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Finding the right cast is difficult. Finding a large cast is even more difficult. Too often, there are not enough kids interested in audtioning for school shows. What to do? Her eare few suggestions to get the ball rolling... Part I: Spread the wordAdvertise, Advertise, Advertise. I know this is an obvious sugggestion but there are multiple resources, free resources, available that educators might not be taking advantage of (or aware of for that matter.) Ask teachers from all departments to make announcments in class or hang up posters. Hang posters in bathrooms, on the school bus, the cafateria, the school paper/morning announcmetns, or anyother unsual places students may not be expecting. This is a great way to introduce students to the marketing aspects of theatre. They can pass out flyers, lollipops, chocolate, buttons-all advertising for auditions and productions. Reach out to paretns through e-mails, letters, telephone, informing them of upcoming audtion dates and times. This is a way to get the community invloved as well. Put out announcments in local penny-savers or newspapers. ask local bussinesses if you can post auditon flyers or cards with information. Let's not forget Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, and MTI Showspace!

Ragtime materials include 2 alternate keyboard books, to be used with a module supposedly available (separately) from Music Arts Technologies. Each of the two books we got gives a different address and contact info for this company, and neither seems to be any good.Does anybody know anything about this company, or any other available preprogrammed modules, or effective programming, for Ragtime?

Is it appropriate to contact the Broadway actor (via Facebook or their website) that played a part you are preparing for? I want to ask them if they have/got any great advice or know any common traps--based on the research I've already done. Of course I would professionally introduce myself, praise their work, and offer them to decline.Appropriate or not? :)

I teach at an independent K-12 school. Our annual musical is performed by the high school but often school families will attend. I have a question for people who have done 'Urinetown'. Did you have to talk your administrators into doing the show? If so, how did you do it? How did you get them beyond the title? What was their and the school community's response to the show? Any accolades you would care to share with me?I've made a very strong case for the show, and one person is reading it. I am curious if other people have had the same problem.

Okay so my high school just got this new lighting board from strand lighting. It is called a Palette, I think. It is amazing. It works just like a computer and it's soo easy to use I love it. I am so sad to have graduated and be leaving it. Does anyone else around here have one in their theatre and may want to join me in discussing how amazing this thing is.

Theatre Art Education programs have been severly cut in public school systems throughout the country. Theatre arts education reaches a diverse group of students, some of which might not excel in a traditonal classroom enviornment but shine once given a mic and a song. For some children, it's a form of expression, for others, a kind of therapy. It's been statistically proven that most children perform better in a classroom when continually participating in regular theatre art education program. Many schools in NYC, in conjuction with MTI, have been trying to keep the arts alive in schools city wide, with great success. Now I ask this; what can be done on at national level? I feel teachers, administrators, parents, siblilings, communities as a whole, should try, and be able, to keep theatre art education alive in the public school system. Money is an issue for most, which is why these programs have been cut in the first place, but, if we all put our heads together, I know there must be a solution or a way to get the ball rolling. Any suggestions?

My group is doing Godspell in October. This time I decided to go out for the show and made the main cast, so as a person who normally does the lights, video work, special effects and helps develop sets, I'm trying to get alot of things done early since I will have songs and a script to learn. So with that I have a question that is a little more on the tech and special effects side of things.For the beginning of show I want to create what looks like something crashing into the back of the stage, we have a huge screen that comes down behind the stage. Well, at impact, not only do I want the video to have the effect of smoke, which is not an issue, but I want a good size puff of smoke to come off the back of the stage and maybe a few pieces of paper to look like it damaged something, just for effect. As a group we have 2 smoke machines, but they don't throw smoke fast enough to create this effect and make it look right. We don't have a whole lot of room to work with, the stage is only 16' by 16' and don't want to spend a fortune on something. We also couldn't really use pirotechnics, too close to the audience and during Halloween, while doing a Haunted theatre, in this theatre, our smoke machines set the fire alarm off. I am open to any ideas, whether it just be ideas that you thought of or already proven ideas that you may have done once before.Thanks for all the help.

Have any of you classroom teachers used musicals to teach other subjects? I don't just mean analyzing a musical in English class like you would any other literary work (although I'm curious about that, too!)--I mean using Pacific Overtures to teach students about the opening of Japan, or using Caroline or Change to look at the Civil Rights movement. For those of you that have, what are your experiences? What are some of the challenges you've faced--like a classroom of kids who hate musicals--and how have you overcome them? How do you use the cast album? Do you just focus on the text? If you haven't used musicals in your lessons, why not? Is that something you'd be open to?

Hello All,Does anyone have any ideas of how to make the final fire scene happen in Pippin? Its suppose to be a fire box style magic trick, but Im wondering if anyone has been able to pull off this scene using something else. I have a nice size budget for the show but I would perfer not using the money renting or purchasing a high-end magic trick.d

I am trying to narrow the search for next year's musical, for grades 7-12. Our theatre is closed down for a major remodel for the next year or so. We have moved all productions to our small theatre . It is an indoor amphitheatre with a 3/4 audience span. There is a stage size of approx. 15'x30'. I also utilize the two aisles through the audience that lead to the back of the house/exit. I would appreciate any suggestions on what MTI shows would work in this small limited space. Thanks!