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From Issue #6, Fall 2004
RT
for Seasoned Citizens
Making Reader's Theatre Work
by
Gordon Bigalke
With this article
we come full circle. If you look back over the whole series you have
a rather complete outline of how to setup a Reader's Theatre program
in your community.
White the program
we have is a "Senior Reader's Theatre" it can be adapted to
any niche you find a need for. Our founder, Dorothy Arnett, chose Senior
Theatre because she felt it filled a special need on two levels she
was particularly interested in.
(I) Each community
has a real need for entertainment that can travel to where the people
are. It has to be flexible and adaptable to a variety of needs and -
- it has to be of a quality that is recognized by everyone as "good."
(II) There are
many talented individuals in every community that need an outlet for
those talents. This last applies especially to seniors. There are few
parts for seniors. They have a somewhat more difficult time memorizing
their lines (sorry, that's a fact!) but their interpretative skills
are still keen.
A Reader's Theatre
troupe can be spectacularly successful in your community, as it has
in ours, if you are willing to do a little hard work and follow some
fairly easy rules.
(1) Scout your
local community theatre, friends and senior's organizations and enlist
them in gathering a pool of committed talent.
(2) Collect a
library of scripts that are entertaining and --importantly - royalty
free. Look on the Internet, at your library, school libraries and even
write them yourselves. It's easier than you think. Stick with those
that are humorous to start and it will guarantee your success.
(3) Set up regular
rehearsals and stick to it until you feel you are ready to perform -
not flawlessly, but with enough polish to be acceptable at a critical
level.
(4) We suggest
that you do not charge for your performances but accept donations, from
all who wish to support your group.
It has been my
good fortune to be a member of a very
successful group as I have just described. Through the Internet and
at several theatre conferences we have been able to help other communities
establish programs of their own and we offer the same to you.
Most groups when
they contact us have a interested core of performers but are looking
for material. If there is an ongoing need I would like to continue these
articles with a series of critiques of materials that are available
and where to obtain them. Let us know what you need and we will try
to provide it. You can contact us either through Readers Theatre Digest
or at www.baycityplayers.com
.
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