Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board: You can't please everyone!

Author

Message

Nanette
Celebrity

Joined: 8/01/06
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 399

Topic: You can't please everyone!
Posted: 5/27/08 at 9:59am

I'd like to know how other's have dealt with something like this:

We're ready to post next year's program ... audition dates, rehearsal schedule, production dates, etc. A member of the board states that (s)he might not be available for the auditions because of vacations/camps/classes/etc.

Many cast members have asked for a longer rehearsal schedule and I'm trying to work in an extra two weeks of rehearsals for each production. However, our "holiday" show ties in with the town's holiday festival (it's planned to tie in ... more people=more money) which is early in December. Therefore I must begin auditions/rehearsals in late summer.

My response to said board member was, "Can't please everyone ... select whichever is more important to you!" I'll even hold a private earlier audition if someone is going to be out of town, but I simply can't start at a later date.

How does everyone else handle the irate board member/cast member whom you simply can't seem to please?

In a world of margarine, be butter!

IP Logged

MartyW
Celebrity

Joined: 2/02/04
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 555

Posted: 5/27/08 at 12:51pm

You seem like your being accomodating with the offers of early auditions etc... But. Your right... and you can't please everyone... we all face it.. all the time..

Marty W

"Till next we trod the boards.."

IP Logged

jayzehr
Celebrity

Joined: 8/11/05
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 537

Posted: 5/27/08 at 1:18pm

You start rehearsing in the summer for a show in December? How often a week do you rehearse?

IP Logged

pdavis69
Celebrity

Joined: 3/26/06
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 437

Posted: 5/27/08 at 1:41pm

I agree with Marty (although it about kills me to admit it). You have offered to make arrangements if someone is out of town so you are being fair. If the board member is still upset, perhaps this is a person you are better off without anyways and you should count your blessings.

I also have to join in with Jayzehr in bein amazed at such a long rehearsal period. We will have completed three shows in that time period.

Patrick L. Davis
Fort Findlay Playhouse

IP Logged

B-M-D
Celebrity

Joined: 11/03/05
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 346

Posted: 5/27/08 at 3:17pm

I'd have to agree with everyone as well. You have to do what's best for the production. You've gone above and beyond generous to make accomodations. If that doesn't work or please some people then it's just too bad.

"Dying is easy, comedy is hard."

IP Logged

Nanette
Celebrity

Joined: 8/01/06
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 399

Posted: 5/27/08 at 3:28pm

To clarify ... we hold auditions in late July for a show in late September. The auditions for our holiday show are in early October for the performance in early December.

We can only rehearse 2x week (4.5 hrs/week). It's actually a lot less rehearsal time than many other theatres have. In the past we've had 6 weeks total (4.5 hrs/week), so that additional 9 hours will help.

In a world of margarine, be butter!

IP Logged

TonyDi
Celebrity

Joined: 9/13/06
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 325

Posted: 5/28/08 at 8:34am

Crickey!! You must all be lucky. The company I've worked with for the last 20 years do 5 shows a season plus a Summer musical - if they can. Whenver I've directed shows or been IN shows, we usually have about 6 weeks for rehearsals the last week being production week which is the big push week. BUT depending upon the show, the actor conflicts and such (taking into account holidays, time for building sets, illness, etc.) MOST of the time we put in 3 - 4 days a week about at least 3 hours rehearsal time - anywhere from 9 - 12 hours a week AT LEAST. Now when I've directed I TRY to keep schedules fairly loose so people can have time off and I'll build in time off (I need it too). But in shows where the pace is rapid-fire and everyone is involved (there are many shows like that) then everyone is there for the duration. I've BEEN IN shows like that and directed shows like that. But we put in at least 3 hours or more a night, 3 - 4 nights a week for nearly the first 4 weeks. The last two weeks we do much more and it may even mean 4 or more hours for 5 and maybe 6 nights during the last two weeks. SO you all have a luxury if you're only rehearsing 2X a week and only 4.5 hours a week. And even with the schedules we keep, I ALWAYS wish for more but rarely ever get it.

Sounds like you've worked out a system that works in your world. In mine/ours, the more we can get in the better we all seem to like it. Always produces good results for us. Consider yourself lucky I guess.

As for your disgruntled board member, if you have made some accommodation and tried to be fair to those whose vacation schedules and such might present a problem with them getting to audition, then like others have said TOO BAD!!! People like that gall me anyway. Like others have said also, if you've tried and they still don't like it - someone needs to tell them to get a clue. Sadly so few people are willing to tell someone like that what they NEED to hear. Maybe that's why they call me BULL DOG in situations like that. I mean I TRY to accomodate, I TRY to be fair but if the attitude prevails - I NEVER have a problem calling 'em as I see 'em. I don't like to make enemies. I HAVE!! But I don't like to - unless IT's NECESSARY and I'm doing what everyone else wishes someone else WOULD do with these kinds of people. Maybe that's one the reasons I've pretty much retired from doing theater. Too many big egos and too many people who want what they want for selfish reasons. And after almost 50 years of it, I've simply had enough of it. GOOD LUCK!!

TonyDi

"Almost famous"

IP Logged

ClintonHammond
Player
Player

Joined: 7/28/08
Location: Canada
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 28

Posted: 8/03/08 at 10:41am

"How does everyone else handle the irate board member/cast member whom you simply can't seem to please? "

Fudge 'em.... Not only can't you please everyone, as soon as you try, you end up not pleasing everyone.

Without actors, a techie is a person with a list of marketable skills.
Without techies, an actor is just a goof, emoting alone in the dark.

IP Logged

pmartin
Walk-On
Walk-On

Joined: 12/26/08
Location: United States
Online Status: Offline
Posts: 0

Posted: 12/26/08 at 12:17pm

Originally posted by Nanette

I'd like to know how other's have dealt with something like this:

How does everyone else handle the irate board member/cast member whom you simply can't seem to please?

First you need to get away from the practice of accomodating people. You accomodated for your actors by adding more reheasal time. Your statement did not reflect what course of action was good for the productions. Now a minority of the group of actors come up to you and say that is not accomodating, it is interfering with the routine that I set up so I could audition for shows.

You must focus on the show. Begin with the end in mind and set your schedule from that point backwards, that will tell you how many rehearsals you will actually need.

In focusing on the production you can then place the schedule in front of eveyone and say that your plan for the production calls for this number of rehearsals. They are now disagreeing with the plans for the production not anyones accomodation preferences. This makes it less personally emotional with people thinking they are being left out, and places it in the realm of logical choices for the theater.

You should also make them feel a little bit more important by saying, "You understand their predicament, but the choices for the schedule were based on the needs for the show and not to exclude anyone in particular. Sorry, I cannot see your audition, hopefully we can work in the near future together."

IP Logged

Acting
Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board :Producing Theater :Acting

Topic: You can't please everyone!( Topic Closed)