Archive - MacAllen's Theater GUide

Putting Together a Show

Putting together a theatrical performance can be both fun and stressful. Amateur theater enthusiasts should not be dissuaded by the challenges. Before any plans and preparations are made, you should first find either some dedicated friends or fellow enthusiasts. If you are completely without friends, the internet may offer you the ability to connect with people sharing a similar interest. Get the commitment of several other people. Unless you are heir to a trust fund, you will need their help to at the very least pay for things.

You and your new found friends should then consider what sort of show you would like to perform. Is it going to be an original piece you or another member of the group has written? Are you going to try for a Broadway comedy, or a classic drama? Can you do a musical?

Each choice presents its own benefits and challenges. An original play may have the added benefit of being free, but perhaps not entirely complete. A Broadway comedy from somebody like Neil Simon or David Mamet might attract a crowd, but royalty fees will cost a bundle. Musicals can be fun, but add the problems of providing an accompanist or orchestra.

Original Plays:
An original play can be exciting since there is nothing to live up to and no precedents to meet. Everything is fresh and few if any of the audience members will have seen the material before. Most first time playwrights are looking to have their work performed and its unlikely they would charge royalty fees (you should of course get permission first).

Performing a first edition has several challenges though. Many plays are unfinished until they have been performed several times to work out kinks in the script or plotline. Having the writer on hand during rehearsals can be beneficial because those problems can be worked out immediately. At the same time, the writer has a very distinct vision of the show, and may contribute as much to the chaos of rehearsals as the actors inevitably will. Balancing this situation may be the greatest challenge of an original show.

Broadway Comedies:
Professional shows that have had a long run on Broadway are the most common. I am referring to all professional straight plays, comedies and dramas in this category, but are labeling them comedies to distinguish Broadway Shows from Classical Dramas such as those from Greek or Elizabethan eras. For the most part, professional shows require the performers to pay royalties to the author. Not paying the royalties can lead to large fines. There is no set standard for the cost of royalties. It varies by the number of performances, size of the audience, proximity to New York (if you live in one of those big square states, its going to be cheaper), and varies by the age of show and the copyright owner.

Broadway Comedies also have the trouble of expectations from the audience. Perhaps they saw the show when it ran on Broadway or some other professional venue. Its unlikely you as first time show performers will live up to Broadway’s multimillion dollar budgets even if the acting is as good. Also, popular shows, such as those by Neil Simon, may be performed by other equally enthusiastic persons like yourselves within your area. However, there are several advantages. First, you have a completed script. You know it works and while there may be several technical difficulties for you, the show has already been successful elsewhere. You also have name recognition; David Mamet is better known than that guy Jim-Who-Lives-On-Oak-Street.

Classic Dramas:
Whether you pull a Greek Classic off the shelf, or one of Shakespeare’s comedies, classical dramas offer a unique set of challenges. In most cases there are no royalties (Technically, you owe royalties to the translator if it comes from Greek, or to the editor. However, if you combine several scripts to form a new unique script, you are for the most part protected. Even if you are not, there do exist copies without any copyright restrictions.). However, a play by Sophocles may hold little interest with anyone other than a Greek play specialist or high school English students. Actors may find the poetics of the translator difficult, and inexperienced directors might be advised to stay away.

Musicals:
Musicals are a whole different can of worms. With the exception of Gilbert and Sullivan, nearly every popular musical has expensive royalty fees. You aren’t just paying for the script, you are also paying for the music and the lyrics. You also need to know something about music and hire an accompanist for rehearsals (musicians rarely work for free which really begs the question why so many of them are starving?). Musicals can be performed accompanied by a CD (without lyrics), but this usually results in a poor quality performance. A band, orchestra, or at the least, a pianist are usually necessary.

Early Planning:
You need to form a budget. Or at the very least, determine how much money you and everyone else involved is willing to contribute. Don’t throw in your entire paycheck either. Throughout the course of the performance, you will likely spend extra money, often as much or more than 10 percent of the original calculation. Also select someone to act as treasurer and manage the money. It also makes sense to create a separate banking account, at least for the duration of the show.

After selecting the type of show you want to perform and choosing a budget, browse around for the actual show you want to do. Obtain all royalties prior to any other activity. Some shows may be restricted or cost more than your allotted budget. If you are completely unfamiliar with plays, try the drama section of a local Barnes and Noble or good used bookstore. Used bookstores will often also have performance copies of scripts for two or three dollars. Make a careful selection on a show, keeping in mind your budget restrictions, possible restrictions with the performance area, and the restrictions in terms of the actors you will likely have come out for auditions (For instance, if you and your friends live in a nursing home, its unlikely you are going to get teenagers to turn out for auditions).

Now that you have selected your show, you need to find a place to perform. This is most easily accomplished by asking around any place that might accommodate a large number of chairs (or that already has chairs). Good places to start are: churches, schools with auditoriums or gymnasiums, barns, libraries or community centers, VFW halls—come now, you get the idea.

Concurrently with choosing a location, selecting a director, technical director, and house manager would all be good ideas. The director should have some experience directing. It is the director who will ultimately pull the show together and ensure the technical director and house manager fulfill their responsibilities. The position of stage manager should be up to the director as they will be working very closely. The technical director will be in charge of coordinating set construction, lighting, props, and other essentials, but ultimately will report to the director. The house manager will deal with ticket sales, promotions for auditions as well as the show, and keep a set of keys for the performance area.

Auditions:

Post your auditions well in advance. Tell your friends, place signs in pubic and civic areas, take out classifieds, but whatever you do, do not expect people to turnout unless you tell them. Nothing is more frustrating then having too few people turnout to even fill a show, let alone be selective. Audition calls should contain descriptions of the characters—broad guidelines so a middle-aged woman doesn’t turn out to audition for the part of a twelve year old boy.

When auditions begin, have all the potential actors fill out an audition form. This form should include: name, contact information, parts desired in the show, parts they will be satisfied with, availability for rehearsal, and past experience. With this sheet properly filled out, you will have a potential resource for future auditions if you care to do another show. You will know what parts a particular actor would not be satisfied playing (and likely would turn down if offered). You also can determine whether actors would be impossible to coordinate rehearsals with. You don’t want to cast a Romeo who is only available when Juliet is at work.

Most auditions are held in a tiered fashion. A general open audition is held to determine a few contestants that will later be called back. This is then followed by one or two call back auditions. The open audition is held so that on occasion, random talent may appear, or may alter the directors perception of his vision. At open auditions it is often common to require a memorized monologue of the actor’s choice allowing the actor to showcase his talent. Having a few spare monologues on hand is often helpful in case potential actors show up expecting to read from a script. The other alternative is to have actors read directly from the script for the show. While this can aid in finding an ideal actor for a particular part, without first narrowing down the field, determining how the actor will work with the other actors can be detrimental to the process. Indeed, if several actors audition at once, the performance of one actor can influence the perception of the others. Its best to leave the actual script to call back auditions where there are fewer actors and different combinations can more easily and efficiently be tried.

When casting an actor, it is better to look not at how well they fit their part, but a range of other characteristics. How diverse is the actor? If the actor can change characters when asked, then they are not simply capitalizing on a single good performance but is a well rounded actor. How well do they take direction? Asking an actor to speak up, or change inflection in his voice can help determine how well he will listen to a director during rehearsal. How natural does the actor feel on stage? Asking an actor to improvise something, either dialogue or choreography, can help demonstrate how comfortable they actually are performing for people.

Actors who are selected for parts should be informed as soon as possible Any actor asked to a callback should at the very least receive a phone call informing them if they have been cast. This is simple courtesy.

Rehearsal:

Scripts should be distributed as soon as possible so that rehearsals can begin and actors can familiarize themselves with the script. Rehearsals can begin shortly. At first, go easy on your actors. Start first with a simple read through with everyone sitting around the table. This process allows the actors to get to know each other informally, and allows everyone to find out what happens in the play. <

Rehearsals should begin almost immediately after the casting of the show. A rehearsal schedule should be drawn up, determining when each scene should be worked on. Actors should receive the schedule so if they are not in a scene, they don’t need to be around. Try your best to schedule around conflicts the actors may have. Unless you are paying them a full salary, they likely have other jobs and obligations that come first.

The over eagerness of directors to block scenes early in the game often leads to problems. After all, unless you know exactly how your set will look, and unless its built, you don’t, the blocking will have to be changed. Work first on the dialogue, then on emotion. These parts are difficult, and most people will easily pick up any action you give them once the lines are memorized.

While rehearsals are being conducted, your technical director should be hard at work ensuring the set is well underway and on schedule. The tech director should also be considering lighting, props, and sound. While he maybe able to delegate these tasks out (and indeed in a larger production he will have to), ultimately on the night of the show, the director (who should be supervising his technical director) will rely on the tech director to have followed through.

The house manager will also be busy during these weeks. While in professional theater, a house manager’s duties relate simply to the buying and selling of tickets and the operation of the theater, in small scale theater the role of the house manager is expanded. They are also the advertisers, ticket sellers, and press relations department. The house manager should be contacting local papers—most have a “what’s going on section”. Poster creation and the placing in the windows of small businesses or on community boards will also generate a crowd (always ask first before posting anything.)

The Final Week:

The final week of the show is sometimes called Hell Week. Rehearsals should include full costumes, all the necessary props, and the entire cast. The show should start as if it were opening night and play through. Actors should not need scripts. Stage lights should be used. The only people allowed to stop rehearsals at this point should be technicians, and only then should they stop the show if some bodily harm—such as a piece of set collapsing—should they stop the show.

At the end of each dress rehearsal, the director should give notes he has taken while watching the show. For example, maybe Juliet was suppose to blow Romeo a kiss and she forgot. Or perhaps the lights were suppose to turn on faster. These things can and should be discussed after the show. Stopping the show as it runs through can disrupt the pace of the show and will not give actor’s an accurate feeling of how the show will be during the opening night.

Generally it is a bad idea to run through a show more than once a night. This practice tires actors out making them difficult to work with and the process can be unproductive. Instead, try running through the show and selecting out scenes that need special work. Be sure though that between the show and these bonus rehearsals, actors and crew receive some breaks.

If you have followed this introduction, you should at this point be ready for the opening night. Everything comes down to this point in time. Don’t be nervous though, you read MacAllen’s Theater Guide.

For more in depth discussions on various aspects of this article, visit the guide index.