It's inevitable. Either at the end of a production or in the beginning of the school year, teachers, administrators, parents and students will hit me with the question: "So, what are you going to do next?" More often than not, I give the same response: "I have no idea."
It's not for lack of forethought, or research. I probably spent the entire summer or semester perusing scripts. I make a list of attributes and challenges for each one. I have many shows in a reserve bank for when I'm unable to find a show in any given year. It's actually the question I ask myself long before anyone else thinks to ask it.
When I was in high school, my teacher already had the season scheduled when we returned from summer vacation. Most high schools did. I don't have the luxury of working in a high school where there are fewer content restrictions, and a wider student talent pool from which to pull. I teach Theatre in a middle school, the most difficult age group for which to find appropriate material. Add to that the fact that my students are constantly growing, changing, and evolving. The boy I thought would be the perfect Oliver Twist or Mowgli hits a growth spurt over the summer and is now the tallest student in my cast. My countertenor finally hits puberty and his voice is a croaky baritone. My budding "starlet" becomes self-conscious and doesn't want to be onstage anymore and would rather work on stage crew or usher. When I choose a show in advance I have to take into consideration that things will happen that I didn't take into consideration.
So when and how should you choose a show for your cast? That's totally up to you, but in order to ensure that I choose the right script at the right time I start by looking at my most basic and essential resource: my students.
How many do I have?
What is the ratio of boys to girls?
Do I have more strength among the girls or boys at this moment?
What are the overall strengths and challenges of this cohort?
With this lens, I'll begin to peruse scripts. As I'm reading, I listen for my students' voices. If I don't hear or see my students in a script, it is not the right one, no matter how much I like it. I put it in the reserve bank. The perfect show this year might be the one that was completely wrong last year.
Once I get a few scripts that seem appropriate, I begin to evaluate them.
Which script best utilizes the time and talents of the most students?
Which script is the most relevant to the students?
Which script will the students gain the most from, both artistically and academically?
Which script will the audience appreciate most?
Which script is the most timely?
Which script will the students enjoy rehearsing/performing the most?
Once I've narrowed it down to one or two scripts, there are several factors I have to consider.
Is this the right show for the time? (Why this show, and why now?)
Is this the right show for my space? (The show may physically be too large, or not large enough, for my performance space.)
Do I multiple options for casting?
Can I afford it? (Is it financially feasible for me to do the show on my current budget? If I scale back, how will it ultimately affect the quality of the show?)
Do I have the resources available to produce it?
Am I the right director for this show?
If I don't do this show now, will I be able to do this show in the future?
Can I get it done?
Do I need to do this show?
A few years ago, I had initially settled on doing Bye Bye Birdie. I was confident that I had an "Albert" and a "Rose", and I could find a way to make the other characters work for my cast that consisted mostly of 7th graders. I happened to order a few perusals from MTI at that time, including Aida: School Edition. I was curious how they had adapted this large scale spectacle so that it could work for high school stages. As I was reading, I envisioned the full production of Aida as I would stage it. A vision of one of my 8th graders came alive in the character Amneris. This role fit her like a glass slipper, but I thought she may never have the chance to play Amneris if I didn't direct Aida now. My "Rose" was a natural fit for Aida, and while my "Albert" wasn't an obvious choice for Radames, there was great potential for growth. Most importantly, I wouldn't have to force-fit the other students into caricatures of characters they weren't ready to play. Aida (a show I hated when I saw it on Broadway) was the right show, at the right time, for this cast.
I did direct Bye Bye Birdie a year later with essentially the same students. Only two students (Amneris and Radames) had graduated from the previous year. What a difference a year makes! They had grown exponentially as performers and people. They simply were not the same cast. I had so many options for casting that it came down to who fit my vision of the show, rather than who could feasibly do each role. On closing night, when I was compelled to join the audience in giving the cast a standing ovation (which I never do), I realized how important it is to always choose the show for the students, and not the students for the show.