It's not a bad idea at all. Several of my now-published plays actually began as curtain-raisers from back when I was teaching and had too many students audition for the "main show." It allowed me to keep more students plugged into the program, and several of them went on to become mainstays of my future seasons.
If you don't feel you have the time to direct them yourself, something short could present an opportunity for a trusted assistant director to step into the director's shoes; you could then just come in on occasion to offer feedback and make sure whatever is being presented meets your standards. I recommend picking a show (or shows) that would fit with the rest of the evening, so moving from one play to another doesn't feel too disjointed. Break legs!
Cheers,
Jonathan
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Playwright/Managing Partner of YouthPLAYS
Los Angeles, CA
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Original Message:
Sent: 09-23-2021 12:38
From: K Lang
Subject: Pre-Show/Series of Short One Acts
I am faced with the wonderful problem of a huge and growing Drama Club in my high school. Has anyone ever done a separate show (pre-show) concept of a series of shorter scenes or one-acts for underclassmen who don't get a big part in the primary production? I am thinking we could present this on Thursday night to precede the main event on Friday and Saturday. Maybe this is a horrible idea. I'm just not sure I have the time to do two full-bore shows this year, but that is probably the direction we are heading. I sure hope this makes sense. Any suggestions are certainly welcome. Thanks.
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K Lang
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