I've always had a problem with high school "problem plays." You know, those oh-so-serious dramas that warn students against the dangers of peer-pressure, tobacco, and driving without a seat-belt. It's not that I'm in favor of daring freshmen to puff on cigars while speeding down the freeway unbuckled. It's just that some plays can be too preachy for their own good.

That's why I'm always pleased to discover "problem plays" that approach the high school experience from a different perspective. Theatrefolk's one-act Anonymous (appropriately written by an anonymous playwright) succeeds in recreating the anxiety of being the new kid in class. The characters are essentially archetypes; they are given intentionally vague names such as "ME" and "SHE." At times they speak directly to the audience, and during other scenes the characters speak in unison, like a modern day Greek chorus.

Discover more one-act plays and scenes.

If there is one musical I am aching to see it's In the Heights, the Tony award winning love letter to the urban neighborhood, Washington Heights, hometown of composer/performer Lin-Manuel Miranda. You don't need to be a New Yorker (or from the Dominican Republic) to appreciate the show's rich, energetic melodies. So, as it launches its national tour, audiences from the East to West Coast (with many stops in between) will get a chance to experience this life-affirming musical.

In a recent interview with Playbill, Miranda discussed the inspirational sources of his show. There are many similarities with It's a Wonderful Life; although there are no supernatural elements, there are angelic characters (such as the protagonist's grandmother), and several of the characters are struggling to leave the neighborhood only to discover that their life at home offers all of the personal fulfillment they have been searching for.

Broadway.com features a six minute video showing the nation touring company having a great time during the rehearsal process.

The denouement is the resolution of the play or story. Typically, everything that unfold's after the climax of the play is the denouement.

Interestingly, I often think of the denouement as the part of the play in which all the "loose ends" are tied up. For example, supporting characters resolve their conflicts, little mysteries are explained, and the main characters reflect on their life.

However, the French term "denouement" actually means "untying." So, one can also think of a denouement as when the complicated "plotlines" become untangled.

Impress your theater friends at cast parties: Find out how to pronounce "denouement."

Explore more theater terms in the Plays / Drama Glossary.

David's Mamet's controversial two-hander, Oleanna, is currently on Broadway, starring Bill Pullman and Julia Stiles. Exploring the perils and pretentiousness of academia, the drama involves three meetings, each more devastating than the next, between a college professor and his struggling student. Both characters have a lot of baggage, and both have a tremendously difficult time communicating with one another, leading to various allegations and an explosive conclusion.

The show's official website features YouTube interviews from audience members. The website claims, "Whatever side you take, you're wrong." But that doesn't stop fans of the show from voicing their opinions. Have you seen or read David Mamet's play? Whose side are you on?

Find out more about Oleanna and then share your opinion in the Plays / Drama forum.

From the early 1900s until 1962, the Grand Guignol was a small theater in Paris that specialized in all things horrific. The plays performed there went beyond the funny, shocking thrills that one might expect from a typical Halloween show. Instead, they were written and performed in the naturalist tradition, a style of acting that endeavored to be as realistic as possible.

The standard set of characters included convicts, murderers, prostitutes, and rapists. It was commonplace for the stage to be covered in fake blood by the end of the evening, with a few phony disemboweled organs thrown in for good measure. My favorite factual tidbit about the Grand Guignol is about an actress who worked there for decades. It has been said that horror-diva Paula Maxa was "murdered" over 10,000 times on stage.

Sound disgusting? Perhaps, but it certainly catered to the audience. For over fifty years, the Grand Guignol was incredibly popular, producing one creepy fright-fest after another. However, after World War II, when society had experienced the real-life brutality of human nature, the Parisian horror theater began to decline in popularity. By 1962, the blood stained curtain fell for the last time.

But the legacy of the theater lives on. Thrillpeddlers, a San Francisco theater group, have been performing authentic Grand Guignol horror plays since the mid 90s. Their website also offers a detailed history of the original Grand Guignol and its macabre tales.

As with other plays by Henrik Ibsen, the conclusion of Ghosts focuses not on action but on revelation through honest conversation. Secrets between mother and child have been hidden for years, and now the characters in this family drama set in a bleak, well-to-do manor must learn to face reality.

And what a stark reality it is! An orphanage is burned to ashes. A disturbing, potentially-incestuous relationship is brought to a screeching halt. A deadly, mysterious disease is revealed. All of which culminates in a dreadful final choice which must be made.

Learn more about the final act of Ibsen's Ghosts.

I just stumbled upon a useful resource for anyone seeking a career in theater design, whether it is model making, set construction, or building the stage itself.

Scenography caters to an international circle of students, amateurs, and professionals. Each month, they feature artists, prop-makers, and scenic designers. I was hoping to find more instructional information for those of us who are not constructively inclined. Unfortunately, it does not yet provide much process-analysis, so don't expect to find many "how to" resources.

The website does offer lots of artist profiles and an ongoing news-feed of theater design articles. Scenography is certainly worth a glance, especially for those hoping to find out more about modern theaters throughout Europe.

Do you have a technical theater question of your own? Or perhaps an impressive technical accomplishment? Share your experiences in the Plays / Drama forum.

Thousands of high school students are spending their October days studying Arthur Miller's engrossing play, The Crucible. And they aren't reading it for the pure joy of analyzing dramatic literature. (Well, hopefully a few of them are!) Instead, they have one goal: to write an essay.

Teachers expect their students to have a working knowledge of the protagonist as well as the antagonist. Yet, if a student wants her essay to shine amongst a slew of drab, unoriginal essays, she should also pay close attention to the play's supporting characters:

Reverend Parris: The self-righteous spiritual leader of Salem.

Judge Danforth: The foreboding ruler of Salem's courtroom.

Rebecca Nurse: One of the many innocent victims of The Crucible.

What are the "Jukebox Blues" you ask? It's the sad sort of feeling I get whenever I read about another so-called "Jukebox Musical" premiering on Broadway. Creators of a "Jukebox Musicals" gather pre-existing pop-songs and toss them into a (typically shallow) storyline. Instead of gambling on new melodies and lyrics, the producers go with name recognition. To be fair, some of the shows have been highly entertaining. (I get a kick out of the sweet silliness of Mama Mia.) But for the most part, I am not interested in watching an expensive Broadway show that strings together tunes from Rod Stewart or Poison.

When I heard the premise of Memphis I assumed it was following in the line of Jersey Boys, All Shook Up, or Rock of Ages. (Popular shows, yes, but they just don't appeal to me.) I was pleasantly delighted when I learned that Memphis is an original story with an equally original score. Its musical roots are grounded in the past, but the songs themselves, composed by David Bryan, are vibrant and new.

For a taste of Memphis the musical, check out their official YouTube channel. They showcase highlights from Broadway's latest hit, including live events and clips of the rehearsal process. I recommend listening to the gospel-tinged ballad, "Memphis Lives in Me."

I discovered a new artistic phenomenon over the weekend: "24 Hour Theatre." (At least it was new to me!)

For several years, black box theatres, drama troupes, and college campuses have been hosting 24 hour theatre events as fundraisers and creative experiments. The basic idea: groups are given a basic premise such as "surprises in love" or "scary things." In some cases they are given a specific prop or a line of dialogue, something that must be utilized during the show. Next, the team spends the first half-of the day writing the script (which will probably run about ten-minutes or so). During the last eight to twelve hours, the actors are given their lines, the show is blocked, and then it's rehearsal, rehearsal, rehearsal until the show opens.

Sound exhausting? Definitely. Sound fun? Absolutely.

Southern California is home to a theater group that presents 24 Hour Theatre projects every month. And on the east coast, Broadway stars assembled to perform "The 24 Hour Musicals."

Do you know of any 24 hour theatre events in your community? Let us know in the Plays / Drama Forum, or leave a comment and tell us all about it.