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Rank: AML Member
Joined: 10/28/2007
Posts: 4
Points: 12
Location: Texas
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All you blessed tithe payers just paid for an absolutely gorgeous new church building for us here in Rockwall, TX. And I thank you. Now, we've just got our little ward meeting in this building that obviously is intended to become a stake center, and the bishop thinks that the ward should put all its amenities to good use. That includes the stage. He's approached a friend who is on the Board of Directors of our local community theater about staging a play. Of course, he suggested _Saturday's Warriors_. My friend knows I "know" you folks and has asked me to enlist your assistance.
She's hoping to find something that can be performed in a church, preferably non-musical since her directing experience w. musicals is limited (but she's okay w. a musical if the gods so deem), but that isn't, well, that isn't _Saturday's Warriors_. As we've talked, we wondered about the possibility of using something that is not LDS and opening the auditions to some kids we know who are not LDS, but who are always looking for something to be in. And then there would be the off-chance we could pull in an audience that wasn't exclusively LDS.
The bishop wants a teen show. Any suggestions? New or tried and true material would be considered, but, as I said, it has to be okay to perform inside a church.
Please don't suggest _High School Musical_.
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Rank: AML Member
Joined: 10/25/2007
Posts: 19
Points: 57
Location: Sandy, Utah
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First of all, there is no musical called Saturday's Warriors. It's Saturday's Warrior. That would be an horrendous production to do by even an experience director in a ward building with no stage lights and no sound system. Also, if you do that, don't forget to include a note in the program to explain to everyone what Zero Population means. Today's youth audience probably doesn't have a clue why that was such a concern back in the 70's.
I can't think of any FREE play you may want to do. You do realize, of course, that you will have to pay royalties up front with a typical play unless you can find one that cuts deals with churches.
The Church used to publish a list of pretty good plays that Wards could do royalty free but not anymore.
Doing a google search might get you a list of royalty-free plays but be warned: they will probably stink.
What about High School Musical?
Thom Duncan
Playwright, Novelist, Poet, Lyricist, Screenwriter, Curmudgeon
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Rank: AML Member
Joined: 10/25/2007
Posts: 33
Points: 2
Location: St. George, UT
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I'll ask my hubby. He always has good ideas for this sort of thing. I always forget things I read or see so I can never do well with a question like this :)
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Rank: AML Member
Joined: 10/25/2007
Posts: 59
Points: 177
Location: Utah
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You have severa playwrights in your midst, Lisa. But you don't want something Mormon, or something religious? And something for teenagers, that can be performed for a Church group? Hmmm... I have a play called Rings of the Tree, a kind of period fantasy. But it requires British accents and some Victorian costuming. The characters aren't teenagers, but they're supposed to be youngish. It has religious undertones, but secularists have also enjoyed the show. It could be a good fit, depending on some factors. If you want something religious, Scott Bronson's Stones is a beautiful play, but perhaps too religiously heavy for teenagers. His play Dial Tones may work. A wonderful romantic comedy. Huebener is a great play with teenagers, as long as your Church leaders aren't sensitive to the fact that there is a branch president who is a Nazi (literally). Not lots of female roles in that one. Eric Samuelsen's Family has some great young roles, but your local leadership may or may not object to some of the material, even though I consider it to be tremendously spiritual and uplifting, yet it doesn't necessarily take the traditional route. Great female roles. Very Mormon.
Upon the stage of a theater can be represented in character, evil and its consequences, good and its happy results and rewards; the weakness and the follies of man, the magnamity of virtue and the greatness of truth. The stage can be made to aid the pulpit in impressing upon the minds of a community an enlightened sense of a virtuous life, also a proper horror of the enormity of sin and a just dread of its consequences. The path of sin with its thorns and pitfalls, its gins and snares can be revealed, and how to sun it (Discourses of Brigham Young, p.243; Bookcraft, 199 
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Rank: Visitor
Joined: 12/1/2007
Posts: 3
Points: 9
Location: New York City
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You could try Corianton: An Aztec Romance. It's a melodrama from the 1890s-ish. It's pretty bad but everybody would get to dress up like Lamanites and there are a lot of roles. It did make it to Broadway at the turn of the last century so I guess it can't be that bad. And really isn't playing a harlot Brigham Young's raison d'etre for theater, representing sin that we don't actually have to commit and all that? Mostly, I'm kidding but it would be fun to see this play.
You could also call the theater librarian at the BYU library. She said people call her for stuff like that fairly often so she might have some ideas. Her first name is Julie but I can't currently remember her last name.
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Rank: AML Member
Joined: 10/25/2007
Posts: 21
Points: -84
Location: Provo Utah
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I have a few suggestions:
First of all, Saturday's Warrior isn't a good choice, in my opinion, not for thematic reasons but because it's dauntingly complex. I know that my Stake Center, which has quite a nice Cultural Hall, would not be up to the challenges that text poses. It has a large cast, takes place in several locations, cuts between those locations--unless you've got a state-of-the-art lighting system complete with programmable light board, I wouldn't even think of it.
Our stage did My Turn on Earth instead, and had a wonderful experience. It's a musical, but Excel owns the rights and provides an instrumental track. Only five actors, very simple scenic requirements, and a charming, family-friendly show about the Plan of Salvation.
If you want something that has religious themes, but is non-denominational and would be good for teenagers, I'm a big fan of medieval drama. Something like Everyman might be fun. Or, more modern, Thornton Wilder's Long Christmas Dinner.
Neither of those really bring the yucks, so if you want something comedic, how about something simple and fun--A Servant of Two Masters (Carlo Goldoni), or perhaps Moliere.
Or, of course, you could write your own play. Ah, remember the Road Show? How I miss them!
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Rank: AML Member
Joined: 10/25/2007
Posts: 19
Points: 57
Location: Sandy, Utah
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Eric misses Road Shows, so do I. Road Shows and Lillie Maxson are the reason I'm a playwright today. Lillie Maxson was my high-school drama teacher. Under her tutelage, I wrote and directed my first play, and getting involved in the various Road Shows growing up gave me the experience of performing. Later, when I was married, I wrote some roadshows for our ward and my ex- wife directed them and they were so much work and so much fun.
I've changed the subject, I know, but I just had to respond. Road Shows were a defining moment in my teenage church and theatrical life.
Thom Duncan
Playwright, Novelist, Poet, Lyricist, Screenwriter, Curmudgeon
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Rank: AML Member
Joined: 9/12/2007
Posts: 63
Points: -225
Location: Utah
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Hmm. That's a thought. What about having a playwriting workshop and/or competition for the youth? Let them do the writing and producing and so on.
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Rank: AML Member
Joined: 10/27/2007
Posts: 23
Points: 69
Location: Draper, UT
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I wrote and directed Roadshows in four states--California, Texas, Utah & Idaho. It was a way to use my talents, have fun and feel like I was serving in my Church calling. When I first started out, they were judging and I finally won a 1st place. It meant something then, because the wards were highly competetive and the shows were excellent. Each show was a mini-broadway musical. Later it all became politically correct and they stopped judging and started giving best (fill in the blank) awards so that every Ward could feel special and all would get something to take home. I think this was the beginning of the demise of the Roadshows. The quality of the shows went down and no one cared anymore.
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Rank: AML Member
Joined: 10/25/2007
Posts: 33
Points: 2
Location: St. George, UT
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Kathleen Dalton-Woodbury wrote:Hmm. That's a thought. What about having a playwriting workshop and/or competition for the youth? Let them do the writing and producing and so on. I think that's a great idea!
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Rank: AML Member
Joined: 10/28/2007
Posts: 4
Points: 12
Location: Texas
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Thanks to all who put forth ideas. Yes, I know about royalties, though I doubt the bishop does. Its a wealthy ward: I'm sure we could get the money from someone's pocket. And I love the idea of the kids writing the play, but I'm not sure they want to perform in one, much less write one. Maybe the bishop can write one!
I'll take your very good suggestions and pass them along to my friend. She has a long history in theater and I'm sure will be more familiar with some of what you said than I am. Thanks for having my back.
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