Tips from past Producers
I had my students dress in a black/jean combination so they could have their own identity but still look united as a cast. The show requires minimal props or set pieces but you can go as small or large as you desire. I added music to some of the transitions between vignettes to spice it up a bit.
Enjoy the ensemble work and the aspects of the play that can be staged in a more abstract way.
Our cast made and decorated boxes for each of their characters based on their own interpretation of the character's looks, personality, and experiences in the show. It was a fantastic way to get them thinking in a more abstract way about how to develop their characters. It was also a cheap and effective way to get them to construct their own props, and they really rose to the challenge. We used cardboard boxes of every size (which turned it into kind of a cool upcycling project), old lunch boxes, a little music box, etc. It was really cool to see what they came up with.
We did this show on Zoom, where it worked well. This would be a very fun play to do and see live, with a lot of potential for different spaces that could be delineated by lighting or partitions.
Be creative and have fun, but don’t forget to take time to savor and discuss the meaning of the material.
We used a "Mondrian" style wrap to our unit set pieces to give it a pop of color, and the "boxy" lines was a fun way to echo the title. We enjoyed "Wacky Wednesday" rehearsals where the students got to go "over-the-top" with their characters and performance style. It allowed them to explore and try some things that we sometimes kept because it was so good. Also, we explored "Box- The Musical" (just sang the lines) as one of our rehearsal. We discovered that only 2 cast members could sing. LOL
The students decorated all of their own boxes. They loved it! And the only set pieces were different-sized wooden boxes to create levels. The kids even chose the sound effects and music we used! We got colorful t-shirts as costumes and the kids got to keep them as a memento. Overall, super experience for all involved.
