I live in an active adult community in southern Arizona and am director of our play this year. It is my first directing experience here and the Village Players is only on its third year, The play, Meanwhile, Back on the Couch, was cast before many of the residents left for the summer. The first two plays were directed by the gal that got the Players started; she was offered a chance to direct again this year but said she wanted a year off.

The old director, instead of taking a year off, has started a traveling theater troupe which would present a play in different RV resorts and communities in our Valley. Right away she tried to coax the actors which have been active in our community plays to work with her in her production of The Odd Couple (female version). She has five of our people who were either actors or worked in some other capacity in other productions so we have lost them for this season.

Just recently my understudy actor gave me back his play book and said that he was going to be in the play with the first director then my leading actress asked to be released because the old director wanted her to do the lead role in her play. Because she is my producer's wife and because I chose her above all to be in this play, I appealed to her sense of duty and she agreed to stay. Then I just learned that she took a smaller role in the Odd Couple (Sylvia) and plans to do both plays at the same time.

I haven't said anything to her yet, but feel that she cannot do both at the same time? So my question is: Can an actor/actress be in two plays for two different companies at the same time?

By the way I can re cast her easily. Barb

For what it's worth: I've been in rehearsals for two plays at once
- and as a director, I've had actors who have been in rehearsal
for more than one play. Though it's a challenge, it can certainly
be done.

It depends on the experience/skill level of the individual - there
is no hard and fast rule. For those of us who have majored in
theatre in college, we're accustomed to not only doing two
plays at once, but more than two - and required, at that.

Though, there are limits. LOL I can't imagine anybody
rehearsing to play King Lear and Hamlet at the same time

I've got a question on this subject. I've been cast in the chorus of Les Mis, but I'm also playing a role in another production (3 weeks away from performance). There's around four rehearsals for Les Mis that I may be away for, playing the lead in the other musical I'm in. Is this acceptable? 

Barb, it sounds like you may have saved yourself the trouble of working with a bit of a prima dona.... Don't worry.  You're going to have a great show.