On Starting a Community Theatre

So you’d like to start up a community theatre group in your town/neighbourhood?

I don’t for a moment pretend to be an expert on the topic, but I can give advice based on my experience. I have been writing, directing, and producing plays in my little town for nine years — besides doing the same with school productions. And I’ve learned a few things along the way.

First Meeting

First of all — just start talking about community theatre. Let your friends and family know what you’re planning. Get them to help you spread the word.

Put up a few posters advertising a meeting. Perhaps you could put some announcements on a local TV station or the radio. Advertise when rehearsals will take place and when the production will take the stage. Select rehearsal times that suit YOUR schedule. (If you can’t commit yourself, you can’t expect others to do the same.) It’s good to have a venue for rehearsals and the production itself mapped out in advance also.
I actually WROTE a play before I held a meeting I don’t know that it’s essential to have a play in your hand at the first meeting — but it does help. Most people like to know what they’re getting into before they get involved.

Comedies are a great place to start. If you’re really lucky, you may attract a core of people with musical talents, so you can try your hand at Grease or My Fair Lady. The royalties for these plays are often pricey however; hence my decision to write my own productions. My core of actors are a handful of women (non-singers) so my plays capitalize on their strength — comedy. Lately I have been writing more serious stuff, and they have risen admirably to the occasion.

Anyway, back to the meeting.

Start off by having everyone introduce themselves and explain why they’re there. What do they want from a community theatre? What role do they see for themselves? This will definitely help shape the direction of your venture.

You will find that some people want to act in large roles, some want small roles, and some want to work back stage and never be seen at all. You really need to find a script that will accommodate all of them. For example, why would you do a one-woman show if you have twelve people that want to act?

Remember also, that most people work and have families — besides doing community theatre. You have to make it possible for them to succeed at all three for the next few months. Don’t make them bite off more than they can chew. Otherwise, you have a disaster on your hands. (Not that I’ve had a disaster — but I’ve heard about them.)

It’s nice to have those roles clearly defined from the beginning.

If you’re really lucky, you’ll have someone volunteer to look after promotion — and that’s a big part of the success of your theatre. If the public isn’t constantly reminded about what you’re up to, they won’t remember to come. No offence to them. They’re just very caught up in their own lives, just like you are caught up in yours. If no one volunteers, consider this your job. And do the best job of it that you are able. Don’t assume that people know about your play. Get out there and tell them. You owe it to your cast and crew.

People who are committed to running stage, sound, and lighting are key. I was fortunate that the Ferchoffs jumped in with both feet from the outset and have never jumped out. They build and design my sets, based on some rough drawings that I give them, and the demands of the script. They have constructed everything from a blackjack table to a shape ship console to slot machines to a telephone booth to a wind machine. I don’t have to worry about set because they just bring everything along the day we “move” onto the stage at Lampman School, about three weeks prior to our performance.

Don’t spend too long selecting a play. Remember — it’s only the FIRST play you are going to do. And you want to do something that’s a guaranteed success — for you, for your cast and crew, and for your public. If you have a passion for doing Oedipus Rex or A Man for All Seasons, you can always wait until next year.

Rehearsals

I need about 21 rehearsals — including two dress rehearsals — to get an adult production on stage. Student productions can be done in 14. I set deadlines for learning lines. I like to go through a scene at least once in rehearsal before it has to be memorized. We rehearse half the scenes one night a week and the other half on the other night. This means that some cast members may not have to come both nights initially. This works for me, but it may not work for you. Our rehearsals have always been 8 - 10 PM on either Monday and Wednesday, or Tuesday and Thursday. I have rarely called for an additional rehearsal, and we have cancelled very few. If people know there are only so many rehearsals, they tend to get their act together (pardon the pun) and learn their parts. Have a look at my sample rehearsal schedule.

At our first rehearsal, I like to have all actors attend so we can read through the entire script. This is generally great fun, because we all get to hear the “voice” of each character. This is a good time for questions about motivation, how lines should be spoken, inconsistencies in the script, etc.

I strive to make rehearsals fun. If you are tense and out-of-sorts, you will lose people. It has to be fun — or why would you do it? Some of our best lines come out of ad libs during rehearsal. Keep the pace and energy level up. If people have to miss rehearsal, don’t sit around and gripe about it. Make do with whoever IS there. When key actors are missing, focus on the people in smaller roles, making sure they stay in character and are engaged with their character. Make them feel important.

And say “thank you” a lot. To everyone. Even when you don’t mean it. The people I thank the most are my back stage crew. They don’t get much glory for what they do, but if they didn’t do it, the play would fall apart very quickly.

A theatre production is like an orchestra. Everyone’s role — right down to the little prop girl who has to make sure the daffodils are positioned properly on the table — is important.

Technical Issues - Sound, Lighting, etc.
Two of your biggest considerations are SOUND and SIGHTLINES. If your audience can’t hear or see your production, then what IS the point of learning all those lines? Maybe you’ll be fortunate enough to have a facility with excellent acoustics and sightlines, but the odds are — you won’t have both.

Don’t emphasize loudness too much until your actors start to become confident of their lines. If someone is nervous, it’s difficult for them to focus on several things at once. I like to work on articulation and gestures, before I worry too much about loudness.

I don’t ask sound and lighting people to come to rehearsal until all the actors know their lines. Make sure all crew members have a copy of the script, and ask them to read it before they come to their first rehearsal. They should highlight any references to sound or lighting, etc.

Sometimes that first performance is a little rocky, because people aren’t confident yet, but I actually think the audience likes to watch how actors deal with an obvious “screw up.” Some of our funniest and most memorable moments have come through these. Also, I remind actors constantly that the audience doesn’t know the script. They won’t know if something gets left out. Just keep going.

That’s all for now! More to come!