How To Start A Theatre GroupCategory: Advice
Article added by: Alan Baltes
Hold an informal meeting to stir up excitement. Publicize themeeting in a library, grocery store and newspaper. Brainstorm ideas and gauge the community's level of interest.
Visit other community theaters in the region and see as many productions as possible. Ask if you can attend one of their organizational meetings; meet the directors and pick their brains for ideas and advice.
Discuss how you will select the productions. Will you consider original plays? Will you produce musicals or only dramas? Or perform strictly Shakespeare?
Scout around for possible stages: a community center, a church hall, a school auditorium or even a vacant building.
Figure out how your theater group will be funded. Through ticket sales? Grants? Concession sales?
Consider whether to offer dinner or dessert with performances. Talk to a caterer to ask if they'd be interested in working with your theater.
Create your organizational structure. Will you have a board of directors? If not, form a committee backed by subcommittees. Talk to a lawyer about creating a nonprofit organization and about insurance issues.
Decide if you will have any paid staff, such as a skilled lighting designer or other production person.
Select which plays or musicals you will perform your first year. Don't be overambitious. See what kind of productions--and how many--other successful groups produced when they were starting out. Check out http://www.eserver.org/drama to get started.
Choose a director, an assistant director and a stage manager. The board should be in charge of this task. If you don't have one, form a committee to do so.
Get out your calendar and pick performance dates. Avoid holiday weekends, when many folks travel out of town.
Hold auditions at least six months in advance. Place casting calls in the regional newspapers and on cable TV community bulletin boards. List the name of the play or musical and give specific information about the characters, including age and physical characteristics.
Publicize the performances at least a month in advance.
Posted By: Alan Baltes
Web: http://actinginfo.blogspot.com
Contact: e-mail
| About the Author: |
| I'm an Entertainment Industry professional working for a major studio in film/television production management. I am also a member of the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, and am currently serving on the Screen Actors Guild Equal Employment Opportunities and Diversity Committees. |
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