"Another Opening, Another Show": A Roundtable About Season Selection Processes
Selecting a season at a college, university, or theatre organization takes a lot of careful consideration. Whether it is a task for the core faculty, a committee made up of faculty and students working together, or a board that represents the institution, the challenge of choosing the plays and musicals that make up a season of shows helps to shape an entire year of theatre experiences for artist and audiences alike.
There are many things to consider:
Will the season be diverse in terms of style, genre, time period, and taste?
Will the season be inclusive of BIPOC, women, LGBTQIA+, and/or disabled playwrights, composers, and librettists?
Will the season have a variety of narratives and tell a wide array of stories?
Will the season provide opportunities for inclusive casting?
Will the season have enough roles for the students? And/or are there enough students to fill the roles?
Will the season be appealing to audiences; both the repeat visitors and the new attendees?
Will the season have opportunities for unique learning experiences for the artists and/or audiences?
Will the season be practical in terms of the budget and resources available for production?
Can we get the rights to the shows that we want to perform?
How do we communicate with the licensing agencies if we have questions about the text and/or casting?
These questions, and so many more, are at the root of the season selection process.
This roundtable will offer perspectives from many people involved in the season selection process from different points of view including but not limited to: faculty members who run selection processes; literary managers; season selection consultants; licensing company representatives; and additional professional who regularly contribute to season selection processes.
For a complete overview of the event, please visit the relevant event page on the MTDA website.