When a Play Goes Wrong

Episode 204: When a Play Goes Wrong Have you been there? The cast is fighting, no one knows their lines, maybe the flu has swept through the entire school. There are times when opening night is approaching and you are sure you won’t be ready. Drama Teacher Lea Marshall shares her experience with the play that went wrong, what she learned and what she’ll change for next time. In educational theatre, EVERYTHING is a learning experience! Show Notes * Drama Teacher Academy * Poster: It's Fun to Do the Impossible * Poster: The Show Will Open Episode Transcript Welcome to the Drama Teacher Podcast brought to you by Theatrefolk – the Drama Teacher Resource Company. Hello! I’m Lindsay Price. Hello again! I hope you're well. Thanks for listening! This is Episode 204 and you can find any links to this episode in the show notes which are at Theatrefolk.com/episode204. Today, our guest today, she is a treasure. She is a treat. She is an amazing resource, and I am always so happy, I am pleased as punch, I am over the moon when she finds time to talk to us, and this is a topic I know everyone has experience with, everyone will want to listen in on, and I know that you have been there. You’ve been there! The cast is fighting. No one knows their lines. Maybe the flu has swept through your entire school. There are times when opening night is approaching, and you are sure you won’t be ready. Maybe you don’t even want to be ready. Maybe you just want to walk away from this play altogether. Drama teacher Lea Marshall is going share her experience with the play that went wrong, and what she learned, and what she’s going to change for next time because, in educational theatre, everything is a learning experience, right? Right! Okay. I’ll see you on the other side. LINDSAY: Hello everyone! Welcome to the podcast! I am here talking to Lea Marshall. Hello, Lea! LEA: Hello! LINDSAY: Tell everybody where you are in the world right now. LEA: I am in North Carolina because I am on break – Thanksgiving break. We got a week this year. I’m sorry. I’m sorry to all of you that did not get a week. We probably won’t next year, so I won’t gloat too much. I’m in North Carolina, though. I’m usually in Tallahassee, Florida, where I live and teach, but I am in Black Mountain, North Carolina. It’s really beautiful here. I’d show you more, but this is the outside of our little Airbnb. My three kids are inside – two of them are in college, and they’re actually doing homework. So, I stepped outside in 23 layers. I swear, it’s like 50 degrees, but I’m in 23 layers. LINDSAY: Yes, nobody has any sympathy because (a) you have an entire week off – although, when we post this, it’ll be March or something, so Thanksgiving means nothing – and (b) you’re usually in Florida where it’s warm. LEA: Yes. LINDSAY: You have just completed a production of Steel Magnolias. LEA: Yes. LINDSAY: And what you would like to say, because we’ve had conversations before about other productions. Are you sitting in yoga pants? Are you done with the show? LEA: In my yoga pants. The funniest story is that we did the post-production for To Kill a Mockingbird last time and I was in my yoga pants on the couch.