5 Reasons Schools and Local Theatres Should Do More Plays

Rumors at the Westminster Community Playhouse (WCP photo).

by Chris Peterson

Over the past week, I’ve posted a few articles about plays theatres should perform, and something in the comments genuinely surprised me.

Several people mentioned that their local theatre or school produces almost entirely musicals. Maybe there’s one non-musical play somewhere in the season, but otherwise, it’s musicals all the way down.

Now, I understand why. Musicals usually sell better. They’re easier to market, they are more recognizable, and for many schools and community theatres, the big musical is the production that helps pay the bills. So if your local theatres or schools are only doing one or two shows a year, and a musical is one or both productions, I’m certainly not going to argue with them.

But I also don’t think that means plays should become an afterthought.

That hasn’t really been my experience either. Most community theatres I’ve worked with in Connecticut have usually done the opposite: multiple plays and maybe one musical each season. And in high schools, I’ve typically seen the fairly traditional setup of one play and one musical each year.

But, if your school or local theatre has moved toward an almost all-musical schedule, I’m going to make the case for bringing some plays back.

Here are five reasons.

1. Plays are usually cheaper to produce.

This is probably the most obvious one.

Musicals can get expensive very quickly. You have more expensive licensing fees typically, and also additional complexities to manage, such as musicians,tracks, choreography, larger casts, more elaborate technical needs, microphones, and sometimes much bigger costume demands.

There are plenty of terrific plays that can be produced with relatively cost-effective licensing, small casts, and modest technical requirements. For schools and community theatres constantly trying to stretch every dollar, that may make a huge difference. 

2. You can take more chances with the material.

When you’re spending a significant portion of your season’s budget on one production, there’s understandably pressure to pick something you know will sell.

That’s how we end up seeing the same musicals produced over and over again. A play can give a theatre a little more freedom to experiment. Maybe it’s a newer work. 

When the financial risk is lower, the artistic risk can be higher. And I think local theatre desperately needs some of that.

3. Plays give actors a different kind of challenge.

I love musicals. I’ve directed musicals. I’ll always advocate for them. But acting in a play is a different muscle.

There’s no song to convey what the character is feeling. There’s no choreography to help carry the energy of a scene. For young performers, especially, that experience is incredibly valuable.

If a school theatre program wants to develop actors, those actors should have opportunities to work on material in which acting is the driving force of the production.

4. Plays can create opportunities for people who don’t consider themselves “musical theatre performers.”

Not everyone sings. Not everyone dances. I certainly don’t. 

And that shouldn’t mean there’s only one production a year where they feel like they have a legitimate shot at being cast.

Producing more plays opens the door to students and community members who love acting but may have spent years believing theatre isn’t really for them because every audition begins with “prepare 32 bars.”

5. Your season will probably be more interesting.

If every show is built around songs, choreography and a big musical finale, there’s only so much variety you can create. Mixing in plays allows for intimate dramas, mysteries, farces, thrillers, absurdist comedies and everything in between.

A season should feel like several different experiences, not variations of the same one.

None of this is an argument against musicals. I love musicals, and I understand why schools and community theatres lean on them.

But they shouldn’t be the only thing on the stage.

If your season has slowly become musical after musical, maybe it’s worth making room for a play. Give your audiences something different to see. And give yourself the chance to discover just how much great theatre can happen without a single song.