Open Forum

Hello all! 
I am a theatre teacher in a rural school where the theatre department has been lacking for the past few years. This is a very conservative community and I am trying to find shows that will not offend but will also not put my high school students to sleep. Right now, we're just doing straight plays. 

Any and all suggestions are welcome! Thanks!
Melanie Duke

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Melanie Duke
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Hello! I too direct shows in a very conservative community.  And selecting shows is indeed a year-round task for me. I have had most success and enjoyment with traditional adaptations of classics. Traditional adaptations, as in not super silly spoofs. This year we did Around the World in 80 days, which I adapted into a show myself, and A Christmas Carol adapted by Frederick Gaines, https://playsfornewaudiences.org/. Both were really well received!  I found several on the Plays for New Audiences site that I would consider in the future too, and their royalty cost was great!  Pioneer Drama is another site that offers a large variety of shows that would pull good audiences, and they are all tame that I have previewed. They are typically geared toward middle school, but I always step them up with elaborate costumes and creative sets.  Also, maybe find ways to incorporate more creative elements into the shows.  For example, pull in some shadow puppets or video projections. Please contact me for more suggestions if needed. Here's our list of shows that we have done so far: https://sites.google.com/site/echolsdrama/productions  


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Analiese Hamm
ECHS Drama Director
Echols County High School
Statenville GA
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Original Message:
Sent: 01-10-2023 11:03
From: Melanie Duke
Subject: Non-controversial plays

Hello all! 
I am a theatre teacher in a rural school where the theatre department has been lacking for the past few years. This is a very conservative community and I am trying to find shows that will not offend but will also not put my high school students to sleep. Right now, we're just doing straight plays. 

Any and all suggestions are welcome! Thanks!
Melanie Duke

------------------------------
Melanie Duke
------------------------------

I'd also like to add YouthPlays as a good site for a wide variety of plays. For example, here's a link to my play Heartland that is well suited for rural communities with the need for more "traditional" plays: https://www.youthplays.com/play/heartland-by-lojo-simon-and-anita-yellin-simons-562&ref=search.php%3Fquicksearchbox%3Dheartland. 
Here's the play synopsis: On a small dairy farm in Wisconsin in March 1945, German-born Berta Gertzoff and her children-all born in America-struggle to make ends meet after the death of her husband. When the War Manpower Commission offers two German prisoners of war as laborers, could this be the help they need to save the farm? Initially cautious relations give way to bonding between the Gertzoffs and the POWs. But when the townspeople turn suspicious of their growing friendship and suspicion turns into action, Berta is arrested and interned, jeopardizing everything she and her children have worked for. Based on true stories of German-American families during World War II, Heartland shows what can happen when fear and prejudice pit neighbor against neighbor.

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Lojo Simon
Playwright/dramaturg
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Original Message:
Sent: 01-11-2023 07:52
From: Analiese Hamm
Subject: Non-controversial plays

Hello! I too direct shows in a very conservative community.  And selecting shows is indeed a year-round task for me. I have had most success and enjoyment with traditional adaptations of classics. Traditional adaptations, as in not super silly spoofs. This year we did Around the World in 80 days, which I adapted into a show myself, and A Christmas Carol adapted by Frederick Gaines, https://playsfornewaudiences.org/. Both were really well received!  I found several on the Plays for New Audiences site that I would consider in the future too, and their royalty cost was great!  Pioneer Drama is another site that offers a large variety of shows that would pull good audiences, and they are all tame that I have previewed. They are typically geared toward middle school, but I always step them up with elaborate costumes and creative sets.  Also, maybe find ways to incorporate more creative elements into the shows.  For example, pull in some shadow puppets or video projections. Please contact me for more suggestions if needed. Here's our list of shows that we have done so far: https://sites.google.com/site/echolsdrama/productions  


------------------------------
Analiese Hamm
ECHS Drama Director
Echols County High School
Statenville GA

Original Message:
Sent: 01-10-2023 11:03
From: Melanie Duke
Subject: Non-controversial plays

Hello all! 
I am a theatre teacher in a rural school where the theatre department has been lacking for the past few years. This is a very conservative community and I am trying to find shows that will not offend but will also not put my high school students to sleep. Right now, we're just doing straight plays. 

Any and all suggestions are welcome! Thanks!
Melanie Duke

------------------------------
Melanie Duke
------------------------------

Thank you! That's super helpful!! I found our Spring show from playsfornewaudiences.org! Glad that it comes well recommended.

------------------------------
Melanie Duke
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 01-11-2023 07:52
From: Analiese Hamm
Subject: Non-controversial plays

Hello! I too direct shows in a very conservative community.  And selecting shows is indeed a year-round task for me. I have had most success and enjoyment with traditional adaptations of classics. Traditional adaptations, as in not super silly spoofs. This year we did Around the World in 80 days, which I adapted into a show myself, and A Christmas Carol adapted by Frederick Gaines, https://playsfornewaudiences.org/. Both were really well received!  I found several on the Plays for New Audiences site that I would consider in the future too, and their royalty cost was great!  Pioneer Drama is another site that offers a large variety of shows that would pull good audiences, and they are all tame that I have previewed. They are typically geared toward middle school, but I always step them up with elaborate costumes and creative sets.  Also, maybe find ways to incorporate more creative elements into the shows.  For example, pull in some shadow puppets or video projections. Please contact me for more suggestions if needed. Here's our list of shows that we have done so far: https://sites.google.com/site/echolsdrama/productions  


------------------------------
Analiese Hamm
ECHS Drama Director
Echols County High School
Statenville GA

Original Message:
Sent: 01-10-2023 11:03
From: Melanie Duke
Subject: Non-controversial plays

Hello all! 
I am a theatre teacher in a rural school where the theatre department has been lacking for the past few years. This is a very conservative community and I am trying to find shows that will not offend but will also not put my high school students to sleep. Right now, we're just doing straight plays. 

Any and all suggestions are welcome! Thanks!
Melanie Duke

------------------------------
Melanie Duke
------------------------------

My district is not particularly conservative, but I teach in a middle school, which brings age-appropriate restrictions.  Some titles that we've done, which would provide good challenges for high school and might meet your requirements:
Still Life with Iris, The Rememberer, To See the Stars, Charlotte's Web, The Hound of the Baskervilles: A Comic Thriller ... - all Dramatic Publishing
A Wrinkle in Time (there are multiple versions) - Stage Partners
Trap - Playscripts


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Kristin Hall
Pronouns: she/her/hers
Drama Director
Lincoln MA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 01-11-2023 19:05
From: Melanie Duke
Subject: Non-controversial plays

Thank you! That's super helpful!! I found our Spring show from playsfornewaudiences.org! Glad that it comes well recommended.

------------------------------
Melanie Duke

Original Message:
Sent: 01-11-2023 07:52
From: Analiese Hamm
Subject: Non-controversial plays

Hello! I too direct shows in a very conservative community.  And selecting shows is indeed a year-round task for me. I have had most success and enjoyment with traditional adaptations of classics. Traditional adaptations, as in not super silly spoofs. This year we did Around the World in 80 days, which I adapted into a show myself, and A Christmas Carol adapted by Frederick Gaines, https://playsfornewaudiences.org/. Both were really well received!  I found several on the Plays for New Audiences site that I would consider in the future too, and their royalty cost was great!  Pioneer Drama is another site that offers a large variety of shows that would pull good audiences, and they are all tame that I have previewed. They are typically geared toward middle school, but I always step them up with elaborate costumes and creative sets.  Also, maybe find ways to incorporate more creative elements into the shows.  For example, pull in some shadow puppets or video projections. Please contact me for more suggestions if needed. Here's our list of shows that we have done so far: https://sites.google.com/site/echolsdrama/productions  


------------------------------
Analiese Hamm
ECHS Drama Director
Echols County High School
Statenville GA

Original Message:
Sent: 01-10-2023 11:03
From: Melanie Duke
Subject: Non-controversial plays

Hello all! 
I am a theatre teacher in a rural school where the theatre department has been lacking for the past few years. This is a very conservative community and I am trying to find shows that will not offend but will also not put my high school students to sleep. Right now, we're just doing straight plays. 

Any and all suggestions are welcome! Thanks!
Melanie Duke

------------------------------
Melanie Duke
------------------------------

I have a few plays I can send you that I've written for high school.    Some would be free to you.   All are considered on the harder to act scale according to those ive sent.    I don't see why.    It's just that they are not parodies and don't rely on cheap jokes.    I can email you some brief outlines and cast sizes so you can choose if you want to request.

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Leon Kaye
Playwright for the Ages
Lhk@koa1.com
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 01-10-2023 11:03
From: Melanie Duke
Subject: Non-controversial plays

Hello all! 
I am a theatre teacher in a rural school where the theatre department has been lacking for the past few years. This is a very conservative community and I am trying to find shows that will not offend but will also not put my high school students to sleep. Right now, we're just doing straight plays. 

Any and all suggestions are welcome! Thanks!
Melanie Duke

------------------------------
Melanie Duke
------------------------------