As part of my student teaching experience I got to direct the competition one-play. It was so much fun! I chose for my play, "Black Comedy" by Peter Shaffer. 
THE PLOT:
The play is a farce set in a London flat during an electrical blackout, and is written to be staged under a reversed lighting scheme: that is, the play opens with a dinner party beginning on a darkened stage, then a few minutes into the show "a fuse blows", the stage lights come up, and the characters are seen shambling around apparently invisible to one another. The plot in brief is as follows: Brindsley Miller and his fiancée Carol Melkett have "borrowed" the fancy furniture from neighbor Harold Gorringe's flat in order to impress Carol's father, Colonel Melkett. Brindsley, an artist, is afraid that the Colonel will not give up his daughter to a starving artist. Things go awry when the lights go out, leaving Brindlsey helpless as characters arrive, one by one. First is Brindsley's elderly neighbor, Miss Furnival. Colonel Melkett, unimpressed by the blackout, arrives, and Brindsley's worst nightmare comes true as Harold returns early, and Brindsley tries desperately to return the furniture without Harold noticing.
Because in this play the characters are to act as though they are in the dark, I had my cast rehearse blindfolded. This meant that they had to come to each rehearsal completely memorized. They were very good about it and it made a big difference. I was so proud of them and we had a lot of fun too! 
We would begin rehearsals with a blindfolded task. Everyday was different. They had to find a specific person while blindfolded, they had to find a hidden treat (reeses peanut butter cup!) or had to set their props all blindfolded! We had a lot of fun.
Not only was it a fun project, but they also did really well. The cast received straight superiors at region and were able to go to state competition.
THE PLOT: The play is a farce set in a London flat during an electrical blackout, and is written to be staged under a reversed lighting scheme: that is, the play opens with a dinner party beginning on a darkened stage, then a few minutes into the show "a fuse blows", the stage lights come up, and the characters are seen shambling around apparently invisible to one another. The plot in brief is as follows: Brindsley Miller and his fiancée Carol Melkett have "borrowed" the fancy furniture from neighbor Harold Gorringe's flat in order to impress Carol's father, Colonel Melkett. Brindsley, an artist, is afraid that the Colonel will not give up his daughter to a starving artist. Things go awry when the lights go out, leaving Brindlsey helpless as characters arrive, one by one. First is Brindsley's elderly neighbor, Miss Furnival. Colonel Melkett, unimpressed by the blackout, arrives, and Brindsley's worst nightmare comes true as Harold returns early, and Brindsley tries desperately to return the furniture without Harold noticing.
Because in this play the characters are to act as though they are in the dark, I had my cast rehearse blindfolded. This meant that they had to come to each rehearsal completely memorized. They were very good about it and it made a big difference. I was so proud of them and we had a lot of fun too! 
We would begin rehearsals with a blindfolded task. Everyday was different. They had to find a specific person while blindfolded, they had to find a hidden treat (reeses peanut butter cup!) or had to set their props all blindfolded! We had a lot of fun.
Not only was it a fun project, but they also did really well. The cast received straight superiors at region and were able to go to state competition.
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