In community theatre, there is a common problem of having difficulty finding and keeping enough performers to have a suitable male chorus. After working with several community theater groups in both the production and the performance side, I have noticed that there are certain considerations that are often overlooked.
It might seem obvious, but the first step to keeping your male chorus is to treat them well. I think one of the most obvious examples of this is in the costuming. In a recent production I was involved with, our female chorus not only had costumes made for them, but each outfit was uniquely designed using different fabrics. Conversely, the men didn't know what they were wearing until the week before the run, and were then told to wear "jeans and a white T-shirt". What made this situation even more telling was the fact that some of the men had actually already gone out to buy something they thought would be suitable. Men, in general, might not be as interested in clothes as women, but everyone wants to look nice on stage.
But this situation brings up a more general thought that men need to feel important and wanted.
