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  • 1.  Rehearsal schedule for play and tips needed

    Posted 09-01-2016 11:39

    Hi everyone!

    I am a first year theater teacher and about to cast our fall play! I have been acting for 20 years but now I am teaching and freaking out a little. For a non-musical play what do your rehearsal schedules look like? Do you rehearse after school everyday? How long? We will have about 8 weeks to pull it together The play is How I Met Your Mummy off of Pioneer Drama. I would greatly appreciate ANY tips and advice!!! Thanks!

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    Leslie Infalt
    San Tan Valley AZ
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  • 2.  RE: Rehearsal schedule for play and tips needed

    Posted 09-01-2016 12:32

    First... deep breaths. In...Out...In...Out... You'll be fine.  ;^)

    It really depends on how long you are planning on rehearsing prior to opening. I personally have a longer rehearsal period than most people because I can only rehearse my productions 3 days a week. My competitive improv team has rehearsals on the other 2 and we have a 2 week break in the middle of my rehearsal time. I usually rehearse about 10 weeks (including hell week ) at an hour and a half each rehearsal (or you know... 8  hours for a wonderful week).

    I also don't call anyone who will not be actively used in rehearsal that day. I find that everything runs more smoothly if the entire cast is only called when absolutely necessary. It allows for more individual attention to the kids who are working specific scenes and helps keep the distractions to a minimum. I'd "feel out" what the kids think is "reasonable" and then take that into consideration before making a final decision. Whatever you decide you need to stick with though. You'll be fighting with kids following through if you don't. Remember, it's a lot easier to cancel or end rehearsals early than it is to add them!

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    Shira Schwartz
    Chandler Unified School District
    Chandler AZ

    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Rehearsal schedule for play and tips needed

    Posted 09-02-2016 08:23
      |   view attached
    Hi Leslie,
    Attached is my rehearsal schedule.  I divide the play into four sections (into 8 for blocking), trying to group scenes with common people to give some kids some days off.
    Hope this gives you ideas!
    Valerie Gargus
    Mount Laurel, NJ



    Attachment(s)

    docx
    Rehearsal Schedule 2016 Radium Girls.docx   26 KB 1 version
    Original Message


  • 4.  RE: Rehearsal schedule for play and tips needed

    Posted 09-02-2016 12:44

    We rehearse twice a week from mid-September to a week before show (November 18th & 19th) from 3-5.  I break down the blocking into page numbers so that only those needed are to come.  Also, I set line memorization due dates so that students are clear on the expectations.  I also set aside a Saturday or two for set building (the sooner you can get the set built, the better).  I even have a schedule for crew (last year I had some crew members that didn't have anything to do during rehearsal). Costumes, for example, may not need to meet twice a week until closer to show date.  Hope this helps!  

    -Kayla  

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    Kayla Wilson
    Hillsboro, OH

    Original Message


  • 5.  RE: Rehearsal schedule for play and tips needed

    Posted 09-02-2016 13:30

    I wish I had 8-10 weeks for a show.  Unfortunately, the timing at my school only allows 5-6 weeks for a production.  I only have 4 weeks for our improv/comedy show.  I typically run a 3 hour rehearsal on Mondays, Tuesday, and Thursdays with a 90 minute rehearsal thrown in on a Wednesday or Friday.  We do that up until Tech week where we go 4 days and then into the fill production week.  We rehearse immediately after school until 6pm.  Students have a snack schedule where they bring in snacks and we take a break around 4:30 each rehearsal.  

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    Trevor Yarbrough
    Teacher
    Dyer County High School
    Newbern TN

    Original Message


  • 6.  RE: Rehearsal schedule for play and tips needed

    Posted 09-02-2016 14:25

    For straight plays, we usually get about six weeks.  Our winter show *looks* like it has more, but because of Thanksgiving and Winter holidays and finals week, we really don't.  We rehearse M-Th for an hour.

    For our musicals, we rehearse M-F for 90 minutes.

    Tech week rehearsals go later as we have to allow time to set up and tear down tech equipment since we use a gymatorium.

    My rehearsal schedule for our fall play is on our website: Westridge Theatre & Thespian Troupe 89009

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    Jason Coats
    Director of Theatre
    Westridge Middle School
    Overland Park, KS

    Original Message


  • 7.  RE: Rehearsal schedule for play and tips needed

    Posted 09-02-2016 15:05

    I think I've adopted all of the above suggestions in one form or another over the years! It changes as your needs and the students' needs change. 

    If the troupe is brand new as a whole, an hour a day for four days after school works great. But this could also work with other situations. I started with this, but then realized I had a family at home, who, because of the timing of when I left, didn't see until pretty late because of hitting rush hour. 

    So for our MainStage shows right now, we rehearse on Monday from 2:15 (early release) until 5pm, and Wednesdays from 3:15 to 5:15. So about 5 hours a week, calling those who need to be called and banishing anyone who isn't absolutely essential to cut down noise and distractions. I also host a stage combat class one day a week, which will be turning into a guest fight teacher led certification class for single sword, as our big spring number has need of a lot of swash. Fridays I now reserve for Officer meetings, as that has been fairly spotty in the past, as I would always panic and permanently re-schedule the officer meeting until 'this show's out of the way'. Which is never, because until the last show of the year, there's always a show. 

    You have many options, clearly, what you'll have to do is work out which one of the excellent suggestions put before you will work best. Stick it out for the duration of the rehearsal process, planning more on the schedule which, as someone stated, are more easily cancelled than added, and if the rehearsal schedule doesn't work for you or your students, change it for the next show, and see if that works better. You'll find each model has its own particular set of pro's and con's, you just have to figure out what works best for you. Which is a circular answer, but tragically true. 

    Breathe, relax, be at peace, know that all of this takes time to get a feel for. Everybody here is rooting for you, as are your students!

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    Phillip Goodchild
    Theatre Arts Instructor/Assistant Department Head of English
    Ruskin FL

    Original Message