Theatre Societies
Actors
If you are an actor within an amateur theatre company or society, and are researching a play to see if there is a suitable role for you there is no substitute for obtaining and reading the play. However, sometimes deadlines and late notice do not allow for this. For example, your theatre society are due to cast an Alan Ayckbourn play but don’t know anything about the characters, type the title of the play it into the search box to the left of the page and see for yourself if there is a role for which you might be suitable.
Once you have a role, if you are interested in researching a play and further character information for help with rehearsals, then playregistry.com for you. Detailed synopses and background information about the plays are available as well as character breakdowns compiled using a number of sources (including at times the writers themselves) to ensure the information is reliable and up to date. Access to this level of information, especially the historical background including previous productions, will help you build up the on and off stage character with greater detail.
Production Team
If you are a director or producer within an amateur theatre company or society, you might be looking for plays to produce with a certain number of actors in mind. As a youth theatre, you might even be thinking about characters that fit into a desired age range, or a play that would appeal to a specific audience type. If this is the case, head to the characters page and see what the website has to offer when you search for any number of male and female characters. You can even cross reference your search to suit a particular genre.
If you’re one of the creatives on the production team, possibly working on wardrobe, scenery, props, etc, then the information included on playregistry.com will be useful when researching elements of the play such as setting, period and style. Drawing your inspiration from previous productions can also be of use, which means that knowing dates of original productions can be invaluable.
It would also be useful to look at the character breakdowns as some of the information includes further insights into the characters, including their clothes, accessories, backgrounds, etc.
If we’ve not yet got round to updating a play that you’re interested in, just let us know and we'll endeavour to make sure it is done in time to meet your needs.
