The First Read-Through: How to Launch a Rehearsal Process
Plus, your weekly round-up of theatre news you may have missed!
Welcome to The Scene, your weekly round-up of theatre news you may have missed.
In this week's edition,
We explore how to transform the first read-through from a simple table reading into a celebratory launch that inspires your cast, builds community, and sets the tone for the entire rehearsal process.
Finally, don’t miss this week’s free read from Playscripts: Friday Night Sprites by Don Zolidis!
So, raise the curtain and shine the spotlight as we dive into another thrilling week in the theatre world. Welcome to The Scene.
John Lithgow to Tackle Roald Dahl’s Antisemitism in Broadway ‘Giant’ by Michael Paulson, The New York Times | The drama, which has had two runs in Britain, won London’s Olivier Award for best new play earlier this year. Read...
See Who's Joining Mark Strong and Lesley Manville in Oedipus on Broadway by Logan Culwell-Block, Andrew Gans, Playbill | Robert Icke directs and adapts the Sophocles tragedy, coming to the Main Stem after a West End bow. Read...
Art Opens on Broadway by Margaret Hall, Playbill | The revival, starring James Corden, Neil Patrick Harris, and Bobby Cannavale, plays the Music Box Theatre. Read... | What Do the Critics Think of Art on Broadway? | Read...
The Top 10 Most-Produced Plays of the 2025-26 Season by Rob Weinert-Kendt, American Theatre | Kiss a fish! The post-9/11 musical ‘Come From Away’ takes the top spot in its first appearance on the list, followed closely by ‘Primary Trust’ and ‘Eureka Day.’ Read...
The Top 20* Most-Produced Playwrights of the 2025-26 Season by Rob Weinert-Kendt, American Theatre | The prolific Lauren Gunderson is back on top for the third time (*26 due to ties; list does not count works by Shakespeare). Read...
In War-Torn Ukraine, ‘I Never Doubted the Importance of Theater’ by Richard Nelson, The New York Times | Richard Nelson returns to the Public Theater with “When the Hurlyburly’s Done,” which he presented last winter in Kyiv. Here, he reflects on the experience with excerpts from his diary. Read...
The Big Idea
The First Read-Through: How to Launch a Rehearsal Process
by Zach Dulli, The Scene
Picture it. The cast gathers around a table. The scripts are crisp, the pencils are sharp, and the room hums with the energy of possibility. Students lean in, eager but uncertain, waiting for you to steer the ship. This is the first read-through. It is not just another rehearsal. It is the declaration that your show has officially begun.
Too often, the day gets reduced to logistics: distributing scripts, posting schedules, reminding everyone to hydrate and highlight. That is the business of the production, but the business is not the point. The first read-through is about atmosphere. If you treat it like paperwork, it will feel like paperwork. If you treat it like a celebration, it will feel like a launch. This is your chance to ignite weeks of collaboration and creativity, making students feel part of something larger than themselves.
Make it a celebration
Think of the first read-through as opening night without the costumes, lights, or applause. Students should walk into a room that feels charged with purpose. Put a welcome sign on the door. Create name tags if you have new students so everyone feels seen. If the budget allows, set out snacks. Play a playlist inspired by the show or one that reflects the energy you want in the room. These gestures, small as they seem, announce to your students: this is not just another Tuesday after school. This is the beginning of a journey. You are not merely assembling actors. You are inducting a company into the world of the play.
Set expectations without killing the mood
Teenagers crave clarity. They want to know how often they will rehearse, what happens if they miss a rehearsal, and when they need to be off book. Share the big-picture roadmap—major deadlines, performances, production milestones. But remember the key: give them the rules of the road, not the entire highway code. If you spend too long outlining policies, you risk draining the energy from the room. The first read-through is about excitement. Keep the emphasis on possibility, not paperwork.
The read itself
Now comes the centerpiece. The way you approach the script sets the tone for the weeks ahead. Students will follow your lead. If you read with joy, they will find joy as well. If you read with reverence, they will feel the weight of the text. Read briskly enough to maintain momentum but pause when necessary to clarify a tricky word or cultural reference. Resist the urge to direct from page one. Today is about discovery, not correction. Let the play unfold and let your students immerse themselves in the world of the story without interruption. They need to hear it come alive for the first time, not feel judged for every stumble.
Invite voices beyond the cast
Theatre is never just actors and lines. If you have student designers, technicians or stage managers, make space for their voices to be heard. Invite the costume designer to share initial thoughts or the lighting crew to describe how they imagine the world. A stage manager introducing themselves and explaining their role signals to the cast that this is a collective endeavor. It reminds students that the magic of theatre is built by many hands, not just the ones holding scripts.
End with connection
Do not let the rehearsal dissolve into everyone grabbing backpacks and drifting toward the exit. Take a few minutes to reflect as a group. Ask what excites them about the project. Ask what challenges they anticipate. Ask what they hope to learn. You will be surprised by the honesty of their answers. You will also learn more about how to lead them. These conversations foster trust and lay the groundwork for effective collaboration. They also remind every student that they are not just showing up to rehearse lines; they are part of a larger team. They are part of a community with shared goals.
Why it matters
The first read-through is not about perfection. It is about permission. Permission to try, to fail, to risk, to laugh, to learn. You are giving students the green light to believe in the story and in each other. When you do that, you are not just launching a rehearsal process; you are also setting the stage for a successful production. You are building a community that will carry each other through long nights, missed lines, last-minute set changes and opening night jitters.
This is where the journey begins. Gather the scripts. Circle the table. Light the spark. Because from this moment on, you are not just rehearsing a play. You are making theatre.
Equus Is Coming Back to London by Margaret Hall, Playbill | The Peter Shaffer drama will be part of the Menier Chocolate Factory's 2025–2026 season. Read...
Meet the Stars of Ride the Cyclone's Upcoming U.K. Premiere by Logan Culwell-Block, Playbill | The cult favorite musical is headed to London's Southwark Playhouse Elephant this fall. Read...
Billy Crudup and Denise Gough Will Star in High Noon in London by Andrew Gans, Playbill | Thea Sharrock will direct the world premiere of Eric Roth's stage adaptation of the classic film. Read...
Leslie Rodriguez Kritzer and Joanna 'JoJo' Levesque to Lead Cyndi Lauper's Working Girl Musical by Diep Tran, Playbill | The musical will have a world premiere at La Jolla Playhouse in California. Read...
Huzzah!, From the Writers of Legally Blonde, Makes Its World Premiere at San Diego's Old Globe by Logan Culwell-Block, Playbill | The new Ren Fair-themed show is playing through October 19 with Annie Tippe directing. Read...
From The Office to the Stage: Jenna Fischer on Doing a Play Written By Her Husband by Emily McClanathan, Playbill | Ashland Avenue, by Lee Kirk, runs at the Goodman Theater in Chicago. Read...
Free Reads of the Week
Read entire plays for free! Playscripts offers a selection of full-length and one-act plays that you can access for free, which is ideal for use in theatre productions, school performances, or competitions. To explore these titles, click on the cover image below or select the "READ FOR FREE" button at the bottom of this section. This action will direct you to the play's page on the Playscripts website. Once there, click "READ NOW" to begin enjoying the play immediately!
Friday Night Sprites by Don Zolidis
The Story: It’s tough when you’re the football coach in Texas. You don’t have any money for helmets, your kids have to paint the field themselves, and you can never get enough boys to try out. Meanwhile, the theater department is building a $22 million amphitheater for their new show and used four live elephants in their production of Dumbo. When the star quarterback leaves the team to take a role as Peaseblossom in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, what’s a coach to do except try to find a cursed Monkey’s Paw to make a wish and change the world? Except someone might have beaten him to it…
Genre: Comedy | Run-Time: 35-45 minutes | Casting: 5 W, 5 M, 12 Any (12-21 actors possible: 5-21 W, 5-21 M) | Set: Flexible
