The Complete Idiot's Guide to Amateur Theatricals [Mass Market Paperback]

John Kenrick (Author)

Book Description

Series: The Complete Idiot's Guide | Publication Date: September 5, 2006

The one and only book on successfully staging amateur productions.

In this book, drama teachers and community directors are given everything they need to know about picking the right show; licensing, casting, and budgeting; organizing a schedule; costumes, makeup, staging, lighting, and music; tickets, fundraising, programs, cast parties, and more. Illustrated with help plans and photos from actual productions.

• Perfect for nonprofit organizations’ fundraising theater events and community theater groups
• Complete with an extensive resource section
• Illustrated with help plans and great photos from actual productions

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

John Kenrick, a freelance writer and lecturer, has worked in cabaret and off-Broadway as a scriptwriter, lyricist, performer, director, and producer. Serving as personal assistant to six Tony-winning Broadway producers, he worked on such productions as the long-running revival of Grease and the Pulitzer Prize-winning Rent. He also assisted in the production and management of numerous national tours.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 400 pages
• Publisher: Alpha (September 5, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1592575064
• ISBN-13: 978-1592575060
• Product Dimensions: 9 x 7.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #890,301 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Through the 1980s and 90s, John Kenrick enjoyed an extensive career in theatrical production and management. He was personal assistant to six Tony-winning producers, working on such productions as the first revival of GREASE and the Pulitzer Prize-winning RENT. He also assisted in the production and management of numerous national tours, including DAMN YANKEES with Jerry Lewis, VICTOR/VICTORIA, JEKYLL & HYDE, the short-lived Broadway drama MY THING OF LOVE and Tommy Tune's ill-fated musical BUSKER ALLEY.

John provided lyrics for the acclaimed but short-lived Off-Broadway production Bats, wrote and produced cabaret shows that appeared at the Duplex and The Five Oaks, and provided special material for performers at Caroline's, Eighty-Eights, Don't Tell Mama and other top New York clubs. He was Associate Producer for the Celebration '86 Gay Arts Festival, and worked in various capacities for The Glines, The Vineyard Theatre, PACE Theatrical, NAMCO, The Booking Office and The New York Theatre Workshop.
As an expert on musical theater history, John has been interviewed by A&E Biography, BBC TV and Radio, British TV4, The Discovery Travel Channel, The Sci-Fi Channel, The London Observer, National Public Radio, Newsday, The Dallas Daily News and the Chicago Sun Times, among others. He has appeared in documentaries discussing showtunes, Jerry Herman, Times Square, haunted theatres, and the history of burlesque -- and he can be seen in the DVD documentaries for THE BUSBY BERKELEY COLLECTION (42ND STREET, GOLD DIGGERS OF 1933 & 1935, FOOTLIGHT PARADE, DAMES), and the classic MGM musicals THREE LITTLE WORDS, TILL THE CLOUDS ROLL BY and IT'S ALWAYS FAIR WEATHER.

John's currently teaches musical theatre history at New York University's Steinhardt School, and has also taught the same subject at Marymount Manhattan College. His speaking schedule has run the gamut from luxury liners to Pace University to the NYC Fringe Festival. He offered a three year series of "Musical Conversations" at Manhattan's York Theatre, and just finished the fourth year of his lecture series at the Sutton Place Synagogue. John has also appeared at the 92nd Street Y and the Queensborough Library. His article "Theatre in New York: A Brief History" appears in the textbook Theatre Law: Cases and Materials (Durham, NC: Carolina Academic Press, 2004). John is also author of two books currently in print: THE COMPLETE IDIOT'S GUIDE TO AMATEUR THEATRICALS, and A HISTORY OF THE MUSICAL THEATRE.

When John saw that the internet a needed a reliable non commercial, educational resource celebrating the history of musicals, this website was born. Since its inception in 1996, Musicals101.com has grown to over six hundred pages of text and currently attracts an average of fifteen thousand visitors each month.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read This Book!, December 5, 2006

By 

Natmama (Redondo Beach, CA United States) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Amateur Theatricals (Mass Market Paperback)

Oh how I wish this book had been around when I first became involved in community youth theatre! It clearly lays out essential information for any amateur working in theatre - or anyone working with amateurs in theatre. It covers everything from getting started to cleanup, with specific and practical discussions of all aspects of financing, organizing, mounting and enjoying this wonderful participatory art form. Very worthwhile.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Invaluable for the amateur theatre company!, August 23, 2007

By 

Theatre Geek (Here and there) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Amateur Theatricals (Mass Market Paperback)

I got all the help i needed to build an amateur theatre company from the book. From choosing the plays to putting a winning team together to financing a show to licensing issues to working with actors and crew to scenic design, lighting, costumes, rehearsals, the whole enchilada. It even has a sample production calendar, a week-by-week schedule. It tackles everything from assembling a team to auditions to strike set. And it gives a list of licensing companies and the corresponding musicals/plays.

I like the little sidebars too. GREMLINS gives out warnings. BACKSTAGE WHISPERS gives you useful insider tips. ON STAGE gives you real-life theatrical events. DEF-I-NI-TION of course defines theatrical terms most amateurs are unfamiliar with.

Then there's the appendix which gives you suggested readings (where i got the titles of the other books i purchased) and online resources (for actors, directors, and a list of theatrical suppliers)

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A great ready, a great start into theatre, August 24, 2007

By 

Juan Herroz (Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Complete Idiot's Guide to Amateur Theatricals (Mass Market Paperback)

A wonderful book for those looking for some theatre basics. The logistics planning sections are great. The extra references in the appendices are very useful. The budget management section is a bit short and lacks some more details. However, the book accomplishes what it needed to: give the reader a good first glance at the complex world of producing a theatre play.