Find a variety of resources, free or inexpensive, to help you with your program.
If you know of a resource other school drama programs can access, send us an email. We’ll add it to the list.
If you know of a resource other school drama programs can access, send us an email. We’ll add it to the list.
Sections
Exercises for Class & Rehearsal
Solos for Students
Fundraising
Idea Bank
Marketing & Promotion
Sound Effects & Music
Workshops
Exercises for Class & Rehearsal
Solos for Students
Fundraising
Idea Bank
Marketing & Promotion
Sound Effects & Music
Workshops
Exercises for Class & Rehearsal
NMHSMTA
A variety of exercises we’ve developed over the years. Some are original, some adapted from other sources. Available on our website.
A variety of exercises we’ve developed over the years. Some are original, some adapted from other sources. Available on our website.
Fundraising
The easiest fundraising option we’ve found is Raisecraze. It allows you to raise money for your program and fill the house for your shows at the same time. Raisecraze works within a pay-it-forward framework. You and your students promise to do a good deed, and people donate to your program because you’re doing that good deed. We checked with Raisecraze and you can give away seats to your performances to deserving people in your community as your good deed.
Here’s what you do:
Raisecraze does all the emailing of appeals for money for your program. They take 10% for their work. They create flyers you can print and distribute, but printing is your expense.
Acts of Kindness
To make this an act of kindness, promise you’ll give seats to the elderly, to veterans, to low-income families, to troubled teens. Match the recipients of the tickets to the content of the show. (Your production about zombie killers is not everyone’s cup of tea.) Then find an easy way to distribute tickets.
Idea starter: Find a group that can help you make a difference (and make ticket distribution easy), and recruit their cooperation. Most will be more than happy to do so.
Here’s what you do:
- Go to raisecraze.com.
- Create a fundraiser for your drama program. (Ex: Socorro High School Drama)
- Name a kindness you’ll do, which is the hook for people to contribute money. (See below).
- Fill in as many names and email addresses as you can for potential donors. These are friends and relatives of students in the program, the same group you’d be tapping if you were selling the world’s greatest candy.
- (Optional, but recommended) Host a kick-off party for the fundraiser to get things started. You can also recruit a local business to sponsor the fundraiser.
Raisecraze does all the emailing of appeals for money for your program. They take 10% for their work. They create flyers you can print and distribute, but printing is your expense.
Acts of Kindness
To make this an act of kindness, promise you’ll give seats to the elderly, to veterans, to low-income families, to troubled teens. Match the recipients of the tickets to the content of the show. (Your production about zombie killers is not everyone’s cup of tea.) Then find an easy way to distribute tickets.
- Locate a nearby senior center to get tickets to the elderly.
- Find your local VFW or American Legion to distribute tickets to veterans.
- Seek out a daycare center specifically for low-income families to get tickets to that group.
- Distribute tickets through your local Boys Club/Girls Club or Big Brothers/Big Sisters to reach teens in need.
- Keep the connections for the ticket distribution as close to home as you can. They should serve people your school’s population cares about.
Idea starter: Find a group that can help you make a difference (and make ticket distribution easy), and recruit their cooperation. Most will be more than happy to do so.
Idea Bank
NMHSMTA and New Mexico’s Drama Teachers
On the NM Theater Education Collaborative page in Facebook
Ideas for productions, sets, lighting, costumes, concepts — you name it. If you need some inspiration for a production or a class you’re teaching, this might give you the fresh eye you need. And, you are encouraged to add ideas, too!
If you are not yet a member, send a friend request to Terry Davis or Heather Hagler. Add a message that you would like to be invited to the collaborative. Terry or Heather will then friend you, then invite you to join.
On the NM Theater Education Collaborative page in Facebook
Ideas for productions, sets, lighting, costumes, concepts — you name it. If you need some inspiration for a production or a class you’re teaching, this might give you the fresh eye you need. And, you are encouraged to add ideas, too!
If you are not yet a member, send a friend request to Terry Davis or Heather Hagler. Add a message that you would like to be invited to the collaborative. Terry or Heather will then friend you, then invite you to join.
Marketing & Promotion
Albuquerque Theatre Guild
P.O. Box 26395
Albuquerque, NM 87125
https://www.abqtheatre.org/
ATG offers free membership to high schools. ATG then promotes shows and activities by its members to their email list. To join ATG, send them an email.
New Mexico High School Musical Theatre Awards
933 San Mateo NE, #500-221
Albuquerque, NM 87108
Send an email.
Add your school’s production to our calendar, one entry per scheduled performance. Enter dates for musicals and non-musicals, or any fundraisers you’re hosting.
Theatre Santa Fe
www.theatresantafe.org
Send an email.
Theatre Santa Fe offers high school programs a subscriber-ship for $100 per year. They include performances for participating programs in their weekly newsletter going out to approximately 1,500 people. Companies are responsible for sending information, including photos, to promote upcoming shows and for inclusion in the company directory. Shows are also included in Theatre Santa Fe’s weekly calendar online, which has approximately 3,000 visits a month.
Participating schools can also take part in the annual Theatre Walk, a day of short theatre pieces in multiple venues in close proximity, which always draws an audience numbering in the hundreds, as well as their annual Children’s Theatre Festival which was begun last spring.
P.O. Box 26395
Albuquerque, NM 87125
https://www.abqtheatre.org/
ATG offers free membership to high schools. ATG then promotes shows and activities by its members to their email list. To join ATG, send them an email.
New Mexico High School Musical Theatre Awards
933 San Mateo NE, #500-221
Albuquerque, NM 87108
Send an email.
Add your school’s production to our calendar, one entry per scheduled performance. Enter dates for musicals and non-musicals, or any fundraisers you’re hosting.
Theatre Santa Fe
www.theatresantafe.org
Send an email.
Theatre Santa Fe offers high school programs a subscriber-ship for $100 per year. They include performances for participating programs in their weekly newsletter going out to approximately 1,500 people. Companies are responsible for sending information, including photos, to promote upcoming shows and for inclusion in the company directory. Shows are also included in Theatre Santa Fe’s weekly calendar online, which has approximately 3,000 visits a month.
Participating schools can also take part in the annual Theatre Walk, a day of short theatre pieces in multiple venues in close proximity, which always draws an audience numbering in the hundreds, as well as their annual Children’s Theatre Festival which was begun last spring.
Sound Effects
BenSound
https://www.bensound.com
This site has 84 full-length, well-produced songs you can use for a lot of different moods for your non-musical productions.* Play them between scenes or as part of the scene. Play them as pre-show and intermission music, thus avoiding any ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC royalty claims against you and your school. Sign up for an account, then press the Free Music button. Download what you need.
* Do not insert these anywhere in a musical theatre production. That’s illegal, except possibly as pre-show music.
https://www.bensound.com
This site has 84 full-length, well-produced songs you can use for a lot of different moods for your non-musical productions.* Play them between scenes or as part of the scene. Play them as pre-show and intermission music, thus avoiding any ASCAP, BMI, or SESAC royalty claims against you and your school. Sign up for an account, then press the Free Music button. Download what you need.
* Do not insert these anywhere in a musical theatre production. That’s illegal, except possibly as pre-show music.
NMHSMTA
Thanks to a donation from Doug and Donna Geist
Access the free NMHSMTA sound effects library by registering. Both teachers and students in New Mexico schools can access the library.
Thanks to a donation from Doug and Donna Geist
Access the free NMHSMTA sound effects library by registering. Both teachers and students in New Mexico schools can access the library.
Workshops
Albuquerque Theatre Guild
P.O. Box 26395
Albuquerque, NM 87125
https://www.abqtheatre.org/
ATG is putting together free workshops for schools in the greater Albuquerque area on a variety of topics, especially those focused on technical theatre and design. Submit a request using the contact form on the main page of their website.
Department of Theatre and Digital Filmmaking
Eastern New Mexico University
1500 S Ave K
Portales, NM 88130
Jon Barr, Chair
575.562.2229
Theatre and Digital Filmmaking website
Send an email to department chair Jon Barr.
Can bring free workshops to your classroom in person or virtually.
New Mexico High School Musical Theatre Awards
933 San Mateo NE, #500-221
Albuquerque, NM 87108
Offers pay-what-you-will workshops designed for your students. In-person or virtually, customized for you or one of several out of the box workshops. You can request a workshop online or by email.
New Mexico State University
MSC 3072
PO Box 30001
Las Cruces, NM 88003-3072
theatre.nmsu.edu/
Wil Kilroy, Department Chair
Can bring free workshops to your classroom in person or virtually.
The University of New Mexico
Department of Theatre and Dance
MSC04 2575
Robert Hartung Building
2414 Central Ave SE
Albuquerque, NM 87131
(505) 277-4332
theatre.unm.edu
Can bring free workshops to your classroom in person or virtually.
P.O. Box 26395
Albuquerque, NM 87125
https://www.abqtheatre.org/
ATG is putting together free workshops for schools in the greater Albuquerque area on a variety of topics, especially those focused on technical theatre and design. Submit a request using the contact form on the main page of their website.
Department of Theatre and Digital Filmmaking
Eastern New Mexico University
1500 S Ave K
Portales, NM 88130
Jon Barr, Chair
575.562.2229
Theatre and Digital Filmmaking website
Send an email to department chair Jon Barr.
Can bring free workshops to your classroom in person or virtually.
New Mexico High School Musical Theatre Awards
933 San Mateo NE, #500-221
Albuquerque, NM 87108
Offers pay-what-you-will workshops designed for your students. In-person or virtually, customized for you or one of several out of the box workshops. You can request a workshop online or by email.
New Mexico State University
MSC 3072
PO Box 30001
Las Cruces, NM 88003-3072
theatre.nmsu.edu/
Wil Kilroy, Department Chair
Can bring free workshops to your classroom in person or virtually.
The University of New Mexico
Department of Theatre and Dance
MSC04 2575
Robert Hartung Building
2414 Central Ave SE
Albuquerque, NM 87131
(505) 277-4332
theatre.unm.edu
Can bring free workshops to your classroom in person or virtually.