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How do I create a theater company?
I'm a writer, percussionist, and performer. I have some experience in direction, stage management, and set design/construction. I'm interested in creating a theater company, and I would love to know where to start. How many people would something like that require? Thanks!
#theatre #theater #musicaltheater #film
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Emmett’s Answer
I'm not saying necessarily that you should wait if you're still in high school, but it might be beneficial to wait until college to get started on this. In college, your university will likely have theatres/performing spaces that you can book and stage productions in for free. There will be props, lumber, costumes, etc. that you can likely all use for free. This way, you can get a bunch of productions under your belt without having to spend a penny of your own money.
You'll also be able to join a thriving community of theatermakers that would similarly be interested in creating a company. Because there would probably be theater majors at your school, it would be an easy way to find people to fulfill every type of role you'd want your theater company to have. I did a lot of extracurricular theater in college, and by the end of my four years, I had formed a solid group of theater friends who helped me produce the university's commencement musical--the director was one of my closest friends, my best friends did lights, and our other friends did costumes. I also learned so much about theater tech / the production side of things that I'd never experienced before when I just did acting.
You'll also be able to join a thriving community of theatermakers that would similarly be interested in creating a company. Because there would probably be theater majors at your school, it would be an easy way to find people to fulfill every type of role you'd want your theater company to have. I did a lot of extracurricular theater in college, and by the end of my four years, I had formed a solid group of theater friends who helped me produce the university's commencement musical--the director was one of my closest friends, my best friends did lights, and our other friends did costumes. I also learned so much about theater tech / the production side of things that I'd never experienced before when I just did acting.
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Brad’s Answer
Mani:
Your enthusiasm is a great place to start! A theater company can be a great community of actors, production specialists and others with directing, marketing organizational skills. There's really no "right" number of people you need to get started. The key is to find people who are excited about being a part of a theatrical company. However, not everyone is going to be a permanent member of the company. Actors and directors, for example, go where the opportunity to work interests them, while more production and technical contributors may regularly work on every production. A lot of what will entice people to join you is to be able to explain what kinds of productions you are interested in mounting. Do you like one acts? Comedy or drama or musicals? Older pieces or development of new works? Maybe you're interested in Irish, African American or female playwrights. Not only will you attract like minded artists, but you'll help to make your company of interest to a segment of the public (after all, theater without an audience is just a rehearsal).
Here's what I would do:
Talk to your friends and other people who you think might be a good fit. You're looking for people who are willing and able to commit the time and effort over the long run to make your dreams a reality. In turn, they will be able to attract others from their network of friends.
Get everyone together and tell them what you'd like to create. You can either dictate and hope others see things your way, or be open to suggestions. In the end, you'll see where you might be headed.
You can start small with a staged reading of a play or go bigger and find a venue to mount something with lights, costumes and sets.
If you'd like more ideas, go see some small productions in your area. See if you can find some of the production people who you can talk to after the show. Theater people love to talk about their work. You might get some pointers and ideas from works that you enjoyed.
Above all, don't give up if things don't work out the first time. Building a successful company can take many years. Take a look at the history of some of Broadway's most successful productions in the last 50 years. You'll find most of them started very small, with just an idea and a dream.
Good luck!
Your enthusiasm is a great place to start! A theater company can be a great community of actors, production specialists and others with directing, marketing organizational skills. There's really no "right" number of people you need to get started. The key is to find people who are excited about being a part of a theatrical company. However, not everyone is going to be a permanent member of the company. Actors and directors, for example, go where the opportunity to work interests them, while more production and technical contributors may regularly work on every production. A lot of what will entice people to join you is to be able to explain what kinds of productions you are interested in mounting. Do you like one acts? Comedy or drama or musicals? Older pieces or development of new works? Maybe you're interested in Irish, African American or female playwrights. Not only will you attract like minded artists, but you'll help to make your company of interest to a segment of the public (after all, theater without an audience is just a rehearsal).
Here's what I would do:
Talk to your friends and other people who you think might be a good fit. You're looking for people who are willing and able to commit the time and effort over the long run to make your dreams a reality. In turn, they will be able to attract others from their network of friends.
Get everyone together and tell them what you'd like to create. You can either dictate and hope others see things your way, or be open to suggestions. In the end, you'll see where you might be headed.
You can start small with a staged reading of a play or go bigger and find a venue to mount something with lights, costumes and sets.
If you'd like more ideas, go see some small productions in your area. See if you can find some of the production people who you can talk to after the show. Theater people love to talk about their work. You might get some pointers and ideas from works that you enjoyed.
Above all, don't give up if things don't work out the first time. Building a successful company can take many years. Take a look at the history of some of Broadway's most successful productions in the last 50 years. You'll find most of them started very small, with just an idea and a dream.
Good luck!
Thank you for sharing your advice, Brad! It's been very helpful. Take care!
Mani