Planning a Production

Project Description

Now that you have learned the elements of theatre productions, you have the opportunity to be the director! In this project  you will be creating your own director’s promptbook. This book will contain everything you (the director) will need to plan and organize the production of a scene or one-act of your choosing. This project will allow you to be as creative as possible, so have fun! 

Step 1: Choose your piece

Read through plays, scenes, and one acts. It may take a while to find something that interests you so do not wait until the last minute.

This should be from a play you have read in full.

You may find scripts using the following resources

• StageAgent.org

• Mrs. Volpes online google drive folder (this will be posted in Classroom)

• Classroom library

Tips for Choosing a piece

• Make sure it is interesting to you. You will be spending a lot of time working with the piece you choose. Also, do not just pick the first script you find, or the shortest. Make sure it is not something you will be bored with in a few weeks!

• Look for something that you feel you may actually be able to produce using limited resources (ex: needing a helicopter to land on the stage would be difficult to plan or do on a minimal budget).

• Choose a piece that has a few distinguishable characters. Too many characters may become confusing.

• Your piece should be between 7-15 minutes when performed. Read through your script at the speed you feel it will go, keeping in mind physical activity that does not have dialogue. Doing this exercise will give you an estimation of the length. Please see me if there is something you would like to produce that is too long. I may be able to suggest cuts.

• DO NOT choose a piece that has a significant amount of foul language or questionable content. If there is a word or two in your piece, those words can be altered.

• When you find the script you want to use, put a piece of paper with your name and the page numbers in the book. I will make a copy of the script for you. Or email me as I might have digital copies available.

Step 2: Preparing Your Script

Your script will be put in a binder along with your other materials. However, you may create digital versions of all charts and spreadsheets.

• Cut out your script and place the text on plain white 8.5x11 paper. Secure with tape or glue.

• This will allow room in the margins for notes.

Step 3: Preliminary Research

•Research your play. If you are doing a scene from a play, you should be familiar with the entire story. Find a good synopsis of the play. You may want to print a summary for your research section.

•Look up the playwright. Sometimes a playwright writes based on their personal life. Sometimes a playwright has a specific style you might need to know about. Later you will be creating a biography Slides to present your playwright and play to the class.

•What time period does your play take place? This is important because set and costume designs will need to be based on the time period. Do some research (1500S English Renaissance, 1920s flappers, 1960s hippies).

•Now read your play. Look up any words or terms that you don’t understand. How can you explain the play to your actors if you, the director, don’t know?

**Save all your research. Print it and document your sources

Step 4: Character Chart

You will create a character chart. You may use Canvas, Google Drawings, Spreadsheets, Docs, or any other digital tool.

•Name

•Physical description

•Personality traits

•Gender and Age

•Name of the person you would like to cast in the role. You may make it someone famous, someone you know in real life, or a classmate. Feel free to ad a picture

Step 5: Create a Character Chart

•In a similar process to Step 4, create a spreadsheet or table that provides a list of props in the act or scene of your play, the location of the scene if it changes and which character uses the prop. You may also add images.

Hand Prop vs Costume Prop vs Set Prop

•A hand prop is something that the actor holds or uses.

•A set prop is an object that is stationary on the set.

•A prop can sometimes be a costume piece.

•Ex:

–Act I- John walks in wearing a rain coat (costume)

–Act II- When the lights come up the coat is on a coat rack. No one wears it, no one touches it (set prop)

–Act III- John gets the coat and he has it draped on his arm. He isn’t wearing it but he is using it in his hands (hand prop).

Step 6: Design your set

Think about how the set looks. What furniture do you need? What kind of décor will you use?

• Is it an interior set or an exterior set?

• What is required in the script?

• What furniture do you need?

• What do you want to add for style?

•You will create a FLOOR PLAN

• An overhead drawing

• Please use a straight edge or ruler

• Digital tools (some have limited free versions): 

  1. 1. 1. 1. 1. Google Drawings

              2. https://floorplancreator.net/

              3. https://floorplanner.com/

              4. Canva 

              5. Other apps/sites

•You will create a RENDERING

• a front view from the audience.

• Your artistic skills will not be judged, but it should look like your best effort. Color it with those you hope to use.

• This can be hand drawn or using a digital image maker. In a real world situation, you would use AutoCADD or VectorWorks (or something similar)

• Additional tools:

  1. 1. 1. 1. 1. Canva

              2. Google Drawings

              3. Minecraft

              4. https://www.smartdraw.com/floor-plan/room-planning-software.htm

              5. https://www.planyourroom.com/

              6. https://www.sketchup.com/en 

Floor plan symbols and Sample Floor Plan

Sample Renderings

Step 7: Create your costume design

• Plan what each character will wear. You may do this with drawings or using digital tools

  • See sample Seussical Plan

• Consider the time period of the play

  • 1800s clothing is different from 1960s 

• Consider the season

  • Don't dress them in shorts and a t-shirt if the play takes place in the winter time

• Consider the personality of a character

  • A shy character might wear muted colors and dull patterns whereas an outgoing character might wear bright colors or bold patterns.

• Consider the set colors

  • Unless it is intentional, you don't want the color of the costumes to blend in with the background

What is Color Coding and Symbolism?

• Color coding refers to having family members or groups wear specific colors or shades so that the audience can tell who belongs to what group

  • Ex: In Romeo and Juliet, the Capulets might wear reds, oranges, and yellows and the Montagues might wear blues and greens

• Symbolism refers to using symbolic colors for characters.

  • Ex: Maria in West Side Story might wear white to symbolize her purity and innocence, but the red sash represents the blood that will be shed.

  • A character might wear white, but then wear black or red when they turn evil

Step 8: Create a calendar

• Create a calendar. It can be created using the following:

  • Google calendar

  • Docs, Slides, Spreadsheets

  • Other calendar making tools

• Include the following

  • Auditions

  • Call backs

  • Read through

  • Character work

  • Rehearsals for Blocking

  • Rehearsal

  • Run throughs

  • Set construction

  • Dry Tech rehearsal (without actors)

  • Wet Tech or Cue to Cue (with actors)

  • Dress rehearsals

  • Show (include a call time and start time)

Step 9: Play advertising

• What would be a way in which a production could be advertised?

  • Newspaper

  • Radio

  • Posters

  • TV commercial

• Include

  • Who is putting on the production

  • The name of the play

  • The playwright

  • The dates of the show

  • The times of the show

  • The location of the show

  • The ticket prices

  • The box office contact info

• You will create a digital poster using Canva and one other form of advertising (press release, radio commercial, video promo).

• See sample show posters

Step 10: Directing

• In your script, mark your beats.

• Mark your blocking. This should be done before your FIRST day with your actors.

• Make notes to yourself for what you want to see from your actors.