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This book is the first major study of amateur theatre, offering new perspectives on its place in the cultural and social life of communities. Historically informed, it traces how amateur theatre has impacted national repertoires, contributed to diverse creative economies, and responded to changing patterns of labour. Based on extensive archival and ethnographic research, it traces the importance of amateur theatre to crafting places and the ways in which it sustains the creativity of amateur theatre over a lifetime. It asks: how does amateur theatre-making contribute to the twenty-first century amateur turn?
The Amateur Theatre Handbook is the essential handbook for anyone involved in amateur dramatics. Keith Arrowsmith guides the reader through the potential pitfalls of putting on a production, from preliminary planning and choosing a play, through stage management, to first night. There are sections on staging a show, group organisation and special performances, covering legal rights and obligations, health and safety, budgeting, copyright law, choosing a venue, stage management and front-of-house, plus a comprehensive reference section. Using personal anecdotes, checklists and clear guidelines, this is a comprehensive and accessible handbook for all aspects of amateur production.
This is the vital story of the amateur theatre as it developed from the medieval guilds to the modern theatre of Ayckbourn and Pinter, with a few mishaps and missed cues along the way. Michael Coveney – a former member of Ilford's Renegades - tells this tale with a charm and wit that will have you shouting out for an encore. Between the two world wars, amateur theatre thrived across the UK, from Newcastle to Norwich, from Bolton to Birmingham and Bangor, championed by the likes of George Bernard Shaw, Sybil Thorndike, and J B Priestley. Often born out of a particular political cause or predicament, many of these theatres and companies continue to evolve, survive and even prosper today. Thi...
During the Russian Revolution and Civil War, amateur theater groups sprang up in cities across the country. Workers, peasants, students, soldiers, and sailors provided entertainment ranging from improvisations to gymnastics and from propaganda sketches to the plays of Chekhov. In Revolutionary Acts, Lynn Mally reconstructs the history of the amateur stage in Soviet Russia from 1917 to the height of the Stalinist purges. Her book illustrates in fascinating detail how Soviet culture was transformed during the new regime's first two decades in power. Of all the arts, theater had a special appeal for mass audiences in Russia, and with the coming of the revolution it took on an important role in ...
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How do you choose a musical to direct that suits your amateur theatre group's needs? How do you run an open and fair audition process and cast a show appropriately? How do you design a rehearsal schedule to cover a large set of amateur performers? How do you work with amateur actors to achieve a level of professionalism in performance while maintaining the enjoyment? Directing Amateur Musical Theatre offers answers to all of these questions and many, many more. Demystifying the pre-production process and auditions through to rehearsals and opening night, this book offers a roadmap for success for amateur directors everywhere. Rooted in the wide-ranging experience of a working practitioner wh...
Subscription Theater asks why turn-of-the-century British and Irish citizens spent so much time, money, and effort adding their names to subscription lists. Shining a spotlight on private play-producing clubs, public repertory theaters, amateur drama groups, and theatrical magazines, Matthew Franks locates subscription theaters in a vast constellation of civic subscription initiatives, ranging from voluntary schools and workers' hospitals to soldiers' memorials and Diamond Jubilee funds. Across these enterprises, Franks argues, subscribers created their own spaces for performing social roles from which they had long been excluded. Whether by undermining the authority of the Lord Chamberlain'...
Barrett H. Clark's 'How to Produce Amateur Plays: A Practical Manual' is a comprehensive guide that offers valuable insights into the intricacies of amateur dramatic productions. The book delves into the practical aspects of staging plays, including detailed instructions on set design, costume creation, lighting, sound, and overall production management. Clark's writing style is clear and concise, making this manual a user-friendly resource for aspiring playwrights, directors, and producers. Set in the early 20th century, the book is a valuable reflection of the theatrical practices and trends of the time, providing a glimpse into the world of amateur theater production during that era. Clark's expertise in the field shines through in his meticulous attention to detail and practical advice, making this book a must-read for anyone interested in amateur dramatics. As a respected theater historian and playwright himself, Barrett H. Clark's 'How to Produce Amateur Plays' is a timeless classic that continues to be a relevant and informative guide for theater enthusiasts of all levels.
Redefining Theatre Communities explores the interplay between contemporary theatre and communities. It considers the aesthetic, social and cultural aspects of community-conscious theatre-making. It also reflects on transformations in structural, textual and theatrical conventions, and explores changing modes of production and spectatorship.