We did The Spirit of Life for competition this year, with a cast of 21. It is based on interviews of Hasidic Jews who survived the Holocaust. The lines for the townspeople and others can be split easily among the ensemble. There's a lot of opportunity for ensemble work and for movement and tableaux. Our version lasted about 45 minutes, but we added three songs to the show. It's episodic, so cutting it down to 30 minutes shouldn't be difficult.
Don't let the Hasidic aspect scare you off, though you will need to have someone who can help with the few blessing that are in Hebrew. Our cast was dressed in ordinary clothes of the time - men in pants and long sleeve shirts, women in modest dresses and skirt - all with muted colors - mainly earth tones. The production was well-received by members of a local Chabad, and it was a great learning experience for the cast, most of which are not Jewish.
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Ken Buswell
Drama Teacher
Peachtree City, GA
http://mcintoshtheater.org/Theater kills ignorance
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Original Message:
Sent: 04-19-2024 11:01
From: Hannah Grace Smith
Subject: ISO 30 Min Comp Pieces!
Hey, everyone! I am looking for a competition piece for the fall. Needs to be 25-30 minutes (or something that can be cut to this length), minimal set, 20-25 students. I really love anything sort of dystopian (An Experiment, Where Words Once Were) and have seen those sort of plays do really well at our competition. We have done a lot of comedies in the past and my kids are begging for something a little more dramatic. Any ideas?
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Hannah Grace Smith
St. Luke's Episcopal School
AL
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