In the worlds of Opera, Theatre, and Dance, there exists a rich tradition of scene performance. The main philosophy behind this is because it is very overwhelming for new performers and directors to be asked to prepare an entire production right out of the gate.
If this is true for the other performative disciplines, why not musical theatre? In addition with MT, there is often an issue of resources. To get the rights to put on an entire show, there is typically a minimum $1000 payment simply for the scripts of the show. This minimum also assumes you are performing for free in a venue for a small audience with limited performances.
This website hopes to bridge that gap by providing actors and directors easily accessible scenes that can be performed at a low-budget. To fully ensure these criteria are met, the following rules are applied:
1. 3-6 performers (Solo and Duet rep have a multitude of resources available already)
2. 10 minutes or less (for legal reasons. See “Performance Rights” for more information)
3. No Costuming / Hair / Makeup
4. No Props
5. No set beyond 1 table and 6 chairs
This criteria is based upon the guidelines for large group Musical Theatre provided by the Iowa High School Speech Association.
Now if you have the resources to do it, by all means add props, costumes, and anything you would like. This is meant to serve as a foundation that any educator can expand upon.