Vignette

Welcome to our Featured Play Spotlight. We’re excited to feature Anxiety is Orange by Lindsay Price – a vignette play where characters navigate the world, each other, and the greens, greys, blues, reds, pinks, yellows, and oranges around them. Colours can be symbolic. Red is fiery. Purple is royal. Blue is calming. Sometimes, colours can take on too much meaning. I can’t date you – you wear wenge! He sent yellow flowers! Orange gives my brother anxiety! Does orange make you anxious? Let’s hear from the author! 1. Why did you write this play? Sometimes you go down a rabbit hole of fun when you start searching on a topic. For example, colour symbolism! I knew the basics but it’s amazing how much character and colour are connected. And that was all I needed to create the scenes for the play. Any topic that I can bring to life through character interaction is a great theatrical fit. 2. Describe the theme in one or two sentences. How do we navigate the world through a sea of green, grey, blue, red, pink, yellow and orange? 3. What’s the most important visual for you in this play? Since this is a play about colour, there’s a rainbow of visual hues in this play. But I think the strongest visual line in the play is from Brittany. Brittany used to wear pink but now she wears red so that everyone knows that she is a force. I love the idea of someone using colour to show their strength. 4. If you could give one piece of advice for those producing the play, what would it be? Have fun and watch those transitions. Keep them quick and moving. And incorporate colour as much as possible! 5. Why is this play great for student performers? Vignettes are perfect for student performers. The scenes are short, vivid and offer a variety of character development opportunities. Throw in a couple of monologues and you’ve got a great challenge for students. I think there’s some interesting tech opportunities as well – using colour in the lighting, on the set pieces and in the costumes. You could also consider how colour influences music – what sounds do you think of when you see red or purple or blue?

Celebrate the new year with new plays! Over the past few months we’ve added some new scripts to the Tfolk catalogue. So if you’re looking for some new and exciting material to bring to your students, you’ll definitely want to keep reading. Explore themes of anxiety, empathy, expectations and surviving the teenage years – material your students can really understand and sink their teeth into. Click the links to read free sample pages from each play. Explore, Engage, and Enjoy!

Middle school can be tough. What do I wear? What if I wear the wrong thing? What is she wearing? What do I look like? Stop looking at me! Hoodie by Lindsay Price examines image and appearance in the vignette style and poses what may be the most difficult question of all – Do I stay in the clump or do I stand alone? The drama group at Turning Point School in Culver City, California asked themselves some of these tough questions as they navigated their way through this issue-based dramedy. Director Jane McEneaney shares her thoughts on this amazing journey: “I’m writing to thank you for your play, HOODIE. We performed on Friday and it was so successful. The play is just the tip of the iceberg. The girls (no boys signed up) learned so much about themselves. It was fantastic! The girls also sponsored a Mirror-Free Friday in honor of the show. This involved covering the bathroom mirrors with paper and inviting everyone to look at the beauty inside and write positive comments on the paper. I can’t thank you enough for this script. As well, the cast did a talk-back with the audience after the performance and revealed quite a bit about their own struggles and how that challenged them as actors.” Great job, Turning Point School!

Welcome to our Featured Play Spotlight. We’re excited to introduce a brand new play to our catalogue! If you’re a fan of Hoodie and Box, then you definitely want to check out Boat by Lindsay Price. Sometimes it’s easy to see the world as your own personal sinking ship. It’s way easier to look into our own whirlpool than look out at what’s going on with others. I don’t care about them. Why should I? They’re not like me. They’re wrong. In this one-act middle school vignette play, characters come face-to-face with the fact that there are other people in their boat. Some are different. Some only seem different. Who will learn to paddle together? Who will spin in circles? Who will realize we’re all in the same boat and we always have been? Let’s hear from the author! 1. Why did you write this play? Boat is the third play in a trilogy of vignette plays I wrote about middle school life – the others being Hoodie and Box. Middle school is a time when students are so focused on themselves and how they present in the world. To that end, for this play I wanted to put the emphasis on looking outward rather than inward. 2. Describe the theme in one or two sentences. The theme of the play is empathy. How do we empathize with others? How do we realize that we’re all in the same boat and always have been? 3. What’s the most important visual for you in this play? The first visual that comes to mind is two boys who hate each other, find common ground in a fear of falling elevators, and cling to each other for dear life. 4. If you could give one piece of advice for those producing the play, what would it be? The opening movement section will take practice – walking in lines can be tricky because it’s hard to get everyone moving at the same pace and the same foot stride. I’d suggest video taping your efforts so students can see when the movement is sharp and crisp and where it looks messy. That’ll be way better than trying to verbally explain any issues. Also, when the two groups are on stage, think in shapes and levels. Make sure the audience can see everyone at the same time, and create an interesting stage picture at the same time. 5. Why is this play great for student performers? This play is about middle schoolers, with middle school aged characters, and addresses middle school issues. It’s great for them!

Welcome to our Featured Play Spotlight. ‘Tis the season to bring some festive fun to your drama group with Deck the Stage by Lindsay Price. This Christmas collection is unlike any other. The show is comprised of six short plays, all of which are inspired by Christmas carols such as: Deck the Halls, The Twelve Days of Christmas, and We Three Kings. The plays can be performed individually, or all together as a complete evening of entertainment. An excellent project for your drama club with parts for everyone at all levels! Let’s hear from the author! 1. Why did you write this play? Adaptation is my favourite form of theatrical writing. I love taking a text from one genre and finding a way to make it a piece of theatre. Christmas carols often have character and story built into them and it’s a short step to use them as inspiration for modern scenes. 2. Describe the theme in one or two sentences. Some characters search for the true meaning of Christmas of hope, giving, and community. Some characters just want to win the tree picking contest. 3. What’s the most important visual for you in this play? It’s a vignette play so every scene has it’s own visual. My favourite line in the play is a dramatic moment in the scene Still as Stone where a girl shares, for the first time, that Christmas only means that her father “didn’t love my mother and he didn’t love me.” It’s heartbreaking and gets me every time I see it done, even though the play is 17 years old. My favourite comedic visual is when Ms Meyermyer, grade two teacher, has a small melt down over her students not wanting to do her original creation the “Twelve Shames of Christmas” and she gets in the face of Marilo who WILL be Toxic Waste and she WILL like it. It’s that concept of doing things over the holidays for all the wrong reasons, which of course make the best theatre. 4. If you could give one piece of advice for those producing the play, what would it be? Make the transitions between scenes part of the theatrical experience. Don’t go to black each time and leave your audience in the dark during the scene change. Do scene changes in character – have Hans and Johan continue their competitive spirit by seeing who can be the fastest in striking sets. Have one set that all the scenes can be done in front of with a couple of cube changes. Use music to keep the energy up during scene changes. Nothing drags a play more than long, long, long transitions. 5. Why is this play great for student performers? Variety. This play gives students the opportunity to play drama, comedy, physical comedy, otherworldly moments, monologues and more.

Do you remember how you kept your balance on the first day of middle school? In the one-act comedy, School Daze by Lindsay Price, middle-schoolers navigate the tricky tightrope between being a kid and being a teenager. Alton Bryant and the drama students at Haynes Bridge Middle School in Alpharetta, Georgia had a great time taking on this vignette play and entertaining students, teachers and audiences alike. “The students love it and the teachers love it as well. We videotaped a few teachers talking about their first day in middle school and played the video right before the play started .” Great job, Haynes Bridge Middle School!

Sometimes it’s not the words themselves but the spaces between them that say the most. In the vignette play betweenity by Lindsay Price students have a chance to explore the beats, pauses and neverending silences in conversation. It sounds easy but are you up to the challenge of the ‘awkward pause’? This is an excellent class project play with parts for everyone at all levels with a great technique exploration. Charlie McMeekin and the drama students at The Sharon Academy in Sharon, VT fine-tuned their techniques and learned that silence can be awkward… and golden. “My student director expanded the concept of the silence between words using a warm-up where we stood in a circle and tried counting to twenty, one person randomly at a time. If two spoke at the same time, we returned to zero. Only when we began to “feel” the silence did we make it to twenty. On performance night at our regional festival, the cast was pretty wound up. Before performing, our warm-up was this same exercise, despite strenuous objections from the cast. It worked to calm them down, however, and focus them. . . and we counted to 20!” Congratulations, Sharon Academy!

Welcome to our Featured Play Spotlight. Today we look at betweenity, a vignette play that explores the beats, pauses, and never-ending silences in conversation. The girl who tries to tell her best friend she wants to date him. The boy who creates the wrong kind of pause. The sister who is dealing with the silent treatment. The guy who wants to confess but can’t open his mouth. The daughter who doesn’t want to talk because talking makes her remember. We’ve all been there. The awkward pause. The silence where you just can’t think of something to say. The space in-between words where nothing is said and yet so much is spoken. The state of being between. This is an excellent class project play with parts for everyone at all levels with a great technique exploration. How do you act in a pause? Why did we publish this play? Okay I have to take my writer hat off now and put on my publisher hat. Goodbye writer Lindsay, hello Publisher Lindsay! Vignette plays are a staple here at Theatrefolk. It’s one of the reasons Writer-Lindsay writes them. :) They work well with classes and with beginner groups – the small scenes are excellent primer grounds for moving toward one-acts and full lengths. With betweenity there is a little bit more work involved than just short scenes – there’s learning the skill of acting in the pause. Students are not just putting together something fun, they’re exploring a communication skill. What is communicated when there isn’t any dialogue? It’s an added bonus. Let’s hear from the author! 1. Why did you write this play? Before writing the play I had been working with a group of students who were having difficulty with pauses. They didn’t want to take them. They didn’t want silence on stage. That issue was eventually solved, but the thought never left me. What if I wrote scenes where the pause (or the beat or the long, long silence) was the focus? That started the ball rolling and betweenity is the result. 2. Describe the theme in one or two sentences. It’s not what’s being said that’s important sometimes. It’s the space in-between. 3. What’s the most important visual for you in this play? The opening. It’s done almost in silence, so it’s all visuals. Most of the actors have to stand, look at the audience, and wait. It’s unnerving, but it sets up the whole play. 4. If you could give one piece of advice for those producing the play, what would it be? Love the pauses! Practice the pauses. Figure out the timing of the pauses. Get comfortable with silence, even when the audience is uncomfortable. I would also say, to keep in character during the pauses. It’s not the actor who has stopped talking but the character. What does that mean? What are they thinking in the silence? Have your actors come up with own their inner monologue, especially with the longer pauses. The acting doesn’t stop when the lines do. 5. Why is this play great for student performers? Learning how to act in a pause is a fabulous exercise. But on top of that, this is an ensemble piece with a lot of immediate character work. Because it’s a vignette play characters have to come to life immediately within their short scene. Another fabulous exercise for students.

Drama teachers, if you’re looking for a production for your middle school group that’s great for group work and focuses on issues your students can relate to, be sure to check out Hoodie by Lindsay Price. Middle schoolers face a tornado of questions every day. What do I wear? What if I wear the wrong thing? What is she wearing? What do I look like? Stop looking at me! Hoodie examines image and appearance in the vignette style and poses what may be the most difficult question of all – Do I stay in the clump or do I stand alone? The talented drama students at Lee Scott Academy in Auburn, Alabama, led by drama teacher Tricia Oliver , tackled these relevant issues in this engaging play which led them on an extremely successful journey. “I ended up going with a 7 minute cutting from Hoodie for our ensemble piece for our 15 girls (7-12th grade) and we won 2nd place at our state competition! We will be reworking the piece to perform it at Alabama Thespian festival with my senior thespians. – Tricia Oliver” Congratulations on your award-winning performance, Lee Scott Academy!

How do we handle the boxes imposed upon us by society? Help your students choose how the world sees them with the issue-based vignette play, Boxby Lindsay Price. Perfect for middle schools, Box offers flexible casting along with excellent small scene and monologue opportunities. How do we handle the boxes imposed upon us because of our gender? Our race? From peer pressure? From parent pressure? Do we have to live with our box for the rest of our lives? Can we change? Under the direction of Deborah Horn , the drama students at B.L. Gray Junior High in Mission, Texas built upon their previous success with Hoodie to tackle the relatable issues in Box. “The Theatre I class at B.L. Gray Junior High presented “Box” on November 17, 2016. Because I am working with multiple classes, I always look for vignette plays so that I can divide the scenes between classes. We had such success with Hoodie in 2015 that I wanted to try Box. The growth that I saw in the scholars was impressive. Their stage presence, projection, physical and vocal characterization all improved tremendously. Knowing how much these students each grow by participation in theatre is the best part of play directing. – Deborah Horn” Way to go, B.L Gray Junior High!

This week on Spread the Love, Craig talks about Wait Wait Bo Bait (and Wait Wait Bo Bait – Middle School Edition), a vignette play by Lindsay Price.

This week on Spread the Love, Lindsay talks about Oddball, a vignette play.

This week on Spread the Love, we talk about Stupid is Just 4 2day, a vignette play by Lindsay Price. Featuring Karen Loftus, the original director of the play.

This week on Spread the Love, Lindsay and Craig talk about ths phne 2.0: the next generation, a vignette play about modern communication by Lindsay Price. Recorded live high above Times Square.

This week on Spread the Love, Lindsay and Craig talk about The Merrie Christmas Show, a Christmas play by Lindsay Price.

This week on Spread the Love, Lindsay and Craig talk about Hairball, a vignette play for teenagers by Lindsay Price.

This week we spread the love for The Snow Show by Lindsay Price.

This week on Spread the Love we talk about This Phone Will Explode at the Tone by Lindsay Price. Filmed live on location in a phone booth.