Simple Staging Hints
Follow these staging hints, and the process will go smoothly from start to finish.
Theatre4Kids Staging Hints
So what if you are not an artist or a stage designer! Sketch down what scenery you believe is necessary
for your production. Remember: scenery's chief purpose is to enhance the action on the stage,
not upstage it.
Try to "make do" with one backdrop for your play. It makes for fewer problems and helps
to unify the production.
If you absolutely need to change scenes, try sectioning off the stage into mini-scenes with
your backdrop as the unifying element.
If you are in a school setting, ask your art teacher and music teacher for help. Sometimes
he or she can incorporate the creation of your scenery or plot-moving song into lesson plans. (Interdisciplinary projects
are always applauded in schools.)
Schedule a meeting with your cast's parents during which you present your ideas for the
scenery and ask for their input. Ask for volunteers to work on completing the scenery. You
will be surprised at the number of parents and grandparents who would like to help. There are
many carpenters, artists, and crafts people in the community who are eager to work on their
child's play.
Thoreau said it best: "Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity."
Theatre4Kids
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