Outdoor Show Idea

[FACTplayers]

Our theatre group got on the list early enough for Disney's Camp Rock and when we finally received the sample script we aren't sure we like it enough to perform. Also, the price is a bit more than we want to spend since we are new and on a very tight budget.

We recently partnered with our local YMCA so we can do outdoor shows at their facility and hopefully bring in a much larger audience. Does anyone have a show idea that we could do outdoors?

 

[derekleffew]

One proven formula:
Tight budget = Royalty free + Outdoors = Shakespeare

 

[shiben]

One proven formula:
Tight budget = Royalty free + Outdoors = Shakespeare

I would +1 this, as well as say Shakespear is great if you want to work for a bit at re-interpreting it. Much fun, and always cheap.

 

[Drmafreek]

I would agree as well, but do it well. Poorly done Shakespeare can put your audience to sleep or worse.

 

[misterm]

Nashville Shakespeare Festival does extremely well with their outdoor shows in fall. Best production i've ever seen of the scottish play (it was also set in feudal japan).

 

[FACTplayers]

Thanks for the advice. We have considered Shakespeare, but decided against it for a few reasons: Freedom is a very theatre-deprived community and we don't believe Shakespeare would do very well, the actors we work with were not interested in Shakespeare, and finally, another local group does a Shakespeare play every summer.

 

[GBtimex]

If you have enough money for the rights (and the musicians) is the show "The Fantasticks" very small set if any at all, a few props, and some great songs in it. It's a fun little show but it is a musical and it has few roles for women unless you make some changes. I have done it a few times and the old people like it, the younger crowds can stand it and I feel that it can be done on the cheap. Shakespeare it isn't but you might look into it.

Best of luck!

GBTimex

 

[mstaylor]

"The Fantastiks" is an excellent choice. It is a seven person musical, two dads, a young couple, the narrator, an indian and an old actor, and a mime. You could make the mime female so it would be a 5/2 split. I suppose you could redo it and make the dads, moms but I'm not sure it makes sense that way. Something to look at.

 

[kiwitechgirl]

Another small but brilliant musical is I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change. It's written for a cast of four (2M, 2F) but is easily expanded - I've done it twice, once with four, once with seven. You only need a piano (and optional violin) in terms of musicians. It's clever, it's extremely funny, it needs minimal sets - chairs, tables, a bed and that's really it. It also has very wide appeal - everyone from my teenage sister to my 80-year old grandfather loved it when they saw the last production I worked on.

 

[GBtimex]

I worked on a production that had the dads as moms. They played them off as meddling Jewish mothers and it worked pretty well. There is no reference to the names of the parents so you don't have to change that. The songs are not gendered and as far as I can remember there are no lines that wouldn't work for a mom to say instead of a dad.

It's a fun show for sure and can be done cheap.

Hope this helped.

GBtimex

 

[FACTplayers]

Thank you all for your advice! I am definitely going to look into these ideas.

 

[Tex]

Anything from Gilbert and Sullivan. Fun and cheap.

 

[KyleRobbertze]

Another good one is "In the Begining" by Bruce Kane. It is a play for 3 people (1 male, 1 female and 1 of either), but I have seen it done with 4 people. The one difficulty is that it is a very static play, with most of the action based around a table. Click here for the script.

 

[Dionysus]

Outdoor show? No Royalties?

The first thing that springs to mind is Greek Theatre (yeah the uber-classics as it were). The Odyssey, The Orestia (one part or, all three. I know of several cut-down versions, including one that can be done in less than 50 minutes), Lysistrata (always fun), etc...
Also of course as mentioned is Shakespeare, or his contemporary Kit Marlowe. Perhaps do it at night with some basic lighting, and do Faustus?

Lots of ideas out there.

 

[FACTplayers]

Thanks to everyone for suggesting show ideas. Fortunately, our director somehow worked it out with her college so they would pay for the rights to Disney's Camp Rock!