TFP - The Theatrefolk Podcast

Episode 94: Set Design: How to cut a big musical down to size   Set Designer Sean Martin talks about how high schools can put on a big musical without breaking the bank with set design. Show Notes Contact Sean at: sean@joey-aristophanes.com Practical Technical Theatre DVD Series “Set design for Fiddler on the Roof” “Set design for A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” “Costume sketch for A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” “Costume sketch for A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” “Costume sketch for A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” “Costume sketch for A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” “Costume sketch for A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” Episode Transcript Welcome to TFP – The Theatrefolk Podcast – the place to be for drama teachers, drama students, theatre educators everywhere. I’m Lindsay Price, resident playwright for Theatrefolk. Hello, I hope you're well. Thanks for listening. This is Episode 94 and you c

Episode 92: Directing: Visualizing the Big Idea   Teacher Christine Thornton works in a tiny rural school but that doesn’t stop her from having big ideas for her shows. How does she work with students to visualize a production? Show Notes The Drama Teachers’ Resource Room Hairball by Lindsay Price Pictures from Hairball The Monologue Everything Program blockposters.com - Resource for making large posters. Episode Transcript Welcome to TFP, The Theatrefolk Podcast. I am Lindsay Price, resident playwright for Theatrefolk. Hello, I hope you're well. Thanks for listening. This is Episode 92 and you can catch the links for this episode at theatrefolk.com/episode92. I had a great conversation with high school director, Christine Thornton, and there is so much in this episode. The big thing is that it’s all about the “big idea” and how do we visualize the big idea. There is also a wonderful tangent on stage management interns. All right. Let’s get to it. Lindsay: Hello! I am here on the podcast tod

Episode 91: The 25 Hour Play Project   Playwright and educator Corey-Jan Albert talks about working with student playwrights and how to get students from idea to finished product in 25 hours, including a staged reading! Show Notes By Wheel and By Wing A Lighter Shade of Noir by Patrick Derksen Episode Transcript Welcome to TFP, The Theatrefolk Podcast. I’m Lindsay Price, resident playwright for Theatrefolk. Hello, I hope you're well. Thanks for listening. Okay. Here we are at Episode 91. You can catch the links for this episode at theatrefolk.com/episode91. So, this week, I’m travelling and, so far, I’ve done a couple of things I have always wanted to do. Wanted to see the California Redwoods, big, and two, the Pacific Ocean – see the Pacific Ocean, also big. You know, it’s really funny. I am a huge lover of looking at nature – looking, not being in nature but being beside nature. I don’t like to hike. I do not like to camp. I am very terrified of bugs and creepy crawlers. I hate going without

Episode 88: Tips and Tricks for Directing Youth and Steven Stack Playwright Steven Stack is a long time director. He shares his tips and tricks for directing youth. Bonus! Steven also shares some writing tips when you can’t wait for inspiration. Show Notes Ashland Falls Focus at Will Episode Transcript Welcome to TFP, The Theatrefolk Podcast. I am Lindsay Price, resident playwright for Theatrefolk. Hello, I hope you're well. Thanks for listening. Welcome to Episode 88! Woohoo! Yeehaw! Oh ho! You can catch the links for this episode at theatrefolk.com/episode88. Today, I’m talking to playwright Steven Stack whose new play, Ashland Falls, has found a lovely home in our catalog. But he’s also a long-time director so we’re going to get him to share his tips and his tricks for directing youth and student actors. How do you do it? He’s also going to share some bonus tips for how to write when you can’t wait to be inspired. Now, that is a trick. Let’s find out how he does it. Lindsay: Hello everybody! Welcome

Episode 87: Character Interpretation - The Student’s Point of View Lindsay talks with two sets of students who prepared the same characters, in the same show, but in two different productions. How did they prepare? How did seeing their character played by another actor affect their work? Show Notes Cobweb Dreams (Two Act Version) Cobweb Dreams (One Act Version) Postcards from Shakespeare Hamlette Drop Dead Juliet Mmmbeth The Scarlet Heart Episode Transcript Welcome to TFP, The Theatrefolk Podcast. I am Lindsay Price, resident playwright for Theatrefolk. Hello, I hope you're well. Thanks for listening. Welcome to Episode 87! Yes, dork central, that would be me. So, you can catch the links for this episode at theatrefolk.com/episode87. Last week, we talked about character interpretation from the director’s perspective and how two directors from my play, Cobweb Dreams, saw their particular productions. You know, same script, same set, same costumes, same blocking, and then completely different pro

Episode 86:Character Interpretation - The Director’s Point of View Two directors, high school teacher Carolyn Greer, and middle school teacher Jessica Stafford, share their experience working on the same show and seeing students come up with completely different character interpretations. Show Notes Cobweb Dreams (Two Act Version) Cobweb Dreams (One Act Version) Live Drama Teacher Hangout Information Episode Transcript Welcome to TFP, The Theatrefolk Podcast. I am Lindsay Price, resident playwright for Theatrefolk. Hello, I hope you're well. Thanks for listening. Welcome to Episode 86! You can catch the links for this episode at theatrefolk.com/episode86. So, today, we have two directors on the podcast. Two teacher directors – a high school teacher, Carolyn Greer, and a middle school teacher, Jessica Stafford – and they both put out productions of my play, Cobweb Dreams, at exactly the same time and we’re going to talk about how so many of the elements in both shows were similar -- some identical, you

Episode 85: Middle School Drama Teacher Alana Gushuliak-Soldan   What is it like to teach Middle School drama? Alana Gushuliak-Soldan became a middle school drama teacher because that was the job available. But now five years later she’s still at it and love it. She’s come along way in those five years, listen to her story. Show Notes Vignette Plays Florida State Thespian Festival Episode Transcript Welcome to TFP, The Theatrefolk Podcast. I am Lindsay Price, resident playwright for Theatrefolk. Hello, I hope you're well. Thanks for listening. Okay. Here we are at Episode 85. You can catch the links for this episode in the show notes at theatrefolk.com/episode85. So, what is it like to teach middle school drama? Right. Alana Gushuliak-Soldan – kids call her “Miss G” – became a middle school drama teacher because, well, that was the job that was available. I’ve got to tell you, the more I talk to middle school teachers, the more common this situation is. And, if you’re one of those folks out there

Episode 84: Playwright and Drama Teacher Matt Webster Matt Webster talks about what it’s like to teach drama teachers, the biggest mistake he sees new drama teachers make, classroom management, and his play The Myths At the Edge of the World. Show Notes The Myths at the Edge of the World Growing Your Drama Program Through Outreach Episode Transcript Welcome to TFP, The Theatrefolk Podcast. I am Lindsay Price, resident playwright for Theatrefolk. Hello, I hope you're well. Thanks for listening. This is Episode 84. You can catch the links for this episode at theatrefolk.com/episode84. So, today is a great mix of teaching talk about play talk. Drama teacher Matt Webster spent many years teaching folks how to become drama teachers before heading back to high school where he now teaches in North Carolina. He has lots to share, it’s a great interview, so let’s get to it. Lindsay: Hello everybody! Thank you for tuning in. I am pleased to introduce you all to Matt Webster. Hello, Matt! Matt: Hello! Lindsay: Mat

Episode 82: Playwright Dara Murphy Dara Murphy wrote her first play in high school for a class project and her teacher submitted it to us. At the time Dara was the youngest playwright in our catalogue but now she’s got three plays with Theatrefolk and is gearing up to embark on a teaching career. Dara gets the distinction of penning the “weirdest” plays in our catalogue, listen in to learn why. Show Notes The Plucky Pie Murder Camel Dung and Cloves Magic Fairy in the Microwave Ashland Falls She Wrote, Died, Then Wrote Some More The Bottom of the Lake Episode Transcript Welcome to TFP, The Theatrefolk Podcast. I am Lindsay Price, resident playwright for Theatrefolk. Hello, I hope you're well. Thanks for listening. This week, I’m talking to playwright Dara Murphy. So, Dara wrote her first play in high school for a class project and her teacher submitted it to us. That was The Plucky Pie Murder for anyone who keeps close tabs on what’s in our catalogue. And, at the time, Dara was the youngest playwri

Episode 80: Stage Manager Tiffany Lyn Meadows Tiffany Lyn Meadows started stage managing as a senior in high school having no idea how to put together a prompt book or call a show. Now she’s a professional stage manager. What’s it like? How does the professional world differ from school? What’s the one thing she would like actors to know about stage managers? Tune in and find out. Show Notes Tech Week Bingo Theatrefolk Facebook Episode Transcript Welcome to TFP, The Theatrefolk Podcast. I am Lindsay Price, resident playwright for Theatrefolk. Hello, I hope you're well. Thanks for listening. So, the number one thing that we’re not supposed to talk about on podcasts is the weather because nobody cares about the weather where I am, where you are, right? Excellent point… except this winter has been, oh, I cannot think of the vast amount of expletives I would like to use to describe this winter. And, keeping on topic, this winter has really wreaked some havoc on a lot of teachers who are trying to get sh

Episode 79: Playwright Jeffrey Harr   Jeffrey Harr is a English Teacher with a sparse theatre background. He was handed the student one act play festival with no guide or instruction. How did he turn the festival into a mostly student-written venture? We also talk about the universal and relevant high school themes explored in his play Stereotype High. Show Notes Stereotype High by Jeffrey Harr Using Arts Statistics (article with printable infographic!) Episode Transcript Welcome to TFP, The Theatrefolk Podcast. I am Lindsay Price, resident playwright for Theatrefolk. Hello! I hope you're well. Thanks for listening. Today, we’re talking plays, talking playwrights. I’ve got Jeffrey Harr who is the author of Stereotype High – a new play in the Theatrefolk catalogue – and we are really happy to have this script in our catalogue. Not only that, it is a big full-length play, and then some of the vignettes from that play have been pulled out and they are on their own as ten-minute plays. We’ve never done

Episode 78: Develop Your Critical Thinking Skills   Craig and Lindsay get specific about why they didn’t like the shows they saw in New York and how you can develop your own critical thinking skills. What are the questions you need to ask? How can you avoid being swayed by others? How do you form your own artistic opinion? We also ponder the reason Broadway shows fail and tell you about the ONE show you should see if you’re contemplating a career in the arts. Show Notes No Man’s Land A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder The Season by William Goldman Seth’s Broadway Chatterbox The Theatrefolk Podcast Episode Transcript Welcome to TFP, The Theatrefolk Podcast. I am Lindsay Price, resident playwright for Theatrefolk. Hello, I hope you're well. Thanks for listening. So, today we’ve got New York, New York! It’s – oh, crap! – a marvelous, fabulous, wonderful – I think it’s a wonderful town. The Bronx is up and the battery’s down! So, last month, Craig and I went to New York for an artistic retrea

Episode 77: Teen Tour Theatre with Aviva Wolman-Wener   Lindsay talks with Aviva Wolman-Wener of Teen Tour Theatre. Aviva has been using Theatrefolk plays for close to ten years. If you tour shows (or are thinking about taking your show on tour) listen in to learn why it’s important for students to perform for strangers and to learn the skills of taking a show on the road. Aviva also talks about the necessary skills students need to perform in a touring show, and the top three things a teacher needs to do when planning a tour. Show Notes http://teentourtheatre.com/ Episode Transcript Welcome to TFP, The Theatrefolk Podcast. I am Lindsay Price, resident playwright for Theatrefolk. Hello, I hope you're well. Thanks for listening. Today, I’m talking with Aviva Wolman-Wener of Teen Tour Theatre. Now, Aviva is one of our oldest customers. She’s been using Theatrefolk plays for close to ten years and she started Teen Tour Theatre because she wanted to think of a way to really push and challenge her acting

Episode 76: Drama Teacher Guru Gai Jones   Gai Jones decided in the 5th grade that she wanted to be a theatre educator and she has been impacting teachers and students for over 40 years. She may be retired but she hasn’t slowed down. Gai travels on average to 20 states each year adjudicating, teaching workshops and fundraising for student theatre scholarships. In this podcast she talks about her drama in education journey, how she dealt with being a one man teaching band, how she empowered her students, how you can be an arts advocate, and her top tips for theatre teachers. Show Notes http://www.gaijones.com/ http://schooltheatre.org/advocacy http://schooltheatre.org/events/makingmagic Textbook RAISING THE CURTAIN available at www.perfectionlearning.com Episode Transcript Welcome to TFP, The Theatrefolk Podcast. I am Lindsay Price, resident playwright for Theatrefolk. Hello, I hope you're well. Thanks for listening. Today, I am talking to theatre educator extraordinaire, Gai Jones. Gai decided i

Episode 75: Create a Theatrical Vision: Teacher Annie Loffredo   Teacher Annie Loffredo equates being a drama teacher with being an artist. She loves being able to put on shows year after year and inspiring her students because she was so inspired when she was in high school. She talks about how she creates a vision for a play, conveys that vision to students and executes a vision through production. Show Notes Power Play Episode Transcript Welcome to TFP, The Theatrefolk Podcast. I am Lindsay Price, resident playwright for Theatrefolk. Hello, I hope you're well. Thanks for listening. Today, we have an interview I recorded with teacher Annie Loffredo last month. I connected with Annie after getting some gorgeous and so theatrical pictures from her production of my play, Power Play. So, I got in touch and we’re going to talk about her vision for the play, her advice for creating a specific production vision, and then executing that vision. Awesome stuff, let’s get to it. Lindsay: Hello everybody! I a

Episode 74: Teacher/Playwright Robert Wing   Robert Wing is not a drama teacher (although he played one for a bit when the drama teacher broke his back) nor does he have any drama training, or even any writing training. He's an English teacher who doesn't even do all that much creative writing in his class. So why is he so good at capturing the teen voice through drama? Listen and find out. Show Notes Robert Wing's Plays World Theatre Video Episode Transcript Welcome to TFP, The Theatrefolk Podcast. I am Lindsay Price, resident playwright for Theatrefolk. Hello, I hope you're well. Thanks for listening. So, it’s really important to us here at Theatrefolk global headquarters that we put plays into the world that capture the teen voice, that the teen voice is out there, and not only that, we want plays that provide an expression of the teen voice – an artistic expression, a theatrical experience. That is key. That is key. That is necessary. That’s what we do, that’s what we are, and just find when you

Episode 73: Using Audio Drama in the Classroom Interview with Jack Ward.   Audio Drama can be used for a project-based learning unit, as a play review activity if you can't get your students to live theatre, as an interesting exercise for directors, as cross-curricular or advocacy work (e.g. to reach out to your English department). Interested? This podcast is for you. Show Notes Sonic Society Colonial Radio Theatre celtx – writing scripts software Decoder Ring Theatre Crazy Dog Audio Theatre Audio Drama Talk The Myths at the Edge of the World Episode Transcript Welcome to TFP, The Theatrefolk Podcast. I am Lindsay Price, resident playwright for Theatrefolk. Hello, I hope you're well. Thanks for listening. Happy New Year! That was all right. It was a little bit weird, sort of screaming in my office, but it is very true! I do wish you a Happy New Year because it is the new year. It is 2014. Can you believe that? I cannot. It’s a little bit freaky, but what are you going to do? So, are you

Episode 72: The World Theatre Video Project   Teacher Nick Cusumano shares The World Theatre Video Project on the podcast, a excellent example of project-based learning perfect for the drama classroom. We also talk about Drama Teacher Advocacy and what teachers can do to become more comfortable using technology. Show Notes Ed Tech 4 Theatre (Nick Cusumano) The World Theatre Video Project Edmodo.com canva.com Lucid Press Google Docs The British Museum The National Theatre Google Open Gallery Google Cultural Institute Subscribe to The Theatrefolk Podcast Episode Transcript Welcome to TFP, the Theatrefolk podcast. I am Lindsay Price, resident playwright for Theatrefolk. Hello, I hope you're well. Thanks for listening. It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas... I love Christmas songs and Christmas carols. I just think they're filled with a lot of joy, right? Although I cannot imagine having to work in a mall or in a store that starts playing carols at the end of November, it would be sort o

Episode 71: Krista Boehnert   Krista Boehnert is the author of two distinct plays in our catalogue – Have You Heard? and Puzzle Pieces. Both plays are completely written in monologue form. Listen to Krista talk about her writing process and how her sister was a big help in the development of her plays! Show Notes Krista Boehnert Have You Heard? Puzzle Pieces Subscribe to The Theatrefolk Podcast Episode Transcript Welcome to TFP, the Theatrefolk podcast. I am Lindsay Price, resident playwright for Theatrefolk. Hello, I hope you're well, thanks for listening. So, we have full-on winter here in our neck of the woods. We’ve got icy roads, we’ve got a blanket of, oh, that white stuff everywhere. Although, because I live in a very small community, it really is the prettiest sight of winter – the sun is starting to set and it’s just making, well, it’s making all the snow sparkle. That’s how we describe it, it’s all very sparkling and clean and Norman Rockwell-like. Not like the dirty, slushy winter I reme

Episode 70: Talking to a Playwright on Skype   What's it like to talk to a playwright? In this episode Lindsay shares three different Skype sessions with three different groups. What do students want to know when they have a playwright in front of them? Listen to find out. Show Notes Floating on a Don't Care Cloud The Bright Blue Mailbox Suicide Note Alice Humbug High Subscribe to The Theatrefolk Podcast Episode Transcript Welcome to TFP, The Theatrefolk Podcast. I am Lindsay Price, resident playwright for Theatrefolk. Hello, I hope you're well. Thanks for listening. Today, we’ve got something a little different and a little interesting, I think. I do indeed think so. And so, one of the things that I have been doing on a regular basis lately is talking to classes and also to casts those who are working on my shows, via Skype. It’s just been a great way for students to talk to me, to actually see me, see that the name on their script is actually a live person, and they can ask questions directly, y