If you joined a youth theatre today, chances are that the very first thing you�ll be asked to do is to make a circle with the other members. In some ways, the circle is a symbol for youth theatre, and making a circle can be a youth theatre member�s first experience of the �ensemble�. The ensemble approach is a fundamental principle of youth theatre practice. The youth theatre members work together as a company over a long period of time, working together to establish trust, making decisions collaboratively, sharing ownership of the artistic work and taking collective responsibility. Ensemble techniques such as group improvisation and devising are commonplace.

The idea of ensemble work creates a sense of great togetherness in a youth theatre. A few years back, I spoke with youth theatre members about how plays are cast in their groups. One Roscommon Co. Youth Theatre member said:

�If I was given the opportunity to have a main part then perhaps I would excel and perhaps I would prove that I am a good actor, you know? Without having the opportunity then you�ll never know about that one particular person. And they will always be left in the background, which isn�t fair because youth theatre is about community. It�s about friends. It�s about being involved. It�s about being a part of something instead of being in the back.�

I�ve always loved her description of how important it is to the members that everyone is given a chance, how everybody should be included and feel part of what is being created. The ensemble approach impacts hugely on the group dynamics in a youth theatre but then it also really influences the style of theatre that is created. The scale of an ensemble production, the size of a large youth theatre cast, the age range and imagination of the actors, the themes and characters being explored all combine to create quite a unique form of theatre.

So where do youth theatre leaders find plays for such large casts? Plays that fit the gender breakdown of their membership? Plays that meet the practical needs of the group but challenge both audiences and performers alike? Plays that offer different experiences of genre, style and content?

Many youth theatres devise, write or commission new work specifically suited to the needs and interests of their membership and leaders. Between 2006 and 2009, 29 different youth theatres devised, wrote or commissioned 88 new plays. Devising is a very different process to the rehearsal of a scripted piece and can provide different opportunities for skills development. It can provide young people with the opportunity to develop a piece that is specific to their locality and their youth theatre and a chance to explore and value their own ideas. Devising can bring about a very clear sense of ownership of a process and a production. Leaders also say that devising can help young people to develop theatre skills around structure and narrative as they develop a piece of theatre from the potential of an initial concept. The majority of youth theatres say they devise productions because of an interest or a commitment to the process of devising rather than a lack of suitable scripted plays.

When a youth theatre decides to produce a scripted piece, where do they turn to find the right play? Traditional / classic plays are very popular with youth theatres who love to engage with Shakespeare and plays such as Arthur Miller�s The Crucible or modernists such as Caryl Churchill. Some youth theatres prefer to perform plays that are specifically written for young actors to perform. Youth theatres choose these plays because they are relevant to the issues and situations within young people�s lives or because they have a strong belief that young actors should only play characters within their age range. Although, some youth theatres will say that they find plays written for young people limiting, occasionally patronising and based too much on what were deemed to be �teenage� issues. So there�s a huge variety!

In order to help youth theatres find the right script and stop youth theatre leaders from tearing their hair out, NAYD started a collection of plays suitable for youth drama and theatre groups called �Playshare�. All Playshare scripts have been written specially for, or commissioned by/for, young people. They vary in length, content and style, but all the plays have been produced by a youth theatre at least once. Youth drama and theatre groups can access the plays through NAYD but copyright remains with the authors.  You can download a list of the plays from: http://www.nayd.ie/resources/show/findplay

NAYD is constantly looking for new work to add to the Playshare collection. If you have produced a new, adapted or devised piece with your youth theatre that you feel would be suitable for production by other youth theatres, let us know about it!

Email  a l a n [at] n a y d . i e  to find out more about Playshare