what do you want to see in BY school plays?

bigsis144

Mon, Aug 06 2012, 7:19 pm

I've been directing plays and choreographing dances since my younger siblings could follow my directions, and baruch Hashem, I've gotten the opportunity to direct a number of high school productions, both when I was a student and now as a teacher.

I've never been particularly impressed with the quality of most Bais Yaakov plays, finding them super-cliched in plot (family held together by heirloom object that represents mesorah, story of a discovery/return to Yiddishkeit), setting (Spanish Inquisition, shtetl/founding of BY movement, Lower East Side), characters (the strong father, the loving mother, the rebellious teenager, the moustache-twirling villian, plus a number of uncomfortable racist stereotypes as comic relief) and more.

So I figured I'd stop griping and WRITE something. And though I'm a voracious reader and a director with a knack for getting scenes to come to life, my play-writing experience is limited to adapting other people's writing. I can extend a script, tweaking, improving and clarifying parts of it, but ask me to come up with an original plot or characters, and I totally freeze.

But I'm determined to write something, and I gotta start somewhere. Even if it's terrible and I never let anyone read it, I'll never get anywhere if I don't try, right?

So, what would you like to see in a Bais Yaakov school play? Both as audience and participant, both practically (not 4 hours long, yet including all students who want to participate; workable with a limited budget for sets and costumes) and creatively.

amother

Mon, Aug 06 2012, 8:05 pm

the last time I watched a BY play was when I was in high school more than a decade ago it was ok then but shorter is better if u ask me (unless it's good)
how about mental illness or maybe anorexia or maybe about obesity(ugh!! it's not fair I know what this feels like) I'm not joking this is what we battle with nowadays maybe it can be articulated in a comical way.
I know these things sound depressing but all the plays I've been to were much more depressing always about war times or orphans or widows or even converts or whatever you can't really make that stuff funny

I love comedy we need to laugh more and teach our kids to just relax and have a good time (if only I would practice what I preach) but in all seriousness it's good to get out a little and forget about evrything else

good luck!!!!!!!

amother

Mon, Aug 06 2012, 8:05 pm

bigsis144

Mon, Aug 06 2012, 8:32 pm

Also, what do you think of "make-it-Jewish!" adaptations of non-Jewish plays?

I've seen some that are fairly ridiculous, with the Jewishness tacked on (the Von Trapps are Jewish and Maria is Miriam and she's a seminary girl, not a nun! In the final scene of the play, Daddy Warbucks becomes frum (up until then, there was no Jewishness whatsoever)! The Darling family is Jewish and Peter Pan teaches them a lesson in...? Actually, I still don't quite get that one...), but maybe part of the appeal is the slight campiness of "how will they pull off a Jewish Mary Poppins/Little Mermaid/Lion King?"

Though if you just kept the song and the general plotting/pacing, and changed nearly EVERYTHING else (turning the Lion King back into Hamlet, for example), maybe it could work...

Just musing.

crl

Mon, Aug 06 2012, 8:59 pm

I think tackling real world issues are important. There is no reason why you cant have a contemporary story with drama (perhaps a girl that finds out she or her friends has an illness or a personal issue, or anorexia/obesity/mental illness) and how they overcome it or at least live with in in a positive, healthy way.

And, for comedy, there is no reason why along a dramatic plot you can't have some comic relief --just not in the form of a girl in blackface speaking in a stereotypical and offensive accent.

Also, if you're gonna rip off a contemporary, secular song for a BY play...do it WELL. My high school BUTCHERED "Don't Wanna Miss A Thing" by Aerosmith when I was a senior...ughhhh.

Tova

Mon, Aug 06 2012, 9:07 pm

I agree about staying away from the historical time periods. Firstly, it's overdone. Secondly, I believe these time periods should be learned about but not re-enacted.

I have thoroughly enjoyed several BY D'Rav Meir plays I have seen (on video). Ex. Outside the Camp and others. I recently watched the DVD's of some of the recent BY plays in my city and enjoyed them so much and then found out that they were also written by whichever talented individual scripts the D'Rav Meir plays. Plots are contemporary, issues deal with L"H, jealousy, etc. They are entertaining and inspirational.

bigsis144

Mon, Aug 06 2012, 9:20 pm

Tova wrote:

I've definitely enjoyed the 2 BY DRM plays I've seen, and I think they've raised people's standards, which is great! So credit where credit is due.

Another writer I want to give credit to is Kayla Rabinowich (from LA/now in Lakewood/at Bruria) who wrote a Jewish version of Groundhog Day that was a SERIOUS breath of fresh air. I took her script (originally written for 400+ students BYLA) and adapted it/shortened it for the 75-student school I work for in New Jersey, and it was a HIT. Everyone thanked me for a play that left them feeling light-hearted and refreshed, and I must give credit to Kayla (oh, and her sister Malka Jacobson, too) for the concept and brilliant script.

causemommysaid

Mon, Aug 06 2012, 9:27 pm

I would appreciate some really good dancing. they normally have only one or two dances and they are usually pretty lame due to tznius concerns. some of those girls are really talented. I would love to see them dance for real.

comedy is great if done well. if not its a disaster.

keep the plot simple and flowing. most of these BY plays have so many side plots that I forget what is actually going on.

not sure if this will ever happen but if you are doing costumes do it right. those stupid knicker pants they forced us to wear were horrific and ruined the authenticity of the charectors. I think even a straight black skirt would have looked better.

dont exaggerate the charactors. the balabusta speaking in a fake hungarian accent with a pillow stuffed down her shirt is not funny. nor is the obnoxious teenager who swaggers and thinks hes a bum because he has headphones on.

Tova

Mon, Aug 06 2012, 9:44 pm

bigsis144 wrote:

Tova wrote:

Kayla's mother Shana Kramer in LA is extremely talented (she is involved in chinuch websites like Room613 I think). We actually stayed by her when we were in LA for my brother's wedding. I could see these plays being a big hit.

bigsis144

Mon, Aug 06 2012, 9:50 pm

ysmommy wrote:

I'm a dancer, so this is MAJOR for me!

The other thing about dances is that I insist they FIT IN. There are waaaay too many "nightmare/conflict dances", where the costumes are black/white, and the moves! are! DRAMATIC! (while somehow still being all arms and feet... ACK! You can still be tznius and move your knees/back/shoulders, for goodness sakes! Grrrr.)

Every. single. play. has a conflict dance -- should I join the revolutionaries or stay a good little frummy girl? Should I escape and put my child in a nunnery or risk both our lives taking her with me? Will my "bad influence" friends influence me, um, badly? Should I wear the pink shirt or the blue shirt!??!?!??? Rolling Eyes

And the insistence that all dances fit neatly into the "sharp" and "jumpy/smiley" categories, so there always has to be one "happy" dance and one "scary/dramatic" dance. And that leads to dances being crammed in where they don't belong, simply because someone thought it would be cute to have a sailor dance, 'cuz they're on a boat to America! Or a beggar dance, 'cuz they're in a... fabric store? And we need a scary dance, and the bad guys of the play are Nazis, so let's have dancing Nazis!

But the choreography is all the same -- no attempt at character within the dance or differences in the music choice, so a sailor dance looks the same as a palace dance or a student dance, and this year's Nazi dance just rearranges the moves from last year's Inquisition dance, and they use a different track from Pirates of the Caribbean/The Rock/Yanni.

ysmommy wrote:

comedy is great if done well. if not its a disaster.

keep the plot simple and flowing. most of these BY plays have so many side plots that I forget what is actually going on.

not sure if this will ever happen but if you are doing costumes do it right. those stupid knicker pants they forced us to wear were horrific and ruined the authenticity of the charectors. I think even a straight black skirt would have looked better.

That is why I try to have as few male characters as possible in my plays. Very Happy

ysmommy wrote:

dont exaggerate the charactors. the balabusta speaking in a fake hungarian accent with a pillow stuffed down her shirt is not funny. nor is the obnoxious teenager who swaggers and thinks hes a bum because he has headphones on.

THANK YOU!! I'm not alone!!!

I hate when the comedy is simply "random funny lady on the train" or "random neighbor who barges in uninvited", especially when you NEVER SEE THAT CHARACTER AGAIN. They have no bearing on the plot, are jarring in the context of the scenes/mood around them, and are obviously just there to give a girl a "funny" part.

amother

Mon, Aug 06 2012, 10:07 pm

I disagree with the lack of interest in historical pieces. However, I think you should portray ORIGINAL stories, not the same Spanish Inquisition ones over and over again. I love true stories.

I live in LA and agree that Kayla Rabinowich's play was awesome (although, honestly, I loved her more dramatic piece about Yerushalayim that took place 2 years earlier more than the light-hearted piece; she's super talented).

However, the girl's cheder high school put on a play that was based on Yitziyas Metzrayim, and it was fantastic. I was amazed as I realized that I had never seen a play set in that time period. That in itself was refreshing. I think the key is to review the last 10-20 years and if ANY play has touched on that time period, find a new one.

amother

Mon, Aug 06 2012, 11:22 pm

I haven't been to a BY play in many many years but I agree that contemporary real issues are the way to go.
If it isn't overdone (because I haven't seen a play in a long time) definitely something about Ahavat chinam. Different kinds of people and being nice to everyone but that can be a backdrop instead of the main lesson. I think it should definitely be contemporary so it's relatable- people texting, etc. There could be a bunch of running themes.
Maybe eating disorder, as someone already suggested. I think that could be absolutely amazing but I worry that the school won't allow it. Or mental illness. Are these topics too heavy though? Definitely there would have to be comedy throughout, to lift the weight.

Sherri

Mon, Aug 06 2012, 11:27 pm

bigsis144 wrote:

Tova wrote:

Sounds great!

bigsis144

Mon, Aug 06 2012, 11:40 pm

amother wrote:

I would think those are too heavy. Let novels and Mishpacha serials deal with the heavy issues (side point: plus they can take a lot longer for character development, and show things that would NEVER be allowed on stage). If I'm going to see a show, be it Broadway or Bais Yaakov, I want to be entertained, not depressed. That's why I don't go to the opera. Wink

The "heaviest" musical I've ever seen probably was Billy Elliot, but plenty of musicals deal with "big" themes while still being fun. Newsies, Wicked, the Lion King... they manage to be "light" (but not too fluffy) while still having big stakes and big characters.

And then there are the just-plain-fun shows like How to Succeed in Business Without Even Trying, or Spamalot, or to go in a totally different and plot-free direction, Stomp. They leave you feeling happy afterwards, and maybe that's all you really need!

But the problem is people (principals especially, and understandably) want BY plays to have BY-appropriate tochen, and messages like "believe in yourself" or "love conquers all" aren't enough.

Hashemlovesme

Tue, Aug 07 2012, 6:05 am

I find that ppl connect to contemporary themes the most. costumes & props are also easier & less expensive.
Many times you can buy the rights to a book & turn it into a play, that way you basically have the plot for you to work w/. I also found that in the big NY plays the props & costumes are beautiful but the actresses are very stiff, where I come from the actresses all put their personality & spunk into it (the casting was done very well so the girl really pulled the part off). If the girls are having fun you can really pull off anything!