Play Suggestions: large cast non musical suggestions

large cast non musical suggestions

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Topic: large cast non musical suggestions

Posted By: kmdded
Subject: large cast non musical suggestions
Date Posted: 3/25/11 at 11:19am

I will have a cast of 13 guys and 18 girls in drama class next year and I am looking for some suggestions for a large cast non-musical show. I alternate musical/non musical each year. Last year we did Nicholas Nickelby and it was really great. This year...Beauty and the Beast. Help anyone?

Replies:

Posted By: Amos Hart
Date Posted: 3/25/11 at 8:37pm

A lot of older Broadway shows from the 20s - 50s had large casts because they didn't have to pay them as much. I would suggest Once in a Lifetime by Kaufman and Hart. LOTS of roles for men and women.

Posted By: donzolidis
Date Posted: 3/25/11 at 11:20pm

I'm sure it comes to no one's surprise that I have lots of plays that can accommodate 31 actors.

My first recommendation is always A Midsummer Night's Dream, if you cross-cast the rude mechanicals, you can have a lot of great parts for girls in that show. (Although you should never cross-cast Bottom and Flute.)

After Shakespeare, here are a few of mine that could work:

The Craving (10 females, 8 males, 9 either - + extras)

"Screenwriter Terry Kyle Morris has just written his first screenplay, a heartwarming emotional journey. His dreams are answered when a big Hollywood studio decides to produce it, but the dream turns into a nightmare as they transform his beautiful script into a zombie slasher flick. "

Read it online here for free - (click on read free sample)

http://www.playscripts.com/play.php3?playid=1425 - http://www.playscripts.com/play.php3?playid=1425

The Brothers Grimm Spectaculathon (5-43 actors, any gender, very flexible)

"The fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm are turned on their heads in this fast-paced, rollicking ride as two narrators and several actors attempt to combine all 209 stories ranging from classics like Snow White, Cinderella, and Hansel and Gretel to more bizarre, obscure stories like The Devil's Grandmother and The Girl Without Hands. A wild, free-form comedy with lots of audience participation and madcap fun."

For the past three years, this has been one of the ten most-produced shows in American high schools. (600+ productions.) Read it here for free:

http://www.playscripts.com/play?playid=1162 - http://www.playscripts.com/play?playid=1162

And The Greek Mythology Olympiaganza (8-75 actors possible, extremely flexible)

"Two battling narrators attempt to cover the entirety of Greek mythology using audience participation, cross-dressing, and general theatrical insanity. Famous myths such as Pandora's Box, Jason and the Argonauts (the original Super Friends), and Hercules: Intern God jostle for space with obscure, weird myths such as the myth of Linus and the legend of the Argus. Culminating in a bizarre, musical dance-influenced version of The Iliad complete with a full-scale battle of little green army men, this play is wild, silly, and a complete blast for audiences of all ages."

This show just toured to schools in Kansas City with the Coterie Theatre, and has been done all over the place as well. Read it here for free:

http://www.playscripts.com/play.php3?playid=1738 - http://www.playscripts.com/play.php3?playid=1738

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www.donzolidis.com

Posted By: Lazy Bee
Date Posted: 3/26/11 at 10:14am

There are http://www.lazybeescripts.co.uk/cgi-bin/Search_Results.asp?iMM=13&iMF=18&iXM=13&iXF=18&iMT=45&iAR=4&iC%281%29=2&iC%284%29=2&iC%2813%29=2&iC%2820%29=1 - 18 possible scripts listed here .
It's a mixed bag, including sketch shows and other relatively trivial items.
Personally, I would look at "Beasts" from that list - a collection of plays based on short stories by Saki, with some excellent acting opportunities.

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Stuart
Lazy Bee Scripts
http://www.lazybeescripts.co.uk - http://www.lazybeescripts.co.uk read complete play scripts on-line

Posted By: bnk01
Date Posted: 3/26/11 at 10:55am

Have you considered doing an evening of ten minute plays? Popular, and it means every actor gets a starring role, even when you have 31 of them!

Posted By: Rorgg
Date Posted: 3/28/11 at 10:59am

I directed The Skin of Our Teeth by Thornton Wilder last year, and it has a minimum cast of about 14 as written, with room for plenty more. I think we went with 18 or so with lots of doubling, PLUS our AD and I (as the director) played "ourselves." (Some of the actors go out of character at times).

I will note that it's a fairly complex piece -- it works best with a video or film segment to intro, and at least some graphical background to start act 2, plus as written, the set is falling over and reconstructed at various points. But it's VERY layered and interesting, and I truly enjoyed it.

Posted By: jonplaywright
Date Posted: 3/28/11 at 12:33pm

I also have a pair of large-cast, full-length non musicals you may wish to consider. Both are parodies. The first is the widely produced High School (non) Musical, a wacky send-up of the Disney hit. It's available here:

http://www.playscripts.com/play.php3?playid=1335 - http://www.playscripts.com/play.php3?playid=1335

Also, I have a brand new play (premieres in May), Harry's Hotter at Twilight, a mash-up parody of Harry Potter and Twilight, available here:

http://youthplays.com/plays/view/160 - http://youthplays.com/plays/view/160

You may also find other possibilities on the YouthPLAYS site at http://youthplays.com - http://youthplays.com .

Cheers,
Jon

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Co-Chair, Alliance of Los Angeles Playwrights
Resident Playwright, Final Draft

YouthPLAYS, plays for young actors and audiences
http://www.youthplays.com - www.youthplays.com

Posted By: jmausser
Date Posted: 3/28/11 at 3:27pm

If a Christmas show interests you we just did Miracle on 34th Street by Snyder, Sevrin, and Vreeke. The script says there are almost 50 speaking roles plus there are a number of non-speaking roles. I had most actors play multiple roles. Audiences really enjoyed it. It's based on the book so there are some differences between it and the movie but not so much that it bothered the audience.

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Director in Leavenworth

Posted By: dexter74656
Date Posted: 4/09/11 at 4:23pm

Originally posted by Amos Hart

A lot of older Broadway shows from the 20s - 50s had large casts because they didn't have to pay them as much. I would suggest Once in a Lifetime by Kaufman and Hart. LOTS of roles for men and women.

Second vote for Once in a Lifetime - wonderful show, but it's a little heavy to interpret and get into. I look forward to directing it a 2nd time sometime down the road with a better understanding of it. We did it with 36, although that was with almost everyone except for the leads playing 2 or 3 parts.

Get Smart from Dramatic Publishing is somewhere around the 28-30 mark.

Robin Hood from Samuel French (Don Nigro) is another up there that's easily in the 30 range.

Posted By: peacock
Date Posted: 4/10/11 at 3:12am

We just did Get Smart, and it was great fun! We threw in a lot of extra phones: chopsticks, ties, guns, everything. But Smart is in every single scene, and you need a really strong actor who is very committed.