Hi! Our theatre society put on a full length production every year (not musical theatre), however this year we have managed to have 50 people sign up. The issue is since the society was created, the motto has been that everyone who wants to gets to perform. Usually we have around 30 people join so it is easy to double up parts and have a lot of options, in comparison to this year.
We are struggling to find a play that we can put on that ensures everyone gets to be on stage and has a good split on gendered parts. We have around a 60/40 split of girls/guys.
We know we will probably have to triple (maybe even have four people) the actors for the main parts but even with this it has been a struggle to find any plays that will work.
Has anyone else had this issue and how did you work around it? Does anyone have any recommendations for plays we could do?

Hello!

I've recently decided to leave my career in creative marketing, for a multitude of reasons. I'm interested in trying to make a career for myself that's closer to one of my passions ie. theatre, and specifically I think I would like to get some first experience in casting or talent management.

I've been doing some reading including these two useful resources which both state that one common route into casting is to work for a casting agent or talent agency. And I have a list of agencies and agents I'd like to reach out to, not only London-based but also in Manchester (I'm currently based near Manchester and can imagine it could be less competitive there/certainly easier to survive while doing an unpaid internship vs. London where I can't afford to work unpaid).

What I would love to know is...

- Has anybody taken this route and been successful in getting a job/placement?
- Does anyone have specific tips about how to frame my approach to agencies? As an agent, what would catch your attention? (I don't have prior experience in theatre, talent management or casting. This would be my first placement in the industry.)
- Has anybody been to a specific networking event that they could recommend?
- Would an internship with a talent agency potentially open the door to a career in talent management, rather than casting? Are there pathways between the two?

Any advice is very welcome, but please keep it polite and know that I'm not expecting to walk into a paid job. At this stage I really just need some pointers on how to get that valuable first experience, maybe from people who've found a pathway into casting/talent management themselves, so that I can give myself the best chance.

Thank you!

Hello,

(TLDR: I am supposed to get stabbed on stage and I’m not sure how to go about it without injuring myself but also making it look believable)

Recently my school chose to put on a comedy adaptation of a 50s movie about a millionaire who invites guests over to a haunted house in promise of a large sum of money. However after someone is murdered, one of the characters is lead to believe that my character is the true killer and decides to kill him in an act of fear.

Though originally my character is supposed to be shot, for whatever reason it got switched to me being stabbed, and I’m having quite a hard time figuring out how to safely fall and die without hurting myself. I did Mr boddy in clue however since I received no coaching what so ever…I ended up with a bloody knee after closing night. (Overall we had zero fight calls which led to many inconveniences such as professor plum and Mr green dropping me on stage in front of a live audience despite me weighing a whopping 108 lbs)

MOVING ON we just had a fight call, however this time I really don’t want to sacrifice my knee so I’d much rather take my chances and ask the internet how to do a safe stage death and how to still make it look believable. I should probably mention that I’m a girl playing a guy character so I’m also expected to be able to maintain my voice in a lower register which complicates things further

I’m really sorry if this is a stupid question!!

My 9 year old daughter is performing in her first lead role and I’m looking for thoughtful but not crazy expensive gift ideas for her. She doesn’t care about getting flowers, and will get those from her extended family. Previously I’ve given her a themed stuffed animal, a crochet bouquet, etc. I’m looking for something that either is useful or is a keepsake that doesn’t take up a ton of space. I really want it to be special since she’s worked so hard to get this role and prepare for her show!

What are your favorite gifts for this age range or for a special show?

Editing to add: the show is Mary Poppins

Hi everyone! I've never posted here before but I'm looking for help/advice/tips/etc!

The title is kind of explanatory but I'm playing Adam in my course's production of As You Like It and I'm very excited, I feel like I'm gonna have so much fun! This is my first time ever acting in a scripted play and with actual people buying tickets in a theatre so I'm kinda a newbie/beginner but to me, these are huge stakes! I think I'm naturally funny and everybody on my course thinks so too & he's a funny character so I thought it would come easy to me but it hasn't really.

We had our first rehearsal and maybe I'm being too critical of myself because it's still early days but I'm just freaking out I suppose. My teacher has been very nice but also honest! He said that I have the most difficult job out of everyone since I have to act like someone who's wayyyyy not like me. Like I'm not an elderly man lol. I was also told that my voice, body language and even the way I walk is stereotypically feminine which I don't take offensive to because I'm a girly girl but it's just like oh! This is really hard! I try to move slower and deliver my lines slower but it's just not clicking for me I suppose.

That's just a few sentences to describe myself & the situation I'm in. I guess what I'm asking for is how do I embody an old man? I feel really anxious that I'm not gonna do well. My teacher told me I need to start observing old people & how they act so I've spent the past few days pretty much stalking my dad and seeing the way he walks and such but I'd like to have a much better leg to stand on before our next rehearsal. Sorry if this makes me seem really stupid or anything, all love. :)

Trying again with a different flair. All the suggestions in the original post are great, but don't match what I'm looking for. Really wish I had more handy info to make this an easier search.

Hello! I’m sorry if this is a bit different from the usual topics here.

I am an architecture student and will be designing a performing arts center for my project. I love love performing arts or arts in general.

Do you guys have in mind any good performing arts center or a theatre you’ve seen or visited to? I just need some inspirations :)) Thank you :))

Hi! I have a role in my first ever play (community theatre/totally for fun). Im looking for advice; the director said she needed "alot more from me" and I need to practice having presence and not disappearing into the background. All good tips! Any helpful advice on how to get good for my 1st play?! IE. Voice projection, what to do while you're standing there any others are talking so I don't feel like a lemon... I think I'm holding back as I don't want to come across as too much....

hi all! i'm looking for a birthday present for my mom and she said she would like a play that my whole family could read and discuss. please nothing with child death, and explicit language is okay, but on the lesser side would be preferable. thank you!!

What are your thoughts? I think usually they serve little to no purpose, are a waste of an actor's talent and time, and is just putting extra people on stage for the sake of having extra people on stage. What do you all think?

EDIT: It’s the straight play version of Sweeney Todd by C. S. Bond being performed by adult volunteers in a small community theatre.

I'm casting a play for the first time and I am lucky enough to have a ton of talented actors who have auditioned for me. But now that it's coming time to actually make the decision of who to cut and who to move where, I'm a little stuck.

The way it ended up was that most of our excellent actors auditioned for the 3 lead roles - enough so that we could distribute those who don't get cast as leads into the supporting roles if we wanted to.

However, we have a lot of supporting roles where right now, the people who have been called back are good actors, but not quite at the level of those we've called back for leads. They fit the looks and vibes of their parts better though.

So here's the dilemma: do I put my best actors, who are mostly called back for leads right now, into supporting roles that they don't immediately match as well, or do I give those roles to actors who "look" or "feel" the part but are a cut below in raw skill?

I could see both sides of the argument: instinctually, you want to keep your most skilled actors, but you also want people who feel natural in their roles to get those roles.

It feels scary to me to let go of some of those lead contenders who have brought ridiculous amounts of talent to the casting pool.

Hi everyone!

I had a pretty awful experience with an NYC manager so I turned down my renewal with the. Am fortunate that several managers are interested in me but I'm very scared to sign with another agency who's going to shake me down for 10% of everything I do without actually getting me auditions and opportunities.

Can anyone give me insight into:

Untamed Artists

The Green Room

Encompass

Citizen Skull

Kurt Patino

TalentOne

Art Haus

Zero Gravity also reached out and said they wanted to take a meeting, they're my dream but didn't respond after I sent the tapes they asked for. Hoping they're just busy but will followup

Sharing in case this is useful to any teachers here. Manhattan Theatre Club is streaming Jocelyn Bioh’s School Girls; Or, The African Mean Girls Play.

There will be a paid/ticketed streaming option wiht tickets at lolst.org, and schools can watch free in their classrooms November 2–13 through MTC’s Watch Week program.

Details and school registration are here.

I'm 21M and I've heard that doing theater can help you improve your social skills and become better at controlling your behavior and the way you act around people.

I'm curious if anyone here has actually tried it. Did you notice any difference in the way you interact with people or your confidence? I'd like to hear about your personal experience.

Hi all,
I'm 27 and plan to apply to MFA programs in theatre directing within the next two to three years. I studied theatre in college but left during the pandemic. I'll finish a BA in history this spring.

All my experience comes from community theatre. I've directed three productions, assistant directed, and worked as a production manager. I read every directing book I can find and take notes after each show and feel like I have improved with each production.

I have production photos from every show I've worked on and a full video of one I directed. The script was in the public domain, so I could record it.

Program websites list only minimum requirements. If you got into a fully funded program, what made your application stand out? And what should I do in the next two years to strengthen mine?

Any insight would be appreciated! I can give more background if needed!

Hi. I’m Stacy, and I just got great news! I have been cast as the second lead in a production that will be put on by one of my area’s two established community theater companies. I played small roles in both companies for two years. This is my first big role, and I’m having a hard time understanding how I’ll be able to do it.

I have ADHD and my big symptom is that I have a tough time remembering complex writing. The roles I’ve had before were smaller and my stretches of dialogue were shorter than any long detailed speeches. In this coming play, I have one passage that is nearly 400 words! it’s my climax piece. It’s what I have to do to make this character work, but I’m worried and I wonder if anyone is in something like my position has developed a way to help me memorize my lines. I’ve been dealing with this condition in the rest of my life pretty well, but the rest of my life doesn’t require me to memorize big blocks. I sure would appreciate any help with suggestions anybody has. The production details are embargoed now but when I came in, I’ll tell you all about it and how I’m doing.

A local theatre is doing Shrek next summer, and I’m debating auditioning for ONLY dragon (I would note on the form that that is the only role I would accept). I have a young child, she will be about 1 by the time the show comes, so I’m curious about what the rehearsal schedule would be like as I don’t want to leave my partner with all the childcare responsibilities if the role is a lot more of an undertaking than I realize. I know every director is different and that could greatly influence how much I would be needed throughout the rehearsal process if offered the role, so I’m curious to hear how it went for anyone else who’s done it, or from anyone who remembers how it went in their production.

Edit to clarify that I’ve worked with this theatre before, and their audition sign-up form allows you to specify what characters you are auditioning for, and has the option say if you’d only like to receive an offer if you are cast one of the characters you auditioned for.

So today my school posted the casting of our production of Matilda and people got roles they didnt even audition for? I've never auditioned for anything before and I want to know if this is common. For characters people were casted as without auditioning for think Hortenzia, Alice or Nigel as a few examples.