Just looking for some moral support I guess. We open Wed. and last night one of the actors didn't show and didn't call. (This wasn't the first problem we'd had with him in this regard.) We had the option of having one of the other actors double up; we waited an hour and then had the other actor play the part. He says he can get the lines down. The cast and director want to replace the original actor because they don't trust him to be there. He finally returned my call this afternoon (I'm the producer) I had even called the hospital. I told him our decision and of course he was upset and arguing with me. He said he overslept, he was sorry and that he would be there for the show. I said that didn't matter at this point, I wasn't making a moral judgement but that he had missed an important rehearsal 72 hours before opening, the cast and crew didn't trust him to be there and that he was out of the show and that the decision had been made. He hung up on me at that point and has since left a message with the director. How would everyone else have handled this? We certainly have the right to replace him, don't we? Just feeling really lousy right now, I never had to do anything like this before.

You have my sympathy and empathy.  It is a very hard call to make.

You did the only thing left in the shows interest.
Just send a comp & a thankyou note, which might be better than have an actor scorned sutuation.
But I know I would have bounced him out as well!
He is only a warm prop, now if he was a techie - I may have been more considerate?
By you being worried enough for his welfare, by contacting the hospital. You have acted above & beyond your responsibility to him. Hopefully he might hitch his socks up in future  &  not just skive off, because he felt  sleepy, arr diddums the poor little  wally!

I gotta tell ya, folks, I'm very uncomfortable - always have been uncomfortable - with how quick so many community theatre people are with the ax!  I'm not so sure this guy should have been canned; it depends on many factors. 

I have a saying, "There are many reasons why community theatre actors can be fired; lack of talent is not one of them."  Too often, directors make casting mistakes and want to undo them.  Sorry.  The less talented individual you cast in that role should not be punished for your error.

On the surface, missing rehearsals on a regular basis is - or can be - one of the reasons to replace an actor.  But in this case in particular, it was stated there had been problems with the actor's attendance before.  If he had absentee problems in previous shows and this problem was known to the director (if it wasn't, it should have been), then this is a time when I would invoke the "you knew the risk, you cast him, now you deal with it".  But let's suppose that the problem only existed for this show; when the problem happened previously, was it discussed with him?  Was he given any warning that there would be such consequences if he continued missing rehearsals?  If he was "allowed" to get away with missing rehearsals and little to nothing discussed with him about it, I suggest that the right to replace him was forfeited. 

The fact of the matter is that you had a strategy in place in case he missed a show.  That was an important step to take.  With that in place, you had a "safety net" for the run of the show. 

So, I'm sorry if I didn't make you feel better about the decision that was made, but I do believe that replacing an actor is a draconian measure to take for any show - especially one that is within 72 hours of opening. 

But something else bothers me a bit about your story.  Why did you do the firing?  It seems to me if that was to happen, that ought to be part of the director's job - or at the very least, both you and director. 

On the face of the post & situation of him over sleeping for so long, maybe he needs to visit a quack or cut down on burning the candle at both ends. Well at least think up a more plauseable excuse. As I doubt he was being honest about the situation.
I gather his phone was working or he could have at least got a call in to someone?
I assume from the post that it was obviously discussed betwen the director & producer, to have another actor double up & prepared to do the role.
I think I may have reconsidered if there was a genuine reason, like someone ran over his pet, his car broke down, or his 147th  cousin twice removed had just been gaoled & he went assurity in  orginising the bail.
I realise the most important & valued  reuseable resource in amdram are it's  people & that they should never be used 'n abused.
But being as hard as nails & twice as soft as wet clarts, I may have offered him another  place in the production, like handing out programmes or another task. Untill he proves him self to be responsible - much the same as I would catching a bod with thier hand in the till the first time.
But he would have lost his part unless he could show just cause.