Small Cast

In Part 1 of our How to Use a Small Cast Play in Your Drama Classroom article, we shared two different analysis-based exercises that focus specifically on small cast shows. Now we’re going to focus on acting in and directing small cast shows. These shows allow students to work together in a more intimate setting with fewer peers. Both beginner and advanced acting students can do the acting challenge below. The directing challenge is great for an advanced-level drama class, or for a split-grade class, with the senior students taking on the director roles and the younger students as actors. If you’re teaching a director’s craft or similar class, directing a short small cast play (or scene from the play) could be your students’ culminating project. Students would be responsible for selecting, casting, rehearsing, and presenting their scene for an audience. In preparation for the acting and/or directing challenges, you may wish to have students complete one (or both) of our analysis-based exercises for small cast plays prior to casting and rehearsing the scenes. This will give them additional time with the script for a more thorough understanding of the text. If you need some small cast scripts for your drama class library, check out Theatrefolk’s top 10 plays for small casts or the Small Cast Script Bundle for some great options. 1. Acting ChallengeWith a small cast show, everyone gets featured and there’s nowhere to hide, so it can be an exciting challenge for student actors. In these shows students work closely with one another and get to know each other more deeply. There’s a lot riding on each actor to pull their weight in the show. It’s a lot of responsibility but also a lot of fun. Unless you have a very small drama class to begin with, you’ll need to divide students into small groups. If the show has multiple scenes, assign one scene from the play per group. If there aren’t scene cuts, you will have to assign a specific page or cut of the script to each group. Keep it to 1–2 pages if you’re doing this challenge in one or two class periods. (You will need to allot more class time if you want the students to perform the scenes off-book; otherwise, students will perform with script in hand.) If the play you’re studying has one common set throughout the show, let students know where the common entrances and exits are for continuity purposes. Have the groups cast their scenes with the students they have in their group, and rehearse and present the scenes. Perform the scenes in the order that they appear in the play. You may wish to film the performances so the groups can watch their performances back. Afterwards, have students compare and contrast the actors’ approaches to each character, the evolution of the characters from scene to scene, and how the show flows from scene to scene with the different actors playing each role. If you have an uneven students-to-characters-to-scenes ratio, you could have some students act as directors for some or all of the scenes. Which leads to… 2. Directing ChallengeSmall cast shows are a great opportunity for a student director to tackle, as there are fewer actors and characters to wrangle. Tagging on from the acting challenge, have a group of students act as directors for the various scenes from the small cast show. Decide if you want your directors to work independently or cooperatively. For staging, you can have each director create their scene as they wish in terms of blocking, stage layout, and performance style, or have the directors get together in advance and come up with a universal plan for the setup of the stage and how they’ll guide their actors. For casting, you can pre-assign casts for each director, or have the directors do a casting session, metaphorically duking it out to determine which director will work with which actors. Once the groups have been set, the directors will cast the scene with the actors they have, and block and rehearse the scenes. Then, the student actors will present the scenes in the order they appear in the show. You may wish to film the performances so the groups can watch their performances back. If you’re doing both the acting and directing challenges and have some scenes with a student director and some that are self-directed by the groups, have your students discuss how the rehearsal process worked for both types of groups. What were the advantages and disadvantages of having a director versus being self-directed? How might the processes be different with a larger cast show?

Many drama teachers look for large cast plays with huge ensembles so they can include every student who wants to participate. But sometimes you don’t need something that big. Maybe you have a new or fledgling drama program with only a few students. Maybe you’d like to feature your graduating seniors, or challenge your advanced acting students. Or maybe you just want something on a smaller scale. Whatever the reason, a small cast show is a necessity! With a small cast show, you can get laser-focused. Because there are fewer characters, students must go deeper and really get to the heart and soul of the characters and their journeys. Here are two analysis-based exercises focusing on small cast shows. These exercises can be done individually or in small groups. If you need some small cast scripts for your drama class library, Theatrefolk’s top 10 plays for small casts is a great place to start. 1. Small Cast Character AnalysisWith many analysis assignments, students are challenged to choose one character from a large dramatis personae list, and do an analysis of that character. With a smaller cast show, have students do an analysis of each character, not only examining each character and their personalities and choices, but also looking deeper at how they relate to the others in the show, as well as their journey through the play as a whole. Have students read through the play and create a character relationship map. Sketch or choose an image of each character and arrange them on a blank board or blank document. Identify the different kinds of relationships between the characters and use different coloured lines to connect the characters (red for love interest, green for friends, blue for relatives, etc.). Have students think of creative ways to indicate complicated relationships, such as “enemies to lovers” or “one-sided friendship.” Since the show is a small cast, each character should be connected to all the other characters in some way. If you’re working on a vignette-style small cast play, the character relationships might not be as evident, because the characters might not interact with each other directly. In this case, they can still make a character relationship map, they just have to approach it a little differently. Have students look for threads that tie the characters together: How are they similar in terms of how they think, what they’re going through, how they approach a problem or challenge? There also might be subtle hints in the text that aren’t immediately evident; for example, perhaps two characters mention that they have the same math teacher, or one character might be the sister of another character’s friend. For each connection, have students write a small explanation of how the characters relate to one another. 2. Small Cast Producer’s ChallengeAsk your students why they think a theatre company might want to do a small cast show. Have students think like producers and brainstorm reasons having a small cast show could be advantageous. For example: • Smaller cast generally means a smaller budget (and with producers, it always comes down to the bottom line of money) • Fewer actors to pay • Fewer costumes required • Less rehearsal time needed (possibly) • Often one unit set is all that’s needed • A more intimate and focused story • Plenty of stage time for each performer Then brainstorm reasons why having a small cast could be challenging: • Fewer roles to go around so fewer actors can be involved • You could double cast the show so more actors could be involved but that would take more rehearsal time • Could be more challenging to get audience members to come • Fewer characters means more lines, which will take longer to memorize Have students select a small cast show (or assign one for the entire class to focus on). Students will read the play and do a SWOT analysis illustrating the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats for the small cast show. Next, have students create an estimated budget for the small cast show. It might help students to compare a small cast show budget to a large cast show budget. You might have them do an online search for production costs for theatrical productions. Broadway Tour has a great article breaking down how much it costs to put on a Broadway show — it definitely isn’t cheap, even if the show has a small cast! Students will present their analysis and budget to the rest of the class. Make note of common ideas that come up and look deeper into unique ideas that other students may not have thought of. Keep your eyes peeled for an upcoming article about acting and directing exercises for small cast shows!

Time for a Tfolk Top Ten Plays For…Small Casts. Sometimes you need something small. Not everyone needs the cast of thousands. Or maybe you have so many great students, you want to give a group something substantial to work on. All of these plays are one acts and call for a cast of 5 or less. Click the link and you’ll be taken to the webpage for each play. There you’ll get the details and read sample pages. All the best with your search! Better Than the Movie Cast Size: 3 First dates can be the worst or the best. Especially when you’re on a date with the guy or girl of your dreams. Will the giant soda cause bladder issues? Will the Heimlich manoeuvre be needed over a popcorn kernel? Will the guy in the back ruin everything? Ellenalicemonajune Cast Size: 4 Ellen, Alice, Mona, and June share those uncomfortable truths that only close friends can tell each other, particularly regarding a boyfriend who wears red leather pants. A great character piece for four actresses. Flaky Lips Cast Size: 2 Two young women live in separated societies. One skin colour on this side. One skin colour on that side. They have never seen what the other looks like, until circumstances throw them together. A small cast but a challenging acting opportunity. Carrying The Calf Cast Size: 4 A teenager fed-up with being bullied drags her reluctant friend to a self-defence class. But more important than the karate training, the instructor challenges the group to find self-confidence, independence, and to choose their own destiny. Diverse roles. Prom Night Cast Size: 3 An unlikely pair meet in the woods – the uncool Catholic girl and the linebacker Prom King. Neither wanted to go to prom and neither wanted to be with their dates. Truth and secrets come out in this gem of a small cast play. Power Play Cast Size: 5 A gunshot is heard. Which of the five characters did it and why? Was it the Goth girl? The football star? What are the realities and the stereotypes of high school violence? Violence is about power. So is high school. Stressed Cast Size: 4 Stress is driving this quartet of teen characters crazy – so much so they can’t stop talking about it. This play is a symphony of sound and character. Little Nell and the Mortgage Foreclosure Cast Size: 5 A delightful small cast melodrama replete with broad comedy, memorable characters, and plenty of booing and hissing for the stovepipe-hat-wearing villain! Master of Puppets Cast Size: 3 Mrs Slattimore speaks to teen couples about communication. She wants Joanie to see she wears bossy pants and Chuck already has a mom. Soom the big guns have to come out – Truth puppets. That’s right, puppets who tell all. Underneath Cast Size: 5 Brittany is depressed and can’t hide it. Echo is excited but doesn’t want anyone to know. Trina has a secret and she wants to tell the world. It’s hard to keep emotions clamped down, even in winter. The snow is piling up as secrets rise to the surface. Need more? Check out some of these additional options too!Mummu Cast Size: 4 Mummu is here to bring you a story. A good story with a great emotional landscape. Even deities who exist on an eternal plane don’t have time for bad theatre. Franz Kafka Cancels His Cell Phone Plan Cast Size: 5 A modern absurdist play that puts elements from three of Franz Kafka’s works into the context of the everyday absurdities of our 21st century lives. Hamlette Cast Size: 5 Hamlet is played by a girl in this twisty-turny comedic interpretation of the classic Danish tale. Sweep Under Rug Cast Size: 5 In the future the issue of poverty is solved through separation and subserviance. A teen causes trouble simply because she wants to better herself.