Open Forum

It's around this time I start to brainstorm next year's season so that by April/May I can solidify choices and rights in order to announce at the end of the year banquet. 

Usually my criteria is:
1) I have to want to do the show/love it in some way
2) Choose three new types of genres, styles, playwrights the students have not encountered yet to challenge and expand their knowledge of theatre. 
3) This year the student officers will weigh in on the choices for next year

What do you all do to brainstorm/choose your season and what are some titles you are thinking about?

Any new titles that have caught your attention recently?

Here are some titles running through me head.


Almost Maine
Argonautika
Arabian Nights
Look Homeward Angel
All My Sons
Villegiatura
Things My Mother Taught Me* (new title that came out last year)
Into the Woods
Chicago
The Drowsey Chaperone


-------------------------------------------
Tom Skobel
Glenbard South High School
Illinois
-------------------------------------------

This is always a struggle for me.  I teach at an all girls school, so I'm always looking for plays with literary merit and strong female leads.  

I'm interested in hearing how others select their shows.  

-------------------------------------------
Kristi Jacobs-Stanley

-------------------------------------------

I loved the challenge of matching the talent of the present students with the educational benefits of introducing plays to the actors and student technical designers. I read and read and read some more DRAMATICS yearly list of produced plays, AMERICAN THEATRE magazine to see what the professional educational departments, catalogues to see what SAMUEL FRENCH, DRAMATISTS, DRAMATIC PUBLISHING, MTI, RandH, PLAYBILL, to find new releases which might be challenging and appropriate for students and conservative community. Yes I had an administrator question ALMOST MAINE. I plan for five productions each year: 1 comedy, 1drama, 1play for children, 1 musical, and 1play for my senior Thespians' talents. I constructed a ballot including title, cast breakdown, genre, description, and the direction, Please vote for each title for which you would audition and/or work Tech. The pre-reading ballot was posted for Thespians and Apprentice Thespians to read prior to our final club meeting without the soon-to-be graduates. This process stimulated lots of discussion and script check out. Vote took place then the banquet announcement of next year's season. What a buy-in. Now I also took advantage of the wonderful publishing companies with new scripts which are EdTA sponsors for selecting classroom productions. Now this is not an ad. I feel fortunate that EdTA works with playwrights who create for youth. ------------------------------------------- Gai Jones -------------------------------------------
Original Message: Sent: 02-16-2014 11:10 From: Tom Skobel Subject: Brainstorming/Choosing a Season It's around this time I start to brainstorm next year's season so that by April/May I can solidify choices and rights in order to announce at the end of the year banquet. Usually my criteria is: 1) I have to want to do the show/love it in some way 2) Choose three new types of genres, styles, playwrights the students have not encountered yet to challenge and expand their knowledge of theatre. 3) This year the student officers will weigh in on the choices for next year What do you all do to brainstorm/choose your season and what are some titles you are thinking about? Any new titles that have caught your attention recently? Here are some titles running through me head. Almost Maine Argonautika Arabian Nights Look Homeward Angel All My Sons Villegiatura Things My Mother Taught Me* (new title that came out last year) Into the Woods Chicago The Drowsey Chaperone ------------------------------------------- Tom Skobel Glenbard South High School Illinois -------------------------------------------