Facilities
- What kind of performing space do you have? Will you get it free,
or is rent one of your main expenses? Amateur groups often have be
inventive in choosing a space. Any room that is spacious enough and
in decent shape (or that can be put into decent shape) is worth
considering. Classroom, school cafeteria, church hall -- even a
large basement in someone's home can work in a pinch. When I
produced elementary school shows, the kids loved leaving our
proscenium auditorium stage behind to perform in the common rooms of
our local senior centers.
- What kind of backstage area do you have? Many amateur auditoriums do
not have formal dressing rooms – are there other adjacent spaces (classrooms,
hallways, basement) that can serve the purpose? Also, is there room for the stage crew,
set pieces, props, and any special equipment you might need? Don't plan on moving the
Alps offstage if there isn't anywhere for them to go.
- Where will you rehearse? Most school or church auditoriums have multiple
users, and you may not always have access. What kind of back-up rehearsal locations are
available – classrooms, private homes?
- Need a sound system? Don't ignore this.
If your space is outdoors or seats anywhere over 250 people, a good sound system
is a must. Few amateurs know how to project, and time does not allow for
extended vocal training.
- Intimate shows
like Godspell can seem meager in 1,500 seat
auditoriums. On the other hand, you don't want to cram a cast of fifty onto a stage
that is the size of a parking space.
- Do you have an actual box office? If not, a table or two set up by your
entrance will do the trick at performance time. How will you sell tickets? Having a
physical location (a local business, for
example) is useful, but you may also want to have a phone number where people
can call to learn about availability and make reservations. More on this in our
Production Staff section.
Example: Henry Higgins High School has
extensive facilities, beginning with a well-maintained 500 seat auditorium and
a sizeable stage. There are classrooms and a large music room available for rehearsal
space. The auditorium does not have a box office. The principal expects the production to
pay for electricity and any damages. A local beauty parlor (which a
student's family owns) has offered to handle advance ticket sales. So far, so
good!
Equipment
What kind of lighting and sound equipment do you have? Is the wiring up to code?
If you are not sure, you will want to have a qualified expert look things over.
Your orchestra will need stands and lights – once the auditorium is darkened,
they won't be able to see their music by reflected stage light. These items can carry a
hefty price tag. You may be able
to borrow them, but you'll be responsible if anything is damaged.
Do you have a piano? If not, what will you use in its place? If you are
planning to use pre-recorded music for rehearsals and/or performances, do you have
the right kind of equipment to make the music audible?
Example: Higgins High School's auditorium is
well equipped – even though no one has made much use of it for several years.
They have a decent lighting board, enough lights for a simple production, and a small
team of students who know how to make these things work. All that they will have to
invest in is a few pricey bulbs. The sound system includes four standing microphones,
as well as two wireless microphones – but no body mikes. The auditorium has a
small upright piano that will be okay for rehearsals. There is a baby grand in the music
classroom that can be brought in for performances.
Insurance
No matter how careful you are, it is always possible for someone to have an accident. A
stagehand trips on a wire, an audience member stumbles on a staircase – it happens.
In our litigious age, this has become an issue. If you are working under the auspices
of a school, church or other community organization, odds are their liability insurance will cover your show. Just for your own peace of mind, make sure before committing
to a production. If you are a new, independent community theatre group, it is vital
that you and the facility you are using are covered. Speak to an attorney and/or
local insurance agent to see what you may need. Do not skip this step – one innocent
injury could lead to expensive legal headaches.
Example: The school's existing
insurance covers extracurricular activities. (Whew!)
Talent
Can you find enough people to fill out your production team? (More on
this later.) Do not think that one or two people can do
it all – that is a formula for guaranteed burnout. The more capable people
you can get involved in your show, the better off you will be.
Do you have a musical director who can be on hand for rehearsals and performances?
Do you have enough musicians to form an orchestra, or will you use a small combo?
Even one keyboard is enough if the player is versatile. Will you hire musical talent
to help out? If so, this can add up to a major item in your budget.
What kind of performing talent can you bring together? Most amateur groups have a hard
time coming up with enough male actors – unless, of course, the group is an all-boys
school. Can you reach beyond your school/group for additional performers? While almost all
musicals rely on acting and characterization, you do not want to make your cast look or
sound awkward in material that stresses their weak points. Do you have trained singers and
dancers? If not, can a member of your team mold your performers in the time available? I
worked on a high school production of Anything Goes with a professional choreographer
who taught a stageful of kids to tap dance in six seeks, to showstopping effect.
Example: Ms. Doolittle will direct and
produce, while Mr. Pickering will handle the musical direction. They have a friend with
professional dance experience who is willing to choreograph for a nominal fee. A member of
the PTA with a background in advertising will lend a hand with publicity. Higgins High has an
interracial, co-educational student body of 800, so there is a decent talent pool. Since the
school has an active music program, Mr. Pickering can bring in musicians from the school band,
and his chorale will be a source of experienced singers. Ms. Doolittle knows there are a number
of students with acting ambitions in her classes. It is not unfair to assume that the general
student body will provide the rest.
Time
If you think you can put a musical together in a few weeks, think again!
It takes months of effort to make an amateur production a reality. Aside
from securing the rights to a show, you will need at least six to eight
weeks for rehearsals, as well as costume and set construction. Add in
the time it takes to assemble your creative team, arrange for facilities
and equipment, raise production funds, sell tickets, and handle all the
administrative necessities. If you are new to this process, I advise you
to start planning a musical a year in advance. At the very least, give
yourself six to eight months.
If you decide to get involved with an amateur musical production,
keep in mind that you are making a major commitment of time and energy.
You will be sacrificing many leisure hours for months to come.
Lots of people will be depending on you – do not enter into this
kind of project unless you are serious about it.
Example: Doolittle and Pickering
sat down with their principal in May to get
her approval for a production twelve months in the future. The teachers
met over the summer to select a show and lay out a production schedule,
secured the rights in September, and spent the next few months fine
tuning their production budget and bringing
their team together. They will announce their show plans in
January, hold auditions in February, and begin both rehearsals and
ticket sales in March. Their costume team goes into action at the same
time. Sets and lights will (they hope!) be in place by early May, a week
before the show opens.
Finances
Have a clear idea of how much you're in a position to spend. Do not rely on a production
to pay all if its expenses. There are no guarantees. If your group or school is short of
funds, you may have to do some fundraising to cover production costs – we discuss that at
length later on.
Whatever kind of show you do, taste and creativity matter more than
deep pockets. An inexpensive, profit-making production is preferable
to a costly one that leaves a pile of debts. If you want your show to lead to more
productions in the future, produce within your means. You will find more on this in
our section on how to plan a realistic budget. When I was
an elementary school teacher, I had to produce one December show out of my own
underpaid pocket. We set Robin Hood at Christmastime, borrowed unwanted
artificial trees for Sherwood Forest, and the kids cut out a few hundred paper
snowflakes to pin to the existing stage curtains. Counting performance rights, I
spent less than $200. Audiences loved it, and (after returning my small personal
investment) the show raised over a thousand dollars for the school library fund.
(We charged $2.50 a ticket at that time.)
A key financial issue is performance rights. To stage a show legally, you
must pay performance rights. Paying for the rights clears your conscience and gives
you access to the same scripts and orchestrations used by professionals. These rights
can run in the thousands of dollars, even for small amateur productions. If you cannot
afford rights, do NOT try to stage a show without securing the legal rights! It is a criminal act and you can
be prosecuted. If you feel you cannot cover the cost of rights to well known musicals,
consider the low-cost options discussed earlier.
Example: The principal of Higgins High School
likes the idea of a school musical, but her annual budget is tight. (What else is
new?) By nipping here and tucking there, she can offer six thousand dollars – enough to
cover about half the production costs of your production. Pickering, Doolittle and their
students will have to raise the rest of the money.
On to Recommended Musicals |