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Sadly, you probably won’t be able to make everyone happy. That’s okay—just do the best you can. Aim for a 60-90 minute show; ten scenes is okay and twelve is probably pushing out. Keep in mind which scenes can be cut down and which scenes cannot. Keep in mind which scenes are feasible in the little rehearsal time we have and which are not. (Scenes we have done recently are easy to do if most original actors are available!) If there’s not enough interest in a scene, don’t force it. If there’s too much interest in a scene, try to give the people who couldn’t get it something else to do. Respect people’s limits. Watch out for people who might be overestimating how much they can take on. Try to keep a balance of Shakespeare and non-Shakespeare. Think about who would be fun to see in which role. Once you’ve locked down a director, feel free to check in with them to see if they are satisfied with the cast you’re giving them, or if they have any casting ideas of their own. Use your best judgment, and don't hesitate to ask other officers for assistance or sanity checks.
(to be continued)
Theater Arts Open House
This is like Activities Midway, but at W97. There is less of a pressing need to bring silly hats. The location is more intimate, and there are snacks (yay!), and since W97 is (a) specifically the theater building and (b) so far out of the way, generally anyone who shows up is actually invested in doing theater. Therefore, use this opportunity to get a conversation going with people about what kind of theater the Ensemble actually gets up to! As well as to snack.
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The event is usually held in the Ensemble Office for an hour in the evening. We like to start this event at a strange time, like 10:28pm, so that it stands out on the CPW agenda. When you've reached a natural pausing point (i.e., your character arc ends!), feel free to open it up for questions about the Ensemble and theater life at MIT in general. Keep it casual, but also remind participants of the other events they can take part in! Bring cards to advertise your other events and the Ensemble at large!
Show Recruitment
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Membership
The OAL keeps track of members and makes them feel loved. Make sure members are fulfilling their requirements. Read the constitution so you know what the requirements are! If membership requirements are not being fulfilled, let the other officers know.
Shakespeare Awareness
We think everyone knows who Shakespeare is. But MIT is not known for its liberal arts program. The more they remember that Shakespeare exists, the more, we think anyway, they want to join us. Give their soul to the old man. Random pictures of Shakespeare would be cool. Have fun with it.