Directing

School Library Journal

Gr 9 Up–This series, with its candid photos of diverse teens working on every aspect of productions brings high school musicals from the movie-theater screen into the realm of possibility. Although the authors do not downplay the complexity of staging a performance, they break each of the components into achievable sections ranging from how to select a musical for your school through returning borrowed prop items. Procedures, processes, tools, tips, and a lot of examples are provided, all with an eye to maximizing limited funds and ensuring a smooth performance. These books emphasize rules and planning, with special attention to the hierarchical nature of the production staff, stressing directorial vision and outlining how each area–technical, dance, music, etc., has its own leadership and structure. What this series does not have are instructions for creating costumes or building sets, and leads to resources for this kind of information are only intermittently provided in the back matter. However, since library resources about drama for this age group can be hard to find, this series belongs in the library of any school that stages musicals.