Open Forum

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Russell Saxton
Theatre Education
UT
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The main requirement is finding something that fits the strengths of the returning actors. For the competition one act, I try to find a play that allows me to cast most - if not all - of the returning students who were part of the one act last year. This means that I don't pay much attention to plays with a smaller cast size.

For the selection, it's just me. I usually run a few possibilities by the students to get feedback. Last year I had two that I thought would be great fits, one a comedy, the other a drama. The returning one act students unanimously prefered the drama, so that's what we went with. There have been times with the one act in which I've found something that I think is perfect, and I just tell the students that's what we're doing. I'm a little looser with the musical. Two years ago I thought The Music Man was a great fit for the returning students. They were not excited about it at all, and some students suggested Singin' in the Rain. Singin' was a decent fit, and since the students were more excited about it, that's what we did. 

In general, I don't have to get approval. However, if the play has some difficult content, I will run it by the principal for approval. I did that for a play that dealt with domestic abuse and one about teen drinking and sexual assault. I realize we don't perform shows in a vacuum and it's the principal who will have to deal with any complaints, so I don't want to surprise them.

Thankfully, there is no list of banned or approved titles. Of course, there are a lot of shows that are off the table. We're not going to do Heathers, Avenue Q or Glengarry Glen Ross, and I won't even bother to ask the principal about them. 

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Ken Buswell
Drama Teacher
Peachtree City, GA
http://mcintoshtheater.org/

Theater kills ignorance
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Ken,

Thank you for your reply and comments. I appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts with me.

Enjoy your summer - it goes way too quickly.

Kind regards,

Russ

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Russell Saxton
Theatre Education
UT
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 06-11-2025 11:22
From: Ken Buswell
Subject: Show Selection Proccess

The main requirement is finding something that fits the strengths of the returning actors. For the competition one act, I try to find a play that allows me to cast most - if not all - of the returning students who were part of the one act last year. This means that I don't pay much attention to plays with a smaller cast size.

For the selection, it's just me. I usually run a few possibilities by the students to get feedback. Last year I had two that I thought would be great fits, one a comedy, the other a drama. The returning one act students unanimously prefered the drama, so that's what we went with. There have been times with the one act in which I've found something that I think is perfect, and I just tell the students that's what we're doing. I'm a little looser with the musical. Two years ago I thought The Music Man was a great fit for the returning students. They were not excited about it at all, and some students suggested Singin' in the Rain. Singin' was a decent fit, and since the students were more excited about it, that's what we did. 

In general, I don't have to get approval. However, if the play has some difficult content, I will run it by the principal for approval. I did that for a play that dealt with domestic abuse and one about teen drinking and sexual assault. I realize we don't perform shows in a vacuum and it's the principal who will have to deal with any complaints, so I don't want to surprise them.

Thankfully, there is no list of banned or approved titles. Of course, there are a lot of shows that are off the table. We're not going to do Heathers, Avenue Q or Glengarry Glen Ross, and I won't even bother to ask the principal about them. 

------------------------------
Ken Buswell
Drama Teacher
Peachtree City, GA
http://mcintoshtheater.org/

Theater kills ignorance
------------------------------

I teach in a small independent school, grades 7-12. I don’t have any committees or admins to answer to, though I may talk to colleagues and students. Generally, we don’t do musicals, except very rarely, and I tend to favor ensemble pieces with large, flexible casts, a mix of classics and contemporary plays. I have pretty big crowds for a small school, and I do a mix of comedy and drama, working with my actors as part of a repertory company. I generally don’t try to “push the envelope” but I have done some plays that have been challenged in other schools, like Almost, Maine, which I ran by our head of school, and he said go for it. Sometimes, I will ask publishers to soften some of the overt sexuality or language because we have a lot of young students in our audience, but generally, I am left alone to make my own decisions. In fact, the only suggestions, political-wise, I get come from the left rather than the right when they want me to use a production as a political piece when we don’t see it that way. I also teach English, and in my American Lit class we do a play project with a mix of classics and contemporary. Laramie Project, Zoo Story, etc…we’re all big hits. No complaints.

Hope that’s the kind of feedback you were looking for!
Sent from my iPad

Original Message:
Sent: 6/11/2025 1:07:00 PM
From: Elisabeth Ledwell
Subject: RE: Show Selection Proccess

I teach in a small independent school, grades 7-12. I don’t have any committees or admins to answer to, though I may talk to colleagues and students. Generally, we don’t do musicals, except very rarely, and I tend to favor ensemble pieces with large, flexible casts, a mix of classics and contemporary plays. I have pretty big crowds for a small school, and I do a mix of comedy and drama, working with my actors as part of a repertory company. I generally don’t try to “push the envelope” but I have done some plays that have been challenged in other schools, like Almost, Maine, which I ran by our head of school, and he said go for it. Sometimes, I will ask publishers to soften some of the overt sexuality or language because we have a lot of young students in our audience, but generally, I am left alone to make my own decisions. In fact, the only suggestions, political-wise, I get come from the left rather than the right when they want me to use a production as a political piece when we don’t see it that way. I also teach English, and in my American Lit class we do a play project with a mix of classics and contemporary. Laramie Project, Zoo Story, etc…we’re all big hits. No complaints.

Hope that’s the kind of feedback you were looking for!
Sent from my iPad

Elizabeth,

Thank you for your reply and comments. I appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts with me.

Enjoy your summer - it goes way too quickly.

Kind regards,

Russ

------------------------------
Russell Saxton
Theatre Education
UT
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 06-11-2025 13:06
From: Elisabeth Ledwell
Subject: Show Selection Proccess

I teach in a small independent school, grades 7-12. I don't have any committees or admins to answer to, though I may talk to colleagues and students. Generally, we don't do musicals, except very rarely, and I tend to favor ensemble pieces with large, flexible casts, a mix of classics and contemporary plays. I have pretty big crowds for a small school, and I do a mix of comedy and drama, working with my actors as part of a repertory company. I generally don't try to "push the envelope" but I have done some plays that have been challenged in other schools, like Almost, Maine, which I ran by our head of school, and he said go for it. Sometimes, I will ask publishers to soften some of the overt sexuality or language because we have a lot of young students in our audience, but generally, I am left alone to make my own decisions. In fact, the only suggestions, political-wise, I get come from the left rather than the right when they want me to use a production as a political piece when we don't see it that way. I also teach English, and in my American Lit class we do a play project with a mix of classics and contemporary. Laramie Project, Zoo Story, etc…we're all big hits. No complaints.

Hope that's the kind of feedback you were looking for!
Sent from my iPad

HI,

 I am lucky.  I live in Vermont.  My students and I are the committee. I try to find scripts that fit who I have as actors. Sometimes my students find a script and put it forward. At least once in four years we write our own. My principal has to sign off on the shows. There is not a list of banned plays, never has been. The two shows which came under scrutiny many years ago were Children's Hour ( the concern was that the students were not mature enough to handle it - they were) and Playing For Time by Arthur Miller - the main concern was it was too intense!! Generally that means I tell him that there is no issue with the script or I tell him what i think may cause people in the community to have concerns. He is a former English teacher and is supportive of my choices.  Lately my students are the ones who do not want to do a show that is questionable. The topics that they consider difficult  are suicide and  war.  They do not shy away from shows that include LBGTQ themes or characters or pregnancy themes.  

I hope this helps.

Cathy

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Cathy Archer
EdTA Member or Troupe Director
Rutland High School
VT
------------------------------

Cathy,

Thank you for your reply and comments. I appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts with me.

Enjoy your summer - it goes way too quickly.

Kind regards,

Russ

------------------------------
Russell Saxton
Theatre Education
UT
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 06-12-2025 15:51
From: Cathy Archer
Subject: Show Selection Proccess

HI,

 I am lucky.  I live in Vermont.  My students and I are the committee. I try to find scripts that fit who I have as actors. Sometimes my students find a script and put it forward. At least once in four years we write our own. My principal has to sign off on the shows. There is not a list of banned plays, never has been. The two shows which came under scrutiny many years ago were Children's Hour ( the concern was that the students were not mature enough to handle it - they were) and Playing For Time by Arthur Miller - the main concern was it was too intense!! Generally that means I tell him that there is no issue with the script or I tell him what i think may cause people in the community to have concerns. He is a former English teacher and is supportive of my choices.  Lately my students are the ones who do not want to do a show that is questionable. The topics that they consider difficult  are suicide and  war.  They do not shy away from shows that include LBGTQ themes or characters or pregnancy themes.  

I hope this helps.

Cathy

------------------------------
Cathy Archer
EdTA Member or Troupe Director
Rutland High School
VT
------------------------------