Director's Nightmare

Book By: Wade Bradford
Play #: 2388
Pages: 28 pgs
Cast: 4 m, 5 w, 1 flexible, possible extras

It’s five days before the premiere of the non-musical version of Les Misérables, and high school drama director, Chris, has actors who are still on script, cast members absent from rehearsal, a sick stage manager, an unbuilt set and only twelve dollars left in the budget. Oh, and the principal is bringing the superintendent on opening night to see if funding for the drama program for the district should be cut. It’s a director’s nightmare, but Chris tells the cast and crew about a pocket watch from her great-grandfather that is known to help turn everything around. As the rehearsal progresses, it seems as if even the watch can’t fix this mess. Dante keeps alternating between a French, British, and Southern accent; Gina decides to pretend to be a door; Lily begins to speak for the baby doll; and Ed, the set designer, brings on a volleyball net and tells Chris to think of it as the barricade. Will the nightmare ever end? About 40 minutes.

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Productions

IN THE MITTEN PRODUCTIONS 1 Performance(s)
NORTHVILLE, MI 1/17/2025
NORTH SIDE HIGH SCHOOL 3 Performance(s)
FORT WAYNE, IN 11/21/2024
K. B. POLK CENTER FOR ACADEMICALLY TALENTED & GIFTED 3 Performance(s)
DALLAS, TX 11/15/2024
MAYFIELD HIGH SCHOOL THEATRE 1 Performance(s)
LAS CRUCES, NM 11/15/2024
KLEIN ISD-DOERRE THEATRE 1 Performance(s)
KLEIN, TX 11/7/2024
COLONIAL HIGH SCHOOL 4 Performance(s)
ORLANDO, FL 10/17/2024
WOODSIDE HIGH SCHOOL 1 Performance(s)
WOODSIDE, CA 5/21/2024
MAYFIELD HIGH SCHOOL THEATRE 2 Performance(s)
LAS CRUCES, NM 5/20/2024
FLINT ACADEMY 2 Performance(s)
KENNEDALE, TX 4/25/2024
GALT HIGH THEATER 3 Performance(s)
GALT, CA 4/18/2024
GAVILAN PEAK ELEMENTARY 1 Performance(s)
ANTHEM, AZ 3/21/2024
CENTRAL CATHOLIC HIGH SCHOOL 3 Performance(s)
CANTON, OH 3/9/2024
OZARK JUNIOR HIGH 2 Performance(s)
OZARK, MO 12/1/2023
SUDIE L. WILLIAMS TAG ACADEMY 1 Performance(s)
DALLAS, TX 11/9/2023
WHITEOAK HIGH SCHOOL 1 Performance(s)
HILLSBORO, OH 5/12/2023
GLADES DAY SCHOOL 1 Performance(s)
BELLE GLADE, FL 4/7/2023
BRADFORD CHRISTIAN ACADEMY 2 Performance(s)
BEVERLY, MA 3/4/2023
THE WINCHENDON SCHOOL 1 Performance(s)
WINCHENDON, MA 12/9/2022
WILLIAM B. TRAVIS MIDDLE SCHOOL 1 Performance(s)
DALLAS, TX 12/5/2022
ORTANVILLE PUBLIC SCHOOLS 3 Performance(s)
ORTONVILLE, MN 4/8/2022
WESTERN BRANCH HIGH SCHOOL 1 Performance(s)
CHESAPEAKE, VA 3/31/2022
NASSON LITTLE THEATRE 4 Performance(s)
SPRINGVALE, ME 3/18/2022
BISMARCK JR/SR HIGH THEATRE DEPARTMENT 1 Performance(s)
FARMINGTON, MO 3/17/2022
RICHLAND HIGH SCHOOL THEATRE ARTS 2 Performance(s)
RICHLAND, WA 11/13/2021
LAWRENCE CENTRAL HIGH SCHOOL 1 Performance(s)
INDIANAPOLIS, IN 9/9/2021
BETHLEHEM LUTHERAN SCHOOL 1 Performance(s)
CARSON CITY, NV 5/15/2021
MANCHESTER COMMUNITY COLLEGE 2 Performance(s)
MANCHESTER, NH 4/15/2021
WILLIAM B. TRAVIS MIDDLE SCHOOL 1 Performance(s)
DALLAS, TX 11/20/2020
MCCULLOUGH JR HIGH 1 Performance(s)
THE WOODLANDS, TX 5/18/2020
WOODBRIDGE HIGH SCHOOL 1 Performance(s)
WOODBRIDGE, NJ 1/14/2020
GREENVILLE CHRISTIAN SCHOOL 2 Performance(s)
GREENVILLE, TX 11/15/2019
LAKE FOREST HIGH SCHOOL 1 Performance(s)
LAKE FOREST, IL 8/29/2019
SUNY POTSDAM 1 Performance(s)
POTSDAM, NY 8/10/2019
HOPKINS ACADEMY 2 Performance(s)
HADLEY, MA 5/3/2019
HOPKINS ACADEMY 1 Performance(s)
HADLEY, MA 3/29/2019
WESTERN OAKS MIDDLE SCHOOL 2 Performance(s)
BETHANY, OK 12/13/2018
HOGG HIGH SCHOOL 1 Performance(s)
HOUSTON, TX 11/30/2018
W. H. SPENCER HIGH SCHOOL 1 Performance(s)
COLUMBUS, GA 11/10/2018
THE PINEVILLE PLAYERS LLC 1 Performance(s)
PINEVILLE, KY 6/22/2018
GRANTHAM COLLEGE 2 Performance(s)
GRANTHAM, UK 6/6/2018
HARNETT CENTRAL HIGH 1 Performance(s)
ANGIER, NC 5/23/2018
MESA VERDE MIDDLE SCHOOL 5 Performance(s)
ENCINITAS, CA 5/17/2018
KINARD MIDDLE SCHOOL 1 Performance(s)
FORT COLLINS, CO 5/14/2018
WAKE FOREST MIDDLE SCHOOL 1 Performance(s)
WAKE FOREST, NC 5/4/2018
MELISSA MIDDLE SCHOOL 2 Performance(s)
MELISSA, TX 5/1/2018
RIVERDALE HIGH SCHOOL 3 Performance(s)
RIVERDALE, CA 4/18/2018
WESTERN BRANCH HIGH SCHOOL 1 Performance(s)
CHESAPEAKE, VA 4/15/2018
TABIONA HIGH SCHOOL 2 Performance(s)
TABIONA, UT 4/13/2018
WREDLING MS THEATRE 2 Performance(s)
SYCAMORE, IL 3/15/2018
NORTHWESTERN DRAMA CLUB 3 Performance(s)
ALBION, PA 2/23/2018
PERRYSBURG HIGH SCHOOL 8 Performance(s)
PERRYSBURG, OH 1/25/2018
THE PINEVILLE PLAYERS LLC 1 Performance(s)
PINEVILLE, KY 12/29/2017
THE PINEVILLE PLAYERS LLC 1 Performance(s)
PINEVILLE, KY 11/17/2017
LIMA SENIOR HIGH DRAMA DEPT. 1 Performance(s)
LIMA, OH 11/17/2017
EASTERN OREGON REGIONAL THEATR 4 Performance(s)
RICHLAND, OR 11/16/2017
VERDIGRE PUBLIC SCHOOL 3 Performance(s)
VERDIGRE, NE 11/14/2017
ANNA HIGH SCHOOL 2 Performance(s)
ANNA, OH 11/2/2017
MINNEWAUKAN PUBLIC SCHOOL 1 Performance(s)
MINNEWAUKAN, ND 11/2/2017
PRAIRIE MUSIC ARTS 1 Performance(s)
SUN PRAIRIE, WI 7/14/2017
WESTERN CANADA THEATRE 3 Performance(s)
KAMLOOPS, BC 5/18/2017
HOKES BLUFF HIGH SCHOOL 1 Performance(s)
HOKES BLUFF, AL 5/5/2017
BARBOURVILLE HIGH SCHOOL 1 Performance(s)
BARBOURVILLE, KY 4/15/2017
FARGO NORTH HIGH SCHOOL 1 Performance(s)
FARGO, ND 2/3/2017
LIBERTY HIGH SCHOOL THEATRE 3 Performance(s)
HENDERSON, NV 1/14/2017
KAFFIE MIDDLE SCHOOL 2 Performance(s)
CORPUS CHRISTI, TX 1/12/2017

Behind The Scenes

PLAYWRIGHT WADE BRADFORD TALKS ABOUT HIS PLAY DIRECTOR’S NIGHTMARE

 

Q: WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO WRITE THIS PLAY?

A: My very first college class was with a drama teacher named Arden Flom. (Brilliant name for a thespian, don't you think?) He taught a class on directing. There were only about six of us students, so it was a very personal course, one filled with lots of conversations and stories. One particular anecdote that I will never forget involved a frustrated director and his beloved pocket watch. If you read "Director's Nightmare," you'll see that I have incorporated this little urban legend -- one that is probably fictional, but one that I hope is true.

 

Q: WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE PART OR LINE IN THE PLAY? WHY?

A: My favorite part is when all of the characters in rehearsal are playing roles that don't belong to them. All too often, when I've directed children's theater or community theater, there are many people who are absent. Once I was having several cast members filling in for others, and then I suddenly realized I was watching a rehearsal being performed by the assistant director, a lighting designer, and a stage mom. No actors were left for the scene! Those kind of funny frustrations are what I tried to imbue within my one-act.

 

Q: WHERE DID THE CHARACTERS COME FROM? ARE THEY BASED ON PEOPLE YOU KNOW?

A: Three of the characters are actually from a previous play of mine, “Promedy.” I wouldn't say "Director's Nightmare" is a sequel. However, I loved the characters Dante, Beatrix, and Chester so much, I wanted to hang out with them again.

 

Q: WHAT DID YOU TRY TO ACHIEVE WITH THIS PLAY?

A: Laughter... And I want to rekindle the memories and experiences of little theaters and drama clubs.