Open Forum

My kids, after many of them saw "The Play that Goes Wrong," want to try their hands at farce next year. I'm all for the idea, but we have a couple of issues to overcome:

1) Our tech director (dad who builds our sets) will be taking this show to rest between musicals
2) We typically only have about 6 weeks total to put the winter play up
3) The winter play is a "no-cut" show and the shows that I"m currently looking at (especially their favorites like "Noises Off" do not have ensembles.

We will have a turntable being built for our fall musical, and can try to get as much as we can built over the summer, as we have a new storage area- so that may solve number one. But numbers 2 and 3 are the biggest issues for me in selecting the show.

Anyone with experiences with farce that can give me a good idea that will allay my fears? I'm announcing the season on June 1st.

------------------------------
Jodi Disario
Director of Drama
Willow Glen High School
San Jose, CA
------------------------------

First, I love The Play That Goes Wrong!!! SO, So funny.

Second, we did Nooses Off!, the spoof of Noises Off, by Don Zolidis.  Has more characters and there is potential to add in a "character" stage crew, in addition to your regular stage crew, and also on-stage costumers and dressers.  I have a small group, so I used my actual stage crew and dressers on stage.

To the six week conundrum, I have a similar situation and we pulled it off.  I am a one-man show.  I have no additional adult assistance, other than my husband.  We managed to build a turn-able set on a Saturday afternoon and three evenings after practice.  We had four platforms on which we put a hotel room door on each.  We had a staircase that went up to a non-existent second floor (off stage).  And each platform was on wheels, so at intermission we shut the curtain and turned each piece separately.  If you want, I could email you a few pics. 

And the kids focused on learning their lines for the parts the audience would see.  Then, backstage we had a script and a microphone for the parts the audience couldn't see.  No one was the wiser that they were reading out of a script!  Plus, the "director" had a script the whole time, as if running a rehearsal, so she was able to prompt anyone that messed up or got stuck.

It was brilliant.  Possibly one of my directorial bests.  I am very proud of that show.

------------------------------
Amber Hugus
Harmony PA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 03-26-2018 16:33
From: Jodi Disario
Subject: Noises Off

My kids, after many of them saw "The Play that Goes Wrong," want to try their hands at farce next year. I'm all for the idea, but we have a couple of issues to overcome:

1) Our tech director (dad who builds our sets) will be taking this show to rest between musicals
2) We typically only have about 6 weeks total to put the winter play up
3) The winter play is a "no-cut" show and the shows that I"m currently looking at (especially their favorites like "Noises Off" do not have ensembles.

We will have a turntable being built for our fall musical, and can try to get as much as we can built over the summer, as we have a new storage area- so that may solve number one. But numbers 2 and 3 are the biggest issues for me in selecting the show.

Anyone with experiences with farce that can give me a good idea that will allay my fears? I'm announcing the season on June 1st.

------------------------------
Jodi Disario
Director of Drama
Willow Glen High School
San Jose, CA
------------------------------

We also did Nooses Off! by Zolidis -- a funny script, very accessible to high school groups.  The set is supposed to look unfinished and poorly constructed, so we left quite a bit of it undone.  

Our cast was around 15, with a stage crew to turn the set (all done on platforms -- easy to turn).  Adding dressers to help with the costume changes, especially in Act 2 is a good idea.  We are a small school, so we can get away with a smaller cast size.  

Another play to consider is The Butler Did It by Tim Kelly -- a farcical parody of the Agatha Christie murder mystery.  We did this with all girls (as we are an all girl school), which added to the farce.  One unit set -- easy to build with flats you might have in storage.  

I can probably send you pictures from both shows, if you want to get an idea of the set needs.

------------------------------
Kate Bernardo
Drama Director
Beaumont School, Troupe 6703
Cleveland Heights OH
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 03-27-2018 07:48
From: Amber Hugus
Subject: Noises Off

First, I love The Play That Goes Wrong!!! SO, So funny.

Second, we did Nooses Off!, the spoof of Noises Off, by Don Zolidis.  Has more characters and there is potential to add in a "character" stage crew, in addition to your regular stage crew, and also on-stage costumers and dressers.  I have a small group, so I used my actual stage crew and dressers on stage.

To the six week conundrum, I have a similar situation and we pulled it off.  I am a one-man show.  I have no additional adult assistance, other than my husband.  We managed to build a turn-able set on a Saturday afternoon and three evenings after practice.  We had four platforms on which we put a hotel room door on each.  We had a staircase that went up to a non-existent second floor (off stage).  And each platform was on wheels, so at intermission we shut the curtain and turned each piece separately.  If you want, I could email you a few pics.

And the kids focused on learning their lines for the parts the audience would see.  Then, backstage we had a script and a microphone for the parts the audience couldn't see.  No one was the wiser that they were reading out of a script!  Plus, the "director" had a script the whole time, as if running a rehearsal, so she was able to prompt anyone that messed up or got stuck.

It was brilliant.  Possibly one of my directorial bests.  I am very proud of that show.

------------------------------
Amber Hugus
Harmony PA

Original Message:
Sent: 03-26-2018 16:33
From: Jodi Disario
Subject: Noises Off

My kids, after many of them saw "The Play that Goes Wrong," want to try their hands at farce next year. I'm all for the idea, but we have a couple of issues to overcome:

1) Our tech director (dad who builds our sets) will be taking this show to rest between musicals
2) We typically only have about 6 weeks total to put the winter play up
3) The winter play is a "no-cut" show and the shows that I"m currently looking at (especially their favorites like "Noises Off" do not have ensembles.

We will have a turntable being built for our fall musical, and can try to get as much as we can built over the summer, as we have a new storage area- so that may solve number one. But numbers 2 and 3 are the biggest issues for me in selecting the show.

Anyone with experiences with farce that can give me a good idea that will allay my fears? I'm announcing the season on June 1st.

------------------------------
Jodi Disario
Director of Drama
Willow Glen High School
San Jose, CA
------------------------------

I took on Noises Off this year and, in order to get as many actors involved as possible, I had an understudy cast that got its own performance. It was a lot of work but it really paid off. I have also seen productions which involve more stagehands as part of the show as nonspeaking roles. Best of luck!

------------------------------
Casey McCord
Theatre Director
Lansing High School
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 03-26-2018 16:33
From: Jodi Disario
Subject: Noises Off

My kids, after many of them saw "The Play that Goes Wrong," want to try their hands at farce next year. I'm all for the idea, but we have a couple of issues to overcome:

1) Our tech director (dad who builds our sets) will be taking this show to rest between musicals
2) We typically only have about 6 weeks total to put the winter play up
3) The winter play is a "no-cut" show and the shows that I"m currently looking at (especially their favorites like "Noises Off" do not have ensembles.

We will have a turntable being built for our fall musical, and can try to get as much as we can built over the summer, as we have a new storage area- so that may solve number one. But numbers 2 and 3 are the biggest issues for me in selecting the show.

Anyone with experiences with farce that can give me a good idea that will allay my fears? I'm announcing the season on June 1st.

------------------------------
Jodi Disario
Director of Drama
Willow Glen High School
San Jose, CA
------------------------------

You might want to take a look at "Play On". Same farce, very funny, but fewer tech needs

------------------------------
Jeana Whitaker
Theatre Director
Mesa AZ
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 03-26-2018 16:33
From: Jodi Disario
Subject: Noises Off

My kids, after many of them saw "The Play that Goes Wrong," want to try their hands at farce next year. I'm all for the idea, but we have a couple of issues to overcome:

1) Our tech director (dad who builds our sets) will be taking this show to rest between musicals
2) We typically only have about 6 weeks total to put the winter play up
3) The winter play is a "no-cut" show and the shows that I"m currently looking at (especially their favorites like "Noises Off" do not have ensembles.

We will have a turntable being built for our fall musical, and can try to get as much as we can built over the summer, as we have a new storage area- so that may solve number one. But numbers 2 and 3 are the biggest issues for me in selecting the show.

Anyone with experiences with farce that can give me a good idea that will allay my fears? I'm announcing the season on June 1st.

------------------------------
Jodi Disario
Director of Drama
Willow Glen High School
San Jose, CA
------------------------------

Laughing Stock by Charles Morey is also a fun farce and is supposed to be creative (a rep company is doing The Importance of Being Earnest, Dracula, and Hamlet and hilarity and disaster abound)  and also has a high school version.

------------------------------
Brandon Becker
Denver CO
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 03-26-2018 16:33
From: Jodi Disario
Subject: Noises Off

My kids, after many of them saw "The Play that Goes Wrong," want to try their hands at farce next year. I'm all for the idea, but we have a couple of issues to overcome:

1) Our tech director (dad who builds our sets) will be taking this show to rest between musicals
2) We typically only have about 6 weeks total to put the winter play up
3) The winter play is a "no-cut" show and the shows that I"m currently looking at (especially their favorites like "Noises Off" do not have ensembles.

We will have a turntable being built for our fall musical, and can try to get as much as we can built over the summer, as we have a new storage area- so that may solve number one. But numbers 2 and 3 are the biggest issues for me in selecting the show.

Anyone with experiences with farce that can give me a good idea that will allay my fears? I'm announcing the season on June 1st.

------------------------------
Jodi Disario
Director of Drama
Willow Glen High School
San Jose, CA
------------------------------

Why not try some sort of Commedia dell'Arte production? There's a lot that an actor can learn by playing in that style. You can build in all sorts of farce-style plot devices. Commedias can be done with minimal sets. We've developed our own Commedia productions based on traditional plot lines and lazzi. We've also adapted Moliere, Jonson, and Shakespeare plays to be performed using Commedia techniques. There are lots of resources for the style as well. (I would recommend the books by John Rudlin, Bari Rolfe, ALi Landvatter, and Mel Gordon.) And, if you and/or your art department is up for it, the actors or artists could design and build their own masks.

------------------------------
Michael Bergman
Teacher/Director
The Potomac School
McLean, VA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 03-26-2018 16:33
From: Jodi Disario
Subject: Noises Off

My kids, after many of them saw "The Play that Goes Wrong," want to try their hands at farce next year. I'm all for the idea, but we have a couple of issues to overcome:

1) Our tech director (dad who builds our sets) will be taking this show to rest between musicals
2) We typically only have about 6 weeks total to put the winter play up
3) The winter play is a "no-cut" show and the shows that I"m currently looking at (especially their favorites like "Noises Off" do not have ensembles.

We will have a turntable being built for our fall musical, and can try to get as much as we can built over the summer, as we have a new storage area- so that may solve number one. But numbers 2 and 3 are the biggest issues for me in selecting the show.

Anyone with experiences with farce that can give me a good idea that will allay my fears? I'm announcing the season on June 1st.

------------------------------
Jodi Disario
Director of Drama
Willow Glen High School
San Jose, CA
------------------------------

My middle school cast is currently working on Break a Leg! by John O'Brien, available through The Dramatic Publishing Company. It's similar in feel/style to Noises Off (we watched a stage version via YouTube at the beginning of the rehearsal process) and might be worth considering. We are producing it as part of a class, so the majority of rehearsals are in class and it is a no-cut production. Those with fewer lines are being utilized as 'stage crew' etc. 

The fun thing about this show is that it features poorly done bits from Shakespeare plays in the second act when the 'director' has a bit of a nervous breakdown, and as it turns out, she's not even the real director - that character comes in at the very end. And then right before the curtain comes down, the play acknowledges that the 'real director' is also a character and I will come out to accept a gift from the sponsors (PTSA) in the last moments of the play. Very meta. :)

------------------------------
Nichole Alexander
Bellevue WA
------------------------------

Original Message:
Sent: 03-26-2018 16:33
From: Jodi Disario
Subject: Noises Off

My kids, after many of them saw "The Play that Goes Wrong," want to try their hands at farce next year. I'm all for the idea, but we have a couple of issues to overcome:

1) Our tech director (dad who builds our sets) will be taking this show to rest between musicals
2) We typically only have about 6 weeks total to put the winter play up
3) The winter play is a "no-cut" show and the shows that I"m currently looking at (especially their favorites like "Noises Off" do not have ensembles.

We will have a turntable being built for our fall musical, and can try to get as much as we can built over the summer, as we have a new storage area- so that may solve number one. But numbers 2 and 3 are the biggest issues for me in selecting the show.

Anyone with experiences with farce that can give me a good idea that will allay my fears? I'm announcing the season on June 1st.

------------------------------
Jodi Disario
Director of Drama
Willow Glen High School
San Jose, CA
------------------------------