Second Productions Can Help More Than First

First productions are widely known as the best method to test a play script, discover unknown flaws, and determine ways to improve, refine, and polish a script.

Many publishers prefer to only evaluate scripts that have had previous productions, assuring that the script had the opportunity to be staged and, probably, improved.

Second productions, however, can sometimes prove even more illuminating of problems with certain scripts. Case in point: I had a new Christmas play produced in Houston by Theatre Suburbia last year. Afterwards, I thought I'd collected enough notes and feedback from cast, crew, and audience to refine the script and get it ready to submit to a publisher.

But that was not the case. To the contrary, once I started rewrites, I began to have larger questions about the play's fundamentals: the story line, the characters, and their motives.

If I modified one scene, it would carry over to another scene and require modification there. It was kind of like the little Dutch boy trying to plug one hole and then another springs open. Confronted with this multitude of options, I shelved the play in favor of other projects.

Some months later, I was presented with the opportunity of producing plays as part of an annual stage production at my children's school. However, at the time, I had no particular scripts in mind.

Terry, my wife, suggested that this Christmas play be the main feature. After some consideration, I realized that a second production was exactly what I needed to get back on track with the rewrite.

To help my rewrite efforts, and also because so many people auditioned for the shows (we always try to cast everyone who wants to participate), I decided to double cast the show, with one cast of adults playing the adult parts and two teens playing the younger parts, and another cast entirely comprised of middle-school students.

Since I have publishers who have many and diverse groups who buy their plays, it seemed like a good opportunity to again test the play with its originally intended cast, and also with a young cast, which may be the model for many further productions with that particular age niche.

I'll let you know how it progresses.