Open Forum

For those of you who have chosen your plays for the upcoming year--tell us your choices!  Perhaps also tell us why you chose them.  I find this annual posting really helpful and informative!  What did you pick?

Thank you, James Bailey, for such a great question, prompting news of so many exciting upcoming shows! Everyone's responses also remind me - as a playwright - of how much thought you all put into crafting a season...

As the author of the 9/11 docuplay 110 STORIES, I also want to respond to Andrea Lee Roney's "hope that authors, composers, and lyricists, give us (theatre educators) more choices..."

Personally, I found it was possible to do so with 110 STORIES without compromising the play's themes or my intentions as a playwright.

Based on feedback from so many theater educators, when I released a 2024 Update of 110 STORIES, I also crafted the following three Alternate Editions: Alternate Edition (Softened Language); Alternate Edition (Softened/Faith-Conscious Language); and Alternate Edition (Softened/Faith-Conscious Language with Reduced Violence.) I also created competition versions of the play for both 40-minute and 60-minute one-act competitions, including as an Alternate Edition (Softened/Faith-Conscious Language with Reduced Violence.)

Playscripts was great in working with me to ensure we could meet the needs of your communities since the play is important to high school theaters, inviting interdepartmental collaboration by teaching the story of 9/11 to a generation born after the tragedy.

Wishing you all a wonderful summer!
Sarah

------------------------------
Sarah Tuft
CA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 07-03-2024 07:29
From: Andrea Lee Roney
Subject: Tell Us Your SEASON for Next Year!

Hello,

We have chosen:

Fall Show. William Shakespeare's As You Like It.

Spring Musical. Children of Eden

 

We choose scripts that "fit" our company of 10th-12th grade students, provide a variety of genres and historical periods (for dramaturgy) across the 3 years that the students are in our high school, and tickle the creative juices of the staff and company. In the 19 years I've been the producer/director we've fallen into an every-three-years Shakespeare production which the students look forward to. As You Like It fit our company for next fall. I love how Shakspeare challenges and "grow" our students. The casting opportunities are great including many opportunities for non-traditional casting. Children of Eden provides that same kind of elasticity in casting, we all love the message, and the creative opportunities. 

I really appreciate the title of your message. It is getting challenging to choose shows with appropriate language. It's not that you don't hear the F-bomb and other around the hallways; but, I do believe theatre should be elevating and show students other choices and expand vocabulary. Some of those words can be very satisfying when used in life at times and appropriate for characters and situations (Glengarry Glen Ross) comes to mind!); but, do we need to promote words that we don't support in my educational setting?  It's a difficult question that is about a form of censorship for some. Yet, we need to continue to address it. I hope that authors, composers, and lyricists supported by the various licensing houses give us more choices with shows as they have with high school versions and such to support theatre with students.

Thank you,

Andrea

Andrea Lee Roney

(she, her, hers)

North Penn High School Theatre Teacher, Producer, Director

North Penn High Theatre Thespian Troupe 5464 Director

1340 S. Valley Forge Road, Lansdale, PA   19446

P: 215.853.1294

E: roneya@npenn.org

www.npenn.org/theatre

Pennsylvania Thespian Chapter Governing Board

http://www.pathespians.org/

Educational Thespian Association Advocacy Leadership Network PA Representative

www.schooltheatre.org

Pennsylvania Arts Education Leadership Coalition

 

Tickets on sale March 15

www.npenn.org/theatre

Original Message:
Sent: 7/1/2024 11:17:00 AM
From: James Bailey
Subject: Tell Us Your SEASON for Next Year!

For those of you who have chosen your plays for the upcoming year--tell us your choices!  Perhaps also tell us why you chose them.  I find this annual posting really helpful and informative!  What did you pick?

------------------------------
James Thomas Bailey
Director of Theatre Arts
Justin-Siena HS, Napa CA
Artistic Director, CSz Los Angeles
------------------------------

Good Morning Andrea!

I just saw your post about your upcoming season. We just did COE in the spring and it was awesome. 

We took a slightly different approach to it with a post apocalyptic/utopia vibe with the design. Kids loved it. Good Luck with your production.

Jim

Original Message:
Sent: 07-03-2024 07:29
From: Andrea Lee Roney
Subject: Tell Us Your SEASON for Next Year!

Hello,

We have chosen:

Fall Show. William Shakespeare's As You Like It.

Spring Musical. Children of Eden

We choose scripts that "fit" our company of 10th-12th grade students, provide a variety of genres and historical periods (for dramaturgy) across the 3 years that the students are in our high school, and tickle the creative juices of the staff and company. In the 19 years I've been the producer/director we've fallen into an every-three-years Shakespeare production which the students look forward to. As You Like It fit our company for next fall. I love how Shakspeare challenges and "grow" our students. The casting opportunities are great including many opportunities for non-traditional casting. Children of Eden provides that same kind of elasticity in casting, we all love the message, and the creative opportunities. 

I really appreciate the title of your message. It is getting challenging to choose shows with appropriate language. It's not that you don't hear the F-bomb and other around the hallways; but, I do believe theatre should be elevating and show students other choices and expand vocabulary. Some of those words can be very satisfying when used in life at times and appropriate for characters and situations (Glengarry Glen Ross) comes to mind!); but, do we need to promote words that we don't support in my educational setting?  It's a difficult question that is about a form of censorship for some. Yet, we need to continue to address it. I hope that authors, composers, and lyricists supported by the various licensing houses give us more choices with shows as they have with high school versions and such to support theatre with students.

Thank you,

Andrea

Andrea Lee Roney

(she, her, hers)

North Penn High School Theatre Teacher, Producer, Director

North Penn High Theatre Thespian Troupe 5464 Director

1340 S. Valley Forge Road, Lansdale, PA   19446

P: 215.853.1294

E: roneya@npenn.org

www.npenn.org/theatre

Pennsylvania Thespian Chapter Governing Board

http://www.pathespians.org/

Educational Thespian Association Advocacy Leadership Network PA Representative

www.schooltheatre.org

Pennsylvania Arts Education Leadership Coalition

Tickets on sale March 15

www.npenn.org/theatre

Original Message:
Sent: 7/1/2024 11:17:00 AM
From: James Bailey
Subject: Tell Us Your SEASON for Next Year!

For those of you who have chosen your plays for the upcoming year--tell us your choices!  Perhaps also tell us why you chose them.  I find this annual posting really helpful and informative!  What did you pick?

------------------------------
James Thomas Bailey
Director of Theatre Arts
Justin-Siena HS, Napa CA
Artistic Director, CSz Los Angeles
------------------------------

Fall Show: Agatha Christie's Murder on the Nile

Spring Musical: Damn Yankees

I've never directed an Agatha Christie show before, so it was on my bucket list. I also kind of view the fall play as an opportunity to help pad out the CV's of our student-actors; we've done Ibsen, Coward, Brecht in previous fall plays. Lastly, the Drama Club's going to London in March 2025 so I thought an English writer would be appropriate.

Damn Yankees was a musical we were going to do in 2020, but our show was cancelled because of COVID. I've always hated that we never got closure on that production, and now that we have sufficient male actors to pull it off, we're doing it. 

------------------------------
Bernard Sell
Drama Director
Rensselaer Central High School (Indiana)

Troupe 9039
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 07-01-2024 11:17
From: James Bailey
Subject: Tell Us Your SEASON for Next Year!

For those of you who have chosen your plays for the upcoming year--tell us your choices!  Perhaps also tell us why you chose them.  I find this annual posting really helpful and informative!  What did you pick?

------------------------------
James Thomas Bailey
Director of Theatre Arts
Justin-Siena HS, Napa CA
Artistic Director, CSz Los Angeles
------------------------------

Long Reach High School, Columbia, Maryland season:

Fall play: Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express by Ken Ludwig

Winter Musical: Disney's Newsies

Spring Musical: Between the Lines

I like to mix things up for my students and tend to produce seasons with the common theme - "stories that need to be told"

I chose the mystery because we did comedies last year. MOTOE has a lot of parts and interesting challenges for the actors and tech crew. I also like that the story ends with a moral ambiguity. Sometimes murder mysteries give me the feeling of diminishing the murder and it's more about solving the puzzle. I like that Poirot is not triumphant at the end, but rather morally confused that he has done the right thing. 

Between the Lines is new and it's always exciting to do a lesser known show.  My students pitched Into the Woods, The Prom, Legally Blonde, and Mama Mia. Mama Mia has been done a lot in my county (and I don't really like the story) and BTL has a combination of the rest of their suggestions. It is half fairytale, with a female protagonist (like Legally Blonde) and it has an LGBTQ character (like the Prom). BTL is a also a combination of Mean Girls (my students loved performing this show last year), Matilda, and Dear Evan Hansen. Such a great tech challenge to create two completely different scenes, with the real world and the fantasy world. 

I chose Newsies because I wanted to do something that was known and would bring in a crowd. I also wanted to do something with a social justice and historical theme to it. I love the show but shied away from it because it has a lot of male roles; however, since announcing there are boys who have expressed interest in auditioning. Also my program has a lot of students who identify as "they" so I am not worried about getting enough students who identify as "he". 

Sorry for the long post, but there is a lot that goes into choosing a season! I think that all of the above are stories that need to be told to this generation. I like for my audience to be entertained but also to make them think.   Thanks for starting this thread - hope other people continue to share :)

Original Message:
Sent: 07-01-2024 11:17
From: James Bailey
Subject: Tell Us Your SEASON for Next Year!

For those of you who have chosen your plays for the upcoming year--tell us your choices!  Perhaps also tell us why you chose them.  I find this annual posting really helpful and informative!  What did you pick?

------------------------------
James Thomas Bailey
Director of Theatre Arts
Justin-Siena HS, Napa CA
Artistic Director, CSz Los Angeles
------------------------------

What a great question!

Our middle school season begins with the 8th grade show.  We're doing James and the Giant Peach.  Our winter 6th grade play is TBD and our spring Shakespeare will be Twelfth Night (I'm in the process of getting it to a one hour cutting).

Original Message:
Sent: 07-04-2024 08:05
From: Marla Blasko
Subject: Tell Us Your SEASON for Next Year!

Long Reach High School, Columbia, Maryland season:

Fall play: Agatha Christie's Murder on the Orient Express by Ken Ludwig

Winter Musical: Disney's Newsies

Spring Musical: Between the Lines

I like to mix things up for my students and tend to produce seasons with the common theme - "stories that need to be told"

I chose the mystery because we did comedies last year. MOTOE has a lot of parts and interesting challenges for the actors and tech crew. I also like that the story ends with a moral ambiguity. Sometimes murder mysteries give me the feeling of diminishing the murder and it's more about solving the puzzle. I like that Poirot is not triumphant at the end, but rather morally confused that he has done the right thing. 

Between the Lines is new and it's always exciting to do a lesser known show.  My students pitched Into the Woods, The Prom, Legally Blonde, and Mama Mia. Mama Mia has been done a lot in my county (and I don't really like the story) and BTL has a combination of the rest of their suggestions. It is half fairytale, with a female protagonist (like Legally Blonde) and it has an LGBTQ character (like the Prom). BTL is a also a combination of Mean Girls (my students loved performing this show last year), Matilda, and Dear Evan Hansen. Such a great tech challenge to create two completely different scenes, with the real world and the fantasy world. 

I chose Newsies because I wanted to do something that was known and would bring in a crowd. I also wanted to do something with a social justice and historical theme to it. I love the show but shied away from it because it has a lot of male roles; however, since announcing there are boys who have expressed interest in auditioning. Also my program has a lot of students who identify as "they" so I am not worried about getting enough students who identify as "he". 

Sorry for the long post, but there is a lot that goes into choosing a season! I think that all of the above are stories that need to be told to this generation. I like for my audience to be entertained but also to make them think.   Thanks for starting this thread - hope other people continue to share :)

------------------------------
Marla Blasko
Director/Teacher Theatre Arts
Long Reach High School
Columbia, Maryland

Original Message:
Sent: 07-01-2024 11:17
From: James Bailey
Subject: Tell Us Your SEASON for Next Year!

For those of you who have chosen your plays for the upcoming year--tell us your choices!  Perhaps also tell us why you chose them.  I find this annual posting really helpful and informative!  What did you pick?

------------------------------
James Thomas Bailey
Director of Theatre Arts
Justin-Siena HS, Napa CA
Artistic Director, CSz Los Angeles
------------------------------

Hello! It is fun to read what everyone is doing! I am rebuilding. So, I focused on the kids I have and shows that we could perform for younger audiences. When I can I look at Dramatic Publishing for materials because I find them the easiest to work with! 
Thanks! Natalie Safley

Theatre Arts Director, Triton Regional High School

Fall Musical: The Lightning Thief

Winter Play: The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

One Act Competition Piece: The Layover 

Spring Play: Puffs! Young Wizard edition 

Original Message:
Sent: 07-01-2024 11:17
From: James Bailey
Subject: Tell Us Your SEASON for Next Year!

For those of you who have chosen your plays for the upcoming year--tell us your choices!  Perhaps also tell us why you chose them.  I find this annual posting really helpful and informative!  What did you pick?

------------------------------
James Thomas Bailey
Director of Theatre Arts
Justin-Siena HS, Napa CA
Artistic Director, CSz Los Angeles
------------------------------

Hello!

We have only chosen our fall play, Alice in Wonderland by Anne Coulter Martens, so far. This won the student vote in my theater club, and I think it's a good idea for engaging our younger kids throughout the school district. My group's situation is a bit different, as there is a very well-established, adult-centered musical program at my high school that is unaffiliated with the student-centered theater club I advise. As such, we're still building community exposure (after 16 years), and a children's show promises to help in that effort. My current group is still quite young, and this particular version is accessible to them while providing lots of opportunities for creativity and skill building. It's also possible to stage with minimal set requirements, which suits our intention to travel with the show to our local elementary schools and state conference.

If anyone has suggestions for a dinner theater piece you think would go well in this "season," I'd love some ideas. We stage a one-night-only event in our high school cafeteria just before Valentine's Day each winter.

The remainder of our season includes producing the annual Poetry Out Loud Competition and the annual Spring Talent Show.

Original Message:
Sent: 07-01-2024 11:17
From: James Bailey
Subject: Tell Us Your SEASON for Next Year!

For those of you who have chosen your plays for the upcoming year--tell us your choices!  Perhaps also tell us why you chose them.  I find this annual posting really helpful and informative!  What did you pick?

------------------------------
James Thomas Bailey
Director of Theatre Arts
Justin-Siena HS, Napa CA
Artistic Director, CSz Los Angeles
------------------------------

Amanda, use projections instead of flats. Projecting high resolution photos or videos takes no physical space; you just need a flat white surface above or behind the actors. I saw a production in a church social room that projected the images on a wide box that hung from the ceiling, so all sides of the theater could see the projections above the center area where actors stood.  Create your own videos or rent a set of images. One source: Scenic Projections for Theatre | Broadway Media 

Original Message:
Sent: 07-09-2024 19:30
From: Amanda Cadogan
Subject: Tell Us Your SEASON for Next Year!

Hello! I love this discussion.

I only do one play a year, in the fall. We're a tiny school, and I don't have dedicated theatre or storage space. After a few years of doing interesting contemporary plays, my students have staged an intervention (pun intended), and have bullied me into doing...Arsenic and Old Lace. They're just super excited about hamming it up in gray wigs. *shrug*

If anyone has great ideas for VERY minimalist sets, please send them my way! I've mostly done things with curtains, rather than flats, because of storage issues. The set has to be completely broken down between rehearsals and performances.

--

Amanda Cadogan (she | her)

Humanities  |  Maybeck High School

Original Message:
Sent: 7/8/2024 10:37:00 AM
From: Bethany Swanson-Yuninger
Subject: RE: Tell Us Your SEASON for Next Year!

Hello!

We have only chosen our fall play, Alice in Wonderland by Anne Coulter Martens, so far. This won the student vote in my theater club, and I think it's a good idea for engaging our younger kids throughout the school district. My group's situation is a bit different, as there is a very well-established, adult-centered musical program at my high school that is unaffiliated with the student-centered theater club I advise. As such, we're still building community exposure (after 16 years), and a children's show promises to help in that effort. My current group is still quite young, and this particular version is accessible to them while providing lots of opportunities for creativity and skill building. It's also possible to stage with minimal set requirements, which suits our intention to travel with the show to our local elementary schools and state conference.

If anyone has suggestions for a dinner theater piece you think would go well in this "season," I'd love some ideas. We stage a one-night-only event in our high school cafeteria just before Valentine's Day each winter.

The remainder of our season includes producing the annual Poetry Out Loud Competition and the annual Spring Talent Show.

------------------------------
Bethany Swanson-Yuninger
Teacher/Troupe Director
Dallastown Area High School
PA

Original Message:
Sent: 07-01-2024 11:17
From: James Bailey
Subject: Tell Us Your SEASON for Next Year!

For those of you who have chosen your plays for the upcoming year--tell us your choices!  Perhaps also tell us why you chose them.  I find this annual posting really helpful and informative!  What did you pick?

------------------------------
James Thomas Bailey
Director of Theatre Arts
Justin-Siena HS, Napa CA
Artistic Director, CSz Los Angeles
------------------------------

Projections can be great, just make sure that your lighting grid won't wash them out. I spent $500 on projections two years ago, but the audience could hardly see them. You need a high-quality projector and lighting that isn't all full front (if that makes sense).

Original Message:
Sent: 07-09-2024 19:30
From: Amanda Cadogan
Subject: Tell Us Your SEASON for Next Year!

Hello! I love this discussion.

I only do one play a year, in the fall. We're a tiny school, and I don't have dedicated theatre or storage space. After a few years of doing interesting contemporary plays, my students have staged an intervention (pun intended), and have bullied me into doing...Arsenic and Old Lace. They're just super excited about hamming it up in gray wigs. *shrug*

If anyone has great ideas for VERY minimalist sets, please send them my way! I've mostly done things with curtains, rather than flats, because of storage issues. The set has to be completely broken down between rehearsals and performances.

--

Amanda Cadogan (she | her)

Humanities  |  Maybeck High School

Original Message:
Sent: 7/8/2024 10:37:00 AM
From: Bethany Swanson-Yuninger
Subject: RE: Tell Us Your SEASON for Next Year!

Hello!

We have only chosen our fall play, Alice in Wonderland by Anne Coulter Martens, so far. This won the student vote in my theater club, and I think it's a good idea for engaging our younger kids throughout the school district. My group's situation is a bit different, as there is a very well-established, adult-centered musical program at my high school that is unaffiliated with the student-centered theater club I advise. As such, we're still building community exposure (after 16 years), and a children's show promises to help in that effort. My current group is still quite young, and this particular version is accessible to them while providing lots of opportunities for creativity and skill building. It's also possible to stage with minimal set requirements, which suits our intention to travel with the show to our local elementary schools and state conference.

If anyone has suggestions for a dinner theater piece you think would go well in this "season," I'd love some ideas. We stage a one-night-only event in our high school cafeteria just before Valentine's Day each winter.

The remainder of our season includes producing the annual Poetry Out Loud Competition and the annual Spring Talent Show.

------------------------------
Bethany Swanson-Yuninger
Teacher/Troupe Director
Dallastown Area High School
PA

Original Message:
Sent: 07-01-2024 11:17
From: James Bailey
Subject: Tell Us Your SEASON for Next Year!

For those of you who have chosen your plays for the upcoming year--tell us your choices!  Perhaps also tell us why you chose them.  I find this annual posting really helpful and informative!  What did you pick?

------------------------------
James Thomas Bailey
Director of Theatre Arts
Justin-Siena HS, Napa CA
Artistic Director, CSz Los Angeles
------------------------------

As a magnet-style program, we just do one winter show because most of the students also have fall and spring shows at their home high schools. My students requested something with pirates, so we're most likely doing TREASURE ISLAND. I'm still deciding between the Bryony Lavery and Brit Ward versions, so let me know if you have experience with either. Either way, I think it will be a lot of fun!

Original Message:
Sent: 07-09-2024 19:30
From: Amanda Cadogan
Subject: Tell Us Your SEASON for Next Year!

Hello! I love this discussion.

I only do one play a year, in the fall. We're a tiny school, and I don't have dedicated theatre or storage space. After a few years of doing interesting contemporary plays, my students have staged an intervention (pun intended), and have bullied me into doing...Arsenic and Old Lace. They're just super excited about hamming it up in gray wigs. *shrug*

If anyone has great ideas for VERY minimalist sets, please send them my way! I've mostly done things with curtains, rather than flats, because of storage issues. The set has to be completely broken down between rehearsals and performances.

--

Amanda Cadogan (she | her)

Humanities  |  Maybeck High School

Original Message:
Sent: 7/8/2024 10:37:00 AM
From: Bethany Swanson-Yuninger
Subject: RE: Tell Us Your SEASON for Next Year!

Hello!

We have only chosen our fall play, Alice in Wonderland by Anne Coulter Martens, so far. This won the student vote in my theater club, and I think it's a good idea for engaging our younger kids throughout the school district. My group's situation is a bit different, as there is a very well-established, adult-centered musical program at my high school that is unaffiliated with the student-centered theater club I advise. As such, we're still building community exposure (after 16 years), and a children's show promises to help in that effort. My current group is still quite young, and this particular version is accessible to them while providing lots of opportunities for creativity and skill building. It's also possible to stage with minimal set requirements, which suits our intention to travel with the show to our local elementary schools and state conference.

If anyone has suggestions for a dinner theater piece you think would go well in this "season," I'd love some ideas. We stage a one-night-only event in our high school cafeteria just before Valentine's Day each winter.

The remainder of our season includes producing the annual Poetry Out Loud Competition and the annual Spring Talent Show.

------------------------------
Bethany Swanson-Yuninger
Teacher/Troupe Director
Dallastown Area High School
PA

Original Message:
Sent: 07-01-2024 11:17
From: James Bailey
Subject: Tell Us Your SEASON for Next Year!

For those of you who have chosen your plays for the upcoming year--tell us your choices!  Perhaps also tell us why you chose them.  I find this annual posting really helpful and informative!  What did you pick?

------------------------------
James Thomas Bailey
Director of Theatre Arts
Justin-Siena HS, Napa CA
Artistic Director, CSz Los Angeles
------------------------------

well I am a new and first time director.  Our old director took a break for health reasons and no one applied for the job which meant no play production competition for our students.  So here I am…. I plan on doing Zartan The Grapeman for our competition piece in the fall and I am desperately begging my choir director to co-direct a musical with me in the spring but haven't choose one yet.  Always looking on here for suggestions!!

Original Message:
Sent: 07-01-2024 11:17
From: James Bailey
Subject: Tell Us Your SEASON for Next Year!

For those of you who have chosen your plays for the upcoming year--tell us your choices!  Perhaps also tell us why you chose them.  I find this annual posting really helpful and informative!  What did you pick?

------------------------------
James Thomas Bailey
Director of Theatre Arts
Justin-Siena HS, Napa CA
Artistic Director, CSz Los Angeles
------------------------------

Hi! 

I'm in a small, rural community with no stage (right now - we're building!), and this is my second year in the program. 
Fall: Student Directed One Acts (likely looking at 4-6 10-15 minute shows)
Spring: Pandemonium by JD Adkins

This summer I've been hosting a directing workshop so students know what all goes into directing, and I will act as their AD/SM for the fall, to give them the most round experience I am able to provide. They begged for a murder mystery, but didn't want anything too cheesy. I have a lot of students interested in history and myth, and Pandemonium is Olympian Gods living as mortals in NYC. We read through several murder mysteries in class, but this is the one they enjoyed and got into the most, so when it was time to make a choice, it was an easy one to make. 

Original Message:
Sent: 07-01-2024 11:17
From: James Bailey
Subject: Tell Us Your SEASON for Next Year!

For those of you who have chosen your plays for the upcoming year--tell us your choices!  Perhaps also tell us why you chose them.  I find this annual posting really helpful and informative!  What did you pick?

------------------------------
James Thomas Bailey
Director of Theatre Arts
Justin-Siena HS, Napa CA
Artistic Director, CSz Los Angeles
------------------------------

Our season has been set for a while now.

SIX THE MUSICAL (Teen Edition)  --  September

HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD (High School Edition)  -- November

JAJA'S AFRICAN HAIR BRAIDING  --  January/February

MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG  --  April

(Already working on next year.)

Original Message:
Sent: 07-01-2024 11:17
From: James Bailey
Subject: Tell Us Your SEASON for Next Year!

For those of you who have chosen your plays for the upcoming year--tell us your choices!  Perhaps also tell us why you chose them.  I find this annual posting really helpful and informative!  What did you pick?

------------------------------
James Thomas Bailey
Director of Theatre Arts
Justin-Siena HS, Napa CA
Artistic Director, CSz Los Angeles
------------------------------

Hi Mark,

Is there any singing in Cursed Child?  I'm not familiar with the script, but I am interested in potentially staging this play.  However, I am most definitely not a musical director, so I am trying to figure out if I am at all qualified to direct this play. :)

Thanks!

Original Message:
Sent: 07-11-2024 12:20
From: Mark Zimmerman
Subject: Tell Us Your SEASON for Next Year!

Our season has been set for a while now.

SIX THE MUSICAL (Teen Edition)  --  September

HARRY POTTER AND THE CURSED CHILD (High School Edition)  -- November

JAJA'S AFRICAN HAIR BRAIDING  --  January/February

MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG  --  April

(Already working on next year.)

------------------------------
Mark A. Zimmerman,

Theatre Director
Akron School for the Arts
Firestone Community Learning Center
470 Castle Blvd
Akron, Ohio 44313

Troupe 5570

mzimmerm@apslearns.org

Original Message:
Sent: 07-01-2024 11:17
From: James Bailey
Subject: Tell Us Your SEASON for Next Year!

For those of you who have chosen your plays for the upcoming year--tell us your choices!  Perhaps also tell us why you chose them.  I find this annual posting really helpful and informative!  What did you pick?

------------------------------
James Thomas Bailey
Director of Theatre Arts
Justin-Siena HS, Napa CA
Artistic Director, CSz Los Angeles
------------------------------

This is a great thread! I too love and labor over a season that will dovetail nicely from the year before, showcase the students' particular strengths (be it on stage or design wise), and excite the school community. 

Last year we built our season around the exciting challenge of staging Les Mis for the winter musical. Fall play was both zany and nodded to the classical plays we usually do first: Midsummer Jersey by Ken Ludwig. Spring play was student-directed and selected one acts by David Ives. We were blown away by an opportunity to meet and work with Mr. Ives. His generosity and heart was as extraordinary as his work. 

This year we will finally do  Agatha Christie's classic Mousetrap. This is the perfect year to stage a smaller cast show, as many seniors graduated last year. Our new  tech director is also excited to give the crew an experience of building a living room set. 

Musical: Something Rotten. What a departure from Les Mis, but can recycle some of the skirts and men's shirts! I'm excited to get the students dancing again, though a bit nervous to tackle the innuendo at high school level. 

Spring play: bringing in a brilliant local puppet artist and director, Erica Baker, to guide the students through a contemporary devised piece built on Greek mythology. They will build puppets and set from found/recycled objects. 

I love reading the exciting seasons ahead on this post. And wish you all a restorative end to your summers!

Tracy 

Original Message:
Sent: 07-01-2024 11:17
From: James Bailey
Subject: Tell Us Your SEASON for Next Year!

For those of you who have chosen your plays for the upcoming year--tell us your choices!  Perhaps also tell us why you chose them.  I find this annual posting really helpful and informative!  What did you pick?

------------------------------
James Thomas Bailey
Director of Theatre Arts
Justin-Siena HS, Napa CA
Artistic Director, CSz Los Angeles
------------------------------

Thanks for this great discussion post! 

At Campbell Hall in Studio City, CA we're doing: 

FALL

Then We Dream by Josh Adell. This is a play I've been writing for several years now that deals with a family wrestling with profound grief. Here's a brief synopsis: 

Following the sudden and fatal accident of Shannon Waters, her husband and 2 teenage daughters attempt to navigate their grief but wrestle with their isolated, varied, and perhaps misguided coping mechanisms. With the help of intelligent, eccentric, and big-hearted members of their Chicago suburban community, Shannon's family stumbles their way back home to process their grief in healthier ways: through their connection with each other, empathy, patience, and a discovery of the sanctity of their dreams. 

SPRING

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

We have a wonderful group of funny, awkward (self-admitted), highly intelligent, and sensitive students who will thrive playing these characters. We are so excited to work on this musical. 

LATE SPRING

Our annual production of original short plays. Student written, produced, directed...we call it The Drama Lab Experiment. 

Hope everyone has a wonderful season! 

Original Message:
Sent: 07-01-2024 11:17
From: James Bailey
Subject: Tell Us Your SEASON for Next Year!

For those of you who have chosen your plays for the upcoming year--tell us your choices!  Perhaps also tell us why you chose them.  I find this annual posting really helpful and informative!  What did you pick?

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James Thomas Bailey
Director of Theatre Arts
Justin-Siena HS, Napa CA
Artistic Director, CSz Los Angeles
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