Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board: Pre-show announcements

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darkheart
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Joined: 12/15/07
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Topic: Pre-show announcements
Posted: 12/15/07 at 12:59am

I'm involved in a new community theatre. We will be staging our second production in early March. I was wondering if anyone here had any pointers or tips on writing pre-show announcements.

Thanks

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Topper
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Joined: 1/27/05
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Posted: 12/15/07 at 1:54am

I always prefer pre-show announcements that are straight to the point:

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen.

PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR DAMN CELL-PHONES!

Thank you and enjoy the show."

"None of us really grow up. All we ever do is learn how to behave in public." -- Keith Johnstone

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jayzehr
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Joined: 8/11/05
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Posted: 12/15/07 at 3:41am

Turn off the cell phones
Please put your name on the email list in the lobby
We're an all volunteer group and if you want to help on future shows, fill out the form in the program
Enjoy the show

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Linda S
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Joined: 4/16/05
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Posted: 12/15/07 at 8:26am

My pet peeve is pre-show announcements that are taped. If you have something to say stand in front of the audience and say it. I went to a christmas show last week and for their preshow announcements, changed the lyrics of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentelmen" and broadcast it over the speaker system. No one understood a thing they said and consequently 2 cell phones went off during the show. It was a cute idea gone wrong. My favorite professional theater starts each show by the producing director thanking the sponsors, pointing out the exits and then reaching into his pocket pulling out his cell phone saying, "I'll show mine if you show me yours. Now turn it off." Everyone laughs and turns off their cell phone. Short, sweet and on with the show.

Linda

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biggertigger
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Posted: 12/15/07 at 9:09pm

Any pre-show announcement that you do should include the following information:

-Welcome the audience

-Safety

-Legal stuff

Ours goes...

Ladies and Gentlemen, Welcome to the Phildaelphia Theater of Performing Arts. Tonight's performance of ...... was made possible by the generosity of ........ For your safety, please note the nearest exit, keeping in mind the nearest door may be behind you.

The use of recording devices are strictly prohibited. There is no smoking on the campus premises. And please, no food or drink in the theater.

Please sit back and relax as you enjoy our show."

Seems like a lot to put in an announcement. Though some people do not care for recorded announcements, if you use a live one, make sure they are fluid in their speech. We play ours while the theater lights are dimming. We have found that having an actor or the produce do the announcement on stage confuses the audience. (Though during Boeing Boeing we had the 3 flight attendants do the announcements out front with the recording like they are doing pre-flight checks.)

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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pdavis69
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Posted: 12/17/07 at 8:59am

As a general rule we forego the opening announcement. If there is something special they need to know we post it on the doors as the audience enters. The cell phone, flash photography etc is all in the program. They came to see the show not the announcements.

Patrick L. Davis
Fort Findlay Playhouse

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Topper
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Posted: 12/17/07 at 10:13am

I recently heard a great preshow announcement which included the phrase:

"If you've come to the show this evening with something that rings, beeps twitters, or plays snippets of popular music, please take a moment to turn them off now. Or at least switch them to 'vibrate' so you may enjoy them in the privacy of your own pants."

"None of us really grow up. All we ever do is learn how to behave in public." -- Keith Johnstone

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trutter
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Joined: 11/13/06
Location: United States
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Posted: 12/18/07 at 8:28am

Our announcements vary from nothing to an excruciating announcement speech I had to make during High School Musical. Usually we just point out the exits, cell phones off, and that's it. But if we have a special advertiser for a show, or something special we throw that in there.

Last year we mentioned our entire season, which was just way too long at the beginning of the year.

------
Troy A. Rutter
Author, "Kids in the Biz: A Hollywood Handbook for Parents"
http://www.kidsinthebiz.com/
A Heinemann Drama Publication

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Nanette
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Joined: 8/01/06
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Posted: 12/18/07 at 9:39am

Ours is kept brief ... welcome, thank you for coming, turn off your cell phones, no flash photography, join us for refreshments afterwards, enjoy the show.

In a world of margarine, be butter!

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eveharrington
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Joined: 8/28/06
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Posted: 12/19/07 at 1:52am

I went to a production of "A Christmas Carol" this past weekend where the "gentlemen" in front of me received no less than three text messages complete with ringtone. This theater has pre-show announcments including a plea to turn off cell phones. My point? Pre show announcements are useless, people who will heed them would have heeded their own common sense to begin with and if they just need a reminder then posted signs or a snippet in the program will do the trick. People that don't heed them never will no matter how they are worded. Some people are just jerks.

"If nothing else, there's applause... like waves of love pouring over the footlights."

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Topic: Pre-show announcements( Topic Closed)
	Page of 4 Next >>

Author	Message
darkheart Walk-On Joined: 12/15/07 Online Status: Offline Posts: 0	Topic: Pre-show announcements Posted: 12/15/07 at 12:59am
	I'm involved in a new community theatre. We will be staging our second production in early March. I was wondering if anyone here had any pointers or tips on writing pre-show announcements. Thanks

	IP Logged

Topper Celebrity Joined: 1/27/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 543	Posted: 12/15/07 at 1:54am
	I always prefer pre-show announcements that are straight to the point: "Good evening, ladies and gentlemen. PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR DAMN CELL-PHONES! Thank you and enjoy the show."
	"None of us really grow up. All we ever do is learn how to behave in public." -- Keith Johnstone
	IP Logged

jayzehr Celebrity Joined: 8/11/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 537	Posted: 12/15/07 at 3:41am
	Turn off the cell phones Please put your name on the email list in the lobby We're an all volunteer group and if you want to help on future shows, fill out the form in the program Enjoy the show
	IP Logged

Linda S Celebrity Joined: 4/16/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 312	Posted: 12/15/07 at 8:26am
	My pet peeve is pre-show announcements that are taped. If you have something to say stand in front of the audience and say it. I went to a christmas show last week and for their preshow announcements, changed the lyrics of "God Rest Ye Merry Gentelmen" and broadcast it over the speaker system. No one understood a thing they said and consequently 2 cell phones went off during the show. It was a cute idea gone wrong. My favorite professional theater starts each show by the producing director thanking the sponsors, pointing out the exits and then reaching into his pocket pulling out his cell phone saying, "I'll show mine if you show me yours. Now turn it off." Everyone laughs and turns off their cell phone. Short, sweet and on with the show. Linda
	IP Logged

biggertigger Celebrity Joined: 4/16/07 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 188	Posted: 12/15/07 at 9:09pm
	Any pre-show announcement that you do should include the following information: -Welcome the audience -Safety -Legal stuff Ours goes... Ladies and Gentlemen, Welcome to the Phildaelphia Theater of Performing Arts. Tonight's performance of ...... was made possible by the generosity of ........ For your safety, please note the nearest exit, keeping in mind the nearest door may be behind you. The use of recording devices are strictly prohibited. There is no smoking on the campus premises. And please, no food or drink in the theater. Please sit back and relax as you enjoy our show." Seems like a lot to put in an announcement. Though some people do not care for recorded announcements, if you use a live one, make sure they are fluid in their speech. We play ours while the theater lights are dimming. We have found that having an actor or the produce do the announcement on stage confuses the audience. (Though during Boeing Boeing we had the 3 flight attendants do the announcements out front with the recording like they are doing pre-flight checks.)
	The two greatest days in a theater persons life, the day you start a new show and the day the damn thing closes.
	IP Logged

pdavis69 Celebrity Joined: 3/26/06 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 437	Posted: 12/17/07 at 8:59am
	As a general rule we forego the opening announcement. If there is something special they need to know we post it on the doors as the audience enters. The cell phone, flash photography etc is all in the program. They came to see the show not the announcements.
	Patrick L. Davis Fort Findlay Playhouse
	IP Logged

Topper Celebrity Joined: 1/27/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 543	Posted: 12/17/07 at 10:13am
	I recently heard a great preshow announcement which included the phrase: "If you've come to the show this evening with something that rings, beeps twitters, or plays snippets of popular music, please take a moment to turn them off now. Or at least switch them to 'vibrate' so you may enjoy them in the privacy of your own pants."
	"None of us really grow up. All we ever do is learn how to behave in public." -- Keith Johnstone
	IP Logged

trutter Star Joined: 11/13/06 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 81	Posted: 12/18/07 at 8:28am
	Our announcements vary from nothing to an excruciating announcement speech I had to make during High School Musical. Usually we just point out the exits, cell phones off, and that's it. But if we have a special advertiser for a show, or something special we throw that in there. Last year we mentioned our entire season, which was just way too long at the beginning of the year.
	------ Troy A. Rutter Author, "Kids in the Biz: A Hollywood Handbook for Parents" http://www.kidsinthebiz.com/ A Heinemann Drama Publication
	IP Logged

Nanette Celebrity Joined: 8/01/06 Online Status: Offline Posts: 399	Posted: 12/18/07 at 9:39am
	Ours is kept brief ... welcome, thank you for coming, turn off your cell phones, no flash photography, join us for refreshments afterwards, enjoy the show.
	In a world of margarine, be butter!
	IP Logged

eveharrington Celebrity Joined: 8/28/06 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 198	Posted: 12/19/07 at 1:52am
	I went to a production of "A Christmas Carol" this past weekend where the "gentlemen" in front of me received no less than three text messages complete with ringtone. This theater has pre-show announcments including a plea to turn off cell phones. My point? Pre show announcements are useless, people who will heed them would have heeded their own common sense to begin with and if they just need a reminder then posted signs or a snippet in the program will do the trick. People that don't heed them never will no matter how they are worded. Some people are just jerks.
	"If nothing else, there's applause... like waves of love pouring over the footlights."
	IP Logged