Perhaps you have been an avid and enthusiastic member of your local amateur dramatics society for years now and you have just been promoted to become a member of the committee. Or maybe, your family could have been involved with this society for many years and you, therefore, have a vested interest in keeping the society as modern, exciting, and popular as possible.
Regardless of your motivation, continue reading for a comprehensive guide on how to make your amateur dramatics shows more professional and impressive.
Hire an Experienced Wardrobe Mistress
One of the most often criticized aspects of a musical theatre show, dramatic play, or another kind of performance from the point of view of an audience member is the quality and uniformity of the costumes the actors wear on stage.
If you are in a somewhat precarious financial position in terms of the society’s bank balance, you could, instead of hiring externally for a wardrobe mistress, put an open call out to the entire society and ask around for experienced seamstresses who have worked for other societies in the past.
When it comes to the theatrical make-up, the make-up must be 100% suitable for the roles which each actor is playing. If your society is staging a more dramatic and even horror-themed play, then you could even consider investing in some special fx makeup products from a renowned and reputable supplier. This will ensure that your audience is impressed with your appearance as a group on stage.
Put the Needs of the Society Before Individuals
It is highly likely that the amateur dramatics society which you are heavily involved with is full of people who you have not only known for many years but have personal connections with. Furthermore, it is just as likely that there are some honorary members of the society who no longer need to audition for a particular part and have earnt the right to be in any show they would like. However, to improve the general levels of professionalism of every performance, both you and other members of the committee need to start putting the best interests of the society first. It is incredibly important to be as tactful and subtle as you possibly can be and still include and involve every such member in performances as much as possible and never let them feel as if they are no longer good enough.
Make Everyone Audition for Every Role
Even if you have a proverbial star in the making in your society, who has been number one within the group for years, it really shouldn’t be an automatic given that this individual is always given the starring principal role.
It may well be that, after the audition process is over, that individual will of course be awarded the role, but they will have done so on their merit and performing prowess, rather than just because that has always been the case in the past.
