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Attracting an Audience in Modern Times
This is an effect way to communicate directly with your patrons and keep them updated on your shows.

Claire Wilson
Sep 12, 20242 min read
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What to Consider When Offering an Internship
A Madrigal Dinner is an excellent opportunity for internships. Roles like costuming, assistant directing, or marketing are all occasions...

Claire Wilson
May 20, 20243 min read
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5 Ways to Be a Better Director
Jim once directed a play that still lives in infamy: he made Spock cry. Not Leonard Nimoy (though that would be a much better story) but...

Claire Wilson
Apr 4, 20243 min read
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Five Tips for Comedy Success
The key to comedy is . . . . . . . . . . Timing. Those who know comedy know it’s a terribly tricky beast. So, if you are performing one...

Claire Wilson
Feb 26, 20243 min read
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Sponsorship Level Ideas for Corporate Sponsors
“Why do you want me to be a sponsor?” That was a question posed to me on one of my follow-up calls for corporate sponsorships. I could...

Claire Wilson
Jan 4, 20243 min read
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Don't Hate It. Cater It!
I (Jim) directed a local high school's first Madrigal Dinner. Now, directing the event would have been just fine. But this is a public...

Claire Wilson
Dec 7, 20233 min read
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5 Keys to Comedy Acting
When director George Seaton was visiting his dying friend, actor Edmund Gwenn, Seaton said, “This must be terribly difficult for you.”...

Jim Jeffries
Nov 23, 20233 min read
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Cast Party Ideas: 5 Ways to Celebrate Your Cast
Cast parties are an important opportunity to celebrate your actors and production team. It’s a time to express gratitude, highlight...

Claire Wilson
Oct 26, 20234 min read
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Cloth vs. Paper Napkins for Your Madrigal Dinner
When hosting a Madrigal or Jazz Dinner, you want to save on costs anywhere you can. This could include affordable desserts or...

Claire Wilson
Sep 28, 20232 min read
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No Sweat Peasant Shirts
While the “peasant look” became very popular in the 1960s, the outfit was purely practical for the Renaissance lower class. Blouses fit...

Claire Wilson
Jul 20, 20232 min read
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How to Keep Track of Projects (Without Losing Your Mind)
Building stages, 200 desserts, choir rehearsals, printing tickets, ay-yai-yai! How do you keep all this straight? If you’re like me and...

Claire Wilson
Mar 16, 20232 min read
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Becoming a Wizard at Wall Hangings
Some of us do our high school madrigal dinners in a gymnasium . . . which doesn't really scream "royal banquet hall." Let me guess:...

Claire Wilson
Mar 2, 20232 min read
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Hanging Fabric, Creating Magic
If you are hosting your madrigal dinner at your school, you are looking at transforming a gym or cafeteria space with the few farthings...

Claire Wilson
Feb 16, 20232 min read
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Super Simple Skirts
Luckily, costumes for the royal court are pretty “simple” in that you only have one king and one queen and a limited number of nobility. ...

Claire Wilson
Feb 2, 20232 min read
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Thanking Your Volunteers
Good volunteers are like fine wine: they are a comfort to have, and they help prevent coronary artery disease. And also, like fine wine,...

Claire Wilson
Jan 16, 20232 min read
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How to Communicate with your Cast and Crew without Complications
We did a show recently, and we asked our actors how best to reach them. "Does everyone check email?" "Not very often," some actors said....

Claire Wilson
Jan 5, 20232 min read
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How to Build Faux-tastic Castle Walls
Whether you are doing your madrigal dinner in a school cafeteria, gymnasium, or renting a conference room, you have a lot of work to do...

Claire Wilson
Dec 28, 20221 min read
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Madrigal Dinner Ticketing Apps
Still using a scroll and quill to record ticket sales to your event? There’s an easier way with the right APP. Many apps and...

Claire Wilson
Dec 28, 20222 min read
36 views
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Cross-selling For Your Madrigal Dinner
You can sell more than a ticket to your Madrigal Dinner. Once patrons arrive, there are many opportunities for cross-selling for your...

Claire Wilson
Dec 23, 20222 min read
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Simple Centerpieces for Your Madrigal Dinner
Hosting a madrigal dinner? Want to do period centerpieces but fresh out of boar’s head? Apples make for easy yet visually interesting...

Claire Wilson
Dec 23, 20221 min read
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