Introduction
Every drama group or society has its own ways to select and produce a play and the process can change from one play to the next: it very much depends on the time available to rehearse, financial constraints, the type of production and when and where the production will be performed. Here you will find a basic overview of how Codsall Dramatic Society produces a play and not all productions adhere to this plan, this is just a rough guide to how we do it.
Selecting A Play
Not all plays are born, or in this case, written equal. Indeed, many hours are spent by our members reading scripts to find new and interesting plays to perform. There are on occasions, more than one play in the running and it comes down to a choice of which play would go down well with our audience. Once a play has been decided and agreed upon we then have to obtain the rights and clearances to perform it. This is usually done by applying to the publisher of the play, who will in due course let us know how much it will cost, and whether we will be allowed to perform it at the time we want. Once these requirements have been satisfied we pay the fees for the rights and clearances and start committing our precious resources (money and time) to producing the play. This includes the purchase of the scripts: one for every character in the play, one for the director, stage manager, sound operator, lighting operator, prompt, props manager and any other backstage crew that may require one. Scripts can cost anywhere between £5 and £10 each and sometimes more: as I'm sure you can imagine the cost of the scripts alone can be quite substantial.
Pre-Production
Selecting the cast is the first step in the journey and the director will arrange an evening (possible two if required) for auditions to take place. Once the cast has been selected, the rehearsals can begin: from here on in, the cast will be spending a lot of their time rehearsing and learning their lines!
Quite early on in the rehearsals, the set layout and design will start to take shape. The position of the walls, doors, windows, furniture and various other fittings and fixtures have to be decided as early as possible. This is largely dictated by the script and on occasion, we do modify the intended set for artistic or practical reasons.
The cast will start using any props that are required by the script and then there's the costumes: if it's present day, then things are relatively straightforward. We do have some costumes, hats etc., but occasionally hire specialised or period costumes if required, which adds to the cost of the production.
Approximately four weeks or so before first night, the posters and flyers will be put out by members and the tickets go on sale. In addition, a cast photo call for a local paper will be arranged if possible. The web site will also be updated to include details of the latest CDS production.
Meanwhile, the sound designer will be hard at work compiling the sound effects, the music required and the sound plot for the play and the lighting designer will be doing much the same; devising a lighting plot for the production and gathering together all of the lights and equipment that will be required. On some occasions we do have the additional cost of hiring in equipment that we do not have.
Set construction usually begins two to three weekends before opening night. This is where everyone gets involved in building the set, bringing their tools and paint brushes to spend many hours working to make the set a reality.
The weekend before opening night the big rehearsals take place: the technical rehearsal, when the lighting, sound, special effects, costumes and props are all put through their paces to ensure that everything works as it should. Then, a complete performance of the play (known as a Dress Rehearsal) is performed. This rehearsal is basically a mock performance from start to finish. This is to ensure that everything is as perfect as it can be and that the production works as a whole.
Opening Night & Performances
So after six to eight weeks of hard work the show is ready for the public. Everyone is in the place ready to start. The pre-show music and house lights fade down, the intro music starts, the lights come up and the we're off!
Post Production
Once the show has ended it's all hands on deck to strike (remove) the set and pack away the equipment. Once this is finished, the after-show party can begin! In the following days and weeks we will often receive feedback from members and audience which is of course always welcome.
What happens the following week?..The process starts all over again to select and produce the next play!