The Christian EducatorA publication of North Valley Baptist Schools

How to Act When Directing a High School Play

By Josh Nolan

This article finds me preparing around the clock for our annual high school play production.  Anyone who has directed something of this magnitude is well aware of the multiple extracurricular hours it takes to make a fictional script become reality.  This is my first year conduction a play, and needless to say, I am learning as I go.  It is easy to become flustered.  I am instructing cast members on how to act, but how should the director act?  One should most definitely maintain composure and have a plan at all times.  For anyone who dares to lead such a production for your school, I offer you the following checklist of what is necessary to produce a high school play:

1. Cast
Here at North Valley, we have a speech class that performs each year.  If you do not have such a class, you can hold auditions for all those interested and willing to be committed to the extra responsibilities of practices and memorization.  It is important to determine what type of personality and experience each of your cast members have before choosing your script. 

2. Script
Cater your script to the cast rather than forcing the cast to work with the script. The script must be fun, or your cast will lose interest and focus very quickly.  Please note that fun does not just mean a humorous script.  You can make even a serious script fun as long as your actors can relate to the script and express a wide variety of emotions.  It is important to know the number of actors you have and their age level before choosing the script.

3. Practices
Practice in a classroom setting for a long time before you ever practice placement, timing, and standing up on stage.  The classroom will aid in eliminating distractions and provides a quiet, close environment to work on voice clarity, volume, diction, expression, mood, flow with other actors, and memorization.  After your cast is rather comfortable with the plot and their lines, move them to the stage they will be performing on.  Work on placement, posture, volume, addressing fellow cast members, and addressing the audience.  Two rules that I have implemented with my cast are the 45 rule (Stand 45 degrees at all times between other cast members and the audience.  Never turn your back to the audience.) and the 25/75 rule (Acknowledge fellow cast members 25% of the time, so the audience knows who you are talking to, but speak and look at the audience 75% of the time.).  It is important to place focus of practices on expression and flow rather than 100% perfect memorization.  Memorized plays can be very boring.  Acting is what makes plays exciting, and acting involves mood, expression, and timing.

4. Costumes
Costumes must be appropriate with your script and the standards of your church/school.  You can rent costumes from local universities with drama departments, or you can purchase them at thrift stores like Goodwill and Wal-Mart.  It is important to get all your costumes early on, instead of the day prior to your production, so that your cast can have several dress rehearsals.

5. Props
Take an extensive list of all that is necessary for your play to function.  Do this completely and early!  You can also rent props from local universities or purchase them at thrift stores.

6. Location
Decide on a set location for your production.  Many Christian schools use their church auditorium to encompass enough room for all that will attend.

7. Lighting
Proper lighting is essential for every play.  You will need to turn the main lights on and off, and no play is complete without a spotlight.  It sets the atmosphere.  In addition, depending on your play, the use of black lights and dry ice can be very effective, and can be purchased/rented at various drama supply companies. 

8. Sound
Hardly a play will ever be produced without sound effects.  Sound effects are available online and many for free.  I recommend putting together one cd disk with all the tracks you need in chronological order of the play ready to go and cued on your script.  Also, it is important to set the right mood before and after your production with appropriate music playing as people walk in and exit.

9. Stage Hands
You will need to move items around on and off the set after various scenes.  Have these cues worked out and the timing practiced. 

10. Set Backdrop
Much work is put into any play.  Do not cheapen all that work by neglecting to paint a backdrop for your cast to perform in front of.  The backdrop should be colorful and attractive but not so flashy that it takes focus away from the actors.

11. Set Construction
If you are going to put the work into painting a backdrop, you will need to do some construction with plywood and 2 x 4s.  With imagination, much can be done to create a believable setting for your play.  

12. Advertising
Posters, tickets, and programs should be designed on creative software, such as Adobe Photoshop, and should include pictures of each cast member in character.  Promote your production at church and even to the community in local newspapers and coffee shops.

13. Dessert Fellowship
Have a time of celebration after the play instead of going home so quickly. You and your cast will have put numerous hours into that one night.  Make it special and a life-lasting memory of accomplishment.

14. Cleanup
While all the acting may be over, the production is not until there is not a trace that it ever existed.  Since many Christian school plays take place on Friday and in the church auditorium, it must all come down and be clean for Sunday.

15. Delegate
A project of this magnitude should not rest solely on the shoulders of you, the director.  Your main focus should be equipping your cast members, not juggling a million things to do.  Involve fellow staff members, recruit parents, and delegate major responsibilities given in the checklist above to competent adults who can lighten your load.

So, you still want to produce a high school play?  If you do not want to act like your having a nervous breakdown, then get a plan put together, set goals, delegate responsibilities, and realize you are investing valuable time building young people and giving them a memory that will last a lifetime.

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