Directing, Rehearsal, & Production

Starting a new production is exciting — and sometimes a little overwhelming. One of the first big decisions you’ll make is whether to tackle a one-act play or a full-length play. Both have their...

It’s a struggle to stage a production with little or no funds, but it’s not impossible! If your program is new or small, chances are you’re dealing with a tight budget. So how do you stage a show...

Does this sound familiar: A student auditions for a play. That student is cast. Halfway through the rehearsal process they either start missing rehearsals because of “other commitments” or drop the...

Have you ever had a student who’s a natural leader and has a knack for staging? Or maybe a student who isn’t comfortable in the spotlight but loves the creative process? These could be your budding...

A surprise show title reveal can be a super fun, memorable moment for theatre students. It builds anticipation and excitement, and sets the tone for the upcoming production. Here are 10 show reveal...

When you’re expected to produce a show with a shoestring (or less) budget, you have to make smart choices about everything to make your money stretch as much as possible. But don’t despair! It’s...

If you have only ever directed one-acts or scenes, you may not be aware of how much more planning and preparation it takes to stage a longer script. Here is some information that will help you...

Blocking is fundamental to acting. Whether staging a two-person scene or 30-person musical number, how you arrange the actors onstage is an important part of the storytelling. Unfortunately,...

It’s common for young or beginning drama students to get wiggly or fidgety onstage, especially if they’re part of the ensemble or not speaking, singing, or dancing at that moment. It’s as though...

A house manager speech is a short spiel presented prior to a theatrical performance, where the audience is welcomed and given some last minute information about the show and/or some basic theatre...

It’s always exciting to have action-packed sequences in your show, and chase scenes are both great fun and challenging to stage. Whether a character is being chased by a villain, chasing after a...

The visual of blood onstage creates an immediate visceral reaction for audience members — it evokes feelings of fear, pain, injury, life and death. But using fake blood onstage can be challenging,...

Peter Pan, Mary Poppins, and The Wizard of Oz are just some of the wonderful stories featuring characters that can fly. Many great plays feature flying sequences, but how do we stage those...

Many wonderful scripts feature lovely intimate moments between characters: a wedding, a special moment with a crush, a declaration of love, a first kiss. However, many actors (of all ages, not just...

So you’ve chosen to produce an issue-based play with your students. Awesome! Issue-based plays are a great learning opportunity for your students and your audiences, as they tackle issues such as...

The last few weeks before showtime can be weird. The initial excitement has worn off but things are not quite ready for performance, so a lot of rehearsal is spent reviewing and doing things “one...

Whether you’re directing your first school show or you’re a seasoned pro, a well-prepared, well-organized production plan has a trickle-down effect on the entire production process. When you have...

Having additional personnel working on a school production can be incredibly helpful. Co-director, associate director, assistant director, director’s assistant, artistic associate — they’re all...