High School Theatre: Most Commonly Staged Productions?

In drama class, we got to talking about different productions that high schools often stage. I'm curious about what's typically chosen and why - are there certain themes or scripts that are more popular? Love to hear your thoughts!

High school theatre is quite diverse and selections largely depend on factors such as relevance to the student population, the maturity level of the content, and the complexity of the production. However, there are some productions that are quite common because they are crowd-pleasers and/or are particularly adaptable to high school productions. I've gathered some of the most commonly staged productions that I'm familiar with:

1. "Our Town" by Thornton Wilder: It's a favorite due to its timeless commentary on the simplicity and complexity of daily life. The minimalistic setting also allows for flexibility in production, making it a good fit for high school programs that may not have extensive resources.

2. "The Importance of Being Earnest" by Oscar Wilde: With its witty commentary and engaging character dynamics, this classic play is often a hit with high school students. It provides opportunities for character development, timing, and delivery of comedic lines.

3. "Grease" by Warren Casey and Jim Jacobs: This musical is popular due to its energetic songs, dance routines, and easily recognizable characters. However, some schools make alterations to fit their audience and performers as some segments might be a bit mature for a high school setting.

4. "A Midsummer Night's Dream" by William Shakespeare: Many schools lean towards lighter, comedy-themed Shakespeare plays like this one. It's a fun display of misunderstandings, love triangles, and magical happenings, all of which make for an engaging stage production.

5. "Little Women" adapted from Louisa May Alcott's novel: This is often chosen for its strong female characters and timeless subject matter. It's a story of family, independence, and growing up, that speaks to many students.

These are just a few examples. The themes resonating with the student population, the educational aims of the school's drama department, and pragmatics of the production (e.g., set design, costuming) influence the selection. It's always interesting to see how different schools interpret and present the same script.