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Hello,
Next year our theatre will be be renovated to create a beautiful new performing arts space. That means that our shows must be produced in our meeting space, a lovely,room, but with no access to stage lighting and no set. I need suggestions for two straight plays, both full length. We are a 7-12 grad small school. In the fall, I will probably have 5-6 girls and 9-12 boys. In the spring 10 or more boys and about the same number of girls. We've done Almost, Maine, The Matchmaker, and Twelfth Night recently, and Our Town is on my short list (though it's not my favorite show, especially after reading recent ideas about how to produce it in this forum! I really want to use light if I do it). I would love suggestions from this forum. Plays with cool sound fx (radio shows?) and costumes will give our tech crew something to do, too!
Thanks in advance for your help!
Liz Ledwell
Falmouth Academy
Sent from my iPad

My initial thought was "Play On."  Since it's about a community theatre production that goes all kinds of wrong, I think doing it in an untraditional space would work really well.

I also thought of A Company of Wayward Saints, which would work well in the space, but is not something I would do with middle school aged students.

------------------------------
Laura Steenson
Theatre Director
Reynolds High School
Troutdale OR

Original Message:
Sent: 03-24-2016 06:34
From: Elisabeth Ledwell
Subject: Theatre Renovation

Hello,
Next year our theatre will be be renovated to create a beautiful new performing arts space. That means that our shows must be produced in our meeting space, a lovely,room, but with no access to stage lighting and no set. I need suggestions for two straight plays, both full length. We are a 7-12 grad small school. In the fall, I will probably have 5-6 girls and 9-12 boys. In the spring 10 or more boys and about the same number of girls. We've done Almost, Maine, The Matchmaker, and Twelfth Night recently, and Our Town is on my short list (though it's not my favorite show, especially after reading recent ideas about how to produce it in this forum! I really want to use light if I do it). I would love suggestions from this forum. Plays with cool sound fx (radio shows?) and costumes will give our tech crew something to do, too!
Thanks in advance for your help!
Liz Ledwell
Falmouth Academy
Sent from my iPad

The Dining Room by A. R. Gurney - cast 3M, 3W - Expandable to more. Vignette scenes throughout the years of how the dining room has played (or not played) and important place in the lives of middle/upper class American.

Dramatists Play Service, Inc.

Alien Voices by Leonard Nimoy (yes, that Leonard Nimoy) and John de Lacey.  Radio plays of classic scifi stories with the sound effects created using the old school "foley" style.

Alien Voices Collection

------------------------------
Lynda Gibson
Jr. Troupe 88305
Flushing MI

Original Message:
Sent: 03-25-2016 00:29
From: Laura Steenson
Subject: Theatre Renovation

My initial thought was "Play On."  Since it's about a community theatre production that goes all kinds of wrong, I think doing it in an untraditional space would work really well.

I also thought of A Company of Wayward Saints, which would work well in the space, but is not something I would do with middle school aged students.

------------------------------
Laura Steenson
Theatre Director
Reynolds High School
Troutdale OR

Take a look at Paul Sill's Story Theatre.  It really doesn't need a set, the costuming and props can be as fantastic as you want, and the casting is pretty flexible. It's based on Aesop's Fables and Grimm's Fairy Tales, and it offers some great challenges to the veteran students while still enabling newcomers to get some experience - on and off stage.  

------------------------------
[Jan] [Romans]
[Theatre Director]
[South Lyon High School]
[South Lyon] [MI]

Original Message:
Sent: 03-24-2016 06:34
From: Elisabeth Ledwell
Subject: Theatre Renovation

Hello,
Next year our theatre will be be renovated to create a beautiful new performing arts space. That means that our shows must be produced in our meeting space, a lovely,room, but with no access to stage lighting and no set. I need suggestions for two straight plays, both full length. We are a 7-12 grad small school. In the fall, I will probably have 5-6 girls and 9-12 boys. In the spring 10 or more boys and about the same number of girls. We've done Almost, Maine, The Matchmaker, and Twelfth Night recently, and Our Town is on my short list (though it's not my favorite show, especially after reading recent ideas about how to produce it in this forum! I really want to use light if I do it). I would love suggestions from this forum. Plays with cool sound fx (radio shows?) and costumes will give our tech crew something to do, too!
Thanks in advance for your help!
Liz Ledwell
Falmouth Academy
Sent from my iPad

Original Message------

Hello,
Next year our theatre will be be renovated to create a beautiful new performing arts space. That means that our shows must be produced in our meeting space, a lovely,room, but with no access to stage lighting and no set. I need suggestions for two straight plays, both full length. We are a 7-12 grad small school. In the fall, I will probably have 5-6 girls and 9-12 boys. In the spring 10 or more boys and about the same number of girls. We've done Almost, Maine, The Matchmaker, and Twelfth Night recently, and Our Town is on my short list (though it's not my favorite show, especially after reading recent ideas about how to produce it in this forum! I really want to use light if I do it). I would love suggestions from this forum. Plays with cool sound fx (radio shows?) and costumes will give our tech crew something to do, too!
Thanks in advance for your help!
Liz Ledwell
Falmouth Academy
Sent from my iPad

Hi, Liz! We were in a similar situation last year - we performed All I Really Need to Know I Learned in Kindergarten for our summerstock production in the Gym and Shakespeare in Hollywood for our fall play in the Cafeteria (we set it up as a dinner theatre-style and increased the ticket price slightly in order to cover the cost of dessert with each ticket at Intermission; with this particular show, we also requested and received approval to tone down some of the more blatant sexual references).

It was definitely an adventure and our rehearsal process was completely different than normal  - summer show was rehearsed in one space and we only had one dress rehearsal in the Gym before our production weekend; in the Cafeteria, we moved everything out during tech rehearsals and had to have everything back in place for the school day! I had a great group of collaborative students who embraced the challenge of performing in non-traditional theatrical venues which turned into a great educational experience. 

While we didn't have an easy way to use theatrical lighting, we did rent some fixtures from a local company who set up a lighting rail in our Cafeteria to help us light the performance space. 

Hope this helps and I wish you the best in your selection process!

- Teresa

Original Message:
Sent: 03-24-2016 06:34
From: Elisabeth Ledwell
Subject: Theatre Renovation

Hello,
Next year our theatre will be be renovated to create a beautiful new performing arts space. That means that our shows must be produced in our meeting space, a lovely,room, but with no access to stage lighting and no set. I need suggestions for two straight plays, both full length. We are a 7-12 grad small school. In the fall, I will probably have 5-6 girls and 9-12 boys. In the spring 10 or more boys and about the same number of girls. We've done Almost, Maine, The Matchmaker, and Twelfth Night recently, and Our Town is on my short list (though it's not my favorite show, especially after reading recent ideas about how to produce it in this forum! I really want to use light if I do it). I would love suggestions from this forum. Plays with cool sound fx (radio shows?) and costumes will give our tech crew something to do, too!
Thanks in advance for your help!
Liz Ledwell
Falmouth Academy
Sent from my iPad