| Acknowledgments | ix |
| Introduction: Who Should Read This Book? | 1 |
| Act 1 | Production Design | 3 |
| 1. | Backstage Brainstroming | 5 |
| What's a Reunion All About? | 5 |
| What Kind of Show Should It Be? | 10 |
| Ask the Audience! | 14 |
| 2. | Casting Call | 23 |
| Auditions for the Cast and Crew | 23 |
| The Producer | 23 |
| The Business Manager | 28 |
| The Record Keeper | 30 |
| The Stage Manager | 31 |
| Teams | 31 |
| 3. | The Right Time ... the Right Place | 35 |
| When Is Showtime? | 35 |
| Places Everyone! | 37 |
| Sights and Sites | 41 |
| 4. | Box Office Prices: Dollars and Sense | 47 |
| Money Talks: What Does It Say? | 47 |
| Sources of Income | 48 |
| Typical Expenses | 53 |
| Contracts | 57 |
| Budget and Banking | 57 |
| Act 2 | Backstage Preparations | 61 |
| 5. | The Script: Record Keeping | 63 |
| Paperwork Priorities | 63 |
| Simple Systems | 64 |
| Technology's Tools | 65 |
| Creating History | 74 |
| 6. | Finding Far-flung Family | 77 |
| Search Methods | 77 |
| Finding Fred | 78 |
| Innovations on the Internet | 79 |
| Online Forums and Message Boards | 82 |
| Other Web Tools | 84 |
| Respecting Privacy | 85 |
| 7. | Reaching Your Audience: Communication and Promotion | 87 |
| First Mailings | 87 |
| Snail Mail | 92 |
| E-mail | 94 |
| Your Own Web Site | 96 |
| 8. | Intermission and Refreshments | 103 |
| Sweet Dreams: Lodging | 103 |
| Greet 'n' Eat: Food and Menus | 106 |
| 9. | Audience Participation | 117 |
| The Sound of Music | 117 |
| Keeping Kids Involved | 120 |
| Quiet and Noisy Games and Races | 124 |
| Specialized Outdoor Activities | 127 |
| 10. | Setting the Stage | 129 |
| Set Design and Decoration | 129 |
| Point the Way: Art Direction and Visual Effects | 130 |
| Preserve Your Production on Film | 133 |
| Sound and Light Show | 135 |
| Costume Design | 136 |
| 11. | The Lobby Showcase | 141 |
| Look Who's Here! | 141 |
| Putting Your Family on the Map | 144 |
| Heirlooms and Artifacts | 145 |
| Finding Yourself on Genealogy Wall Charts | 147 |
| Ye Olde Reunion Shoppe | 151 |
| Act 3 | Getting the Show on the Road | 155 |
| 12. | Interviewing the Stars | 157 |
| Oral Histories | 157 |
| Filming the Folks | 162 |
| Permissions | 163 |
| Everyone's a Star | 164 |
| 13. | Honoring the Family's Past | 167 |
| Memorials and Tributes | 167 |
| Memory Books | 171 |
| 14. | Opening Night (or Day) | 181 |
| The Box Office: Registration | 181 |
| Computer Corner | 187 |
| Prizes and Surprises | 188 |
| Dress Rehearsal | 189 |
| 15. | The Curtain Falls | 193 |
| Postproduction Follow-up | 193 |
| Keeping in Touch | 196 |
| Ongoing Projects | 201 |
| Appendix A | Online Listings for State Parks | 207 |
| Appendix B | National Genealogical Society Standards and Guidelines | 209 |
| Standards for Sound Genealogical Research | 210 |
| Guidelines for Using Records, Repositories, and Libraries | 211 |
| Standards for Use of Technology in Genealogical Research | 212 |
| Standards for Sharing Information with Others | 213 |
| Guidelines for Publishing Web Pages on the Internet | 214 |
| Guidelines for Genealogical Self-Improvement and Growth | 215 |
| Glossary | 217 |
| Index | 221 |