Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board: Play with minimal or no set

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FFootlighters
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Joined: 7/13/10
Location: United States
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Posts: 10

Topic: Play with minimal or no set
Posted: 11/11/10 at 4:12pm

All,

My technical director, blast him, is getting married the weekend of load-in and will miss tech week entirely for our May 2012 show. We are a small community theatre and absolutely depend on his skill. (He is employed as the full-time TD by the venue that is our home.)

Therefore, we are looking for a play with minimal or no set needs. Other than Our Town, what suggestions do you have?

Please note: We are looking for published scripts that would be well-known to our suburban mid-west community. Not interested in original scripts. (Sorry, all you aspiring playwrights)

Thanks in advance!

Fairfield Footlighters
Fairfield, OH
http://www.fairfield-footlighters.org

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Rorgg
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Joined: 2/10/09
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Posted: 11/11/10 at 5:34pm

Last spring, I was involved in a production of The Dining Room by A.R. Gurney. The set was a dining room table and six chairs, plus a couple spare chairs on each side of the set, which were totally optional. You can't get simpler than that, and if you want to, you can make it a little more full very simply to whatever degree.

Plus, it's an interesting piece, funny and touching in parts.

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edh915
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Posted: 11/12/10 at 12:43pm

There are lots of shows that call for a simple "living room" or dining room" set. It sounds like you're asking for a basic, nearly non-existent set.

If you want to do a two-character pay, there are several plays to choose from. "Love Letters" and "Talley's Folly" and "A Walk In The Woods" come immediately to mind.

If you want to do a larger cast production (e.g. like "Our Town") then the simplest thing to turn to would be Shakespeare. After all, he specifically wrote his shows to be performed on a bare stage - at least the early ones before the King's Men moved to the Blackfriar's Theatre after the Globe burned down.

I love doing Shakespeare on a bare stage. It's amazing what you can do with two stools and a stepladder. You don't need the window dressing. It's all about the language and the characters anyway.

I've got a number of Shakespeare shows that I've "simplified" with an eye towards making them easier to produce for amateur or school productions. "Taming of the Shrew", "Much Ado About Nothing", "A Comedy of Errors", "A Midsummer Night's Dream", and a couple of others. If you're interested, you can contact me at EasyShakespeare@gmail.com

Or just go to the bookshelf, take down your copy of "The Works of Shakespeare" and start reading.

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stockhamlj
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Posted: 11/17/10 at 4:55pm

"Divorce Sale" by Linda Stockham. Set is a garage with minimal props. This play was done in New York City and in multiple places in USA and abroad with great receptions/reviews. A fun play. Interested, go to: lindastockham@netzero.net for a copy of the play.

Linda Stockham

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DanielT
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Posted: 4/01/11 at 9:13pm

Look at "The man with the plastic sandwich"

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JoeMc
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Posted: 4/02/11 at 5:56pm

'Man of La Mancha' is a play with music rather than a musical, according to it's author.

I have done it wih no sets relying on props only & it is a fairly large cast, which always attracted full houses.

[western] Gondawandaland
"Hear the light & see the sound!
TOI TOI CHOOKAS
{may you always play to a full house!}

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Majicwrench
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Joined: 2/07/07
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Posted: 4/02/11 at 9:08pm

If you have never done a show with almost no set, this is gonna be a great experience for you. Is amazing how much you can do without on stage. Less is more, just keep saying it.

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Scott B
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Posted: 4/03/11 at 9:23pm

One that I've been wanting to do for a long time is Faith County. There are several videos on youtube if you do a search for it. Reviews that I've read have been very good and they say it's really funny. As I recall it's a pretty basic set.

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KEB54
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Posted: 4/04/11 at 1:31pm

There are tons of shows that can be done that way. Just look at competition shows, they have to fit their entire set in a 10' x 10' square.

The Fantasticks come to mind or Putnum County Spelling Bee for musicals.

You could do something like the Glass Menagerie.

KEB

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Danny Beans
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Joined: 4/14/11
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Posted: 4/14/11 at 4:05pm

Twelve Angry Men by Reginald rose. You can pull it off with nothing but a table, twelve chairs, and maybe a water cooler on an otherwise bare stage.

"Vox populi, vox humbug!"
- William Tecumseh Sherman

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Play Suggestions
Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board :Producing Theater :Play Suggestions

Author	Message
FFootlighters Player Joined: 7/13/10 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 10	Topic: Play with minimal or no set Posted: 11/11/10 at 4:12pm
	All, My technical director, blast him, is getting married the weekend of load-in and will miss tech week entirely for our May 2012 show. We are a small community theatre and absolutely depend on his skill. (He is employed as the full-time TD by the venue that is our home.) Therefore, we are looking for a play with minimal or no set needs. Other than Our Town, what suggestions do you have? Please note: We are looking for published scripts that would be well-known to our suburban mid-west community. Not interested in original scripts. (Sorry, all you aspiring playwrights) Thanks in advance!
	Fairfield Footlighters Fairfield, OH http://www.fairfield-footlighters.org

	IP Logged

Rorgg Celebrity Joined: 2/10/09 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 151	Posted: 11/11/10 at 5:34pm
	Last spring, I was involved in a production of The Dining Room by A.R. Gurney. The set was a dining room table and six chairs, plus a couple spare chairs on each side of the set, which were totally optional. You can't get simpler than that, and if you want to, you can make it a little more full very simply to whatever degree. Plus, it's an interesting piece, funny and touching in parts.
	IP Logged

edh915 Celebrity Joined: 11/19/09 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 325	Posted: 11/12/10 at 12:43pm
	There are lots of shows that call for a simple "living room" or dining room" set. It sounds like you're asking for a basic, nearly non-existent set. If you want to do a two-character pay, there are several plays to choose from. "Love Letters" and "Talley's Folly" and "A Walk In The Woods" come immediately to mind. If you want to do a larger cast production (e.g. like "Our Town") then the simplest thing to turn to would be Shakespeare. After all, he specifically wrote his shows to be performed on a bare stage - at least the early ones before the King's Men moved to the Blackfriar's Theatre after the Globe burned down. I love doing Shakespeare on a bare stage. It's amazing what you can do with two stools and a stepladder. You don't need the window dressing. It's all about the language and the characters anyway. I've got a number of Shakespeare shows that I've "simplified" with an eye towards making them easier to produce for amateur or school productions. "Taming of the Shrew", "Much Ado About Nothing", "A Comedy of Errors", "A Midsummer Night's Dream", and a couple of others. If you're interested, you can contact me at EasyShakespeare@gmail.com Or just go to the bookshelf, take down your copy of "The Works of Shakespeare" and start reading.
	IP Logged

stockhamlj Walk-On Joined: 8/25/07 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 0	Posted: 11/17/10 at 4:55pm
	"Divorce Sale" by Linda Stockham. Set is a garage with minimal props. This play was done in New York City and in multiple places in USA and abroad with great receptions/reviews. A fun play. Interested, go to: lindastockham@netzero.net for a copy of the play.
	Linda Stockham
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DanielT Walk-On Joined: 4/01/11 Location: Canada Online Status: Offline Posts: 0	Posted: 4/01/11 at 9:13pm
	Look at "The man with the plastic sandwich"
	IP Logged

JoeMc Celebrity Joined: 3/13/06 Location: Australia Online Status: Offline Posts: 832	Posted: 4/02/11 at 5:56pm
	'Man of La Mancha' is a play with music rather than a musical, according to it's author. I have done it wih no sets relying on props only & it is a fairly large cast, which always attracted full houses.
	[western] Gondawandaland "Hear the light & see the sound! TOI TOI CHOOKAS {may you always play to a full house!}
	IP Logged

Majicwrench Celebrity Joined: 2/07/07 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 178	Posted: 4/02/11 at 9:08pm
	If you have never done a show with almost no set, this is gonna be a great experience for you. Is amazing how much you can do without on stage. Less is more, just keep saying it.
	IP Logged

Scott B Celebrity Joined: 12/08/04 Online Status: Offline Posts: 239	Posted: 4/03/11 at 9:23pm
	One that I've been wanting to do for a long time is Faith County. There are several videos on youtube if you do a search for it. Reviews that I've read have been very good and they say it's really funny. As I recall it's a pretty basic set.
	IP Logged

KEB54 Celebrity Joined: 7/24/08 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 227	Posted: 4/04/11 at 1:31pm
	There are tons of shows that can be done that way. Just look at competition shows, they have to fit their entire set in a 10' x 10' square. The Fantasticks come to mind or Putnum County Spelling Bee for musicals. You could do something like the Glass Menagerie.
	KEB
	IP Logged

Danny Beans Walk-On Joined: 4/14/11 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 0	Posted: 4/14/11 at 4:05pm
	Twelve Angry Men by Reginald rose. You can pull it off with nothing but a table, twelve chairs, and maybe a water cooler on an otherwise bare stage.
	"Vox populi, vox humbug!" - William Tecumseh Sherman
	IP Logged