| Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 1 |
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| CHAPTER 1: Selecting Your Musical . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 5 |
| Availability of License . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 6 |
| Budget . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 8 |
| On-stage Talent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 12 |
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| CHAPTER 2: Preparing to Run the Sessions . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 16 |
| Liability Insurance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 16 |
| Child Worker Clearance (U.K.) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 16 |
| Venues for Rehearsal and Production . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 17 |
| Venue Performance License . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 23 |
| Business Issues . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 23 |
| Recruiting Group Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 27 |
| Preparing Written Information for Participants and Parents . . . . | 30 |
| Strategies for Harnessing the Parental Workforce . . . . . . . . . | 34 |
| Things You Will Need to Prepare and Bring to the Sessions . . . . | 35 |
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| CHAPTER 3: PLANNING YOUR REHEARSAL SCHEDULE . . . . . . . . . . . | 40 |
| Types of Rehearsals . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 41 |
| Accommodating the Schedules or Your Choreographer and Musical Director | 42 |
| Structuring Rehearsals for Maximum Involvement of Everyone Attending | 43 |
| Other Common Situations Affecting Rehearsal Management and Scheduling | 44 |
| Sample 36-Week Rehearsal Schedule . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 46 |
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| CHAPTER 4: RUNNING THE SESSIONS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 53 |
| Recording Attendance and Other Information . . . . . . . . . . . . | 53 |
| Getting to Know Your Group (First Session) . . . . . . . . . . . . | 53 |
| A Typical Session . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 56 |
| Dividing the Group into Smaller Groups within the Workshop . . . . | 60 |
| Integrating New Members into the Group - Their First Session . . . | 62 |
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| CHAPTER 5: TEACHING THEATRICAL BASICS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 64 |
| Stage Areas . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 64 |
| Actor Positions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 66 |
| Stage Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 68 |
| Helping Actors to Be More Visible On-stage . . . . . . . . . . . . | 70 |
| Other Theatrical Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 71 |
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| CHAPTER 6: INTRODUCING YOUR CHOSEN MUSICAL TO THE GROUP (1 SESSION) | 72 |
| Introducing the Show with a Video Version . . . . . . . . . . . . | 73 |
| Introducing the Show without Using a Video . . . . . . . . . . . . | 78 |
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| CHAPTER 7: CASTING THE SHOW . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 79 |
| Considerations in Casting the Show . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 79 |
| Planning and Running Audition Sessions (4-6 Sessions) . . . . . . | 82 |
| Helping the Group Understand Casting Decisions . . . . . . . . . . | 92 |
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| CHAPTER 8: A TYPICAL REHEARSAL . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 93 |
| Activities . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 93 |
| Questions and Comments from Your Cast . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 96 |
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| CHAPTER 9: PREPARING DIALOG SCENES . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 98 |
| Walk-Through (1 Session) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 98 |
| Blocking Rehearsals (5 Sessions) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 102 |
| Working the Action (12 Sessions) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 108 |
| Building Your Actors' Technical Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 116 |
| Polishing the Action (12 Sessions) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 122 |
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| CHAPTER 10: PREPARING SONG AND DANCE NUMBERS . . . . . . . . . . . | 128 |
| Singing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 128 |
| Choreography . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 136 |
| Preparing Musical Accompaniment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 147 |
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| CHAPTER 11: PREPARING SCENERY, PROPS, AND COSTUMES . . . . . . . . | 150 |
| "Production" vs Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 150 |
| Costumes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 151 |
| Makeup . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 155 |
| Scenery and Furniture . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 156 |
| Props . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 161 |
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| CHAPTER 12: PREPARING LIGHTING AND SOUND . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 164 |
| Lighting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 164 |
| Sound Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 172 |
| Sound (Amplification) Equipment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 174 |
| Equipment for Live or Recorded Musical Accompaniment . . . . . . . | 178 |
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| CHAPTER 13: BUILDING AN AUDIENCE FOR YOUR SHOW . . . . . . . . . . | 180 |
| Publicity and Promotion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 180 |
| Tickets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 182 |
| Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 186 |
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| CHAPTER 14: PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER - THE FINAL REHEARSALS . . . . | 189 |
| Recruiting Extra Help for the Final Rehearsals and Performances . | 189 |
| Planning and Rehearsing Scene Changes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 195 |
| Making the Transition from Rehearsal to Performance Venue . . . . | 201 |
| Preparing Actors to Use Props and Costumes . . . . . . . . . . . . | 202 |
| Tips for Managing Props and Costumes Backstage . . . . . . . . . . | 203 |
| Directorial Comments During Final Rehearsals . . . . . . . . . . . | 204 |
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| CHAPTER 15: THE PERFORMANCES AND BEYOND . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 205 |
| Technical Considerations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 205 |
| Front-of-House Duties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 206 |
| Talking to the Actors Before the Show . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 206 |
| During the Performances . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 209 |
| After the Show Ends Each Night . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 210 |
| Speaking to the Audience after the Final Performance . . . . . . . | 210 |
| A Final Workshop after the Show . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 211 |
| Top Ten Tips for Working with Young Performers . . . . . . . . . . | 212 |
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| APPENDIX 1 | |
| Glossary of Theatrical and Musical Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 214 |
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| APPENDIX 2 | |
| Resources . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 218 |
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| APPENDIX 3 | |
| Games to Develop Acting Skills . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 226 |
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| ABOUT THE AUTHORS . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . | 229 |