I'm making a programme for a class production - what do i need to include in it apart from cast and crew lists

Question

I thought maybe like what is happening in the play but i was not sure.. Should I include what scenes there are? But that might give it away.. A brief overview of the play?

Answer 1

It's not uncommon to provide a play synopsis if you're doing a play by Shakespeare (or one of his contemporaries) and you're worried that the audience might have trouble understanding all the details because the language is a bit tough for some people to understand. But if you're doing a play that's easy to follow, you really don't need to have a synopsis or overview at all. What for?



The one thing you could have, if you wanted to, would be a couple of words mentioning the time and place of the acts as well as info about intermission, e.g.:



Act I: New York, New Year's Day, 1983. Bob's Apartment.

Act II: New York, Jane's Apartment, later the same year.

There will be a 10-minute intermission after Act I.



In addition to cast and crew, you may also need a "Special Thanks" section for people who weren't a part of the production but who helped it a little somehow, i.e., by contributing a costume or set piece, driving students home, etc.



If you're doing a well-known play and you want to get fancy, you can devote a little space in the program to some insightful quotes that critics or scholars wrote/said about the play--but it's certainly not necessary. A lot of regional, (professional) non-profit theaters do that sort of thing; New York theaters usually don't. Similarly, sometimes regional theater programs will include a little note from the director or the head of the theater about why the play was selected for production, why it's a good play to do here and now, etc. Again, NY commercial theaters hardly ever do that, either. You could ask the teacher who picked the play if she/he wants to write a little paragraph about that.



Some programs let the cast and crew provide a little bio after their names, e.g.:



John Barrymore (Hamlet): This is John's fourth production at Westmore High. He has also acted in summer stock theater productions in Phoenix and... (blah blah blah)



I would advise against doing this because people get a little self-indulgent and it's really not necessary. If you do include a section like that, make sure you set firm limits about how long a bio can be--two or three sentences should be enough--and don't let people "give a shout out" to three dozen friends and their extended family! Otherwise the program will be 20 pages long!



Break a leg...

Answer 2

Well, in the three productions I've been in, they've also included the name(s) of the directors(s). Other than that- sometimes they list the scenes/ acts (unless if you really think that would give it away.) Also, they sometimes give like a list of songs (in the order of when you hear them) and who sings them. You can also have a section of any "Special Thanks" that the cast would like to give to people (ya know- family, friends, and other people that weren't part of the crew but still helped.) You might also want to give "Little Known Facts" about the play (you can go on www.wikipedia.com and they might give you a little bit of backround info on the play.) And if you still have some spare time, you can even add biographies (AKA- bios) of the actors, actresses, director(s), choreographer(s), etc. And you may even want to include some pictures.



I hope this helps! Tell the cast and crew and everyone to "Break a Leg." Wait- no! Please don't break any legs! How would they come onstage!?!

Answer 3

It depends on the size of the production. At minimum the title of the play, the author, a bit about the play, the scenes and bios of the director and top 4 actors, the choreographer (if dance involved) and conductor (if music involved).

Answer 4

besides the reality that I do understand the place you're coming from, i could never have had the appreciation for the techies that I even have now if, as an actor, I hadn't been required to do techie paintings. Plus, this is great to have another means to fall returned on, in smaller theatres (alongside with community theatres) human beings tend to have distinctive roles in the theatre. i think of the requirement could purely be for one twelve months, however. My college required performing majors to accomplish a little form of tech/group paintings the excellent 4 years, and it grow to be beginning as much as get tiring while i grow to be doing such huge performing by skill of the 2nd twelve months. My appreciation for the at the back of the curtain group/tech by skill of the 2nd twelve months grow to be already honed besides.

Answer 5

The title of the production. The synopsis of the production.