If you are currently a teacher who is looking to stage a theater production within your school, there are several steps that you need to take and aspects that you need to pull it off and make it a success. Then, for first-time directors, here is what you need to make your school theater production go well and what can ensure that you get another opportunity to stage a production.
Table of Contents
A Venue
The first element that you need to sort out when it comes to staging a play is the venue where you will host the event within. This venue should be spacious enough to host a large audience of family and friends. Many of the best venues will already have built-in stages which your students can perform on and feel like they are professionals on. You should also try to find a venue with great acoustics to avoid an echoey feel to the production and ensure that your students can be heard easily, even if they are not experienced at projection. Most school theater productions will be put on within the school premises, such as in a hall or gym space, as these areas of the school are most likely to have the facilities you need within them.
Stage Makeup
You must also invest in stage makeup for the kids in your care. Not only can stage makeup be fun and allow your students to get into their parts, but it can also ensure that everyone can be seen and feels good on stage. Stage makeup can also be used for effects such as blood and injuries and to turn your students into zombies and monsters. You might also use stage makeup to change aspects of their appearance, such as to age them up. Then, you should consider looking around for high-quality theatrical makeup supplies that your students will love using.
A Rehearsal Space
You will also need a rehearsal space for your theater production. Many directors prefer to use the stage they will be performing on as their rehearsal space, allowing them to rehearse within the same dimensions as they will be performing. However, this is not always possible. If you cannot use the space that you are performing in as frequently as you would like, you should look around for a central and accessible location that is safe, soundproofed, and spacious and in which your cast can feel comfortable and relaxed.
A Dedicated Team
You will also need a dedicated team around you to bring your production to life from the auditions to the closing night. You will need a director if you are not directing yourself, a lighting and sound operator, a producer, and a stage management team who will be able to move props and set pieces when the actors are on stage. This will ensure that the stress of putting on a production does not start getting to you, that you do not have to organize every element yourself, and that you can get all the support that you need.