How I did it: I asked our school's drama teacher if I could help her with some of the backstage stuff during the spring musical, and ended up being the music director just because that's what I was good at and I made myself available for it.

Lessons & tips: Know your strengths and be willing to expand outside of them.  If you don't know how to do something, be willing to learn. 

If you direct, don't fall into the habit of letting cast members call the shots, especially when they outnumber you 50 to 1.  Everyone has an idea, and if they want to approach you quietly about it, fine, but not have big arguments because they think they have a better idea of how to accomplish the final look.  It becomes too overwhelming.

If you do a musical, in particular, make sure that the cast knows the music and lines before dance coreography.  If they learn dance first, they learn to dance it without singing and that trend will continue. 

Resources: Theatre Rights, Inc. for play and musical performing rights.

Duct/gaffers' tape and lots of it.  Then get more.

A good carpenter to come and look at your built sets.  We got great advice for making a structure more stable.

Apr 25, 01:02PM PDT | 0 comments | 1 cheer