Customer Reviews

The Youth Theatre Director's Handbook

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This book is so easy & helpful! It is a must for a quick grab resource as well as a great tool for indepth planning. Thanks to Maureen & Lane for giving us something we can actually use!

Elizabeth Crocker

The emphasis in this indispensable handbook is making sure that every child has a moment to shine as they learn the teamwork and discipline that goes into making magic in theatre. This step by step guide lays out all the pieces of the production - how to lay out a schedule and keep to it, the roles of your designers, technicians, publicity people and volunteers, how to protect yourself against liabilities. I particularly like the "Here's What You Need To Say" advice provided for every meeting you have with parents and performers. And its especially useful for level-headed advice on dealing with the most sensitive issues - overwrought parents, sibling rivalry, insecure kids - that can drag down the most well planned production. I've stage managed dozens of productions and this is not only a clear well written production manual, its unique in its careful coverage of those intangible problems no one taught you about in that Intro to Theatre class you took in college.

A friend of mine recommended this book to me when I had to direct a show with several children in the cast. I'd done children's creative dramatics in grad school so I thought I was prepared, and I wasn't. Seriously wasn't. I read the chapter on directing techniques before I started rehearsals and I used most of that chapter in just the first two weeks, then kept going back to it. My stage manager used the book, too, for auditions, we both did, and then for running the backstage. The information on safety was great because we had not foreseen any of that. I'm not sure if I ever want to direct children in a show again, but I learned a lot and I do actually have some sweet memories. And the kids had fun. All I can say is, if you are directing a show with children, read this book first and then keep it in your tote bag.