I notice that apparently when the topic of etiquette was opened up everyone assumed it referred to the behavior of actors. This is echoed a bit with the humorous putdown of actors et al in the Directing forum area. The subject of bad directors has been on my mind a great deal lately (what constitutes one, what if anything can be done during production and by whom – for another topic). I thought I might offer a couple etiquette items for directors.
For rehearsals:
  Be on time and prepared. Show up at least a half-hour early and be prepared to start rehearsal on time. Have any technical discussions taken care of away from rehearsal time.
 
Don’t embarrass an actor in front of the cast unless it is absolutely necessary. In most productions it will never be necessary.
 
Don’t blame the cast for your mistakes. If you catch yourself haranguing an entire cast, it might be time to ask yourself if there’s something you may have neglected to do.
For auditions:
 
Have parts of scenes pre-selected. Don’t make everyone wait while you huddle with the AD for several minutes.
 
Don’t allow applause after each reading. This wastes time and can allow actors to attempt to influence selection. I’ve seen this most often when college/high school actors appear at auditions in groups.
 
Don’t deliver a lot of (or any) direction during audition. This is Community Theater. We want new people all the time. We encourage beginners. We’re not here to scare or intimidate or show off how good we are at ordering actors.
 
One previous poster advised head shots and CVs for actors for auditions. If you accept these, and I’m not sure it’s advisable, don’t let them sway you too much. Remember Community Theater is in constant training mode. You need as big a pool of experienced actors as possible. You never know who or how many are going to show up for auditions. You may have to make phone calls to pull together a cast. Don’t just rely on the actors with the long resumes.
 
I could go on but my main point is that everyone, not just actors, need to behave themselves in order to have a smooth running successful production.

Originally posted by CBStar  One previous poster advised head shots and CVs for actors for auditions. If you accept these, and I’m not sure it’s advisable, don’t let them sway you too much.

And my major handout.. GUIDELINES for a smooth Production (this one happens to be for Joseph and includes what we expect as far as costumes, what the theater can buy etc.
It also includes my major pet peeves. :)

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NO ROLE IS GUARANTEED!
We are all volunteers, and our main goal is to create the best show we possibly can. Sometimes a role may have to be changed out. Please be aware that any role is not guaranteed! Even though none of us are paid, we are still responsible to the show and the theater. If you do not put in the work, the role may have to be given to someone else willing to do the job.
In the 80+ plays that I have directed I have only changed out a role three times. Each one was due to the actor believing they did not have to work for the role because they already “Had” it.
This is not the case. Roles are cast and/or recast at the absolute discretion of the director.

BE ON TIME!
1 minute late is late. 5 Minutes late is nearly inexcusable.
It is always best to be here 10 to 15 minutes early to make sure you are warmed up and ready to go.
If you are given a rehearsal time such as 7pm that means you are READY TO GO AT 7!!! Not.. Walk Through The Door At 7.
I will tell you now my biggest pet peeve is people that are consistently late. It is rude to the entire cast who all managed to get here on time. There will be times when the kids, traffic, work, school etc. will cause you to be late. This is OK - to a point, just don’t let it keep happening.
Now, if you WILL be late you MUST let the Director, AD, PM or SM know. We can make you run laps around the playhouse ya know. :-)

Wear appropriate attire.
NO heels, open toed shoes or flip flops EVER.
This includes Clogs, and those rubber Crock things. Even in music rehearsals, because we may do some quick blocking even during music rehearsals. Wear clothes that you do not mind getting dirty. You may be rolling around on the floor and the Black Box and Stage are DIRTY! Put shoes and extra clothes in the back of your car in case you run late.

Rehearsals are CLOSED
All rehearsals are Closed Rehearsals.
This means that friends and family may not sit in on rehearsals. There will be an area set aside in the theater for the benefit of those who need to wait on an actor.

Shoes for the show.
ACP does not buy shoes for costumes, they are your responsibility.
Look for non descript sandals. Prefer a light brown to dark brown color. They can NOT be flip flops or Clogs. They must have at LEAST a strap around the heel of your foot. Remember you will be Dancing in them and they can’t go flying off into the audience. Some women roles can wear character shoes. If you have a pair of cowboy boots please let the director know. We may be using them in the “One More Angel” scene (WOMEN AND MEN)
Women start looking for 60’s type shoes. There are some inexpensive Costume Go-Go boots online
Children’s Chorus – Get a pair of WHITE tennis shoes. Not black, gold, red, blue purple, pink. WHITE! They can have some slight splash of color such as a logo or something of that nature, but the shoes must be at least 95% white.

Costumes
We have costumers for a reason. They know the vision that the directors want.
Do not tell the costumer what you will or will not wear.
The director will always approve a costume, not an actor.
If you have a suggestion for the costumer give it with respect, and if they say NO, it means NO.
If your costume is causing problems, it is fine to go to the director and state the problem
“I don’t like the color” “This makes my butt look big” “This isn’t pretty” are not reasons.
“It binds me” “I can’t move correctly in this” “I am tripping on the skirt” “My zipper is broke and I gotta pee!” these are legitimate concerns.
Since this is a large show and of course our budget is not huge, there may be some simple inexpensive items we may ask you to provide. Such as White T-shirts, blue jeans and White pants for the Children’s Chorus and possibly some other items for the Adults.
If this will cause a financial hardship for your family, please come to ME and talk to me, something can always be worked out.

Props, Costumes Wigs etc.
Once we have props, costumes or wigs
DO NOT TOUCH THEM IF THEY ARE NOT YOURS!!!!
If they ARE yours, it is YOUR responsibility to make sure they are put away in the proper place. Costumes MUST be hung up, unless they are put aside to be cleaned.
If any costumes are found not hung up, they will be taken and you will pay a fine of $1 for each item in order to get them back. The money will go towards our cast party. NO EXCUSES!

Appearance:
DO NOT make any drastic changes in your physical appearance! (i.e. hair color/length, piercing, Tats etc.) with out first talking to the director.
Some of the men may have to grow facial hair. If you are not allowed to have a beard etc. because of your work, please let me know. Any men that can grow their hair out, please do so! The longer the better. The fewer wigs and beards we have to purchase the better.

Missing a rehearsal not on your conflict list.
If you MUST miss a rehearsal please let one of the staff know ASAP! We can not have everyone coming up with numerous additional conflicts. We know some unexpected life problems can happen, just don’t make a habit out of it. Adding multiple extra conflicts may result in your losing your role. This does not include being ill. (but, you better be ill!)
You MUST be here for all rehearsals during our tech weeks
Starting May 10th, with no exceptions. Make arrangements and cancel other plans NOW to be here during these important weeks of rehearsals. If you demand time off during this period, you may be replaced.

Do not direct other actors.
That is what the Directors are for. If you have a suggestion for someone please bring it to the Director. I LOVE suggestions! But please do not give your suggestion to anyone else but the director.

Whining
Don’t whine, complain, kvetch whatever you want to call it. This is FUN! And yes, sometimes it is tedious and boring, and can be hard work! But whining and complaining doesn’t help anyone. It brings moral down, and face it, no one likes a whiner. Once you enter the theater - concentrate on the task at hand.. Your outside problems of life should just disappear for a couple hours. Take a break!
Now, the Directors and Stage Managers CAN whine. It is just part of the job! :-)
I want to be very clear on something:
One thing I NEVER want to hear is “I could be doing such and such instead of just sitting around here”
You will probably see me go ballistic if I hear you say that. You are scheduled for a rehearsal on a certain day. You could not POSSIBLY have anything else you could be doing because you have a responsibility to THIS SHOW and you were scheduled to BE HERE not somewhere else or doing something else.
I really hope this is clear.

Rehearsal Notes:
When you get a note from the directors PM or SM, listen respectfully and quietly, write it on the correct page in your script, say "thank you", and your job is done. Don't try to explain, rationalize, apologize, argue, justify, or anything else. If you want to take it up later with the directors or SM, ask for a few minutes of their time after notes are over. They may say "sure, come early tomorrow and we'll talk about it then." Say thanks and be there. They want to go home too.
If a note contradicts a previous note, put a single line through the old one, and write the new one in. The directors/choreographers can change their minds, and more than likely will! Don’t argue or try to correct them.
Listen to all the notes. It may be for someone else, but it may affect you. Or you may learn something anyway.

Pencils NOT Pens
Always have a couple of sharpened pencils with erasers handy, not pens! DO NOT mark in your Vocal Books with a PEN! They cost $40 each if you deface them!

Cell phone off!
You can check messages at break or intermission.
NO TEXTING during rehearsals or performances. This includes if you are not in a scene.

LISTEN!
This is fun, we know that, and chit chat is always fun to catch up on life etc. but once rehearsal starts. LISTEN! I will repeat something twice. The third time I probably will not be too pleasant.
If it's not your turn on stage
Go sit quietly out of the way but nearby so that if you are called, you don't need to be called twice. Review your lines, meditate, whatever. Do not sit in the back (or anywhere) chatting with someone. It's not social hour, it is rehearsal. If you must leave the area let the SM know where to find you.
If it is your turn on stage,
Give all your attention to your scene partners while the scene is active, the directors, or SM while it is not. Even if he or she is talking to another actor, it might affect you. Pay attention. Give your absolute best to your fellow actors, the director, SM, stage crew, and most especially the person you may need to ask to help you with an emergency costume change or to help find a missing prop. Everyone is important, and all deserve your respect. If you want theirs, give yours first.

HYDRATE AND HEALTH!
Have WATER with you at all times! The more you hydrate the less likely you are to get sick. Also invest in Airborne or Zycam. IT WORKS! The last thing we need is a cast crud or cold! There are bottles of hand sanitizer in all dressing rooms. USE IT! Get a small bottle of you own if you want! It also helps prevent the spread of crud and colds which is the last thing a musical needs!

Take your trash with you
or throw it in the correct garbage can. I'm going to say it again. Take your trash with you or throw it in the correct garbage can. If it came in with you, it goes out with you or is thrown away. This goes for the bag of chips, fancy bottle of mineral water, or whatever. Clean up after yourself. Take your trash with you or throw it in the correct garbage can. I don't have to say it again, do I?

COMMUNICATION
Please be sure that the SM has all your contact information, address, email, phone, cell phone etc.
I rely heavily on Email! If you DO NOT have an email please let the PM and SM know ASAP you will be put on a calling list
IF YOU DO have an email, check it at least twice a day or at least 1 to 2 hours before rehearsal, and ALWAYS respond to the email to let us know that you received it!

EXPECTATIONS
You are of course as stated expected to be at all rehearsals you are scheduled for.
You are also expected to treat your fellow cast and crew with respect. It doesn’t matter if this is your 1000th show or first show, no one is any better than anyone else.
Please refer to my DIVA speech.

(if you want I can post my DIVA and A$$ speeches I give to all my cast) :)

Each crew and cast member is expected to put in at least 4 hours of help on the production. Be it set building which is where MOST HELP IS NEEDED, or helping with Costumes, Props etc. It is up to you but please, TRY to help as much as possible, this is community theater and we don’t have unions to supply us with Builders, Costumers etc. No, this doesn’t have to be done all at once. You can split it over a number of cast production call days.

STRIKE
All actors and crew are expected to attend Strike!

NAME ETIQUETTE
I get asked this question a lot, especially from Adults.
Here are the general rules since there are minors in this show there are different rules based on the old adage of “Respect Your Elders”
If you are over 18, you may call people by their first name
If you are under 18, you should use Ma’am, Miss or Mr. Or, if told it is OK the person’s first name.
Be respectful to everyone at all times.
Noisy, Loud, Obnoxious and Crass behavior will not be tolerated from any cast or crew member (Except the directors)

FOOD!
Food Glorious FOOD!!! Here at ACP It is essential that you eat. :)
During rehearsals you can bring TREATS if you wish. Something will always be available. Be smart and don’t eat right before you sing etc. But Food all makes us feel better!
ONLY WATER is allowed in the Main Theater. NO food is allowed in the Main Theater. Food and other beverages are allowed in the Black Box.

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A lot of this is repeat from the Actors Agreement, but it does not hurt to make sure the picture is very clear. :) This was gleaned from other directors, sources and personal experience

I have a question on an issue that's been bothering me these past couple days. I was just recently speaking to a former director of mine and she was complaining about a cast member she has in her show. Would it be considered "bad form" to offer my services as an actor, in case she's looking to drop this person from the show entirely?