List of Contributions

Joseph Gels

Theatre Teacher,
Boston Latin School

Contact Details

Theatre Teacher,
Boston Latin School
Bronze Member

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1 to 20 of 50+ total

RE: Laramie Project Fence?

Posted By Joseph Gels 02-12-2024 08:14
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We built it using these from Home Depot and it looked great https://www.homedepot.com/p/ProWood-8-ft-Landscape-Timber-288731/301802514 ------------------------------ Joseph Gels Theatre Teacher Boston Latin School ------------------------------

RE: Knives on stage...

Posted By Joseph Gels 10-24-2023 14:53
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DO NOT USE A RETRACTABLE KNIFE!!! It is my understanding that every fight choreographer in the world will tell you not to use a retractable knife. The reason is the following: basically all retractable knives are cheaply made toys and therefore are extremely unreliable. Therefore someone goes to stab ...

RE: Student input on Play Selection

Posted By Joseph Gels 06-14-2023 13:22
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For me, I don't organize them into a reading committee or anything like that. We use Slack to communicate quickly and organizedly so I just created a channel called Playsuggestions and told them to join and if they wanted to, suggest plays. Here is what I have learned, for musicals: they have great ...

Bulgarian for Matilda?

Posted By Joseph Gels 05-23-2023 15:26
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So I had a sheet of paper that had the substitutions for the Russian to Bulgarian but unfortunately I misplaced it (thanks ADHD) and my rep from MTI seems to think this sheet of paper doesn't exist. Does anyone have that sheet and can share it with me so my kid can memorize it? We found the pronunciation ...

RE: Massive increase in royalties prices!

Posted By Joseph Gels 05-16-2023 08:41
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I will also add that Uproar Theatrics is new, small and mighty with some great shows on their site ------------------------------ Joseph Gels Theatre Teacher Boston Latin School ------------------------------

RE: Lamb to the Slaughter -Public domain?

Posted By Joseph Gels 05-16-2023 08:16
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"And even make changes to the material without permission. " What makes my eyes bug out is when I hear someone say that they aren't in trouble on copyright BECAUSE they made changes and moved things around without permission. I'm always like "Noooo. That actually makes it even more illegal!" ...

RE: 26 Pebbles

Posted By Joseph Gels 05-16-2023 08:11
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So, this isn't necessarily about your question but is about the play. I think that fact that it is so intensely "not at all political" is part of the problem. The message of loss at the hands of guns would seemingly be enough to be a call to action except that you get a significant of the way through ...

RE: Puffs: One Act for Young Wizards difficulty

Posted By Joseph Gels 04-28-2023 07:58
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If I recall correctly, it is still extremely tech heavy. Lots of lighting cues, lots of sound effects, lots of music, lots of props. ------------------------------ Joseph Gels Theatre Teacher Boston Latin School ------------------------------

RE: Ethnic casting?

Posted By Joseph Gels 04-03-2023 08:47
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I think the question that needs to be asked is "How essential to the role is this person's ethnic identity?" With South Pacific, clearly essential. Though I'm also of the opinion that no one should be doing South Pacific (See this op-ed: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/emsouth-pacificem-musi_b_99550/amp ...

RE: The Gay Third Rail

Posted By Joseph Gels 01-18-2023 05:20
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"There are no widely produced plays that depict gay or lesbian characters, and that absence matters." Me feeling like I'm going crazy seeing She Kills Monsters sitting there at #5 on the edta most produced list. Its the only one on the list with majority gay characters so def still a gap but still​ ...

RE: Do you need a state building permit to build a set?

Posted By Joseph Gels 10-21-2022 08:35
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In complete contrast to this situation, at one point in Massachusetts the venue for the METG High School Festival finals was asking for certificates of inspection from schools' fire departments and all their fire departments basically refused to be bothered. ------------------------------ Joseph Gels ...

RE: The "N" Word in Theatre

Posted By Joseph Gels 10-14-2022 11:03
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I'm gonna echo what others said in many ways but gonna emphasize. Don't let people be surprised for it. Assume they won't read the program. Have a sign in the lobby. Include the warning in your curtain speech. Also, have the conversation partially so everyone involved know why you kept it in the script ...

RE: Regional ThesFests

Posted By Joseph Gels 10-10-2022 12:47
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You could try emailing Mathespians@gmail.com and see if she is still checking it at all but my guess is that we don't have one right now.Joe

RE: Regional ThesFests

Posted By Joseph Gels 10-10-2022 10:32
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Hi Jennifer, Fellow Massachusetts person here. I think the pandemic may have ruined a state thespians festival for us unless someone new takes the reins. Our state chapter director is no longer at the school she was running the festival out of (and may not be at any school actually) and she probably ...

RE: Radio Silence from Playscripts/Broadway Licensing

Posted By Joseph Gels 09-12-2022 10:22
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Playscripts and Broadway Licensing are now the same company they just haven't done the brand consolidation the same way that Concord has. Maybe they are working on that and that's part of the problem. Concord was a complete mess during their merger. Joe Gels ------------------------------ Joseph Gels ...

RE: Masks

Posted By Joseph Gels 09-07-2022 09:51
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Honestly, I find the response of hoping people feel comfortable without masks so frustrating. I really want to get rid of my mask too but, and I can't emphasize this enough, WE ARE STILL LIVING IN A COVID PANDEMIC. Everyone being tired of masks and safety restrictions doesn't change that. All of our ...

RE: Peter and the Starcatcher - Mollusks

Posted By Joseph Gels 08-29-2022 10:53
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Had a positive experience. I guess I'm confused by your parentheses statement about not mimicking an Italian person's accent when doing the English lines. ------------------------------ Joseph Gels Theatre Teacher Boston Latin School ------------------------------

RE: Should I Teach this Play?

Posted By Joseph Gels 07-24-2022 20:11
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Something a professor of mine said in grad school around this very thing has really stuck with me. I am paraphrasing but basically it was If you are a white person teaching theatre at your school, you are usually the only one there, you have to direct these plays. If not, there is no one else to do ...

RE: Long shot Question

Posted By Joseph Gels 04-25-2022 13:13
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I saw it with 6

RE: Long shot Question

Posted By Joseph Gels 04-23-2022 09:36
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Following cause I also love this quirkiness genre. Also I licensed them directly from the companies that devised them, I did My Love Lies Frozen in The Ice by Dead Rabbits Theatre and A Clown Show about Rain by Silent Faces Theatre the last few years and had an amazing time with both. Peter and the ...