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 Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board :Archives :Closed Topics |
 Topic: Changes...Changes and MORE changes( Topic Closed) |
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MoonlightFlame
Player 
Joined: 7/25/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 26 |
 Topic: Changes...Changes and MORE changesPosted: 9/08/05 at 5:11pm |
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Okay, I am all in favor of making changes to the play...but the director I am currently working with is making things ridiculous! I swear to you he has changed the blocking and where he wants the set pieces so much, that the stage manager and I (I'm assistant sm), have quit changing notes in our scripts and spiking things because we know they will change, and they do. He has deleted, added, and re-inserted parts numerous times, to the point where he's never going to find people to work with in our theatre again. We open tomarrow night, Friday Sept 9, and he is continuing to change things. Many times he will forget to tell us he's changed things as well. Our light and sounds techs have only been coming to rehearsals for a week and a half and even they are at their wits ends because everytime they have a cue it's altered in some way. We had our first real dress rehearsal last night. Several sound cues were missing and almost all of the light cues had been tampered with. The night before the director sat in the booth and changed things. This is only the 2nd community theatre play I have worked on, but the other techies I have spoken with say they have NEVER worked with a director like this before; is this something I need to expect and deal with or is this director going just a little too far? Any tips or advice would be greatly appriciated. Techie In The Black |
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Unclepeter
Lead 
Joined: 7/26/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 37 |
Posted: 9/08/05 at 6:23pm |
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Trust the theatre gods... I worked with one director like that, as an actor, and prior to opening, he was still changing things almost up 'till curtain. At the risk of incurring the wrath of the directors out there,(I apologize profusely in advance) if this director is changing things so much, he probably doesn't have a clue about what he has changed. Threrfore, once the curtain goes up, it is up to the actors to deliver the goods, regardless of how rough the road is. I can assure you that, if the audience loves the show, the director will think he has been fabulous. I am not, for a minute, proposing that actors pay no attention to the director or discard his directions, because they have a view from the seats that is almost impossible to get from stage. However, if you trust your fellow castmenbers, you will make it through, doing what comes naturally. Tell the story! o this is not what you should expect. Most directors (read virtually all) are "professional" and have seen the blocking. cues, etc., in their mind, and have delivered their guidance well in advance of the opening, giving time for techies and cast to polish. There will always be a few minor changes, but the will only enhance what is already there. Trust the theatre gods...break a leg! Tell us how the show went following opening.
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MoonlightFlame
Player
Joined: 7/25/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 26 |
Posted: 9/08/05 at 6:49pm |
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The last play I worked on I was stage managing Laughing Wild and by this time we were tweaking minor things and having fun...but this is horrible. I guess the worst part is that I have not been able to breathe...I am running in 5-7 rehearsals a week and I've been doing this at the theatre since early April...kinda like being slammed up aganist a wall with knwowhere to go...and this continues until early November.... Not bad for a first time Stage Mgr, huh? Before I started in April I had only done VERY minor things several years before in high school. Smit |
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tristanrobin
Celebrity 
Joined: 4/25/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 704 |
Posted: 9/08/05 at 7:32pm |
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It sounds as if you've been saddled with a very insecure,
inexperienced and terrified director. As much fun as it has NOT been for you, he's probably in even worse shape. He obviously is second-guessing himself and not trusting his judgement and choices. There isn't much you can do except get through it with the most humor and dedication as you can. Try to have some fun - it IS why you signed on originally, right?! I always remember an old Ethel Merman story: They were in the final week before the opening of previews for "Gypsy" ... and the director and choreographer wanted to change things before one of the dress rehearsals. They came into Ethel's dressing room and started to explain the changes. Apparently, she didn't even stop putting on her lipstick, but just looked at them through the mirror. "Call me Birdseye Merman, boys. This show is frozen." |
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Unclepeter
Lead
Joined: 7/26/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 37 |
Posted: 9/08/05 at 10:33pm |
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tristanrobin,
Thanks for the Merman story...needs to be remembered in every theatre. |
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Gaafa
Celebrity
Joined: 3/21/04 Location: Australia Online Status: Offline Posts: 1181 |
Posted: 9/09/05 at 1:22am |
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I go by the old rule I grew up with. That once the show goes up the
Director */or Producer have no business backstage before & during
the performance, unless they have gained the SM?s clearance, as a
courtesy to the show.
It don?t always work that way but it is a good guide line & policy. It is some times difficult to enforce, but can be done subtly! I was the SM for an Opera, at a pro venue once & the Director/MD also conducted the orchestra in the pit. During a cue stand by, I had give, the Director came on the talk back system & started to take over the show control from the pit! How she got a head set I don?t know, but luckily the SM?s desk had individual talk back station isolation switches, which worked very well! At interval a very worried Director said to me ?There seems to be a problem with my head set can I fix it?". I replied "No worries - I?ll fix it!? She took another head set & tested it during the interval, it seemed to work fine! However when the curtain warmers cue was given for the second half, her talk back mysteriously seemed to drop out again? Things like this can?t always be engineered, if the Director is an experience Techy, but other things work, which I?m sure can be instigated. Beyond the Director being conditioned & trained during rehearsals. I?m afraid with your situation it might be better to ?Idiot check? everything before the show & go with the last approved set up which worked. I doubt you Director would even notice! Or club together & give him/her a one way ticket for a trip, far far away & the further the better!  |
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Joe
Western Gondawandaland turn right @ Perth. Hear the light & see the sound. Toi Toi Toi Chookas {{"chook [chicken] it is"} May you always play to a full house} |
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POB14
Celebrity
Joined: 7/01/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 349 |
Posted: 9/09/05 at 10:11am |
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Shoot the SOB. Seriously, this should not be expected, encouraged, or tolerated. a) the director shouldn't be making any major changes at or after tech, and b) there isn't a whole lot you can do about it, other than making sure the Board (or whoever approves directors at your theatre) knows what went on. I agree with everybody else's advice: roll with it the best you can, keep him the HELL out of backstage during perfs if at all possible (hiring armed security if necessary Think of the great horror stories you'll have years from now, when the nervous tics and hysterical blindness have worn off! |
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POB
Old Bugger, Curmudgeon, and Antisocial B**tard |
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Shatcher
Celebrity
Joined: 2/21/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 251 |
Posted: 9/09/05 at 10:30am |
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I have run in to this kind of thing many times. I was doing a production of The Rocky Horror Show a few years ago and the director was making changes to light cues up to the last minute of final dress. this director is not a lighting designer (but thinks he can do everything because he has a MFA) I knew that the changes would not work so I just went with the cues that had worked. The director did not even notice and after opening was gloating that the changes he made had made the show better. Often a Green director will try to make changes because they just don't know that their first choice will work better. A good SM will know what the show needs to work. I tell every director I work with how I work. That includes the fact that the show is "mine" as of opening night and any changes or notes to cast should go through me. I will add that every director I have worked for has asked me back and the actors love me for keeping the usless notes to a minium.
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tristanrobin
Celebrity
Joined: 4/25/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 704 |
Posted: 9/09/05 at 10:38am |
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are you suggesting that my MFA doesn't mean I know
everything????? 
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POB14
Celebrity
Joined: 7/01/05 Location: United States Online Status: Offline Posts: 349 |
Posted: 9/09/05 at 10:43am |
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I shall spare you the speculation I have occasionally heard as to what MFA really stands for. |
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POB
Old Bugger, Curmudgeon, and Antisocial B**tard |
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), and go drink heavily after opening night. I almost said "during" opening night; use your own judgment about that