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  • 1.  Season Selection Process

    Posted 11-14-2018 13:10
    Hi Esteemed Colleagues.  Our district is in the middle of combining multiple programs and that is requiring us to readdress some procedures we have set-up.  One thing of discussion is how the season is selected.  Up to now I have gone back and forth between allowing students to nominate and vote versus just nominating and then I select.  I just wanted to know what some of you do for this process:  Do you completely open it to students?  Is it entirely your decisions?  Who gets say in the process?

    Thanks for your feedback.

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    Keenan Shionalyn
    Math Instructor/Drama Advisor
    Kingston WA
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  • 2.  RE: Season Selection Process

    Posted 11-14-2018 13:59
    I take suggestions, because occasionally a student has read something I have not, but the end choice is mine alone. I base the decision on the demographics in my program for that year - how many students, the male/female ratio, who is playing sports and when, and so forth.

    The only extra step I take, at the request of my admin, is that I have one or two colleagues read the script before I announce it, to vet it for content and appropriateness.

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    Josh Kauffman
    Teacher
    Winfield AL
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    Original Message


  • 3.  RE: Season Selection Process

    Posted 11-14-2018 16:06

    My first questions are always about goals. What do you want to work on with your students this year? Do you want to focus on skills like world-building, comedic timing, or diction? Is there a story you want to tell your community, or an issue you want to discuss with your students? Content-wise, what elements of a show would distract your community from the overall impact of the production?

    My mother (@Jasmine Bucher) has a giant spreadsheet she uses to choose her shows. She has columns for things like cast size, content, design needs, and more (being the fundraising queen she is, one column is strictly for merchandise ideas!).  One of the most important columns highlights specific skills the show would focus on. She fills out the entire spreadsheet with every option she's considering (even the ridiculous ones!), and by the time she's done, the answer is clear. It's usually the option she was feeling in her heart all along, but the act of filling out all the information and doing thorough research makes her confident she's making the right choice.

    While you don't necessarily need a magic spreadsheet, I love this approach to gathering information and making decisions.The spreadsheet also helps when she's talking to her production staff and administration about the top shows. 

    I get a little nervous when teachers tell me that their students vote on a show or are heavily involved with the show selection process. While I love that students are learning about the programming process, things can get a bit tricky if the shows aren't available or the students post about the show prior to confirming licensing. I advise applying for licensing once the group gets to the top three or four titles for each season slot, determining availability, voting, paying for the license, and then announcing the show. 

    ​

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    Rosemary Bucher
    Licensing Representative, Educational Theatre
    Samuel French
    New York NY
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  • 4.  RE: Season Selection Process

    Posted 11-15-2018 09:09
    When selecting our season, I consider all of the following:

    1. How many students do I anticipate at auditions and what is the M/F ratio? I can't do High School Musical if only one boy is planning to audition.

    2. What shows will create a balance? A drama and comedy? A musical and straight play? A children's show and a historical piece? You want to offer opportunities for students of all talents throughout the year so that if they aren't cast in one, they may still have a good shot at another.

    3. What does my audience expect? Can I push boundaries, or do I need to do something safe and predictable? What will draw an audience? What's important socially at the moment and do you want to address it or avoid it? You don't want to offend the community in most cases. I know some high schools who can push the limits, but for the most part, parents are wary of teachers who want to push agendas through their students.
     
    4. What show can my students reasonably accomplish while also being pushed to grow? You want to set them up for success, but they won't grow if you're always doing plays with stereotypes and superficial traits. 

    5. What are other schools and community theatre doing? Maybe it doesn't matter, but if three local theatres are all doing Beauty and the Beast, do you want to be the fourth?

    While I am open to student suggestions, students typically pick large musicals that may not be achievable. I usually ask my upper level students if they have a preference of genre, and I try to play to their strengths. They usually haven't read enough plays to give reasonable suggestions.

    Season planning is my least favorite part of the job; good luck!!


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    Maralie Medlin
    Director of Fine Arts
    Gaston Christian School
    Gastonia, NC
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    Original Message


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