Advice - School Shakespeare Play (Outside Venue)

[USC Trojan Fan]

Hello everybody:

For those of you who have experience shooting theatre productions, can you please provide some recommendations / tips?

I am an amateur photographer who mainly shoots environmental portraiture of my family. I have been asked by my daughter's 3rd grade class to shoot their upcoming Junior Shakespeare play at an outside venue here in San Diego (Balboa Park). They will be performing around 12pm to 1pm, assume will be cloudless in mid 70's, with a stage that faces North. I am also going to try and shoot the rehearsal 2 days before the actual event to get closer, move around on stage, etc. My equipment: Canon 5D (classic), 35L 1.4, 50 1.4, 85L 1.2.

Do you have any recommendations / tips on how I should approach this? What shooting positions would you recommend ... lens you think I should use in different situations ... some specific shots I should definitely try and capture ... anything along these lines.

Thank you in advance for your ideas and recommendations.

[cpam.pix]

Youth theater is my primary subject. I don't post (m)any of them here, though.

Best thing that I've found to do is shoot at the dress rehearsals. I try to go to a run-through or two during tech week so I can learn the things that I want to get pictures of. Then, at the dress rehearsals, I have run of the theater and the shutter noise doesn't bother paying patrons.

I try to get shots from far away and close up. My best shots are from when I'm right on the edge of the stage. Close-ups are good. Try to get small groups of actors or solo pictures. When you take larger group photos, the faces become dots and you can't see the detail you want.

I usually use my 70-200 f/2.8 because lighting indoors is rarely enough. You shouldn't have low lighting problems with the outdoor venue.

Shoot the curtain call and arrange to take a cast photo at a dress rehearsal.

After the show, get pictures of the parents with the kids.

Have fun!