Open Forum

This is for all of the over-achievers who have already selected their shows for next year. I conveniently choose mine over the summer so I can benefit from your wisdom.  

What shows have you chosen and why?  For example:

Cast size
Strong female leads
Budget
Collaboration with another department
It supports other curriculum you teach
It's good for a student director
It's good for diversity, equity and inclusion
You wanted a classic
Your talented seniors graduated and next year's bunch keeps leaving their talent at home 
You really believe this is the one that will make athletes audition
You need something you can do on autopilot because you're at that point
You're about to retire so let them try and fire you
...etc.

Thank you in advance for your ideas, and thank you for all you do to create a meaningful, safe space for creativity.

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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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I'm giving this post a bump!  What plays have you chosen?

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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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We announce our season at an end-of-year "banquet" with the theatre kids, so ours is always set by early May. Terrible timing, but the kids love it so we keep it going. We are presenting the play Clue in the fall (big characters, physical specificity, comedic timing, popular with the kids), Mean Girls HS Edition for our musical (we are in VERY short supply of male-identified students and this was a hugely popular choice with the kids with great parts for lots of females), and our special theatre company show for the spring is a puppet adaptation of Macbeth. Students will be working with a local theatre artist who runs a puppet theatre company as a guest director. Good luck choosing your season!

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Lindsay Hearn Brustein
St. Stephen's Episcopal School
Austin TX
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Original Message:
Sent: 06-08-2023 09:27
From: James Bailey
Subject: What's Your New Theatre Season for Next Year?

I'm giving this post a bump!  What plays have you chosen?

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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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Hi James,

I've selected William Shakespeare's The Tragedy of Macbeth. I chose this play because I thought it's the most fun way to introduce Shakespeare to high school students. Witches, murder, sword fighting, and fantastic imagery and character opportunities. We also did She Kill Monsters: Young Adventurers Edition this past year and students learned loads of stage combat, so, I also wanted to build on that momentum. 

I have also instituted a four year cycle for types of plays to give students a well rounded experience. All we ever did in high school were dated comedies, and I wanted to distance myself from that model. 

Our cycle is as follows: Contemporary(21st century playwright), Period/Shakespeare, Modern(20th century playwright), Wild Card.

The Wild Card could be anything, an evening of One Acts, a cycle play, a popular newer play, or a commissioned work or One Acts written in our Playwrighting class. 

I also gave myself a deadline for selecting plays the end of the first semester for the following fall. This way I can start my dramaturgical work and administration has time to read the options. 

I hope this is helpful.

Sincerely,

Rebecca~

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Rebecca Lustig
Westinghouse Arts Academy Charter School
PA
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