Open Forum

Does anyone have suggestions for a show that would work well if you don’t have a stage? Our campus is being rebuilt and we will be at a temporary location for two years and there isn’t space to perform other than a regular classroom.

Sent from my iPhone

That sounds challenging.  Could you tour some shows?  Are there parks or community spaces that you could utilize?  Could you strengthen partnerships with community groups or use a church space?      IMO classic pieces are usually in one of 2 camps...  those where the set is important aaaand those where the set is not crucial.  For example, our production of Dr. Faustus used very little scenery.  Hamlet similarly had very few sets - quite simple.  Most of the major play publishes have loads of modern pieces with very little scenery needs.

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[Drama] [Dan] []
[Drama Teacher/Director]
[Dublin Coffman HS]
[Dublin] [Ohio]
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Original Message:
Sent: 04-08-2022 05:46
From: Amy MacCord
Subject: No performance space

Does anyone have suggestions for a show that would work well if you don't have a stage? Our campus is being rebuilt and we will be at a temporary location for two years and there isn't space to perform other than a regular classroom.

Sent from my iPhone

Original Message:
Sent: 4/8/2022 5:46:00 AM
From: Amy MacCord
Subject: No performance space

Does anyone have suggestions for a show that would work well if you don’t have a stage? Our campus is being rebuilt and we will be at a temporary location for two years and there isn’t space to perform other than a regular classroom.

Sent from my iPhone

I will check out those titles. Unfortunately we won't have a gym either. I do have a few local high schools offering to let us use their stage and a park nearby, but no rehearsal space that wouldn't require transportation.

------------------------------
Amy MacCord
Musical Theatre Teacher
Westwood Middle School
FL
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Original Message:
Sent: 04-09-2022 06:27
From: Elisabeth Ledwell
Subject: No performance space

Well, there is always the gym if you can get it. Otherwise try church halls. Or, even better, a show like 1980s Prom or Tony and Tina's Wedding, where the audience moves from room to room. I once saw a mystery show like that. Fabulous. I also saw a play called Hare and Burke, at the Fringe, played in a church for Act I and a graveyard for Act II. Very spooky.

Original Message:
Sent: 4/8/2022 5:46:00 AM
From: Amy MacCord
Subject: No performance space

Does anyone have suggestions for a show that would work well if you don't have a stage? Our campus is being rebuilt and we will be at a temporary location for two years and there isn't space to perform other than a regular classroom.

Sent from my iPhone

The rehearsal space problem is a thorny one, even when you have a nice performance space waiting for you somewhere.  Our school has neither rehearsal nor performance space, so we routinely rehearse in the dirt on the playground.  We finally invested in a large tarp to define the stage area and keep the costumes and props clean (and to mitigate the occasional fire ant bed).  It doesn't work on rainy days or when it's very cold, but it's kept us in the game all these years, and the kids have to project pretty well in order to hear each other outdoors.  They're also thrilled and grateful whenever they get to perform in a "real" theater.  Best of luck to you!

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Paige Brey
Magnolia School
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Original Message:
Sent: 04-09-2022 08:04
From: Amy MacCord
Subject: No performance space

I will check out those titles. Unfortunately we won't have a gym either. I do have a few local high schools offering to let us use their stage and a park nearby, but no rehearsal space that wouldn't require transportation.

------------------------------
Amy MacCord
Musical Theatre Teacher
Westwood Middle School
FL

Original Message:
Sent: 04-09-2022 06:27
From: Elisabeth Ledwell
Subject: No performance space

Well, there is always the gym if you can get it. Otherwise try church halls. Or, even better, a show like 1980s Prom or Tony and Tina's Wedding, where the audience moves from room to room. I once saw a mystery show like that. Fabulous. I also saw a play called Hare and Burke, at the Fringe, played in a church for Act I and a graveyard for Act II. Very spooky.

Original Message:
Sent: 4/8/2022 5:46:00 AM
From: Amy MacCord
Subject: No performance space

Does anyone have suggestions for a show that would work well if you don't have a stage? Our campus is being rebuilt and we will be at a temporary location for two years and there isn't space to perform other than a regular classroom.

Sent from my iPhone

When our district was remodeling the theaters we (theater teachers) asked for them to provide an alternative stage for us to perform.
Sometimes we used other theaters in the district, but we also used a middle school theater (that was really nice and had recently been redone) and a community college theater.  Your district should pay any rental costs associated with this.  It's also a great opportunity to reach out to a broader audience and have your kids rise to the occasion of "bus and truck" shows.  Good luck!!

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Cindy Skelton
Drama Teacher
Burlingame High School
Burlingame CA
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Original Message:
Sent: 04-10-2022 15:49
From: Paige Brey
Subject: No performance space

The rehearsal space problem is a thorny one, even when you have a nice performance space waiting for you somewhere.  Our school has neither rehearsal nor performance space, so we routinely rehearse in the dirt on the playground.  We finally invested in a large tarp to define the stage area and keep the costumes and props clean (and to mitigate the occasional fire ant bed).  It doesn't work on rainy days or when it's very cold, but it's kept us in the game all these years, and the kids have to project pretty well in order to hear each other outdoors.  They're also thrilled and grateful whenever they get to perform in a "real" theater.  Best of luck to you!

------------------------------
Paige Brey
Magnolia School

Original Message:
Sent: 04-09-2022 08:04
From: Amy MacCord
Subject: No performance space

I will check out those titles. Unfortunately we won't have a gym either. I do have a few local high schools offering to let us use their stage and a park nearby, but no rehearsal space that wouldn't require transportation.

------------------------------
Amy MacCord
Musical Theatre Teacher
Westwood Middle School
FL

Original Message:
Sent: 04-09-2022 06:27
From: Elisabeth Ledwell
Subject: No performance space

Well, there is always the gym if you can get it. Otherwise try church halls. Or, even better, a show like 1980s Prom or Tony and Tina's Wedding, where the audience moves from room to room. I once saw a mystery show like that. Fabulous. I also saw a play called Hare and Burke, at the Fringe, played in a church for Act I and a graveyard for Act II. Very spooky.

Original Message:
Sent: 4/8/2022 5:46:00 AM
From: Amy MacCord
Subject: No performance space

Does anyone have suggestions for a show that would work well if you don't have a stage? Our campus is being rebuilt and we will be at a temporary location for two years and there isn't space to perform other than a regular classroom.

Sent from my iPhone

Original Message:
Sent: 4/9/2022 6:28:00 AM
From: Elisabeth Ledwell
Subject: RE: No performance space

Well, there is always the gym if you can get it. Otherwise try church halls. Or, even better, a show like 1980s Prom or Tony and Tina's Wedding, where the audience moves from room to room. I once saw a mystery show like that. Fabulous. I also saw a play called Hare and Burke, at the Fringe, played in a church for Act I and a graveyard for Act II. Very spooky.

Original Message:
Sent: 4/8/2022 5:46:00 AM
From: Amy MacCord
Subject: No performance space

Does anyone have suggestions for a show that would work well if you don’t have a stage? Our campus is being rebuilt and we will be at a temporary location for two years and there isn’t space to perform other than a regular classroom.

Sent from my iPhone

If you try to do the same type of shows you previously did, I suspect you and your students will end up very frustrated.

This could be a great time to start a playwriting initiative, culminating in students performing their works in your classroom space for parents and friends.  If students write, say, 10-minute plays that don't require a set, that would fit the classroom performance space well.  And if your audience enjoys the plays and wants more people to see them, you could move to one of the schools for additional performances. 

One of the traditions I instituted at the school from which I retired in 2019, the annual student-directed, almost entirely student-written, short play collection each spring, has endured through all of the ravages of Covid.  I attended this year's incarnation a couple of weeks ago and got to experience the excitement as an audience member.  The students feel empowered as artists and learn so much about working with peers in a collaborative endeavor.   


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CJ Breland
Retired Theatre Arts Educator
NC
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Original Message:
Sent: 04-08-2022 05:46
From: Amy MacCord
Subject: No performance space

Does anyone have suggestions for a show that would work well if you don't have a stage? Our campus is being rebuilt and we will be at a temporary location for two years and there isn't space to perform other than a regular classroom.

Sent from my iPhone

Hi Amy,

I like all of the ideas presented here.  I saw a school production of West Side Story in the gym and there are other similar shows that include a gym setting - Grease, 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Footloose - are a few that come to mind.  I saw a Twelve Angry Men/Jurors that was done in a tent on the tennis court in November (this was in the Mid-Atlantic States and I had to wear my coat during the performance).  Also the idea of touring is great!  Shows that move from room to room are also interesting  - I saw a production of Our Town that took place in an old half-standing ruin of school building.  (It started just before sunset and by the time it got to the graveyard scene the sun had set and the lighting was very moving as Emily said goodbye to the world.) One show that requires relatively no set is Too Much Light Makes the Baby Go Blind 60 plays in 90 minutes - also The Laramie Project doesn't really have a lot of set needs. I think the world of theatre is going in the direction of alternative spaces, rather than the traditional proscenium stage (I'm thinking about the Pierre and the Comet musical or Sleep No More)  and all you need is a place to put an audience. 

Break a leg!

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Marla Blasko
Director/Teacher Theatre Arts
Long Reach High School
Columbia, Maryland
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 04-08-2022 05:46
From: Amy MacCord
Subject: No performance space

Does anyone have suggestions for a show that would work well if you don't have a stage? Our campus is being rebuilt and we will be at a temporary location for two years and there isn't space to perform other than a regular classroom.

Sent from my iPhone

Back Seat Theatre: Kids write monologues or duologues that could take place in the front seat of a car (breaking up; stuck in traffic; medical emergency; "big talk" with parents...endless possibilities); split into directing/acting groups after selecting the ones to use (each needs to run about the same amount of time) and rehearse them up. Then perform in a line of actual parked cars, with the audience in the back seat (yep, only 3/play)...and the audience rotates from car to car to see half of the shows. Act 2 is a repeat of the cars but with the other half of the shows being performed.
This worked quite well for me, it struck folks as so unusual to make it worth seeing, everyone really enjoyed it. The only downside was that our total audience numbers had to stay quite small. But it solves your space problem!

------------------------------
Douglas "Chip" Rome
Theatre Consultant
Educational Stages
Burke VA
http://EducationalStages.com
https://bit.ly/RWTEOview
https://bit.ly/eTeachTech
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 04-08-2022 05:46
From: Amy MacCord
Subject: No performance space

Does anyone have suggestions for a show that would work well if you don't have a stage? Our campus is being rebuilt and we will be at a temporary location for two years and there isn't space to perform other than a regular classroom.

Sent from my iPhone

Hi Amy,
My group is currently doing "Bad Auditions by Bad Actors" by Ian McWethy. Funny play that only requires a table and some chairs. We're opting to spice up the background with some theatrical props, and some costumes are specific, but it can be done just about anywhere.

------------------------------
Dakota Wright
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 04-08-2022 05:46
From: Amy MacCord
Subject: No performance space

Does anyone have suggestions for a show that would work well if you don't have a stage? Our campus is being rebuilt and we will be at a temporary location for two years and there isn't space to perform other than a regular classroom.

Sent from my iPhone

That's a great show.  We used it as a student directed piece this year.  Wish we had known what was coming because I agree it would be perfect.

------------------------------
Amy MacCord
Musical Theatre Teacher
Westwood Middle School
FL
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 04-08-2022 12:08
From: Dakota Wright
Subject: No performance space

Hi Amy,
My group is currently doing "Bad Auditions by Bad Actors" by Ian McWethy. Funny play that only requires a table and some chairs. We're opting to spice up the background with some theatrical props, and some costumes are specific, but it can be done just about anywhere.

------------------------------
Dakota Wright

Original Message:
Sent: 04-08-2022 05:46
From: Amy MacCord
Subject: No performance space

Does anyone have suggestions for a show that would work well if you don't have a stage? Our campus is being rebuilt and we will be at a temporary location for two years and there isn't space to perform other than a regular classroom.

Sent from my iPhone

We did "Leaving Iowa" last May in our school library. I chose it because it is supposed to be done with little to no set. We used a meeting room as our back stage. We left the lights on but we did black out the windows. Because of COVID we were only allowed a small audience so it worked well in the library but this play could work in a gym or classroom. I've also seen a version where the audience sat on either side of a runway type "stage" that was just the floor of an auditorium.

------------------------------
Amy Williams
District Librarian/Theater Teacher
Thespian Troupe #8881
Auburn High School
Auburn, IL
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 04-08-2022 05:46
From: Amy MacCord
Subject: No performance space

Does anyone have suggestions for a show that would work well if you don't have a stage? Our campus is being rebuilt and we will be at a temporary location for two years and there isn't space to perform other than a regular classroom.

Sent from my iPhone

Original Message:
Sent: 4/10/2022 2:03:00 PM
From: Amy Williams
Subject: RE: No performance space

We did "Leaving Iowa" last May in our school library. I chose it because it is supposed to be done with little to no set. We used a meeting room as our back stage. We left the lights on but we did black out the windows. Because of COVID we were only allowed a small audience so it worked well in the library but this play could work in a gym or classroom. I've also seen a version where the audience sat on either side of a runway type "stage" that was just the floor of an auditorium.

------------------------------
Amy Williams
District Librarian/Theater Teacher
Thespian Troupe #8881
Auburn High School
Auburn, IL
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 04-08-2022 05:46
From: Amy MacCord
Subject: No performance space

Does anyone have suggestions for a show that would work well if you don't have a stage? Our campus is being rebuilt and we will be at a temporary location for two years and there isn't space to perform other than a regular classroom.

Sent from my iPhone

Another thought is Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon. Very flexible and requires no sets.

------------------------------
Amy Williams
District Librarian/Theater Teacher
Thespian Troupe #8881
Auburn High School
Auburn, IL
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 04-08-2022 05:46
From: Amy MacCord
Subject: No performance space

Does anyone have suggestions for a show that would work well if you don't have a stage? Our campus is being rebuilt and we will be at a temporary location for two years and there isn't space to perform other than a regular classroom.

Sent from my iPhone

The same playwright did The Greek Mythology Olympiaganza, which we filmed in an adapted warehouse space during the pandemic, and How to Survive Being in a Shakespeare Play which I found hilarious and which should work almost anywhere.

Do you have a space where the audience could sit at tables (like your cafeteria) for an interactive murder mystery? I used to perform in those at an area ski resort, and the format was a lot of fun. We had no set and staged nearly everything among the audience.

------------------------------
Cassy Maxton-Whitacre
Theatre Department Coordinator
Shenandoah Valley Governor's School
VA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 04-10-2022 14:11
From: Amy Williams
Subject: No performance space

Another thought is Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon. Very flexible and requires no sets.

------------------------------
Amy Williams
District Librarian/Theater Teacher
Thespian Troupe #8881
Auburn High School
Auburn, IL

Original Message:
Sent: 04-08-2022 05:46
From: Amy MacCord
Subject: No performance space

Does anyone have suggestions for a show that would work well if you don't have a stage? Our campus is being rebuilt and we will be at a temporary location for two years and there isn't space to perform other than a regular classroom.

Sent from my iPhone