All I Really Need to Know I Learned by Being in a Bad Play

This play was easy to produce (no set, just props and minimal costuming), but the students learned so much about comic timing and physical comedy. The flexibility of casting was exactly what we needed.

Mariana Hardy, Highland HS, Medina, Ohio

My 8th graders loved this play! It is such a fun dramatization of moments that we have lived out in class as we prepare for performances. They were able to create such interesting characters using past experiences to really play up the scenes. A perfect play to introduce student directors. The true message of the play really hit home with my students as this was their last play as a middle school student.

Caitlyn Baldwin, Rollings Middle School of the Arts, Summerville, S.C.

This is a fantastic script for a large group of actors. My students enjoyed working on the play immensely because they got all of the theatre jokes and had a great time poking fun at themselves.

Angela Santucci, Ravenscroft School, Raleigh, N.C.

Very humorous, well written, easy to produce; characters are real; fun take on actors' lives.

Kathryn Perino, Bishop Reding Secondary School, Milton, Ontario, Canada

Hilariously funny! Perfect glimpse into the world of everything that can go wrong actually going wrong. Great for high-school audiences.

Meegan Turet, Academy of the Pacific Rim, Hyde Park, Mass.

A very true-to-life account of a production at the start, its progress and finale. If you have ever been a part of any play, you will laugh out loud!

Samantha J. Corrion, Unionville-Sebewaing Area School, Sebewaing, Mich.

What a crazy piece of theatre! The kids had a blast bringing this one to the stage. The stereotypes were hilarious to portray, and Terry's "Juliet" monologue is a thing of beauty (especially when delivered from a a pseudo-goth stage manager).

Rick Clark, Village Academy, Powell, Ohio

Great ensemble play which allowed my actors to shine as individual characters.

Liz Good-Geron, Sexsmith Secondary School, Sexsmith, Alberta, Canada

Overall the play was good. There were some technical difficulties with the actors' roles, but after much deliberation it turned out well. The Narrator and the Stage Manager roles stole the show. Some of the minor roles could have been left out or rewritten, for example: Tybalt. The pacing of the play was good. More stage direction would have been helpful for a novice drama club or an addendum provided if needed. Also, the "Actor" role was very confusing, especially since some of the actor parts must be played by the same actor.

Christine McCarthy, Greater Lowell Technical High School, Tyngsboro, Mass.