Producing plays and musicals

Ten Important Elements to Consider When Directing a Youth Theater Production

October 20, 2021 By dhcbaldwin 7 Comments

Ten Important Elements to Consider When Directing a Youth Theater Production

When becoming a drama teacher, I had high hopes of ending up in a large high school. But life didn’t work that way.Instead, I developed and administrated several youth theater companies for community theaters. Once our daughters were in elementary school and I no longer needed to stay home with them, I went back to teaching. Today, I’m going to discuss Ten Important Elements to Consider When Directing a Youth Theater Production.

For many years, I taught at the same time as I ran the youth programs (my last teaching position included teaching students in second through twelfth) with all of these other responsibilities. It was a crazy busy time, but It was necessary and I enjoyed it.

Thirty-eight plus years later, I can see my talents and knowledge were best used with students of every grade level. Surprisingly, I enjoyed teaching middle school students the most, but I liked directing the high school ones. Frankly, it was just easier.

Middle School Students Versus High School Students

Although as I write this, that isn’t really factual either. Let me put it this way–middle school students are fresh, accepting and diligent. High school students are quick, discerning and trusting if they think you know your stuff.

I do.

From time to time, teachers email me asking for advice on selecting a musical for their school or youth theater program. I’ve directed over 250 plays and musicals through the years. I’m glad I can help others.

Do you need some guidance? Here are my thoughts on the subject.

Ten Important Elements to Consider When Directing a Youth Theater Production

Talent pool--Of course, we’d all like our talent pool to be large. Middle school students voices begin to change (especially boys) and if you cast the show in September it’s likely by the time you open in November your male lead’s voice may have dropped. That’s okay. Teach him how to talk sing his lyrics and he’ll be fine.
Number of Students–More important than the talent pool is the number of students which are interested and the number of roles available if the show you’ve selected. Can you cast everyone? Do you want to involved everyone? I wouldn’t recommend using a particular show as a recruitment tool. Start small if your department is new at your school and over tie you can produce large cast shows. There’s nothing wrong with tempting interested students who have never acted to have to wait until the second production. It makes the experience all the more special.
Funds for producing–Can your budget afford the production you selected? Musicals are notoriously expensive, but they usually bring in the larger audiences.
Costumes and Set Requirements–What about the needs of the costumes and the set? Are the costumes something you can rent or build? Do you have volunteers to sew them? Do characters change costumes many times? Does the set have anything that is crucial to it? Can you design a set which is inexpensive, but gets across the setting? Or do you have a technical theater director and students to build it?

Here’s one show I think is great for middle school–Willy Wonka, Jr.

Ten Important Elements to Consider When Directing a Youth Theater Production

A quick synopsis—Roald Dahl’s Willy Wonka JR. follows enigmatic candy manufacturer Willy Wonka as he stages a contest by hiding golden tickets in five of his scrumptious candy bars. Whomever comes up with these tickets will win a free tour of the Wonka factory, as well as a lifetime supply of candy. Four of the five winning children are insufferable brats, but the fifth is a likeable young lad named Charlie Bucket, who takes the tour in the company of his equally amiable grandfather. The children must learn to follow Mr. Wonka’s rules in the factory — or suffer the consequences.
Characters–I love the characters in Willy Wonka, Jr. Plus, students enjoy them, too! What’s easiest for students to portray? Characters near their age. There’s Verua Salt, Charlie Bucket, August Gloop, Violet Beauregarde and Mike Teevee. Plus, there are the roles of the parents, the Oompa Loompas,Charlie’s grandparents and of course Willy Wonka. (Several times, I’ve cast Willy Wonka with a female.)
Costumes, Sets and Props--I’ve been lucky enough to have parent volunteers who create the stage properties for me. Some of these props can be collected easily, but a few need more attention–the chocolate bars, the fizzing lifting drink, etc. But a warning if you are new to producing a musical: they notoriously have many stage properties.
Audience appeal–Roald Dahl’s book of Charlie and the Chocolate Factory or which the musical was adapted is quite popular with children to read and the title has word recognition. Whole families can attend without any worry about subject matter or language. Everyone can relate to the story–from the children contestants to the parents. Some of the best lines are Willy Wonka’s asides to the audience. They come across as private jokes and that’s such fun.
Music–Oh my gosh, it’s so clever! It’s written in key signatures young voices can reach and sing strongly. No trying to reach notes which are completely out of their range. Students pick it up quickly, plus Music Theater International provides rehearsal CDs for your students to use. Personally, I think the rehearsal cd is worth its weight in gold. Students become very confident singing because they learn the music right along with the CD. If you’ve never used the MTI rehearsal cds, you will not believe how much it helps the students.

If you are considering double casting, check out Double Casting a Show?

Having directed Willy Wonka, Jr. four times, I know it very well. It never grows old.

I have one complaint

Length–The show is a little long (In the past, I’ve cut reprises near the end. I even gave one of the Oompa Loompa reprises to the contestants in the Willy Wonka contest.) If you have students which can sustain their energy for ninety minutes, then great! It’s my experience that the length drains their energy. I mean, they are only kids, you know?

If you would like more information about directing a production, check out Critical Steps in Selecting a Play or Musical: Budget & Royalties or Critical Steps in Producing a Play or Musical: Costumes

Create Your Own Musical Lesson

Are you looking for a lesson to engage your students which teaches about writing a musical? Here is one.

Create Your Own Musical

Teach your students the process of creating a musical of their own! This lesson gives your students an opportunity to work cooperatively and become playwrights and lyricists by adapting a portion of a children’s book. It is most successful with students in sixth through eighth grade, especially students new to theater class or in a Language Arts class. In addition, a teacher could use this lesson with students who are distance learning #DistanceLearningTPT

Please note: To teach this lesson, you will need to check your school library or purchase several children’s books. I used a Berenstain Bears book for the example.

This product includes:

a letter to the teacher
warm up—MY version of this popular exercise
teacher’s script–what I say and how I say it!
procedure for the entire lesson
outline assignment
example of outline
detailed assignment sheet for students
storyboard template
rubric–FULLY EDITABLE
links
sources

I hope this helps you and gives you a nice start to selecting a musical to produce with students. If you need any more help, please feel free to contact me at DhcBaldwin@gmail.com or DeborahBaldwin.net

Want a FREE guide and lesson plan to help you teach creative dramatics in your classroom? Go to https://dramamommaspeaks.respond.ontraport.net/

Facts You Never Knew about White Theatrical Privilege on the Stage

July 7, 2020 By dhcbaldwin 1 Comment

Facts You never Knew about White Theatrical Privilege on the Stage

I’d never really thought about this until yesterday when in my Facebook feed this particular meme showed up with facts about white privilege on the stage.

Facts You never Knew about White Theatrical Privilege on the Stage

I’ve been involved with theater for over forty years. I can only think of a few times I’ve cast color blindly. Several students–Mahogany, Antonio, Cortaiga, Micah, Ayanna, Greg and John come to my mind. I directed all of these kids and hundred of others. Also, I directed a cast of boys for a play version of Holes comprised entirely of black males and one white one. Such an awesome experience.

Not many black students participated in my programs, though I don’t know if that was my fault or not. They certainly enjoyed my classes.

It’s always easy to find a student who is interested in participating on a production. They nearly shout it or jump in front of you for your attention.

Some students may be interested but don’t know how to cross the bridge to audition or be a part of the technical crew.

Did I make it welcoming to them?

I tried.

Just looking at the above meme startles me and makes me sad. There are several statements in that meme which really speak to me.

Casting for “Diversity’s Sake”

Here’s an example for you. I observed it in a children’s theater company who was casting a play of Cinderella.

I knew that color played a part in some directors’ casting.

A friend asked me to help her cast the production. Sometimes directors do this so that it lessens the blow if someone isn’t cast as they could be and accuse them of racial bias. However, at the time I didn’t know this was the reason I was asked to help.

Two women auditioned–one a pretty white, blonde haired and talented. The other was a black woman–beautiful, vibrant and equally talented.

After the auditions were over, I suggested the black girl be cast as Cinderella. I thought her perspective would make the show unique. How many Cinderellas have you seen in story books or movies?

Not many.

That’s why I thought she would be a good choice. Plus, I knew that school groups would see the show and many black students would enjoy and better relate to it.

The black woman was a student in college. After the production closed, someone asked her about the experience of portraying Cinderella.

She said, ” I never in a million years thought I would ever have an opportunity to play Cinderella. It was an amazing experience. I’d look out at the student audiences and see little black girls smiling ear to ear with tears in their eyes. It was incredible.”

Roles Written in Stereotype

In youth theater, I haven’t run into this problem very much. Probably it’s because I never selected a show which put a minority student in a negative light.

How awful for someone struggling to feel seen and accepted for themselves to have someone pigeon- hole you into the very thing you are trying to fight.

Last February, pre-covid quarantine, a new version of West Side Story was running on Broadway. If you know West Side Story, you are aware of the typical casting of whites as Jets and Latinos as Sharks. However, in this version the cast includes black in the Jets, too. How wonderful.

Never having to adapt our social behaviors for the cast and crew

Honestly, I don’t know what this statement means. Does it mean when a black person laughs loudly at a joke while a white person might not and vice versa? So the black person learns to “blend” to be included.

I asked one of my students, now an adult, what that statement meant to her. This is some of what Mahogany said, “We often have to minimize black culture for the sake of making white people feel we are no different than them. an example of adapting social behavior is for theme days: when asked to dress in costume or embody a theme for the day, a black person may think twice about what to choose so they make white people feel more comfortable i.e., they may choose to dress as in rode attire over Wakanda for the sake of now drawing attention to one’s blackness for the sake of white people NOT for their own pleasure.”

I’d never thought about it. Oh my gosh, how tiresome it must be for black people to do this. I’m sorry, Mahogany.

I just found information about a training program specifically for black actors. It’s called Black Acting Methods.com. Check it out here: https://www.blackactingmethods.com/

How to be aware of my racism

I’d like nothing better than to see a production with an all black cast or Latino cast or even a color blind cast. Let’s celebrate our differences and acknowledge that we are all different, but we all matter. Because of our differences it puts us in the same in that light in that regard.

The only way I can fix racism is to first be aware of it at all times. That’s where I’ve started. I hope I grow.

Let’s help our students never go there. Let’s celebrate the talents of others. In this case, I am speaking about black people. I create drama lessons and sell them in my store on Teacherspayteachers.com.

Here is one for you as an example. Famous Theater Artist-Billy Porter

If you are interested in seeing more about this product, go to:

Famous Theater Artist Billy Porter Biography and One Pager Assignment

I hope you’ll consider your place in the subject of racism and what you can do to make everyone feel equal and included. I know I am.

Until next time.

I’d love to hear from you. Contact me at DhcBaldwin@gmail.com or DeborahBaldwin.net

If you’d like to read another post about making people feel welcome, check out: This Is What Happens When You Don’t Think Too Much, a Special Kind of Spontaneity

If you’d like to see why I think it’s important for our students to read biographies, check out: Should Students Read Biographies?

MTI Broadway Senior Musicals: A Baby Boomer’s Dream Come True

July 27, 2019 By dhcbaldwin 4 Comments

MTI Broadway Senior Musicals: A Baby Boomer’s Dream Come True

Once I lamented that I was becoming invisible. A well meaning family member joked, “Well, you know you’re not a spring chicken anymore.” What, you say?

However, there is a new place that seniors can be seen! Let’s discuss today’s blog post, MTI Broadway Senior Musicals: A Baby Boomer’s Dream Come True. Look around you. We have a lot of senior adults aptly named The Baby Boomers.

They aren’t the stereotypical kind, either. One of my friends swims great distances. Still another performs in her own rhythm and blues band all over the country. Additionally, one senior and her husband ride motorcycles every weekend. One of my very brave friends, a remarkable woman, travels all over the world by. her. self. She’s seventy-years-old.

I feel like a slug in comparison. These seniors are vibrant, energetic, contributing members of their communities. My husband, a senior himself, plays in a senior community band. The conductor was 92 years old! Isn’t that amazing?

A Paradigm Shift-MTI Broadway Senior Musicals

There is a wonderful paradigm shift occurring right now and it’s all positive (we can use some positive vibes, right?)

MTI Shows are musicals licensed by Music Theatre International, one of the world’s leading licensing agencies for Broadway and musical theatre productions. MTI represents over 500 titles—including Into the Woods, Matilda, and Shrek The Musical—and offers versions tailored for schools, youth groups, and senior performers.

Their collections include Broadway Junior (for kids), School Editions (for teens), and TYA shows (performed by adults for young audiences), making high-quality theater accessible to all ages and experience levels. And now they are offering senior theater versions!

Just think of it: You are living in a care center and bored out of your mind (that would be me…). However, it is announced the center is going to produce a senior musical. What does that mean exactly?

A Baby Boomer’s Dream Come True Broadway for Seniors

MTI Broadway Senior® shows are specially adapted musicals designed for older adult performers, typically aged 55 and up. These productions are 60-minute versions of beloved Broadway musicals, carefully crafted to suit the physical, vocal, and storytelling needs of senior casts while preserving the heart and humor of the originals.

Key Features:

Shorter runtime (around one hour)
Simplified staging and flexible casting
Lower vocal and physical demands
Full performance and rehearsal resources provided (scripts, music, director guides)

Popular Titles Available in the MTI Broadway Senior® Collection:

Guys and Dolls SR.
Into the Woods SR.
My Fair Lady SR.
Fiddler on the Roof SR.

To be frank, if there is anyone who will be successful at this endeavor, it is MTI. In another blog post, I rave about their junior and kids musicals. Check it out here: MTI Junior Musicals– A Dream Come True!

To date, more than 200,000 productions have been produced of their junior musical shows reaching more than 5 million children.

MTI Broadway Senior Musicals: A Baby Boomer's Dream Come True — Artswork.org

MTI Senior Musicals: A Baby Boomer’s Dream Come True

Research shows us our seniors with dementia respond to music, so it isn’t much of a stretch to think being part of a musical wouldn’t have the same success.

Among several other senior citizen communities, the program was road tested with the Juniper Village near State College, Pennsylvania. The university students of assisted with rehearsals and performances. Cast members received one on one attention from the students which alleviated the anxiety of performing. How wonderful!

I thought this quote was interesting, from Playbill.com,

“But what Broadway Senior has really done is give these seniors renewed purpose, engaging them and their curiosity, encouraging positive risk-taking, and validation.”

So often in senior living we focus on what somebody used to do–what they did professionally, what their hobbies were, or who they were in their family. This is something totally new that people are discovering and being celebrated for now, says Katie Kensinger, Senior Director of Communications at Juniper. We had a 90-year-old cast member in our production of Guys and Dolls who began to sob after our first performance. He said, ‘I’m overwhelmed that the audience would respond to me, that they really loved it. I never knew what it was like to be an actor.”

What a tremendous experience for this gentleman!

When the Curtain Rises, So Does the Spirit

The after effects of involvement in a theatrical production can be stunning. Out of them spring new friendships, relationships (I met my husband while performing in a community theater production,) new avenues of expression and creativity

The Executive Director of Juniper Village said, “The focus of Juniper is to help people to live life vibrantly in their third act. Broadway Senior gives our residents a sense of pride and accomplishment, and they have renewed self-esteem, and a sense of purpose. They’re also building new friendships and are more engaged. One of our residents said, ‘I have something to talk about at the dinner table now.’”

The program has been able to reach people on a deeper level of mind, body, and spirit. For seniors, particularly those struggling with memory issues and dementia, musical theatre demonstrates therapeutic value.

“It’s definitely accessible for people with dementia,” Kensinger says. “Especially the music. Even if they can’t follow along with the script and read lines, many of these songs are ingrained in their memory. There’s an emotional connection with music that patients will respond to long after they’ve stopped responding to anything else.

MTI Senior Musicals: A Baby Boomer’s Dream Come True!

Several times in my career, I directed seniors. One man in particular, age 83, is one of the finest actors I have ever known. Michael was a retired professor of philosophy and discovered acting about fifteen years ago. To put it simply, he was truly remarkable. He took my directing notes very seriously, studied his script like a fiend and rarely dropped a line. Unfortunately, was unable to participate in the play because her Alzheimer’s. Even so, she would dutifully attend rehearsal every evening with her husband. It was a tremendous experience for both of them and she was so very proud of him. To find out more about the Giver, check out my post: The Reasons I Love The Giver Play

The Transformative Power of Theater: Why Seniors Still Need the Stage

When researching this topic, I found a post on Scripps.com concerning senior theater,

“When we watch live theater, we empathize with the emotions and experiences the characters feel, even if we haven’t personally shared the same experiences. Live theater is an opportunity to access new emotions and experience new situations through the eyes of the characters in the show. We feel as if we are a part of the story as the performers tell it on stage.

Live theater is also a way for seniors to engage with these emotions and continue to evolve and participate in complex situations. Even if someone is limited in emotional and social interactions during their daily routine, an outing at the theater creates a new adventure during the show! The sense of engagement and interaction can contribute to an improved mood and a positive outlook overall.”

Finding Purpose at Any Age: The Joy of Performing Beyond Expectations

Humans require a feeling of purpose and accomplishment. I can see how these Senior Musicals will be just the ticket for some our seniors.

For now, I will cheer the participants. Someday, maybe I can portray Little Red Riding Hood when I am eighty- years old. Who knows? It could be a role written for me and I didn’t even know it.

What role would you enjoy playing which is completely out of your age range? I’d love to hear about it. Contact me at dhcbaldwin@gmail.com or DeborahBaldwin.net

Start a Playwriting Contest Using 20 Questions

May 20, 2018 By dhcbaldwin 1 Comment

Start a Play-writing Contest in 20 Easy Steps

Twenty-nine years ago, I was president of a community theater, the Columbia Entertainment Company, in Columbia, Missouri. Also, I was the director of a youth theater program for them. I volunteered hundreds of hours to both programs. It was an amazing learning experience and one that I draw upon from time to time in my career.

Here is the story of probably the most important thing we did in this company: We created a national play writing contest for large cast youth theater plays. It is called the Jackie White National Play writing Award Contest and still in existence to this day. That’s a long time for a contest of this nature to flourish, especially sponsored by a community theater.

The Origin

Thirty years ago I was a young woman who needed scripts for large student casts—over thirty students in number, ages fourth through ninth grade. At the time, there were very few plays to choose from, much less musicals for kids.

I lamented to a board I was having a difficult time finding any suitable plays for the season. In the past, I pad the roles with extra non-speaking characters or ones with little ad libs, but what I really needed was youth theatre plays with large casts, period. The board member suggested our company create our own playwriting contest specifically for this purpose.

So, really out of desperation, we created one!

Please understand, we had NO idea what we were doing. We merely figured it out as we progressed. It took us a few years to perfect the contest, but it is still one of the most valuable programs the theatre created.

The Why

Generally, playwrights need their plays or musicals to be produced before a publishing company will represent them. The Denver Performing Arts Center sponsors a New Play Summit each year in February.

Their contest is very clever. The first time the winning entries are produced as stage readings with minimal set and costumes. The audience gives feedback after the performance through a survey.

If the play suits DPAC’s needs, during the next season, they mount a full production of it. My husband and I have attended several years of the New Play Summit and enjoyed being part of the creative process. We feel more invested in the play, because we offered our suggestions. Whether DPAC intends to or not, this is a terrific way to encourage audience members to return to see the production once it is produced.

Your contest could be created by your drama class, community theatre or even youth group. There is no end to the possibilities a contest of this type affords a group. The contest can be as big or small as your group desires. You could sponsor whatever kind of contest you want—a ten minute plays, musicals for youth theatre, plays focused on bullying or plays concerning tolerance. It’s all up to you.

Now before you look at these questions and think is an overwhelming project, I want you to consider the people who will receive such fulfillment from the contest. Playwrights are always seeking places to get their plays read and produced. That could be you!

Here are some questions to contemplate when creating your own playwriting contest:

1) What is the mission of our contest? What is our end result? Are we looking for something particular subject to be explored? Reach a particular audience? Attract an underserved demographic?

2) What are the requirements of the winning script? Cast size, gender and age of characters, length of play or musical, set, costumes props and the feasibility of producing the script within the confines of our budget are all important questions to consider.

3) Is any subject taboo? In some social circles, certain subjects are considered appropriate.

4) How about inappropriate language?

5) Should we charge a fee to enter the contest? How much?

6) Are there granting agencies or donors we could approach to fund the contest?

7) What is our budget to spend to advertise the contest?

8) What free media sources will we use to publicize the contest?

9) Will we fully mount the winning entry?

10) Should we present a stage reading?

11) Can anyone enter the contest? Are we seeking only student scripts or adults?

12) Who will read the scripts and make the final decision on the awardee?

13) Will we award 1^st 2^nd and 3^rdplace awards as well as honorable mention? How many honorable mentions?

14) What will the winner receive? A cash award, gift, certificate, life time season tickets?

15) Where will the cash award money come from? A donor? A service organization? Your city’s arts council?

16) After the awardee is selected, will we publicize the winner?

17) Do we want to bring the winning playwright to the performance?

18) If the winning playwright attends, is it our responsibility to provide room and board to them?

19) If the playwright is present, do we want to host a social in their honor?

20) What is our time line?

https://wpcomwidgets.com/render/

A Contest with Their Head in the Right Place

I am an indie author, too. Recently, I ran upon an indie author book contest in England created by a popular children’s author, Edward Trayer. The Whistling Shelf Award is a fairly new contest.

When I was perusing his website regarding it, I discovered he charges an entrance fee and donates a portion of money to the Blind Children fund in England. Now, that’s my kind of author. Because of this, I quickly entered my book, Bumbling Bea into its competition. I look forward to this year’s awards.

I believe in philanthropy and I believe in the power of theatre. I bet you do, too.

Try your hand creating a playwriting contest. The Jackie White National Children’s Play Writing Contest is one of the most important programs the Columbia Entertainment Company ever created.

If a desperate, young director like me with no experience creating a contest can be successful, so can you!

Denver Performing Arts Center New Play Summit:

http://www.denvercenter.org/events/colorado-new-play-summit

Here is a play writing lesson for middle grade students, perfect for the holiday season:

Drama Lesson: Monologue Holiday Theme

Here is another one for you:

Monologue Easter Theme

Have you created a theater contest? Contact me at dhcbaldwin@gmail.com or check out my website at

DeborahBaldwin.net I’d love to hear from you!

Critical Steps in Producing a Play or Musical: Stage Makeup

May 15, 2018 By dhcbaldwin 3 Comments

Let’s talk about steps in producing a play or musical: stage makeup

This is a true story.

When I was in seventh grade, I wanted to wear makeup. Of course, that was about 100 years ago, so let’s keep it in perspective….. My mother wasn’t ready for that step in my life quite yet, but I was. Boy, was I ready. I read in a Seventeen magazine that I could make my own “home made” mascara using charcoal and petroleum jelly. I went to work!

Now I’m not known to be very patient (although I am better now that I have grown older), so I looked around our house for the two ingredients I needed. Hmmm. I found a jar of petroleum jelly in my bathroom cabinet, but charcoal?

The only charcoal I knew of was charcoal briquettes. Being my impatient self and not taking into account that perhaps a charcoal briquette was the wrong kind of charcoal for my DIY mascara, I mixed it into the jelly anyway. Yes. I. Used. A. Charcoal. Briquette.

No kidding.

Needless to say, it was a flop. Upon entering our dining room for dinner that evening while modeling my “homemade mascara”, my mother let out an “Oh my!” Soon after she drove to a Merle Norman store and enrolled me in a class about makeup.

I have refrained from making any other makeup products since that day. I will admit that whenever we grill burgers over charcoal briquettes, I grow a bit misty eyed remembering my DIY makeup days..

The Thrill of Wearing a Costume

Like a costume, stage makeup ranks up there as one of the most popular aspects of theater. For some people, donning a costume and applying makeup IS theater.

A costume and makeup psychologically comforts the actor and helps him to feel “safe.” A good director, especially in amateur theater, must be careful not to lean on a character’s costume and makeup as the only characterization of an actor.

In that case, let’s just put the costume designer on stage and let her perform the show (I doubt she would appreciate that…) because the character solely originates with her and not the actor. Tsk,tsk…

Stage makeup is different than street makeup (makeup worn for everyday use). It is durable, saturated color and easily blended. It’s sturdy–you can cry, eat and have water thrown in your face and the stuff stays on!

staging-258627_960_720[1].jpg — Makeup Designer

Makeup Designer

Since this series of posts concerns producing a play or musical and the critical steps one must take for a successful production, I knew I should discuss stage makeup.

Do you have a makeup designer? If not, a good place to find one is through hairstyling salons. Most hairstylists are trained to do makeup as well as hair. Many hairstylists LOVE this kind of work, because it is so creative.

If I need special makeup (say, for Ursula in Lil Mermaid), I give them photos of my ideas first. Like set and costumes, a designer needs somewhere to begin in their designing. In your budget, you need an amount for stage makeup.

I include wigs and hair needs in that budget, too–hairspray, bobby pins, hair nets, etc. If a designer must build a mustache or beard, that is an additional cost. If you have someone who is familiar with stage makeup, so keep them around. They are invaluable.

If you don’t have budget money for a designer, perhaps you could acknowledge them through your program and give them complimentary tickets to the production?

Specific Makeup Products

Every cast member should own their own makeup, however some things can be shared if you are on a tight budget. If the makeup is selected ala carte, then I suggest you purchase:

foundation–several shades (I like crème foundation, but some people prefer pan.)
hi-light and shadow for contouring
translucent powder to match the foundation
eye brow pencil
blush–several shades
eye shadow–several shades
makeup sponges
spray sealer
makeup remover
eyeliner (should not be shared with others)
mascara (should not be shared with others)
lipstick (should not be shared with others)

You are going to pay more ala carte, than if you buy a kit or collection. Your actors may find that they like owning their own makeup. I have my own makeup when I perform.

There are several companies and different size kits as well. Like a “one size fits all” tee shirt (I have never understood that phrase), you can buy kits such as fair/lightest, to brown/Dark. Ultimately, I suggest you find one close your skin color and work from there with the color provided in the kit.

Ben Nye Makeup is very good as is Mehron. I’m partial to Ben Nye myself. The kits can run as little as $20.00 and upward to $150 for a comprehensive collection. You’ll find what you need quite easily on line.

I played Nellie Forbush in South Pacific when I was in my twenties. This was NOT a character I ever thought I’d play. In my mind, she was “101 pounds of fun” as the song says. I wasn’t that poundage by a long shot. The part called for a bright, cute, sincere and naive young woman. I worried that no one would believe my performance.

My favorite part of the whole experience (other than my husband, then fiancé who was the conductor) was the shower scene.

I actually washed my hair and yes, danced with shampoo in my hair. Then I’d rinse it under ice cold water (!) while speaking with another character, wrapped it up in a towel and exited. In the next five minutes, I dried my hair, reapplied my makeup and donned an elegant full length evening gown, drop earrings and elbow length gloves. It was a blast to do!

Something about those two scenes helped me past the worry. Every night as I stepped on the stage, I knew I was surrounded by a wonderful armor which carried me past my fears and supported my character in a way I could never have done all by myself.

That’s what makeup and a costume can do for you.

As you may know, I have a store on Teacherspayteachers.com I have created several lessons about stage makeup which you may be interested in using in your classroom.

Stage Makeup with Circus Performers

Stage Makeup with Zombies

Or……here’s a bundle of all four of the lessons! Bundle: Stage Makeup Lessons

Contact me at dhcbaldwin@gmail.com or DeborahBaldwin.net

I’d love to hear from you.

Get to Know Indie Author Deborah Baldwin

April 2, 2017 By dhcbaldwin Leave a Comment

Hello there!

I hope you wanted to find me. Well, here I am.

Get to Know Indie Author Deborah Baldwin is today’s post.

Find my award winning book at: Bumbling Bea book

Are you interested in my post, Get to Know Indie Author Deborah Baldwin?Hello!
Who is this Dramamomma?

I live in Kansas in the vibrant university town of Lawrence. I am a happily married wife of thirty-four years and a mother to our two grown daughters and wonderful step son.

We moved to Kansas last summer to be near our family and our grandchildren. I was born and raised in Kansas, although I have never lived in the state as an adult until now. In some respects, I feel very at home here but that’s the mid-west for you. 😊

I’m an award winning veteran drama teacher and very experienced and successful youth theater and community theater director doing both for over thirty-five years.

I have a Teacherspayteachers store where I offer drama education products for every grade level and many subjects a part of the drama (costume design, radio theater, elements of drama, storytelling, acting, set design, etc. For more information about my TpT products, go to: Dramamommaspeaks Teacherpayteachers Store

Dramamommaspeaks is about teaching drama at all levels, directing, the arts and drawing wisdom from my experiences. Every so often I will blog about other subjects such as parenting, my life, etc.

I am an indie author of Bumbling Bea, an award winning middle grade book concerning an unusual friendship between two girls.

Lastly, I am a featured writer for Litpick.com an international award winning website for student book reviewers, parents and librarians. Check out my articles here the Facebook page for Litpick.com.

One of my firsts– a “fan” of Bumbling Bea–she made TWO book reports on it!

Here’s a post concerning my advice when teaching high school students. Lessons Learned from 38 Years of Teaching High School

Please take your time and peruse the blog and follow me! It would mean a great deal to me to know you read my posts.
This blog, like teaching, performing and directing, makes me feel connected to the world. In these times, don’t we all need that?

Talk with you soon.

Having fun in Colorado, one of my favorite places!

One of my better outfits, I must say…My husband would tell you I cut up all the time. I love to make people laugh and he is my best audience. We have been married 36 years. (Who’d ever put up with me that long, I’ll never know…) How can you beat that?

Tim and I on my 60th birthday.

The newest member of our family!

Our first grandchild loves books, too!

You may enjoy this blog post about my post, “Nine Reasons to Teach Radio Theatre”. Nine Reasons to Teacher Radio Theatre

I’ve adapted Bumbling Bea into a play version. Here is a post about that: Announcing Bumbling Bea the Play

Contact me at Dhcbaldwin@gmail.com or check out my website at DeborahBaldwin.net. You can follow me on Facebook at BumblingBea. Or follow me on Twitter at https://twitter.com/DeborahHBaldwin

I hope you’ll peruse my blog and find something which is helpful to you. That’s my goal. I know what it is like to be a teacher and an indie author. Thanks!

Information on this website may be copied for personal use only. No part of this website may be reproduced, stored, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without the prior written permission of the author. Requests to the author and publisher for permission should be addressed to the following email: dhcbaldwin@gmail.com

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Producing plays and musicals

Ten Important Elements to Consider When Directing a Youth Theater Production

Middle School Students Versus High School Students

Ten Important Elements to Consider When Directing a Youth Theater Production

Ten Important Elements to Consider When Directing a Youth Theater Production

I have one complaint

Create Your Own Musical Lesson

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Facts You never Knew about White Theatrical Privilege on the Stage

Facts You never Knew about White Theatrical Privilege on the Stage

Casting for “Diversity’s Sake”

Roles Written in Stereotype

Never having to adapt our social behaviors for the cast and crew

How to be aware of my racism

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MTI Broadway Senior Musicals: A Baby Boomer’s Dream Come True

Once I lamented that I was becoming invisible. A well meaning family member joked, “Well, you know you’re not a spring chicken anymore.” What, you say?

However, there is a new place that seniors can be seen! Let’s discuss today’s blog post, MTI Broadway Senior Musicals: A Baby Boomer’s Dream Come True. Look around you. We have a lot of senior adults aptly named The Baby Boomers.

A Paradigm Shift-MTI Broadway Senior Musicals

A Baby Boomer’s Dream Come True Broadway for Seniors

Key Features:

Popular Titles Available in the MTI Broadway Senior® Collection:

MTI Senior Musicals: A Baby Boomer’s Dream Come True

What a tremendous experience for this gentleman!

When the Curtain Rises, So Does the Spirit

The after effects of involvement in a theatrical production can be stunning. Out of them spring new friendships, relationships (I met my husband while performing in a community theater production,) new avenues of expression and creativity

The program has been able to reach people on a deeper level of mind, body, and spirit. For seniors, particularly those struggling with memory issues and dementia, musical theatre demonstrates therapeutic value.

MTI Senior Musicals: A Baby Boomer’s Dream Come True!

The Transformative Power of Theater: Why Seniors Still Need the Stage

Finding Purpose at Any Age: The Joy of Performing Beyond Expectations

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Start a Play-writing Contest in 20 Easy Steps

The Origin

Thirty years ago I was a young woman who needed scripts for large student casts—over thirty students in number, ages fourth through ninth grade. At the time, there were very few plays to choose from, much less musicals for kids.

So, really out of desperation, we created one!

Please understand, we had NO idea what we were doing. We merely figured it out as we progressed. It took us a few years to perfect the contest, but it is still one of the most valuable programs the theatre created.

The Why

Generally, playwrights need their plays or musicals to be produced before a publishing company will represent them. The Denver Performing Arts Center sponsors a New Play Summit each year in February.

Their contest is very clever. The first time the winning entries are produced as stage readings with minimal set and costumes. The audience gives feedback after the performance through a survey.

Now before you look at these questions and think is an overwhelming project, I want you to consider the people who will receive such fulfillment from the contest. Playwrights are always seeking places to get their plays read and produced. That could be you!

Here are some questions to contemplate when creating your own playwriting contest:

1) What is the mission of our contest? What is our end result? Are we looking for something particular subject to be explored? Reach a particular audience? Attract an underserved demographic?

2) What are the requirements of the winning script? Cast size, gender and age of characters, length of play or musical, set, costumes props and the feasibility of producing the script within the confines of our budget are all important questions to consider.

3) Is any subject taboo? In some social circles, certain subjects are considered appropriate.

4) How about inappropriate language?

5) Should we charge a fee to enter the contest? How much?

6) Are there granting agencies or donors we could approach to fund the contest?

7) What is our budget to spend to advertise the contest?

8) What free media sources will we use to publicize the contest?

9) Will we fully mount the winning entry?

10) Should we present a stage reading?

11) Can anyone enter the contest? Are we seeking only student scripts or adults?

12) Who will read the scripts and make the final decision on the awardee?

13) Will we award 1st 2nd and 3rd place awards as well as honorable mention? How many honorable mentions?

14) What will the winner receive? A cash award, gift, certificate, life time season tickets?

15) Where will the cash award money come from? A donor? A service organization? Your city’s arts council?

16) After the awardee is selected, will we publicize the winner?

17) Do we want to bring the winning playwright to the performance?

18) If the winning playwright attends, is it our responsibility to provide room and board to them?

19) If the playwright is present, do we want to host a social in their honor?

20) What is our time line?

A Contest with Their Head in the Right Place

I am an indie author, too. Recently, I ran upon an indie author book contest in England created by a popular children’s author, Edward Trayer. The Whistling Shelf Award is a fairly new contest.

I believe in philanthropy and I believe in the power of theatre. I bet you do, too.

Try your hand creating a playwriting contest. The Jackie White National Children’s Play Writing Contest is one of the most important programs the Columbia Entertainment Company ever created.

If a desperate, young director like me with no experience creating a contest can be successful, so can you!

Denver Performing Arts Center New Play Summit:

http://www.denvercenter.org/events/colorado-new-play-summit

Here is a play writing lesson for middle grade students, perfect for the holiday season:

Have you created a theater contest? Contact me at dhcbaldwin@gmail.com or check out my website at

DeborahBaldwin.net I’d love to hear from you!

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Let’s talk about steps in producing a play or musical: stage makeup

This is a true story.

Now I’m not known to be very patient (although I am better now that I have grown older), so I looked around our house for the two ingredients I needed. Hmmm. I found a jar of petroleum jelly in my bathroom cabinet, but charcoal?

The only charcoal I knew of was charcoal briquettes. Being my impatient self and not taking into account that perhaps a charcoal briquette was the wrong kind of charcoal for my DIY mascara, I mixed it into the jelly anyway. Yes. I. Used. A. Charcoal. Briquette.

13) Will we award 1^st 2^nd and 3^rdplace awards as well as honorable mention? How many honorable mentions?

Are you interested in my post, Get to Know Indie Author Deborah Baldwin?Hello!
Who is this Dramamomma?