts, so you can read the majority of the play online and decide if it's a good fit. If you have more specific ideas of what genre, cast size, etc I might be able to toss out a few more. :)

    In terms of fundraising... are you allowed to do a 50/50 raffle? Those seem to always do well and don't cost anything other than the tickets. If you can, try selling space in the program to local businesses. We have a recognition page in our programs for businesses that either purchase space or sponsor the program. Does anyone there sign? Or can you get some translators to donate time? We do a night of ASL translations for our musicals and send information out to the deaf community. It's always appreciated and allows a group of people that are frequently overlooked in the community the opportunity to enjoy theatre. If you can do this, and get the local news to do a human interest story on how you're expanding theatre to help make it more accessible to people, you could end up with some great PR and a whole new audience base. 

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    Shira Schwartz
    Chandler Unified School District
    Chandler AZ

    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Summer Scholarship Show

    Posted 07-08-2016 13:01
    Leaving Iowa may be a good choice.  I had a fun time directing this show.  There are 4 core characters and many supporting characters that can be double cast depending on the size of cast you want.  The set is fairly basic with suggested various scenes.  Costuming is modern, but you will need to find Amish-style costumes for a couple of characters.

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  • 4.  RE: Summer Scholarship Show

    Posted 07-07-2016 10:08

    My first thought was something in the tradition of commedia dell'arte.  Sets, costumes, and properties can be as simple or complex as you want, and plenty of opportunity for audience interaction.  Some titles that might work include "Scapino!" by Frank Dunlop and Jim Dale, "A Servant of Two Masters" by Carlo Goldoni, or just about anything by Molière.

    On the serious side, with fairly simple sets and social justice issues that connect to today's society, I've often wanted to try 'Na dne' by Maxim Gorky, better known as "The Lower Depths".  This show is a bit more intense then my Thespians are ready to tackle, but may provide a good talking point, especially for a scholarship fundraiser.  The one character who has hope to overcome adversity when the show begins is an actor.

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    Jym Kinney
    Troupe Director
    Clover Park High School
    Lakewood, Washington

    Original Message


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