Organization Articles for Drama Teachers

After a show closes, there is often a ton of stuff left over – set pieces and flats, furniture, costume items, props, makeup and hair products… the list goes on and on! Ideally, your school would...

In my nearly ten years as a youth theatre director, I have experienced what seems like every emergency situation under the sun. From misplaced costume items and broken props, to skipping CDs and...

An organized backstage is a calm backstage, and a running list can help keep things running smoothly during a production. What is a running list? It’s a scene-by-scene breakdown of scene changes...

We asked drama teachers: How do you address scheduling conflicts? Between sports and students’ activities, how do you ensure that your rehearsals are attended and your students are prepared? Let’s...

Students are busy people. Drama students are no exception! They’re constantly juggling rehearsals, learning lines, working backstage, preparing for auditions, performing in shows (often all at the...

Creating a rehearsal schedule can be a daunting task, but it is absolutely necessary for your production. Staff and students (both actors and crew members) must know the schedule expectations, so...

As a busy teacher and director, having a great artistic team is essential to a successful school production. Having a great team in place means that you have a supportive, enthusiastic group all...

If one of your New Year’s resolutions is to get organized, then this post is for you! Teachers are busy people and have a million things to remember. Remembering every student who has ever worked...

We recorded a podcast featuring 9 teachers from all over the country, in both middle school and high school programs, to find out what makes them able to do it all when directing a play. Here are...

So, your school is mounting a production this year? Fantastic! Mounting a school production is a wonderful learning opportunity for students and staff alike. It’s also a big challenge. Teachers:...

Some drama teachers have their whole production year figured out before the first day of school. If you’re doing a big musical, you need to get that paperwork started way in advance. Or maybe you...

You may be familiar with our The Ultimate Audition Guide: Teachers – did you know we have a student version? Students go through the same set of emotions, issues and concerns when auditioning: •...

It’s an easy thing to say. People say it all the time: I want to act, I’d love to be an actor, I’d die if I wasn’t acting. But what do these sentences really mean? • Do you want to be in movies?...

Don’t miss the printable version of this post at the end of the article! IntroductionThe first day of play rehearsal can be nerve-wracking, especially for beginning actors. But it doesn’t have to...

Many senior drama classes have a student directing project. The best way to learn the process is to dive in, but where do you start? • How do you find a play? • Is there a budget for royalties? •...

I adjudicated a pretty big festival last weekend. I saw 22 plays in the general competition, and that was only in one theatre – there were 22 plays happening in another ballroom across the way. Out...

Ten Things to think about when you’re preparing to ask Theatrefolk for changes to a play: 1. The best time to ask about a change is before you decide to do the play. That’s going to be easiest for...