Scene Nights are when members of the Ensemble perform a group of both Shakespearean and non-Shakespearean scenes in one night of fun. Usually they are organized by the Officer-at-Large for recruitment events at CPW and/or REX, though this won't necessarily be the case with all scene nights. This document describes how to organize a scene night, including examples of organizational spreadsheets and surveys from the CPW 2016 Scene Night. Feel free to 100% plagiarize any and all of those example documents.

Step 1: Send an email to gather ideas for scenes

This email should be sent about three weeks before the scene night, or after the spring term show is over for a CPW scene night. It can be pretty simple email where you have people reply-all with ideas for scenes we can perform. You should also announce the time and date for the scene night and the time for any rehearsals that we've decided on.

The spreadsheet of ideas we collected CPW 2016 here: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1SpPT8dPppJ7ZiF-cmUPr7MMYD6PRsx9mM9bvg1Fb6WU/edit?usp=sharing

Step 2: Decide on scenes

Chances are, there will be more scenes suggested than we can perform in one hour, so you must choose which scenes we will actually do! Weed out scenes you don't think would be fun/appropriate/doable. Try to choose a combination of Shakespeare and Non-Shakespeare; usually mostly comedy with some interspersed drama/tragedy makes for a good balance. You don't need to pin down the show order for the scenes you choose yet, though you may if you're feeling inspired.

This step is entirely you - no need to send out a survey or anything - but you can of course consult officers or other members for suggestions.

Step 3: Announce scenes and send out casting survey

Announce the scenes we're doing! You should include scripts to all the scenes in this email (as links or attachments). Get scripts from people who suggested scenes if you can't get them yourself.

To decide casting, have people fill out a survey like this one: https://goo.gl/forms/TvyrSM15Zh7xMATR2. It's important to specify how many actors of what gender are involved in each scene. You also should do whatever you can to gauge interest levels of people so that tetrising is easier. The "which scene is most important for you to be a part of" question is especially helpful.

Step 4: Tetris actors and directors

• Figure out who is acting in what.
• If scenes have more than ~2 people, they should have a director to help figure out blocking. For scenes with 2 or fewer people, ask the actors if they want a director. For scenes of any size being repeated from a term show, you probably don't need a director unless significant changes are being made. For scenes that are repeats from previous years, you probably don't need a director if the actors are the same.
• If you run into problems, cater more towards preferences of seniors, then juniors, sophomores, freshmen.
• Some scenes are repeats from previous years and are semi-traditional for those people to do (e.g. Romeo and Juliet balcony scene has been done by Amelia as Romeo and Colin as Juliet for the past few years). If possible, check with those actors if you want to cast other people in those scenes. Another example of this that you should know is that Amelia, Lizzie, and Raine should all be in Bad Affirmations if at all possible. If you have questions or want help with tetrising, let me know :)

Step 5: Announce casting!

• Send out a spreadsheet with final casting like this: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/13ttpIPNCQttijamcODqZpHbI2DRbeAUDeBOmHFXYLDw/edit?usp=sharing
• Have directors coordinate rehearsals as they desire.
• Make sure as many people as possible can make it to the dress rehearsal, and announce that actors must be off-book by the dress rehearsal.

Step 6: Dress rehearsal and 'tech'

• You run the dress rehearsal (if you can't, delegate to someone else, but you probably will know the most about Scene Night at this point). Make sure everyone is there.
• The main purpose is to figure out transitions between scenes. Make a nice spreadsheet like this one: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1aEH5DT-aOSOVHCCgB1YdIxuoZaQt7Yd9OcFJx66av3E/edit?usp=sharing
• Note that last Scene Night was a collaboration with ETC, so not all the scenes here show up in the casting survey and stuff.
• You can also have directors list props and costumes necessary for their scenes in that spreadsheet. This will be helpful to reference on the day of Scene Night.

Step 6-2: Figure out lighting???

• Make sure we have a lighting person if we get a lighting budget. I suppose they should come to the dress rehearsal if possible so they can get some lighting ideas.
• I haven't done this, but if you need help we did have lighting during the 24-hour show during REX 2016, so I may be of some help in figuring out how this might work.

Step 7: SCENE NIGHT!

• Have all actors and techies meet in the Ensemble Office ~1.5 hours before it starts. People will gather props and costumes and then head over to the performance room together.
• If not everyone was at dress rehearsal, you should do a transition run in-space to make sure every knows what set pieces they're moving.
• You should make and print programs ahead of time. Delegate this to someone else if you don't have time.
• Do the show and have fun!
• Any pre-frosh that show up and seem to stick around and chat after the show should be kid-napped and brought to Friendly Toast.