This document has been written as a guide to how to approach a proposals meeting at New Theatre. It has been designed for absolute beginners and therefore includes everything I can possibly think of. As always, this is written from a particular point of view. These are not rules; they are simply guidelines for how to approach proposals. If you wish to do things differently, by all means, do. They are structured here in a point-by-point way just to make sure all information is covered. Proposing and directing is individual and should be treated that way.

Quite obviously the first thing to get to work on is choosing the play you wish to direct. The play can be anything you want it to be – from Hamlet to student written comedies, New Theatre loves them all, so be as free as you’d like.

Secondly, when picking a play be sure YOU know why you want to do it. One of the key things the committee will be looking for is an assurance that you are focussed and are doing things for a reason, even if it may be an odd one. Why you love the particular play at hand, though sometimes hard to describe, must be something you are sure of.

Generally, as first time director, I would say it is sound advice for you to want to direct a play because of your love for the play, not for your love of directing. Working this way focuses you far more than any amount of planning.

Simply put: if you just couldn’t imagine the play without you directing it, that’s the reason to do it.

To prepare for proposals there is lots you can do. The first thing to look into is the availability of rights of your chosen play. Rights are royalties that are owed to the publishing house who own the play, contact details (usually a company name and a postal address) can usually be found on the inside cover of your copy of the play. Get in touch with this company before proposals but do not purchase rights and do not pay them anything yet! Just find out if rights are available and how much they will cost per performance. You will need to provide them with some information, usually this:

Publishing houses are generally very helpful and accommodating but if they are being cagey and using terms like ‘restricted’ or ‘controlled’ politely pressure them into to telling you what they mean exactly. There is no point accepting the term ‘restricted’, proposing, and then finding out the rights are not available. Of course, self-written plays are exempt from this, as are older texts (beyond 100 years old I think) like Shakespeare as the rights have since expired.

Design is a key topic to look at before proposals. How a show looks and what aesthetic it will be using is a key aspect to proposals. Your design does not have to be set in stone nor do you, as director, need to know exactly how your ideas could be created in reality. We are not looking for measurements or precise material lists simply an idea of what the show will look like and why.

Cast Breakdown is another area to examine before attending rehearsals. Obviously, if the play has few parts then no extra planning is required however, if your play has more than 10 parts then it is highly advisable to look at the play and examine the questions of ‘gender-bending’ and multi-rolling. That is to say, can parts be either male or female and can one actor fill several small parts? In terms of gender bending, New Theatre is massively female heavy in terms of actors so if you can do a show that includes more females then it is always welcomed (however it is NOT a deciding factor on your plays success at proposals.) Secondly, in terms of multi rolling, it is massively beneficial (particularly to first time directors) to work with a small, manageable cast. Large casts can be very difficult to control and organise and it is not advised for first timers.

Finances are also a good area to investigate. Once you find out the costs of the rights, that starts you off. Try and calculate all your possible costs including:

• Set
• Tech (any special requirements)
• Props and Costume
• Rights
• Publicity (not to be underestimated)

If you have any contacts that could be used as sponsors, investigate them. Don’t worry if you don’t have any sponsorship, the fundraising coordinator can help you once your proposal has been accepted, but it is worth thinking about. Having sponsorship never hurts a proposal and always excites the financially minded committee members.

Finally, the best way to prepare is to justify all your decisions to yourself. Act as your own committee and don’t do things just because you fancy it. Directing is always a challenge but just as you should push yourself you should also limit yourself and control your ambition. Justification and reasoning, to the committee and (more importantly) to yourself, are key qualities the committee are looking for.

Be as pinickity as you possibly can with yourself and then, by the time you propose to the committee, they will have nothing to be pinickity about.

The way proposals works will be explained on the day but, needless to say, it can be very long so I would recommend bringing some form of refreshments for yourself.

It is advised (though by no means compulsory) to bring with you a handout (one for each of the committee) containing a brief synopsis, your planning, an approximate budget and preferred slot on it. This is just for the committee’s reference and, for you, in case your bravado ups and leaves when you’re actually on the stage proposing. It did me on my first time and I was pleased I had a handout!

You will be asked onto the stage to propose to the committee. In the 3 minutes you are allowed on the stage you should try to include everything you have planned. It is your opportunity to show the committee who you are, what you’re about and why you should be given a slot. We would expect to hear:

• Synopsis - very brief, not a scene-by-scene breakdown, more like a taster of what we could expect from the play. If the committee want to know more, THEY WILL ASK (a good point overall to be honest).

Some background on the writer and the play. Or about you and why you wrote it if it is self written (very brief).

• Brief description of the parts available.
• Brief summary of what kind of crew you’d need.
• Design ideas – as above, broad ideas articulated clearly.
• Rights – as above, availability and cost.
• How long the play will run at (approximate)
• A preferred slot – the week in the semester you would like your show to go on in. If you have no preference then don’t worry – that’s all the better for the committee.
• Approximate budget – a broad idea of how much the show will cost. A standard NT budget sits at around £500 - £600. If you need to know more about costs and budgets get in contact with the treasurer (Amy Rushton) before proposals.
• Any extra ideas – particularly if they are selling points. This includes things like: special effects, tech challenges, unique publicity events etc.

Most Importantly WHY you want to do the show. WHY the show would be great for NT. WHO YOU ARE. The committee wants to know you! Who you are! Why you are the best person for the job. Don’t overdo it but remember – PROPOSLAS IS YOUR ONE CHANCE TO SHOW THE COMMITTEE WHAT THEY’D BE MISSING OUT ON IF THEY DON’T PICK YOU.

You will be timed and have 3 minutes to propose, then there will be a brief session and question and answer and then you are done!

Proposals are a huge deal. There are only 2 opportunities to direct in the New Theatre each year. Compare that to around 22 shows to audition and tech for, it seems scarily little. Take it seriously. It may seem sad not going out the night before, or ringing up B&Q to ask approximate wood prices for a hypothetical show – but it is worth it.

Think about your show beforehand. Small details are excellent – they show you care. Make sure you are comfortable directing, it is a huge commitment and can seriously damage your degree! Do not do it for the sake of it.

Do not let yourself be bullied into doing or agreeing to do anything you don’t want to do. It is your show and you call the shots. Sometimes that leads to you not getting a slot as it is just not what the committee are looking for, but 99% of the time, being yourself and asking for what you want is the best way forward.

Present your proposal properly. Try and make sure your proposal is well balanced, covers all the issues and hits the targets. Though I hate to say it, you must present yourself at proposals as what you want to be seen as. If that means no slouching in your chair and sitting up straight – so be it.

However, do not be put off by all these issues! Though they are wirth thinking about and you should be asking yourself difficult questions, remember what you’re in their for! Directing can be the best thing you ever do. It demands a lot but returns in spades as well. For me, it has shaped my entire university career, introduced me to some of my best friends and challenged me in ways I couldn’t imagine before taking it on.

If have any questions then contact me! The committee is there to help and nearly my whole job is helping production teams, answering questions and solving problems. If problems can be solved before they arise then everyone is all the better for it. This document can help you only so far and if you have any questions relating to your individual project (and every project is individual) then ASK.

Good luck and see you at proposals!

Written By Andy McNamee, NT Committee 09/10