My Big Noises Off Story

THE FOLLOWING IS AN EPIC TRUE STORY THAT HAPPENED LAST YEAR CONCERNING NOISES OFF-PLEASE READ. Ihad this in the other thread but, I figured noone would look at it.

All I can say is that I have absolutely amazing respect for this play. I'm now a freshman in college and I can easily say this play changed my life. My High school is a little more up there on the theater racket, we have like $10,000 budget each year for the one show. I have done Annie Get your Gun (Pawnee Bill), Seussical (Yertle the Turtle) Guys and Dolls (Sky Matherson) and a funny thing happened on the way to the forum. And we usually win a lot of papermill awards, I've won two myself. Along with a couple of community theater plays.

Based on that, I was very into theater, but upset that as prestiguous as our theater program was, we never did plays or more than one show per year. So about Senior year, I developed a new program, and I started a brand new student directed theater program. I loved noises Off the movie, for as long as I've seen it, back in 1995, and I knew it would be great if it could work. So through funding of myself, I bought the rights to the play for 4 peformances and became the director of the show, and had a budget of about $1500 based on a favor that my principal owed me. The hardest part was making the set, it cost about $800, and Ill tell you, it looked just like the film's set. I couldn't have been more proud.

I knew this would be extremely hard, so I gave us five months of rehearsal just to get it right, and it took me about a half month just to cast the roles to people that could handle the exhausting physical roles. Keep in mind noone is offstage the 2nd act for more than a minute and it is completely exhausting to stay in character on stage even when your suppose to be resting. But anyway, as Director I will say one mistake that I did do, is I also played the role of Gary, and hired a second Director for when the shows actually happened.

It was long and grueling but when it was finally over, we sold tickets for $5 each and the three night shows were sold out for a 1500 seater theater and the matinee we did on the same day as the last night was only sold a little less than half because we invited many different theater programs for free to attend.

So all in all, the shows was for the most part more successful then any of the school directer musicals. I couldn't be more proud of the people that I worked with and the school for giving me a chance, and the timing was absolutely perfect, a few missups here and there, but it was more seemed as part of the show.

So in conclusion, our $1500 school funded production, raked in just over $27,000 that was pretty much to mine and my principals disposal. We gave each of the other 8 actors a $1000 scholarship to use towards anything; $6000 to ensure the survival of my new program that I started as a senior. $8000 donated to the school funds, and not to sound cocky, I recieved $5000 scholarship to use towards anything. (luckily I recieved a full ride into Seton Hall University) I still love theater and still want to do it, but I am actually a writer and director in film, which is my true passion, but don't let anything stop you.

Big note, I recommend completely watching the film, at least five times to work on the majority of the physical side. It will make your timing that much better, and just remember, that this play will be funnest and probably one the hardest acting jobs you will do based on the mere physicality of the show. The reason it is so rewarding, is because even though to the extremes, it makes you look at that almost every backstage moment of any play is worthy of its own production, and makes you think how silly you really can be.

Scott