Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board: Pre-show announcements

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magicguy
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Joined: 12/25/07
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Posted: 12/25/07 at 10:21pm

We have the director personally address the audience before the show. We have a small theatre (about 120 seats) and it's a nice cozy feel to have the director welcome the audience and make some important announcements such as patronize the businessess that paid for advertising on our program, intermisision, directions to the restrooms, turn off cellphones.

When I did the preshow announcement (before I mantioned about the cell phones), I had my cell phone in my pocket and had a tech crew call my cell phone. I pretended that I was hearing someone in the front row with their cell phone. I said something like "Whose cell phone is that? Is it yours? That reminds me we need to turn off all cell phones" The I would pull out my cell phone and say "Oh, I guess it's mine". It's gets a great laugh and gets to the point.

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John Luzaich
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Posted: 3/10/08 at 2:13pm

I hate when people call it a "curtain speech". It's not a speech, it's making announcements. I agree with just about everything else that was said on this post. We used to do it from the stage. Then for several years, we did it as a voice over, over the mic. We thought this was "more professional". After all, you don't see someone doing curtain announcements on stage in most professional theatres like Broadway. Then, I was in attendance at Dracula - The Musical on Broadway. It was a show that transfered from the La Jolla Playhouse in California. The director, Des McAnuff was sitting two seats in front of us. Just before the show started, he got up, walked down the aisle towards the orchestra pit, turned around and made some curtain announcements! With no mic, just projected real well. I'd never seen that before. So, now when someone says they don't do it in professional theatre, I say "oh yeah, well I was at a show on Broadway....." .

So now, in our community theatre, we went back to sometimes doing curtain announcements from the stage because the feedback we received is that most people like the personal touch. The University in our town presents many professional national tours of shows, and they always do curtain announcements from the stage. They usually bring the sponsors up there with them. Sponsors says a few words (30 seconds) and I think most of them like that visability.

John
cfct@cfu.net
http://www.osterregent.org
http://www.facebook.com/osterregent

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MartyW
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Posted: 3/17/08 at 1:46pm

Originally posted by John Luzaich

I hate when people call it a "curtain speech". It's not a speech, it's making announcements. .

If only it were so in all cases.... I have sat through ones you would have thought were acceptance speeches from the oscars... many people, (far too many..) feel they have to do more than give a quick welcome and or cell phone announcements...

Marty W

"Till next we trod the boards.."

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JoeMc
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Posted: 3/17/08 at 10:09pm

I agree & if this happens when Iam a punter, I leave the theatre & have a smoke - returning when the show starts!

I don't agree with any director making anouncements on the apron prior to show.

This I believe is the SM's domain to just to cue a prerecorded vioce over or whatever.

For me the director should evaporate or meld into the FOH.

I have just done part of a season here, for another theatre group. Because thier lighting techies could not do it.

The director hung about & got in every bodies way.

Every performance he wanted something changed, to the piont, all I ended up doing was 4 cues for the whole show.

This came down from something like 12 cues, in the end I was virtualy asleep during the show & got the audio op to give me an nudge when I was needed.

So I declared myself redundant , taught the audio op the light cues & stayed home.

The hiccup was I think or hope, they were not used to any form of lighting other than - On, Off & On, Off.

The lighting changes didn't improve or enhance the show, in fact they could have saved me a lot of work & the cost of power. If they had of just left the fluro working lights on.

[western] Gondawandaland
"Hear the light & see the sound!
TOI TOI CHOOKAS
{may you always play to a full house!}

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landon2006
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Posted: 3/20/08 at 5:43pm

Before each of our performances, as the Executive Director, I will be getting up in front of the people an introduce myself, our organization, thank the audience and show sponsors and wish everyone a great show!

I don't believe that any crew members or cast member should make a curtain speech (unless of course its part of the show) because the audience does not really care about how much time it took to make it and who every Joe was that was involved. The purpose of of my speech is purly to thank everyone for showing up and to thank our sponsors by word of mouth instead of just ads. I also think it ads to the professionalism if someone live makes this announcements. It sets the mood for the show about to start.

Note: The Theater we use always plays a pre-recorded message just before the show about cell phones, exits, etc.

Ultimately though, I don't have to worry about Directors wanting to make announcements because I'm going to be Directing all 3 of our yearly Musical Productions.

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sparf
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Posted: 3/22/08 at 3:10am

Our local Equity house, Barter Theatre, begins every mainstage show with a speech by the managing Artistic Director, Richard Rose, or the Associate Artist Director Katy Brown, thanking the sponsors, a little game to see who thinks they came the farthest and then giving the one who did all kinds of gifts (from the sponsors), a note about exits, cell phones, recording devices, etc, and a quote from the theatre founder, Robert Porterfield: "If you like us, talk about us! If you don't like us...just keep your mouth shut."

It all depends on the venue. I would not expect such a thing on Broadway. But Off Broadway, or Off-Off-Broadway, or LORT A-D levels, why not? I find that people tend to relate more to a human on the stage than a dully recorded voiceover which they will tune out anyway because the uneducated plebs think they've heard it all before. (I am being facetious. Most theatregoing plebs are at least partially educated! :) )

That is not dead which can eternal lie / and with strange aeons even Death may die.

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spikesgirl
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Posted: 4/08/08 at 6:30pm

I work for a small theater, but am also a subscribing member of a larger profession group that brings in tours (like 'Mama Mia' next week). It seats about 4000 people and they do pre recorded announcements before the show - usually turn off your phone, take your candy out of its wrappers, know where your nearest exit is, etc.

In our theater, we usually have our producing director do the announcements, but I really wish they'd give him a mic for it because you cannot hear him. He addresses the same issues and usually does a plug for the next season as well as our raffle.

Charlie

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MartyW
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Posted: 4/09/08 at 12:41pm

Now there have been a few times where they have made it fun and I've actually enjoyed it... One most fun was for The Light in the Piazza As the play is about a visit to Italy, the recorded curtain speech is in Italian. The lady rambles on and on, and then in English says, Cell Phones.... Rambles on a little bit more in Italian then says Beepers... Then after another stint of Italian, you hear Caromels... etc etc covering all the basics.. it made the audience listen to see if they could figure out where it was going...

Marty W

"Till next we trod the boards.."

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stagechild
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Posted: 5/21/08 at 8:49pm

Announcements are boring and probably useless in some cases but some people just need the reminder to remember to turn off the cell phone and they will. But others are stuborn and won't.

If you make the announcements fun and catchy and not the plain recording of 'please turn off your cell phones and enjoy the show.' Have someone come out, really welcome the audience, warm them up, make them laught, them go through the necessities. For a children's play we had one of the supporting characters come out and pump up the crowd in character and go through it all.

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biggertigger
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Posted: 5/21/08 at 10:27pm

Each theater is different and each show is different. Personally, I like a pre-recorded announcement welcoming your guest to the theater and group, reminders of cell phone, photography, and other usage, and safety. During the show "Beoing, Beoing" we had the three stewardess actresses come to the stage to do the "pre-flight" safety announcement during the pre-recorded announcement. Two finger point for exits, show cell phone and how to properly turn off and store it, etc. The audience loved it.

But, alas, during our last show after this particular director felt the need to give the announcement before every show, we still had one or two people leave their phones on and ring during the performance. Of course everyone acted like it wasn't their cell phone ringing.

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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