Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board: Theater Policy

Not sure exactly what you are looking for and yes I hate reinventing the wheel too, however I might suggest that you pick up a copy of The Theater Management Handbook by Richard E. Schneider and Mary Jo Ford. This book is great for many different aspects of managing a theater from policies to contracts. This also helps out with spread sheets for various inventory and controls. Good luck with your endeavor.

You may also want to check out www.aact.org

This organization has many different examples of policies and by-laws too.

The two greatest days in a theater persons life, the day you start a new show and the day the damn thing closes.

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If you'd like you can E-mail me and (after I scan them in) I can send you copies of what the company I worked for might have used years ago had they listened to my advice at the time. I took what meager written policies they had and started to create a new policy manual when I was president of the organization. I reworked the whole thing and was going to expand it greatly to define what the company expected from Stage Managers, lighting designers, set designers, all tech stuff and stage hands, etc. as well as actors, directors, house managers, ushers, and so forth. Like many companies I worked for, they didn't seem to think that it needed to be done, many felt they didn't WANT it done because they had "done it the same way for 25 years and didn't understand why it had to be written down when it's worked fine all along" or they just didn't want to have to deal with it. SAD, short-sighted, no vision. At any rate, after I had some of the documents created namley defining the responsibilites of the various areas of interest, I quit doing it because they didn't want to have to deal with it. As it was, I told them I personally, would keep it updated, keep up with printing it and adjusting it as the board felt it needed to be and anything else to keep it active and current. I had the documents on the computer for a long time and just finally dumped it. I have ONE copy (it's only now a limited number of pages - nothing major, maybe 6 - 8 pages or more) in hardcopy form. And since I no longer work with that company, I have no need to redo it.

I just had to laugh because when I started to write the policy manual, they were so against it that it just galled me. But then I had occasion several years later to go back and audition for a show. Upon being cast in the show, we were assembled for an initial "meeting" with the board liaison who was there to explain the policies of the theater (well I'd been with the theater for 18 years and this was a new person on the board whom I didn't know and who didn't know me). She handed out "Guidelines for Actors" as these were the printed policies we were to adhere to. I handed mine back to her and told her to keep it. She was adamant that I take it and read it. I told her I didn't need to read it. Thinking I was an arrogant diva actor (and not giving me a chance initially to tell her why I didn't need to read it), she asked why I didn't think I needed to read it. I TOLD HER IT WAS BECAUSE I WROTE IT years before. Needless to say, she wasn't impressed. Well I didn't say that to impress her anyway. It just made me laugh and pointed out to me how ludicrous all their arguments against it were when I presented it and tried to institute the manual so EVERYONE would know what their job responsibilites would be with regard to any production and thus make it a lot easier to maintain. They were using what I had written with minor modifications as though it was of their own doing. Needless to say, I don't work for that company anymore. Actually I've pretty much retired from doing theater altogether. I've had my FILL of egos, politics and the short-sighted, lack-of-vision, business-as-usual companies around here where I am, to choose from. I have far too many other creative outlets than to deal with those things anymore (I'm too old and short on patience for it) that I don't need to do it and grow to HATE it and thus likely never enjoy seeing theater productions again. NOW I do what I want if offered, when I want, IF I want. The rest I simply don't bother with anymore.

Anyway, if you want I can scan in what I have and E-mail it to you. Let me know via return post or E-Mail me at fxman@sapsema.org

Tony B

"Almost famous"

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Author	Message
Leahi Walk-On Joined: 5/12/07 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 0	Topic: Theater Policy Posted: 5/21/07 at 9:45pm
	I'm a member of a littlenon-profit community theater which has a set of by-laws but no formal theater policy exists. I suggested that a written policy/procedural manual be set in place and then got assigned the task to write one up to present to the Board of Directors. I'm not looking to reinvent the wheel here and would appreciate any help with this from the members of this group. If any of you belong to a theater with a written policy, I would really appreciate seeing what you have and perhaps glean some of the information that would apply to our theater. Can I count on your help, please? Thanks, Leahi

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biggertigger Celebrity Joined: 4/16/07 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 188	Posted: 5/22/07 at 9:21pm
	Not sure exactly what you are looking for and yes I hate reinventing the wheel too, however I might suggest that you pick up a copy of The Theater Management Handbook by Richard E. Schneider and Mary Jo Ford. This book is great for many different aspects of managing a theater from policies to contracts. This also helps out with spread sheets for various inventory and controls. Good luck with your endeavor. You may also want to check out www.aact.org This organization has many different examples of policies and by-laws too.
	The two greatest days in a theater persons life, the day you start a new show and the day the damn thing closes.
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Leahi Walk-On Joined: 5/12/07 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 0	Posted: 5/24/07 at 1:42pm
	Thanks loads. I'll get a copy of that book and will check out that website.
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TonyDi Celebrity Joined: 9/13/06 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 325	Posted: 5/25/07 at 7:34am
	If you'd like you can E-mail me and (after I scan them in) I can send you copies of what the company I worked for might have used years ago had they listened to my advice at the time. I took what meager written policies they had and started to create a new policy manual when I was president of the organization. I reworked the whole thing and was going to expand it greatly to define what the company expected from Stage Managers, lighting designers, set designers, all tech stuff and stage hands, etc. as well as actors, directors, house managers, ushers, and so forth. Like many companies I worked for, they didn't seem to think that it needed to be done, many felt they didn't WANT it done because they had "done it the same way for 25 years and didn't understand why it had to be written down when it's worked fine all along" or they just didn't want to have to deal with it. SAD, short-sighted, no vision. At any rate, after I had some of the documents created namley defining the responsibilites of the various areas of interest, I quit doing it because they didn't want to have to deal with it. As it was, I told them I personally, would keep it updated, keep up with printing it and adjusting it as the board felt it needed to be and anything else to keep it active and current. I had the documents on the computer for a long time and just finally dumped it. I have ONE copy (it's only now a limited number of pages - nothing major, maybe 6 - 8 pages or more) in hardcopy form. And since I no longer work with that company, I have no need to redo it. I just had to laugh because when I started to write the policy manual, they were so against it that it just galled me. But then I had occasion several years later to go back and audition for a show. Upon being cast in the show, we were assembled for an initial "meeting" with the board liaison who was there to explain the policies of the theater (well I'd been with the theater for 18 years and this was a new person on the board whom I didn't know and who didn't know me). She handed out "Guidelines for Actors" as these were the printed policies we were to adhere to. I handed mine back to her and told her to keep it. She was adamant that I take it and read it. I told her I didn't need to read it. Thinking I was an arrogant diva actor (and not giving me a chance initially to tell her why I didn't need to read it), she asked why I didn't think I needed to read it. I TOLD HER IT WAS BECAUSE I WROTE IT years before. Needless to say, she wasn't impressed. Well I didn't say that to impress her anyway. It just made me laugh and pointed out to me how ludicrous all their arguments against it were when I presented it and tried to institute the manual so EVERYONE would know what their job responsibilites would be with regard to any production and thus make it a lot easier to maintain. They were using what I had written with minor modifications as though it was of their own doing. Needless to say, I don't work for that company anymore. Actually I've pretty much retired from doing theater altogether. I've had my FILL of egos, politics and the short-sighted, lack-of-vision, business-as-usual companies around here where I am, to choose from. I have far too many other creative outlets than to deal with those things anymore (I'm too old and short on patience for it) that I don't need to do it and grow to HATE it and thus likely never enjoy seeing theater productions again. NOW I do what I want if offered, when I want, IF I want. The rest I simply don't bother with anymore. Anyway, if you want I can scan in what I have and E-mail it to you. Let me know via return post or E-Mail me at fxman@sapsema.org Tony B
	"Almost famous"
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Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board :Producing Theater :Other Topics

Topic: Theater Policy( Topic Closed)