Before we started Shrew rehearsals, I decided that I wanted to reward myself once the production was finished with a trip to see some professional Shakespeare. Neither my husband nor I were up to another trip to Ashland (way too far to drive, tight budget = no air fare this year, etc.), so I decided to see what the Idaho Shakespeare Festival in Boise was offering. Lo and behold, they were putting on Macbeth, one of my favorite plays and one that I had in the back of my mind as a possible contender for next year’s Highland Players’ production. I asked my mom and brother (both of whom live in Boise) if they wanted to go, reserved the tickets, and planned to see Macbeth on August 15th with my family!

Then my mom sent me an article from the Boise paper, The Idaho Statesman, describing the opening of the 2008 season at the ISF. I read it eagerly, looking for information about my beloved Scottish play that I was so looking forward to seeing…and saw that it was described as being distinctly Asian with costumes, sets, drums, etc. What????? The Scottish play is going to be Oriental?

Yes, I know that Akira Kurosawa did Throne of Blood, so it’s not like Macbeth has never been set in the Far East. But that doesn’t mean it’s how I, personally, like my Shakespeare. I LOVE seeing European costumes, whether they be the actual time periods of the play (early Middle Ages for Macbeth, for example) or simply Elizabethan in feel and look, and with Macbeth, I was really hoping to see lots of plaid, European swords and armor, and hear some bagpipes. And being of Scottish descent – I’ve attended numerous Highland Festivals and Robert Burns Dinners, and even traveled to Scotland with my mom seven years ago - I was sad that the ISF’s Macbeth wasn’t going to be what I wanted it to be.

So August 15th rolled around and we got ready to go see what I hoped wouldn’t be a total disappointment. Oh my goodness…it was so far from being a total disappointment, I’m not sure if I can adequately explain just how amazing it all was! Even my mom (who was more disappointed than I was that it wasn’t going to be the “Scottish” Play) could not believe how wonderful it was. And my brother, who doesn’t really care for Shakespeare but came along anyway to spend time with us (prepared with his iPod and a book to read, just in case) was completely engrossed in the story and absolutely loved it!

To begin with, the acting was amazing…simply amazing. Both Macbeth (Dougfred Miller) and Lady Macbeth (Laura Perrotta) were haunting, frightening, and their chemistry together was something to see! After being such a hateful, ambitious horror in the beginning, Lady Macbeth brought tears to my eyes in her sleepwalking scene at the end of the play – the depth of her emotion and portrayal of regret was stunning. And it wasn’t just the leads that made this show a success – every single actor and actress in the play was phenomenal! Lady Macduff and her son have such brief parts, but they proved that there are NO small parts – and neither of them were small actors! I cried when they were murdered – it was such a powerful, painfully sad scene, and so well done by all involved. And the witches…I wish I could spend several pages just describing the witches. Their costumes (costume designer Star Moxley did an amazing job with the entire cast) and makeup were frightening without being gory, and the director actually put them into more scenes, thus demonstrating their control over and manipulation of Macbeth. Their silent contribution to the banquet scene with the ghost of Banquo was incredible to behold!

Director Charles Fee knew just what he was doing when he set the Scottish play in feudal Japan. I am so glad I had the chance to see this production, and I am looking forward to seeing what the Idaho Shakespeare Festival will offer next summer! I’m sure it will be a great way to relax following my own directorial attempt at the Scottish Play!

How can it be over? After wishing for more time so the actors could be truly ready…after 10 weeks of heaven and hell (I believe in theatre the two typically go hand in hand)…I have to say goodbye to Shrew and this wonderful, madcap project that has consumed me for several months of my life. To be honest with you, I’m getting choked up just thinking about it!

The performances were wonderful…simply wonderful! As I sat in the audience, I wondered again how it is possible for these students to learn so much in one short summer. How on earth did Petruchio really learn over 500 lines…and not just memorize them, but learn to say them like they were truly from his own brain and heart, rather than just a cold recitation? How on earth did my Katharinas (yes, I had two as I chose an understudy for my original Kate, just in case the Kate I cast had to move with her family before the play was over - it didn’t happen, but I still gave my understudy Kate the middle performance) take on this character, all of those lines, and make “Kate” come alive from within them? Particularly when you consider that with two Kates they actually only got about 1/2 the amount of rehearsal time each? Also consider the younger, more inexperienced actors and actresses. How did my Celia (one of Petruchio’s servants) manage to come out of her shy, quiet shell and turn into a reasonably loud, obnoxious servant, yelling at Grumio and hitting him with a feather duster? And most astonishingly, how did a cast that I originally feared would never mesh together come out as a family by closing night?

In the immortal words of Geoffrey Rush’s character from Shakespeare in Love, Philip Henslowe, “It’s a mystery.” I think there is something very mysterious and miraculous about directing Shakespeare, particularly for young people. Logic would dictate that there is no way imaginable that 26 young people, ages 10-18, and a dog, could produce a full-length Shakespearean play so professionally and so well. There are any number of potentially insurmountable odds against it - the youth and immaturity of the cast; the difficulty of the language; the sheer number of lines to be memorized in aforementioned difficult language…then consider that I did outdoor theatre in the park! During rehearsals we had dead trees being taken out of the ground by a tree removal service, right next to our stage (the chainsaws really forced the actors to work on their projection!). We had wind gusts up to 15 mph right before two performances started, only to die down in time for the play to start. It even started raining briefly about 15 minutes before opening night. Seriously…there is no reason to believe that any of this should have worked out as well as it did.

But it did, and we had three nights of blissful wonderment, watching this cast perform a play that they had “tamed” and made their own. I am so proud of them all, and I hope that I managed, somehow, to let them all know that they absolutely made my millennium…just like last year! Will I ever do this insanity again? Of course…I’m already planning and working on the script for next summer’s production of…drum roll, please…Macbeth! Closing night the cast presented me with flowers, and I had the opportunity to announce to everyone that I had chosen the Scottish play for next summer’s Shakespeare in the Park. Their reaction? Cheers and applause from both cast and audience! I think I have them hooked!

By the way, if any of you are interested in purchasing a DVD of our Shrew, please e-mail me at themogut@gmail.com. They will be $20 each and will benefit continued productions by the Highland Players. I also still have a couple of copies of our Much Ado from 2007, if anyone is interested!

(I began this post last week, on Friday the 25th…so you’ll be reading some past stuff, as well as an update from today…just 8 hours until Opening Night…hope this doesn’t get too confusing!)

Opening night is Tuesday, July 29th. Our rehearsals are over, except for our two dress rehearsals (Sunday and Monday). They say time flies when you’re having fun…true, but it also flies when you desperately wish you had 4 more weeks!!!!!

People keep asking me, “Are they ready?” Honestly, I’m not sure. It’s still very rough - I actually had a kid call for lines yesterday, despite having been told there would be no more line promptings this week. One person didn’t show up at all. Several people are on vacation. We didn’t get through the entire play yesterday as I had hoped we would because I had to stop them so many times. So, are they ready? I’ll know the answer to that question Tuesday night when opening night is over.

The wonderful lady in the picture above is one of our cast moms who has been giving line promptings for our actors, as well as reading the parts of people who are missing. After yesterday’s rehearsal, I asked her what she thought. Her husband directed our school’s And Then There Were None this past spring, and I knew I could count on her to have good insight into the production, as well as to be honest with me about how it’s looking. She agreed that it is very rough and said they probably aren’t truly ready. But she also reminded me that she and her husband felt that way before the Agatha Christie play opened, and my husband (God bless him for having the patience of Job and a very long memory) reminded me that last year, right before dress rehearsals, I was wondering if I should just cancel it. Cancel it? What?!?!??!? Yes, folks, it’s true…I did wonder if it wouldn’t be better to just bag it and apologize to people…then take off for Tahiti on a year-long sabbatical.

My friend who was with me yesterday said a very wise thing. She told me that if I canceled the play, not only would I regret it for the rest of my life, but it would feel like a death…like an unresolved death of a loved one. That is what every director faces, whether or not they feel like canceling the play (and I suspect that other school directors do wonder about cutting losses and running for the hills before opening night). They face the fact that a project - “their” baby - has to end sometime and that their job is finished. Yes, they may go on to direct something else - in fact, one of my books pointed out that most professional directors buzz out of town as soon as rehearsals are finished, sometimes not even staying to watch opening night, as they have another project waiting for them. And I am already facing that feeling…I know that once those dress rehearsals are over, my job as “director” is finished for another year, and my actors and actresses are on their own. They will have backstage managers to help them, but I won’t (and can’t) be backstage to help them. That is one of the worst things a director can do - hover backstage during performances. The cast has to feel like you trust them enough to let go…even if, deep down inside, you’re really not ready to let go.

If I were to cancel the play, not only would the kids be forever ashamed of a project they did not get to finish, but I would lament and mourn for something that never came to fruition. And the chances of anyone ever wanting to be another play I direct would be minimal. And who could blame them?

Okay…fast forward to today - Tuesday, July 29th - Now ask me the question, “Are they ready?” Oh, my goodness…YES THEY ARE!

Last night’s dress rehearsal was absolutely amazing. I laughed until I had tears running down my face - the majority of the actors (95%, probably) went home after our first dress rehearsal Sunday night, which was very rough still, and I think they really thought about what we said to them (my principal watched and gave notes to the actors as well). They came up with new ways to not only bring their characters more to life, but also to simply have fun and be funny on stage. Even the shy ones tried and came out of their shells a little bit more…and did a really super job!

Was it perfect? Heck no…we still had a couple of forgetful line moments, but they’re getting better at covering them and just continuing on with the scene, rather than drawing attention to the fact that someone just messed up. We had a screw up with a costume change, and our props manager forgot to take a table and chairs on stage during intermission for Act IV. But I’m grateful for those mistakes because it helps the actors and crew realize what can happen if they don’t follow the lists they have backstage (I list characters, props, and costume changes, as well as odd stage business, on sheets of paper, and then tape them up backstage for the actors to refer to).

Only 7-1/2 hours until the music starts and our play begins. I am so excited and proud, I could just bust. I can’t wait to report to you all how tonight goes…I know it’s going to be great!

Rules…rules…rules! I’m sure if you could ask any of my cast members about their drama coach, they would say that I have a plethora of rules for them to follow…some that seem important, but others that just seem like a control-freak has gone mad and taken over their lives!!!!!!!!! Oh, my…that was dramatic…but then, I am a drama coach!

I actually lightened up a bit this year about the rules during rehearsals. Last year I had no-iPod, no electronic devices, no tree-climbing rules…no tree climbing? Yup, I had to make a no tree climbing rule to keep one boy in particular out of the trees. This year, I threw that one completely out when I looked behind me and saw 7 people hanging from trees and realized that they were probably burning off a ton of excess energy that desperately needed to be burned off (I then made a mental note as to how close we were to the hospital and how fast I thought an ambulance could get to the park…I also programmed 911 into my cell phone, just in case). Anyway, what is ironic about the no-iPod rule is that two of my actors lost their iPods at the park this summer…I tried REALLY hard not to say, “I told you so,” but it was really, really difficult!

So, my most important rehearsal rules were simple - no gum, sunglasses, or food on stage; I will confiscate electronic devices if they become a distraction to myself, their owners, or fellow cast members; and nothing to drink but water. No gum as one can’t possibly speak Shakespeare with gum in their mouth…no sunglasses because I have to see how they’re expressing themselves facially, and eyes are a VERY important part of that…no food on stage for the same reason as no gum. And water is important for a couple of reasons - they need to stay hydrated, and we need to avoid sticky messes from other drinks.

Backstage rules become even more important, and although they are similar to rehearsal rules, the penalty for breaking backstage rules is even more severe than breaking rehearsal rules…what penalty, you may ask? When I figure that out, I’ll let you know. Anyway…here are my backstage rules:

• No gum.
• No food.
• Water only.
• No electronic devices at all (if actors say they need cell phones for emergences, give YOUR cell phone number to parents and make sure they know how to reach YOU in case of an emergency).
• No touching hand props that are not for your role.
• No friends or family members backstage.

Thus far, according to the backstage managers who have worked our two dress rehearsals, the cast is doing a wonderful job backstage…not just obeying the rules, but paying attention to the cues, their props (only their own, not other actors’), and doing what it takes to make the production outstanding. And that is one important purpose of backstage rules…it reins in the nervous energy by limiting what they’re allowed to do and helps to focus them on what they need to do.  And based on what I saw at last night’s dress rehearsal, my Highland Players are ready and raring to go tonight…in 8 hours and 15 minutes!

If W.C. Fields can see me now, he’s probably laughing hysterically…not only did I decide to work with children OR animals…I decided to have BOTH children and a dog in my play this summer!

Several weeks ago, the young woman playing the Noble Lady (the one who tricks Christopher Sly) said, “You know, because I am entering at the start of the play, supposedly following a hunting trip I’ve been on, and I’m discussing how great my dogs are with my hunter who accompanied me…shouldn’t I have a dog to bring in with me?” Because she owns the most adorable little poodle (pictured above), she had the perfect dog in mind for the role! I told her that I thought it was a great idea, having just seen Petruchio’s dog and his cameo appearance in last fall’s Shrew in Ashland. But I never pursued the idea as I had so many other things to worry about. Last week, though, we revisited the idea and determined that it would be perfect for the first scene to have the part of Echo (who is mentioned in Shrew) be played by the actress’ dog, Lucky. He even has his picture in the playbill! The only logistic arrangement we had to work through was whether or not Lucky could handle being on stage for the whole play or only one scene…I decided it would be best for him to only have one scene for his stage debut, so his owner will be taking him off when she goes for her costume change and handing him off to a family member, who will be waiting to escort Prince Lucky to his throne in the audience!

In addition to Lucky, I have a group of very young people in this play. No younger than 11, but still children to my rapidly aging eyes! Most of these kids have very small parts, some even without lines, but what I’m figuring out about young kids is that it’s not the lines that are difficult for them - it’s the blocking, as well as entrances and exits, that give them fits as they just don’t seem to know what to do with their arms, hands, and bodies. And if you don’t give very specific directions (painfully specific…so specific that if you tried to give those same directions to one of your 17-year-olds, he would be highly insulted), they are at a loss for what to do with themselves. This has been frustrating for me, and it took me awhile to figure out why it was frustrating this year, but not last. I had the same number of young kids in last summer’s play as I do this year - so what’s the problem? I finally realized that last summer the only time the young actors were on stage was during the masked ball scene. In other words, they were extras I didn’t even have to block or worry about as I had a choreographer working with them on that entire part of the play! Well, duh…of course it was easy last year - I didn’t do anything with them! This year several of those kids who were dancers actually have speaking parts, or are in multiple scenes as more than one character. But again…it’s not the line memorization (or even understanding what they’re saying) that is the problem. They have to be given very specific direction, which means I have to be far more patient than I’m used to being. (I hope I don’t sound like an ogre…This is simply why I teach junior high and senior classes, as opposed to elementary kids!)

So do I regret working with children and a dog this summer? Although it has been difficult…even frustrating and aggravating at times…I would still not change much about the decisions I made regarding these young actors (Lucky is a dream to work with, by the way - any directors out there who want his resume, I’ll contact his agent for you!). Yes, I would be more cautious about giving the younger kids multiple parts or even a single part that requires several entrances and exits. But I can still look at this as not only a great learning and growing experience for myself (God’s way of teaching me patience, perhaps), but I can also look at the way these kids have grown and matured in the 10 weeks since we started. I am very proud of them for sticking to it, even when they were frustrated and knew that I was frustrated…and with Opening Night only 9 hours away, I know that I did the right thing by including them in our Shrew!

Creating a program, or playbill, for your production is a wonderful way to showcase your actors, technical crew, and anyone who has helped you make your play a success! It can also be a lucrative fundraising venture, so I highly recommend that you use it as such!

Last year I made our playbill as a Word document. This worked very well for my needs as I was the most familiar with that particular program. In addition, when we started selling ads to local businesses, it was very simple to import pdf or jpg files into the playbill. The one thing that was difficult about using Word for this project, however, was the fact that I couldn’t tell which pages would end up next to each other in the finished product. As far as I’ve been able to figure out, Word is simply not designed to do that. So I had to do a lot of draft prints, cutting and pasting, and trying to figure out where the various items in the playbill would be placed. Nonetheless, I was quite pleased with the end product and had fun doing it!

This year, with our shortened production time, I asked one of the cast moms to take on this project for me. She and her husband worked in Microsoft Publisher, which is actually designed to do projects like playbills…little did I know there was something out there that would have made last year’s playbill so much easier to create! I have been so very grateful to this kind lady for taking over the playbill for me. As much as I enjoyed doing it last year, I simply did not have the time this year…lesson to be learned from this? Delegating can be your friend!

Our playbill consists of a synopsis of the play, to help the audience understand what’s happening (Shakespeare? Hard to understand? Bite my tongue!!!); a director’s note (written by yours truly) on whatever subject seems appropriate to the production; and cast pictures and biographies. Last year I had the kids answer several questions about their hobbies and interests, their previous acting experience, and their favorite subjects in school. This year we focused only on their previous Highland Player acting experience; gave them the opportunity to thank people they are grateful to; and one thing they would like the audience to know about them. I think I like this format better as it gives the kids a chance to express themselves and be creative, even if the one thing they choose to tell the audience is that they’re in the play this summer!

With regards to advertisements…here is what we do, but I’m sure there are many more ideas out there on this topic, so if you have suggestions for me, please comment below and let me know what your group does and what has worked (and NOT worked) for you! When I first decided to sell ads in our playbill as a fundraiser, I knew that although I wanted the Highland Players to earn money for future productions, I also wanted to be sure the ads were affordable for small, local businesses. From what I understand, advertisements in professional theatre playbills are extremely expensive, and I wanted to help area merchants get some inexpensive advertising in our playbill. So we sold 1/4 page ads for $15, 1/2 page ads for $25, and full page ads for $40. We also sold “break a leg” personal greeting ads to families and friends of the cast, giving them the 1/4 page size for $10. When it came time to actually visit businesses to sell advertising, I turned this portion of the project over to my cast. Last year they could see that I was rapidly becoming overwhelmed with everything I had taken on, so my “Benedick” had me pass around my list of businesses, then told everyone in the cast to sign up for at least two businesses. I was so relieved and pleased with the cast for jumping in and helping…and as we all know, businesses hate to say no to kids who are trying to raise money for something worthwhile!

So how lucrative is this fundraiser? Well, from our point of view, with no budget at all to work with, it was an enormous help. Last year we made $450 by selling advertising in our playbill, which not only covered the cost of printing the playbill, but also went toward other projects, like my initial outlay for having our scripts printed. This year we made $495, which is again a tremendous help to a fledgling drama troupe. And putting all thoughts of fundraising aside, a playbill makes for a wonderful keepsake for family, friends, and cast members who will enjoy perusing their pictures and biographies, and reminiscing about a wonderful experience in their lives, for many years to come. And it’s become a tradition for me to not give the cast their playbills until Opening Night…it’s something to look forward to, yes, but it also gives them something to read and enjoy backstage while trying to settle their nerves!

Having a photographic record of your rehearsals and performances will be so meaningful to you and your cast, not to mention the extremely proud parents and grandparents who will want to show everyone and their dog pictures from the production! The only thing I want to warn you about is using a professional photographer. Keep in mind that any pictures a photographer takes become their “intellectual property.” Now, I’m sure there are exceptions, and contracts can be drawn up, etc., etc., etc. But to save a great many headaches, it might be nice to ask a student photographer or willing parent to do it for you. This year, the father of Petruchio and Grumio is doing our photography, and let me tell you, I know these are going to be great pictures. He took a ton of pictures last year of the kids backstage, and then of the performance, and honestly, his pictures were of equal or better quality than those of the professional photographer we had there. So I’m thankful he is willing to do all of it for us this year!

Be sure that you get a list of pictures you want taken to your photographer. This year, we are including pictures of every cast member in our playbill, so John will be taking head shots of all 24 kids, which will be condensed to 1″ or so size to fit in the playbill. He’s doing these on Monday, so I’ll have a checklist of all the kids for him to follow. Then he’s coming to the two dress rehearsals to take pictures. Of course, I want him to wander around and take lots of great candids, like he did last year, but I will also have a list of the groups I want to have pictures taken of. For example, I want a picture of Petruchio and Grumio together…Petruchio and Kate together…Hortensio and his Widow together…all of Petruchio’s servants…the Christopher Sly framework actors…Baptista with Kate and Bianca…you see what I’m getting at. Have it all typed out so that your photographer can just call names, go down the list, and get the shots you want. And stick to your guns - If you have a certain grouping of actors that you want, but the photographer says, “You know, it would look better if we did this,” listen to his/her suggestions, but be sure you are still getting all of the kids in the photographs you want. Last year I had my list typed up, but the photographer decided to switch some people around without my knowledge. Turns out that I now have no picture of one of my actors from last year in her small group shot like I wanted, all because the photographer thought he knew better.

I know that there are wonderful professional photographers out there who will listen to what you want and work with you regarding costs, usage of the photos in the future, etc. It was unfortunate that my first experience with a professional photographer was a negative one. I would just suggest that you get references from his/her previous clients, as well as a very clear contract so that there are no questions or problems in the future.

If you plan to record your play, watch out for copyright issues.  One example is music.  Using music that is not public domain, then recording your play with said music in it can lead to headaches that a school or amateur theatre company really doesn’t need.  Personally, I don’t know enough about copyright law to give much advice in this post - just be aware that you need to be careful about what you use in your production if you plan to record your performances…and especially if you are going to be selling your DVDs.  But we have all very much enjoyed having our copies from last year, and I do plan to have Shrew recorded.  I think I had about 20 people buy copies of the DVD for Much Ado, as they make great Christmas gifts for proud relatives and friends of the family.

Definitely take pictures (include rehearsals, if you can - those can be super fun to have!)…definitely record your performance(s)…these will be treasured keepsakes for years to come!  Just be smart about it - get references for your photographer and videographer, and make your expectations very clear up front - and do be sure to check into possible copyright issues.

Nope, not doing Hamlet either! The title of this post was inspired by the fact that several cast and crew members, families and friends, all went to see the Idaho Repertory Theatre’s production of Twelfth Night yesterday. What an amazing show it was! Set in the 1980s, which was MY decade of adolescence, the IRT included tons of great 80s music, hairstyles, clothes (including the IZOD alligator on boatloads of polo shirts), and even Duke Orsino holding a boom box up at Olivia, a great reminder of John Cusack/Lloyd Dobler in Say Anything!

Considering the fact that I prefer Shakespeare set in more “traditional” times and places (yes, I know that “traditional” has a billion different meanings when it comes to adapting Shakespeare, so it’s not really necessary to correct me or tell me that when Shakespeare was around, plays weren’t set in “traditional” settings either. I’m just saying what I prefer - you know, my opinion!), some of my students and even my husband were all surprised that I enjoyed this “painfully 80s” version of Twelfth Night. I’m sure a lot of my enjoyment came simply from the fact that it was a walk down memory lane for me. Had it been set in the 60s or 70s, I probably wouldn’t have enjoyed it nearly as much - those decades don’t mean anything to me, personally.

But beyond the setting, what I enjoyed about it is that the actors had a wonderful grasp of the language, which was something my actors needed to hear for themselves. I can tell them, over and over again, to slow their lines down, enunciate more clearly, project, play up the antithesis and imagery, etc., etc., but what was more meaningful for them was to watch a professional group of actors speaking Shakespeare…and doing it really well!

In addition, the IRT company of players makes Shakespeare FUN! How can a female Feste, dressed as a cross between Madonna and Cyndi Lauper not be fun, especially when she’s partying with Sir Toby Belch and Sir Andrew Aguecheek (who, remarkably, did his entire character with a hilarious Ricky Ricardo Cuban accent, wavy blonde hair, and made his first entrance onto the stage on a motor scooter!) to tunes like “We’re Not Gonna Take It”! I realize that everything I just wrote sounds oddly heretical, and I hope the Bard isn’t rolling over in his grave (honestly, I suspect Will would have encouraged the insanity, saying, “Couldn’t he ride the motor scooter through the audience instead? That would be awesome!”). But wouldn’t Shakespeare want his plays to be enjoyed by teenagers in the 21st century, rather than dreaded? I know that when the younger kids that saw the play get to our 11th grade World Literature class and “have to” read Twelfth Night, they will say, “That was great - remember when Malvolio came out in yellow cross-gartered parachute pants, dancing like Michael Jackson???” They’ll actually know the plot and the characters because the IRT did such a great job of showing them that Shakespeare can be fun.

So if you decide to direct a play someday, whether it be Shakespeare or another playwright, try to arrange a trip to a local theater to see a play. Maybe you won’t luck out and get to see the exact same play that you’re directing (last year we saw Much Ado…the same summer we did Much Ado…talk about perfect timing!), but it really doesn’t matter. What’s important for your cast is that they get the chance to see professional actors (or good amateurs) doing what they themselves are trying to do. Talk to your cast after the show or at your next rehearsal and ask them what they noticed about the performance. All of my cast noticed what amazing projection Sir Toby had - good heavens, I think people across town probably heard him! And he wasn’t screaming or yelling…he was projecting. There’s a big difference, and it’s hard to teach, so look for opportunities to show rather than talk about it. The other thing that is helpful for them to see is comic timing. Good timing in comedy is essential, and the IRT actors were amazing, particularly in the scene where Sir Andrew is supposed to be challenging Cesario/Viola to a duel, but he doesn’t want to fight anymore than she does. I wish everyone out there could see that scene - it was hilarious and it was such a great example of awesome comic timing.

Good DVDs of the plays are the next best thing…but not necessarily the movie versions. I adore all of Branagh’s films, as well as other Shakespearean plays that have been turned into major motion pictures, but the problem with those is that they aren’t stage plays. They’re good and exciting and fun to watch, but you’re trying to get your cast to think like stage actors, not film actors, and there is a difference, particularly when dealing with Shakespeare. So look for the Plays of William Shakespeare series, or the BBC-Time-Life Films series, The Complete Dramatic Works of William Shakespeare. Those are excellent substitutes if you don’t have a local university, college, or community theater available. No matter what, though, make it fun for your kids…show them that Shakespeare is still considered amazing and great for a reason!

Cardinal Rule #1 when it comes to rehearsals and props…Don’t touch the props unless they are yours!  If Petruchio is supposed to carry out a plate of prop food, then he gets to touch said plate and said prop food.  Does a Servant get to touch that plate?  No.  How about Vincentio?  No.  What about Grumio, who is, after all, Petruchio’s servant, and really, Mrs. Bogut, wouldn’t he be the one to actually touch the plate and prepare it for Petruchio, since he is, after all, Petruchio’s servant, which I think I mentioned earlier?  No. But what if Grumio is a member of the props crew…nay, the props manager himself? Okay, you got me there!

So, I have a props crew. Next to a stage manager, I would have to say that a reliable, mature properties crew is one of the most important bodies of workers that a director needs. If you try to rely on everyone to just make sure they know where their props are, something (or many somethings) will get lost or not be in the right place at the right time. In addition, the director, without a props crew, will be the one hauling props all over kingdom come (if you’re doing your production in the park, away from your normal storage space), setting them up, then looking for the props when they sprout legs and leave. Directors and potential directors…You will NEVER have time to deal with this, so please get a reliable props crew.

Also, when choosing a properties manager and crew, stick with your older students - those who can drive! Last year I had a good crew of students helping with props…but only one of them had a driver’s license, and he didn’t have a car (and couldn’t drive mine because he couldn’t drive a manual). So despite the fact that they were willing to get the job done, I was still having to drive them everywhere, transport props, etc., which didn’t save me any time (although it was a hoot to go shopping with them!). You might have some great 13-14-or 15-year-olds to help with props, but if none of them can drive, you’re still going to be doing a TON of work.  Besides the simple logistical fact of who can drive and who cannot, your older students are more likely to be the mature ones who will follow directions, and hopefully not be chucking prop food at each other backstage (no guarantees on that point, by the way!)!

Once you have your props crew, train them how to set the props out and have them ready for your actors to grab (you know, those that are allowed to grab the props!!!). One of my books suggested that you have a long table set backstage, covered with either white paper or a white sheet that can be written on, taped securely to the table. You then divide it into sections with a marker for each act or scene, clearly labeling the sections with “ACT I,” “ACT II,” or “ACT I, scene 2.” Once you have the sections labeled, place each prop in its correct section of the table, then draw around each prop with the marker, creating an outline of the prop. Then label the outline – “Dressmaker’s bill (Kayla),” or “Hortensio’s harp (Christopher),” including the character’s name, the item, and the actor’s name. If your play uses a large number of props, you may have to have two tables. Get this worked out with your props manager prior to dress rehearsals so that the actors get used to where to grab their props and where to put them back when they’re finished.

But will your actors always remember to put their props back in the precise little outlines your props crew has created for them? Of course not! The actors are nervous and excited, possibly hyperventilating, so it really isn’t, ultimately, their job to remember to put their prop back in its exact place…that’s why you have a props crew! Remind your props crew of this fact. They should never get angry with a cast member who accidentally leaves his/her prop sitting on the floor…they should gently remind the cast member not to leave props where someone can trip over them or break them, but this isn’t an issue of disciplining and reprimanding - this is an issue of working together as a team for the common good of the production. If you, as the director, train your props crew well, and they, in turn, help train the cast as to where things go (and what NOT to touch), your production will be all the more successful and fun for all involved!

So, where do you find props? Well, if you’re a nutcase who was involved in a medieval reenactment society for 12 years, then you might actually have a lot of good items laying around your house (yes, I’m referring to myself). If, however, you’re starting from scratch, definitely check Goodwill, Salvation Army, and other thrift stores in your area. You will be amazed at what you can find that will go with whatever time period and locale in which you’ve set your play.  I had really good luck last year at our local Ross, finding all sorts of interesting chairs, candle holders, etc., that looked very Italian, which is also coming in handy for this year.  Try to go as generic as you can, though, so that your props can be reused in future productions.  And yard sales…don’t forget the yard sales!  Baskets make great props, and I’ve been able to find lots of fun baskets at yard sales, for some reason.

And finally, if you need to purchase prop food (some people have fake fruit as decorations in their house, and if they’re willing to loan it to you, super!!!), I suggest www.amazingfakes.com and www.decorcentral.com - Not only did I find the medieval meat pie pictured above, but I also found some great looking bread items, fruit, and vegetables, and even a historical Pilgrim dinner. Pilgrim dinner? Why a Pilgrim dinner, you may ask? Well, I needed to have meat that Petruchio flings around the stage during his temper tantrum (Act IV, scene 1), but the prop turkeys and hams were quite expensive.  Instead I was able to get two authentic Pilgrim dinners, complete with sliced venison, turkey, cod, and even mussels and oysters, for less than either the complete turkey or the ham.  And it’s probably going to be safer to have Petruchio chucking slices of venison, rather than whole hams!

I’m such a moron…I just have to say this because I did not do the one thing I said was critical to any director’s sanity and well-being…I did NOT procure a stage manager. But, come on…how bad can it be? I mean, good grief, what exactly is a stage manager?

Well, according to theater.about.com, a stage manager is “the director’s right-hand man prior to performance. They keep track of rehearsal schedules, scripts, props, and actors during the rehearsal process. Once the run of the show has begun, the Stage Manager is in control of everything that happens backstage or onstage.” As Will Smith would say, “I gotta get me one of those!” Unfortunately, three weeks before opening night is not the time to be shopping for a stage manager!

I think I suffer from a rather typical female attitude that “I can just do it myself.” I really hate to put anyone out, so I’ll just go ahead and handle it…how bad can it be, really? I also think that, prior to the last couple of rehearsals, I had forgotten what last year was like, as we neared the end of the rehearsal stage. I had forgotten how much information has to be written down and given to the cast and crew; meetings that need to occur; music that needs to be decided on; props and set furniture that need to be purchased or borrowed…now it’s all hit me in the face and I’m kind of reeling from the stupidity that caused me to decide, back in May or June, that I could handle it again without an SM.

So…what am I going to do? Well, to be honest, I don’t think there’s anything much I can do. A stage manager needs to work with the director from the start, in order to have a real understanding of the director’s vision. He or she needs to have kept careful track of all the entrances and exits, the movements on stage, in a special copy of the script called a prompt book. Using that prompt book, the SM then “calls the show,” or manages the production from backstage during the entire run of the play…while the director sits in the audience and calmly watches her baby (the production, or…the 24 babies in the cast that have grown up over 10 weeks) do it all on their own.

So, is there any good news in this particular post?  Actually, yes, there is.  I have two parents who have volunteered to be backstage managers during the performances, so as long as I have a clear script for them to follow (a prompt book that I’m going to try to create from the jumble of notes in my own script), they will do a wonderful job of keeping everything moving. One of these kind ladies managed backstage last year for me, and the other did the same for her husband’s production of And Then There Were None that our troupe did this past spring.  I know the show is in capable hands!

In addition, I have a responsible props crew, ready and willing to do my bidding with regards to transporting, setting up, organizing, packing up, etc., etc., all the props and furniture we’ll be using in the show. And did you see the picture I put in at the beginning of this post? This gorgeous photo was taken by Petruchio’s dad, a former professional photographer, who is doing all of our photography this year for free (yes, he does have a vested interest in this production, with two sons in the show, but he would have done it anyway, I’m sure!).

Today we had our first run-through of the entire play with no scripts…everyone had to be off-book.  It was scary and stressful for us all, and was a good way to light a fire under the kids who simply are not ready yet (that would be most of them, by the way).  But as the kids were stumbling through their lines, one of my backstage managers was there, giving them needed line-prompts, through the entire three-hour rehearsal.  My point is that despite the fact that I made a big mistake by not getting an SM for this production, I do know that it will all work out.  Yes, it will be a more stressful three weeks for me than it needed to be, but I definitely think I’ve learned my lesson.  And the wonderful thing is that I know the parents are there for me, ready and willing to help all they can to make this a successful experience for their kids and for the school.