theatre

Ten Reasons Why Everyone Produces Anne of Green Gables

November 24, 2016 By dhcbaldwin 5 Comments

Let’s talk about the ten reasons why everyone produces Anne of Green Gables. Facebook groups are beginning to chat about suggestions of good plays and musicals to produce. I am even a member of a chat group which talks real details such as how to make Pinochio’s nose grow in Shrek or how to transform the Beast in Beauty and the Beast. Yes, that’s what we theater teachers discuss a lot.

I can’t help but notice the teachers who work in conservatory school districts in small town America. Let’s face it–you can’t produce Chicago in those towns or even The Laramie Project. Theater is hard enough to sell to a community without it being any more contraversial than an innocuous theme such as bullies. I understand the need for something conservative.

Classics such as Tom Sawyer, Alice in Wonderland, The Wizard of Oz, the Disney franchise will go over well in a conservative community. I’ve directed all of the aforementioned. My favorite to direct? Anne of Green Gables, the play adaptation by Sylvia Ashby.

Ten Reasons Why Everyone Produces Anne of Green Gables

Anne of Green Gables is a perfect play for your company. Not only have I directed it, I’ve produced it as well. In fact, many schools and companies produce the play. As you can tell, I know its ins and outs.

There are certain shows that are guaranteed winners for a company. Anne of Green Gables ranks up there with The Diary of Anne Frank, The Miracle Worker, Alice in Wonderland, The Best Christmas Pageant Ever just to name a few.

Ten Reasons Why Everyone Produces Anne of Green Gables

There are many reasons to include it in your season, but suffice to say you will make happy a lot of your potential audience members and your regulars. In particular, I recommend Sylvia Ashby‘s adaptation. It is published by Concord Theatricals.com Ashby understands the challenges most schools and community theaters face as far as budget, casting and theatrical space.

The strengths:

1. The cast is comprised of both males and females, BUT two of main characters are females. Hallelujah

2. There are roles for adults and children of many ages. Nine females and seven males. If you need to pad the cast a little, it’s easy to do with more children in the school scenes.

3. The costumes can be as easy or complicated as your costume budget allows. Simple long skirts, long sleeved high neck blouses and lace for the women work well. Males can wear long pants, boots, a button down shirt with no collar and a cap or hat. You can add bloomers for the girls (which is easy to do and just darling) and knickers for the boys (which again is just so cute), but that’s up to you and your budget. If you want some more advice about the critical steps in costume design, check out: Critical Steps in Producing a Play or Musical: Costumes

4. There are a couple of costume issues–Anne’s hair turns green at one point, but that’s not too difficult to accomplish. We’ve used wigs. She also falls into the stream, so you can get her wet or just imply it by spraying her arms with water and maybe her hair.

5. There are several scenes with many characters on stage at once which means more time for everyone to have fun. I’m all about keeping everyone busy–so the more I can get my cast on stage, the better!

6. It’s a good length, about 120 minutes. This is not too difficult for middle school students to accomplish as well as high school.

7. The set can be as elaborate are you require (I’ve seen it produced on a revolving stage.) or simple. I have directed it with the house up center and the other various locales down stage of it. If you need extra advice about set design, check out: Critical Steps in Producing a Play or Musical: Set Design

8. There is a need for a boat. One time a father went crazy on me and built an entire boat (yes, you read that right), but really, that’s not needed. You could do the scene with a bench on a small platform on casters.

9. In a school setting I directed it with two Marillas and three Annes (one for each age we see as she grows up). This plan was terrific for a number of obvious reasons. It gave more females the opportunity to perform leads and lessened the number of lines they had to memorize.

10. The themes of family and friendship which radiate throughout the plot. It is suitable for all audiences. If for no other reason, you should produce this play because an entire family will attend it. It’s a huge crowd pleaser!

There are no cons against producing the play, in my opinion.

Direct a Classic!

As we know, we are bombarded with everything which distracts us more than enriches us– the internet is the biggest culprir and all it holds. I think the more we can get our students and the community in general to see classic books adapted into plays and musicals the better. If you produce an adaptation of a classic novel such as Sense and Sensibility, you will be in like flint with your community.

If you think you can be a little less conservative, I always first suggest To Kill a Mockingbird or The Giver. If you are a community theater, find out which books the students study and produce play adaptation of those books. For instance in according to Edu.com, most high school students read these books.

In my opinion, we are losing the love of the written word. We are becoming habitual internet users. I’m just as much at fault with this one as anyone else, except I’ve found an answer to my problem.

I’m a member of the National Theater at Home streaming service. It has done wonders for my imagination. Whenever I view one of their productions, it feels like a vitamin has been injected into my brain. The classics are the best vitamins, I’ve found.

The next time you are looking for a play that will become a guaranteed winner for your audience, select Anne of Green Gables. You’ll be glad you did!

What is a play or musical which sells out every time you produce it? I’d love to hear about it. Email me at DhcBaldwin@gmail.com and let’s chat!

Critical Steps in Producing a Play or Musical: Costumes

November 19, 2016 By dhcbaldwin 4 Comments

Spring Version of The Secret Garden May 2016 St. Vrain Valley Schools

Jill Shepherd, Costume Coordinator

Critical Steps in Producing a Play or Musical: Costumes

When I was a little girl, Halloween at our house was not a big production. Actually, I don’t know if it was ever as big a deal as it is now. This was in the 1960’s and early 70’s (or ‘mid century’ as interior design people label it now…), so keep that in mind. I mean, we used to carve a pumpkin, buy some cheap candy and hand it out to the neighborhood kids.

I was coerced into dressing as a pilgrim (really?) because my sister had brought home a pilgrim-looking hat from an overseas trip with the Girl Scouts–her present to me. It was a terrible costume and that’s all I remember probably because I stuffed away the memory. I was five year old.

It got a little better, however. My mother put together a Queen Isabella costume for our class play about Christopher Columbus. That was about as close as I came to a costume that you would expect, and I LOVED it! The shoes were too small and crimped my chubby foot and the crown was made of aluminum foil and these blue bauble-looking things flailed themselves around my head.

My only line was, “Rise, Christopher!” because he was kneeling before me. That was my first play and I’ll never forget it, mostly because of the costume my mother created for me. I also got to be the center of attention…

Mom didn’t create another for me ever again. Well, she did sew a celery stalk costume for me in high school for some sort of club initiation but I don’t think that counts as a Halloween costume. Ironically, the celery stalk idea was mine and I thought it was a hysterical. Don’t know that anyone else understood my vision, but there you go…

Critical Steps in a Play or Musical: Costumes

Costumes are one of the most creative and exciting components of theatre. Honestly, they are a critical step in your selection of a play or musical. Two facts come to mind when I think of a particular production–costumes and set. Can this company afford the costumes and built them? Can we rent or borrow?

Mulan, Jr. Presser Performing Arts Center July 2015

Evelyn Zidick , Costume Designer

Critical Steps in Producing a Play or Musical: Costumes

Actors and Their Costumes

I find that novice actors are all about their costumes. I try to assuage their fears and trepidations right from the beginning. Depending upon the company, during our first read thru, I show my cast some examples of what all of the costumes will look like. This includes the color palette for the show.

As a teacher, I know that most human beings are visual learners. By showing costume examples to the cast, I help them to be more confident (if they weren’t so) and of course give them a rough idea of my director’s concept and a beginning step toward my thoughts about their character. It also excites them and gives them a preliminary focus as they rehearse.

Do you have a costumer designer? Or is it you?

Again, if you have a costume designer you’ll need to communicate your concept to them. I ask for the budget for the show. Let’s say you are directing Oklahoma! and you are expected to costume the show yourself. Oh my. That’s a big one, although somewhat simple to create.

Years ago, I’d trudge to the public library and find photos or pictures of painting that depicted the time period of a particular play. Now it’s soooo easy! Hello internet! Look on line and find some examples that you can print for your costumer (if they are inexperienced) and/or the cast. Don’t forget your public library, though. Sometimes it’s easier to peruse their book shelves than search around on the web.

And….I nearly forgot! Walk yourself into a fabric store such as Joanns Fabrics or Hobby Lobby and study the various pattern books. They have a plethora of costumes. Years ago, we had maybe three patterns to choose from, but since then these companies have done an excellent job of re-creating clothing from several times periods.

In particular, check out the Simplicity costume patterns. If you are expected to build the costumes yourself, I’d begin my designing at a fabric store.

Mulan, Jr. April 2016 Apex Home School Enrichment program

Renting Costumes

You can easily find a costume company in your city or near to you from which you can rent. Generally, costume companies rent costumes for a set amount of time such as two or three weeks, depending upon the length of your production.

Sometimes they will ask for a deposit (per costume, thank you very much). There will be a contract with the company’s rental policy, etc. Someone will need to be responsible for these rentals. Also, check with other community theatres, college theatre departments and area high schools to see if anyone rents to outside groups. Perhaps instead of renting, you could do a trade of advertising space in the program?

Critical Steps in Producing a Play or Musical: Costumes

Then there’s the good old thrift store.

I could write an entire blog about the value of thrift stores. They are that useful to a theatre company. Everyone who works in theatre visits thrift stores at some point in their season. Obviously, it is cheaper than a box store and you’d be surprised at the gold mine you’ll find.

One tricky costume piece is children’s boots. Recently, I directed Fiddler on the Roof, Jr. (for the fourth time in my career) and my entire cast of forty students, ages ten to eighteen, needed ankle length boots. I warned the parents about six months ahead of time (because this was a musical theatre class that lasted the entire school year). Finding a pair of child’s boots can be difficult in the spring when our show was going to be performed.

Certain costume pieces such as children’s boots, are a hot commodity.

As usual, the diligent, enthusiastic parents went right out and found boots at thrift stores. Ta-da. Those folks who waited until March were bereft for lack of inexpensive shoe wear. (That’s a funny phrase, I must say.) It was too late. So, start with your neighborhood thrift store in your quest for costumes. It will save you time and money, I promise.

My One Concern

One thing I want to stress to you, friend. I dislike present day plays or musicals not because they are modern, but because I find that those involved in the production can think a play set in 2016 will be easier to produce. Oh contraire…

Recently, I directed On Golden Pond and boy, I grew weary saying, “No, you can’t wear your favorite skirt (or sweater or shoes or hat) on stage because you feel most comfortable in it. You need a costume that depicts your character, not you.” Even if you are directing for 2016, the costumes must be treated with the same respect and care as if the show was of the 1860’s.

Remember, theater is a visual art although I don’t think that audiences often refer to it in this manner. When the curtain rises and the lights warm the stage, an authentic looking costume which demonstrates time period, mood and character means EVERYTHING to the audience. It is the difference between a good show or an excellent one.

I don’t have the room here to go into great detail about the potential fun of costuming can be for you. But if you write to me privately, I’d be happy to help you.

I’ve costumed shows for nearly thirty-nine years. Trust me or as my daughter says, “I got it covered.”

I have several costume design lesson and units available at my Teacherspayteachers store. Maybe you’d be interested in them.

Costume Design High School Level

Costume Design Lesson with Fairy Tale Characters

Costume Design Lesson with Circus Performers

Check out my other posts concerning critical steps in a play or musical:

Critical Steps in Choosing a Play or Musical: Stage Properties

Critical Steps in Producing a Play or Musical: Stage Makeup

Critical Steps in Producing a Play or Musical: Set Design and Set Construction

Contact me at dhcbaldwin@gmail.com or Bumblingbea.com

I’d love to hear from you!

Bumbling Bea’s Mantra

November 18, 2016 By dhcbaldwin Leave a Comment

😊

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

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Eighteen Ways To Make Your Directing Experience Less Stressful, Part One

October 20, 2016 By dhcbaldwin 8 Comments

As I am sure you are aware, I have directed countless plays and musicals. Honestly, I quit counting when I was around two hundred. No matter how many times I direct, however, there are certain occuramces that I experience each time.

Now listen folks, I can save you TIME if you’ll apply my lessons to your directing experience. (I probably sound your mom, don’t I? Sorry.)
1. The play or musical will always be challenging in ways I didn’t expect.
2. I require the actors to remain quiet and respectful of me and others when rehearsal is in process. I can’t creatively problem solve if there is unnecessary noise around me. It distracts me.
3. Some props, costume or set piece will cost more than was budgeted. The miscellaneous money I set aside is for this purpose. Use the miscellaneous money, if you don’t, there may not be any the next time.
4. Someone in the show won’t jibe with everyone else in the cast, even if it is a one person show. No, really. Working with people and their many personalities is tiring and challenging. The bigger the cast, the more issues arise. Some actors only think of themselves. They aren’t team players. I can’t fix a person’s personality in the time I have to rehearse and produce a show. I just smile and keep my opinion to myself until I’m at home with a glass of wine in my hand. 😊
5. Usually, I can direct a particular actor in a creative and inspire manner. But, sometimes NOTHiNG will work until the opening night curtain closes. Just as there can be a nonteam player in my cast, it’s not unusual to have someone who resists my direction. Some people lack confidence and novices are some of the most reluctant to trust me. However, once a show opens I find that a person’s resistance to my direction eases. I wait for them to come to me, then I try to direct them again.

Diary of Anne Frank March 2012

6. Actors can be challenged to attempt far more than is asked of them and I require a lot. “People don’t care how much you know, until they know much you care” is a motto I live by. Socializing with my cast, asking them about their day, job, school life or family helps me. Creating a safe environment in which to take risks is essential. Just think about it–some people are never challenged at their jobs, complimented or acknowledged. I can do that for them. What a heady experience that must be for someone.

7. If I rehearse the cast in a methodical and steady manner, we will make opening night in good shape. I don’t like to over rehearse or if I am acting, to be over rehearsed myself. Usually play can be rehearsed in three or four weeks with an additional week for tech. A musical will take about six weeks to ready. That’s enough!

8. I always warm up my actors or ask that they warm up prior to the curtain each night. It is tough to focus at the beginning of a rehearsal. I ask my actor to socialize prior to rehearsal time, so we can begin on time and end on time.

I love to direct, I honestly do. My resume is proof of that.

Go to the next post and find the rest of my lessons I learned to make directing less stressful.

Contact me at Dhcbaldwin@gmail.com or Deborahbaldwin.net

You can find my award winning book at: https://www.amazon.com/Bumbling-Bea-Deborah-Baldwin/dp/1500390356/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1476890703&sr=8-1&keywords=bumbling+bea

Double Casting a Show? Here’s Advice

December 14, 2014 By dhcbaldwin 11 Comments

Double Casting a Show? Here’s Advice

Are you double casting a show? Here’s advice. This is a subject near and dear to my heart.

Willy Wonka, Jr.

I have gobs of experience on this subject having directed mostly successful musicals and plays with adults and children for over thirty-eight years. Trust me when I say, you too can double cast a production and come out of the experience as a sane human being. I really think that double casting youth theater productions is the way to go.

Here’s some advice:

1. You should alert those auditioning that you are considering double casting. That doesn’t mean you are required to double cast, however. You are merely thinking about it. Actors don’t like to be surprised. They spend so much time thinking about the outcome of their audition, it is only polite to warn them. Some people won’t be involved in your production if they don’t know in advance that you are double casting.

2. After you have double cast the show, I strongly suggest you label the casts. This year, I am double casting three roles in Fiddler on the Roof, Jr. (Chava, Hodel and Tzeitel). In one of the schools in which I teach, we have so many talented young women, my co-teacher and I thought it was the best way to go this year.

We labeled them cast “A” and “B”–not the most creative labeling we could come up with, but you get the idea. (And as I rethink this, probably refraining from using A and B would be a good idea since in education “A” means excellent.) Frankly, I enjoy labeling the cast with some word from the title of the musical such as “Guys” and “Dolls” or “Alice” and “White Rabbit”, etc. You get the idea.

3. Double casting keeps the egos out of the way, in my opinion. If you divide the strength of the cast between both, you are more likely to have a terrific outcome. I have seen many a talented student who lacks confidence who feels bolstered by the students around him with more experience and so forth. Sometimes that’s all the one who is a little more unsure needs–the other students’ confidence rubs off on him.

4. I don’t worry whether the two actors are the same size when it comes to costuming them. I think that’s costume designer’s problem and no one should be denied a part because she isn’t the same size as another person cast in the role. Some of us just can’t help that we are short or very tall. 🙂

5. Usually, I have the double cast actors observe each other’s rehearsals. Even if I have to review blocking solely for the second cast, that’s my choice. When I stage a musical number, the actors learn the parts at the same time, side by side. The same thing goes for vocal rehearsals. If all goes well, the two actors can rehearse with each other, checking their blocking, going over lines, etc.

6. Usually, we have four performances. I give each cast one performance which will probably have a smaller audience (such as a Thursday night or Saturday afternoon).

7. When the flu season approaches, having a double cast alleviates much of the stress of absenteeism. You know that someone will be there to rehearse. I also make it clear to the students I expect them to work as a team and help each other whether it means running lines with one another or getting all the director’s notes if one person is absent. Again, this keeps the egos at bay.

Sometimes rehearsals get tricky what with two casts, two sets of notes, two sets of problem solving but I promise you it’s worth it. Several times in my career, I have been double cast myself! And look–I’m here to share my experiences with you.

Do you like free resources? Pick up my free guide and ten page lesson here

Or maybe you are wanting to teach how to Create Your Own Musical?

Have you double cast a production? I’ve love to hear about your experiences. Contact me at dhcbaldwin@gmail.com or DeborahBaldwin.net

Need more advice about directing? Check out these links:

https://dramamommaspeaks.com/2016/10/20/eighteen-ways-to-make-your-directing-experience-less-stressful-part-one/

https://dramamommaspeaks.com/2016/10/23/eighteen-ways-to-make-your-directing-experience-less-stressful-part-two/

Ten Reasons Why Everyone Produces Anne of Green Gables

Ten Reasons Why Everyone Produces Anne of Green Gables