Embarking on a new production can be daunting, filled with questions like: How are we going to build the set? Will we have enough rehearsal time? And who’s going to make sure every actor has a costume? Here are 10 easy steps to lay the groundwork for a successful production.

What matters is that you begin with a vision and that you follow through with it.

1. Choose a show that you love. You’re going to be spending the next several months deep in the trenches of the show you’ve chosen. If you love the show and the music, working hard on the show will be worthwhile. When picking a show make sure the language, number of roles, themes, and style are appropriate for your performers and audience.

Choose a script. The script is the document that contains all the lines and stage directions of a play. It defines act and scene changes, descriptions of the characters and ideas for staging.^[1] You can write your own play, or you can use a script from an established playwright.

• If you are putting on a musical, you will also need to buy or compose a score (the music that goes with the play).

• To find potential scripts, visit the Plays section in your local bookstore. You can also search online for free scripts.

• You can save money by putting on a play that was written over a hundred years ago, such as a play by Shakespeare. Such scripts can be found for free, and are not owned by a publishing house, meaning you do not have to buy the rights to produce them.^[2]

• If you are putting on an improvised play, or a play with no words, you will still need to write down the basic ideas of your play, and note things like scene changes and number of actors involved.

• Obtain copies of the script your every member of the cast and crew, and get a few backups.

2. Assemble your team of collaborators. Assemble a crew. A play needs a producer, who oversees the financing and management of the play, and a director, who runs rehearsals. It needs people in charge of creating, finding, and keeping track of the costumes, the makeup, masks and wigs, the sets (backdrops, large objects such as fake cars or trees), and the props (objects to be handled onstage). It needs a stage manager, the person running the cast and crew from behind the curtains. Finally, it needs people to design the lights, and to handle the lights and the microphones that will be used during the show.

• Depending on the size of the production, you can have different people for each of these roles, or just a few people with overlapping roles.

• A large broadway musical might have a crew of hundreds, while a school play might have a single person acting as producer, director, stage manager, and costume designer.

You can use the sample list below. Start at the top and put a name next to each job. If there is one person covering more than three jobs, try to expand your staff to distribute the workload. Look to all students, parent volunteers, and staff within your organization that have these special skills. You’ll be pleasantly surprised who has a interest or side hobby in say lighting design or who may have a hidden love for carpentry.

Sample list of jobs on any given production:

Producer

General Manager

Director

Music Director

Choreographer

Production Stage Manager

Assistant Stage Manager

Assistant Stage Manager

Set Design

Lighting Design

Costume Design

Sound Design

Prop Design

Sound Mixer

Production Manager

Technical Director

Carpenters

Electricians

Follow spot operators

3. Get your design ideas in order. Design includes sound, lights, props and costumes. As the director, take the lead in the design process. Start by getting all your designers on the same page before rehearsals, also known as “pre-production”. Gather everyone’s ideas on the entire feel of the show as a group or one-on-one meetings.

4. AUDITIONS. Put out a casting call. Audition actors to take part in your play. If you already have actors in mind, give them a private audition, or just ask if they would like the part. If you don't have actors in mind, put up notices in your local paper and on community bulletin boards advertising the auditions. Describe each character, and the type of person you are looking to cast. For example, if you were trying to cast Romeo and Juliet, you would write "Juliet: young woman, any age considered but must be able to play 13-yo.

• Be sure to list how many actors you are casting, whether or not you are offering compensation, how frequent rehearsals will be, and when the play will be performed.

• List where and when auditions will be held, what the actors should bring, and your contact information.

Be specific about what you want actors to prepare for auditions, such as: Sixteen (16) bars of an up tempo song (or any section of a song that has a natural beginning, middle and end). You can also suggest the actor use a specific section of a song (a verse and chorus). If you’re working with younger actors, teaching them a short section of a song from the show as a group, then have them perform it for you individually. For acting, it’s best to work with short sides from the show you are producing. Sides are short excerpts of longer scenes. I like to start with one actor asking another actor a question, and then use enough dialogue to get a sense of whether or not a person is right for the role. Usually 1 page of dialogue is plenty. Sometimes ½ page is all that you need. Monologues are an okay substitution for sides, but you will get a more accurate understanding (and maybe a pleasant surprise or two) of who is best for a part if you audition actors from sides.

5. Set up a room that feels like a real audition room. If there are computers or desks in the room make them neat and tidy, so that the actor coming in for an audition feels like he/she is in an audition room and not a computer lab. This gesture alone will raise the bar on their performance. In the audition room the producer, director, choreographer, music director, and a reader should be present. Actors on Broadway audition only in front the necessary staff. Avoid auditioning actors in front of other actors. Your team’s goal is to cast the best person for the role. It is the job of the director, choreographer, and music director to set up a situation where all of the actors will succeed and feel comfortable, and be cast in the role most appropriate for their skill level and type (or “essence”, which is much deeper than just the way someone looks, but really encapsulates who they are as a person).

Audition and cast your actors. The producer and director should have each actor read lines from the script for the parts they want. You can audition each person separately, or you can call in all the Juliets at once and have them read one after another. You can also have actors audition with a monologue they have prepared ahead of time.

• You may need to read the lines in between, or you may want to have another actor on hand to read with the person auditioning.

• Get the contact information of each actors so that you can inform them whether or not they got the parts they wanted.

• Once you have a few options for each roll, offer callbacks. Callbacks are a separate audition in which the actors you are considering for the part return and audition again.

• Once you have cast the play, contact all the actors and let them know if they are in or not. If you have bit parts (small roles with no lines or just a few lines) available, ask the actors you did not cast if they would be willing to play these parts.

• Bit part actors do not always need to come to every rehearsal, but still get to enjoy some time onstage during the production.

6. Create a production calendar. The production stage manager should put together a production calendar, with clear goals, like: “Rehearsal,” “Work through Scene 2/3,” “Designer run,” “Load In,” “Tech,” “Dress Rehearsal,” specifically sketched out. Obviously things can change along the way, but there should be a well thought out plan to begin with. This calendar (which helps performers understand the timeline and goals in a tangible way), should be distributed on the first day of rehearsals, along with a contact sheet that includes who is playing which role(s) (all members of your team should be noted on this document), cast/scene breakdown (this tells you who is in each scene), script, music, and any other necessary paperwork including contracts.

7. Make the rehearsal space comfortable. Make sure the room is clean and organized. Put out enough chairs so that every person has a chair, a place to store their belongings and water. People may think, “This group of actors likes to sit on the floor.” They might, but in reality if you give everyone a place in the room that is designated (like a chair of their choice), or a music stand, they will use their space and feel calm when they are in their space with their stuff. The room will be easier to manage.

8. Always start and end rehearsals on time. From here it is the director’s job to guide the ship. It is important that everyone is treated with the utmost respect, and that time is managed efficiently. Any actor sitting around without something to do is potential trouble. So make sure that everyone is engaged and participating while they are in the rehearsal room.

9. Share your process and expectations up front. When working with performers ages 7-25, it’s important to set clear goals and expectations. For instance, I let actors know that during an initial staging (or “blocking” if you prefer that word), of a scene I assume that they will be on book (writing down their staging notes). The next time I schedule that scene for rehearsal all actors should be off book (have their lines and their staging memorized), even if the rehearsal is the next day. Getting off book as you go is far better than one giant “off book” deadline in the future. This way, the actor and director can actually work on acting all along the way. And, if an actor finds him/herself with time to spare in a rehearsal, you should suggest that he/she might want to work on running lines (rather spending any time on a cell phone). Note on cell phones: With the exception of recording/listening to music from the show, cell phones should be absolutely forbidden from the rehearsal room. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to set up a high standard of concentration in the rehearsal room, where the focus is entirely on the task at hand. Your performers will become better actors by being in the moment, not glued to instagram or snapchat.

10. Stage a Scene, then Run Through It. Do a first read-through. Once you have your cast assembled, sit them all down in your rehearsal venue and have them read through the script. Lead a discussion about your vision for the play, and get thoughts from the actors. Discuss the significance of each scene, and clarify the meaning of each line.^[4]

• Discuss the characters. Talk with each actor about the character he or she is playing. Have this actor think up a back story for the character, and establish how the character feels about the other characters in the play.^[5]

• Explain the cast what the set will look like.

• Agree on a rehearsal schedule, and set expectations for when lines will be memorized.

Block the play and rehearse with the script. Determine where, roughly, each actor will be on stage in even moment of scene—this is called "blocking" the play. Have the actors write down the blocking in their scripts, and write it in your own. Start by rehearsing with the script. The director should keep a copy of the script on hand at all times. When an actor forgets a line, he or she can say "line" and the director will provide a reminder.^[6]

• If you are producing a musical, you will need a choreographer who designs the dances for each song. This blocking is much more involved.

• When blocking, consider the set design. Put tape down on the stage where the curtain will be, where the set pieces will be, and where spotlights will be, and make sure all the actors what part of the stage is what.

Rehearse in stages. Run through scenes, run through whole acts, and run through the entire play. Give notes after each rehearsal. After a scene has been practiced, or after a whole act has run, the director should give notes and run through troubled moments. Discuss what scenes are going really well, and what needs to change. Your notes should provide specific guidance.

• For example, instead of saying "Romeo, you aren't acting like you're really in love. You look bored onstage," say "Romeo, we need to work on body language. When Juliet is on stage, you should always be facing her. Don't take your eyes off her—she is totally captivating to you."

• Run through scenes that aren't going well, giving actors specific tips. For instance, after giving Romeo his notes, have Romeo and Juliet go onstage to run just the few lines that weren't going well.

• Block detailed movement to guide lackluster acting: "Okay Romeo, when Juliet moves, follow her movements. Juliet, I want you to lift your arm on that line—okay, Romeo, take a step in that direction when she lifts her arm. Imagine you're a puppy playing catch!"

Hold tech and dress rehearsals. As the date of the performance approaches, begin dress rehearsals. Dress rehearsal is a rehearsal in which the play is practiced exactly as it will be performed, from beginning to end. Actors should be in full costume and makeup. All the set pieces should be in place, and all the lighting and sound should be too. This is a chance for you to make sure that all the materials of the play are in place.

• Have a separate tech run-through in which the stage manager gives the cues for each scene change, and the technical crew performs the light and set changes necessary.

• Do a few of these to ensure speed.

• Have several dress rehearsals in which you stop the action to give notes and work out problems with sets, costumes, and lights.

• Once those things seem to be working, do one or two full run-throughs in which the whole play is performed, start to finish, with no stopping.

• If there is an error in staging, lighting, or acting, the cast and crew must work to cover it up, just as they will during an actual production.

The director and choreographer are responsible for staging and teaching choreography in an efficient and timely manner. Once a scene of the show is staged, work through the whole scene stopping and adjusting as necessary. Then, run the whole scene off book. Then move on to the next scene. Same process. Give yourself a couple of rehearsals to circle back to previous scenes, and a rehearsal or two to put scenes together. Even if you don’t rehearse previous scenes for a while, trust that the good work you did along the way will stick, and be informed by all of the work you do on later sections. Actors and directors get smarter about a show as they work on it. And, if the actors know up front what they are aiming for, success is inevitable.

Gather props. Props are the objects that are handled by actors onstage. They can range from food, to purses, to fake guns, to a Papier-mâché head. Depending on the size of your production, you will either have a single person in charge of props, or a props crew headed by a props manager.

• Go through the script with your props manager and write down every object that will be needed. Make note of when it will be needed.

• Make sure the props fit into the time period and social class implied by the script. For instance, when Romeo drinks poison, he shouldn't drink it out of a plastic water bottle, as those did not exist in the 1300s.

• Make sure your actors know when in the script they will be handling certain objects, and have them rehearse with them or with stand-in objects when possible.

• Your props can be purchased, built, or donated.

• During the performances, actors can retrieve their own props, or members of the props crew to bring the actors what they need. The props manager should keep track of where the props are at all times.

Assemble the set. Some plays come with suggested set designs, but some require you to design your own. Make sure the layout of your set is in place before you begin rehearsals, so that your actors know where to move onstage. Some plays have elaborate sets, while some rely on the imaginations of the viewers.

• If you are performing inside, your set might include painted backdrops or a screen that images are projected across.

• Your set can also include furniture and built objects that actors can stand or sit on. Romeo and Juliet, for instance, requires a balcony.

Make or rent the costumes. Your costume manager might rent, purchase, sew, or borrow the costumes used throughout the play. Go through the script together and determine what each character should be wearing in each scene.^[7] Mark the costume changes and make sure the actors knows when they will have to change costumes.

• Members of the costume crew may be needed to help effect rapid costume changes between scenes.

• If a costume must be changed quickly, consider investing in costumes that can be removed quickly, using zippers or velcro rather than laces and buttons.

Enjoy the process! All actors respond well to positivity, strong leadership, and a clear understanding of rehearsal goals. How your actors succeed is a direct result of how well they are cast, and how well they are lead. When actors are lead by a cohesive, collaborative team of talented, knowledgeable, well-organized, and inspired people that are enjoying every step of the theatre making process, that energy is infectious. If you convey a sense of fun rather than anxiety and stress, your performers will pick up on that and bring that sense of fun to the stage, ensuring a hit production that your audience will enjoy watching.

Advertise. In the weeks before a play opens, advertise in local papers and message boards. Design an eye-catching image to use on posters, in ads, and on flyers. You can repeat this image on the program for your play, if needed.^[8]

• Send actors in full costume to local schools, retirement communities, or public places to perform bits and pass out flyers.

• Make sure your advertisements say when the play will be performed, and where.

• If you are having multiple performances, indicate this prominently.

• Consider offering a matinee, or daytime performance, with discounted tickets for children and the elderly.

Sell tickets. If you are financing or defraying the cost of your show through ticket sales, calculate how many tickets you need to sell, and at what price. Encourage your actors and tech crew to sell slightly discounted tickets to friends and family. Set up a website where patrons can buy tickets before the show begins.

• Designate someone to sit at the door and sell tickets before the show starts.

Set up house. For your performance, make sure that the theater is clean and ready. Consider printing a program in which you list the cast and crew by name, in which you give thanks to everyone involved in the production of your play. Consider selling ads in the program to raise money. Thank your sponsors if you have any, and include interesting facts about your theater company and the play you have produced.

• Consider selling concessions. If your show has an intermission, sell the audience members candy, chips, coffee, and, if you have a permit, alcoholic beverages.

• Make sure you have permission from the venue to sell concessions.

• Consider hiring ushers to help audience members to their seats. Ushers can also pass out flyers and direct people to the restrooms.

Perform. Savor the excitement of your opening night. Gather cast and crew together before the first show and give a speech of thanks and encouragement. Answer any questions, and remind everyone of recent changes or issues. Do some team-building activities, such as having everyone hold hands in a huge circle and chanting.

• After the each performance, or before the next performance opens, give notes to your cast and crew.

• If you are only doing one performance, skip the notes and just dole out praise and thanks.