I can only speak from past experiences.

One touring show I was on was an "extended tour" which lasted three weeks in a another city.  Since it was a vacation city (Miami) the theater was able to arrange unused, furnished 2-bedroom apartments (condos) that were donated for this use by their big-money patrons.  The performers (actors & musicians) doubled up -- two to a condo.  The show was popular and the tour was extended an additional week.

Another tour (for a different show) consisted of two-or-three-day gigs before moving on to another city.  Here the performers were put up in hotels (again, two to a room).  On the final night of the tour, the producer either got very generous (not likely) or struck a deal with the hotel (more likely) and each performer got their own room!  A luxury to be sure.

Early in my career with a very small bus & truck show we travelled to smaller towns throughout the midwest.  In a few instances, the performers were put up for the night by "host families" who had a spare bedroom. 

Let me stress that in all these instances where roommates were required, men and women were separated unless they were legally married to each other.  Although I'm sure liasons were made frequently with other company members.

There are larger theaters that import actors from out-of-town (ie: New York) for the rehearsal period and the run of the show.  These theaters often have their own housing (a block of apartments) that they rent back to the performers (and not always at reduced rates, I might add!)  or they assist the performers in finding suitable housing (typically a furnished house) to rent.

The dressing room question is dependant on the performance facility.  Larger (newer) theaters have adequate dressing rooms for large casts.  Smaller theaters often do not.  Then there are the historic vaudeville houses that have been reclaimed and refurbished.  Often the dressing rooms in these places are tiny!  Barely a closet big enough to hold a chair and a mirror.  Actors had to rotate shifts to get in and out without sticking an elbow (or something else) in your face. 

In my experience I have had to share common dressing rooms with members of the opposite sex, change in public restrooms when no dressing room was available, or change in the back of a moving bus (You try pulling on tights at 50 mph!) because we were running late to the gig.

The only time I've experienced where the dressing rooms for the "main actors" are separated from the chorus or other parts is when the role is being performed by a celebrity who has requested it (or their agent insisted on it).  The more famous one is, the more clout they can wield when it comes to working conditions.  For a bunch of unknowns, it's every man for himself.

Costumes are responsibility of the costumer and are kept hanging on racks with the performer's name (or the characters' name) taped above them.  The costumer (presumeably have just finished cleaning or pressing) either brings in the rack for the ensemble and everybody grabs their stuff, or if there are individual dressing rooms, then the costumer places them there and are hanging before the performers arrive.  Sometimes the costumer is late tacking on a loose button or ironing a hem and will deliver the costume directly to the performer backstage.

Make-up (including wigs) is the responsibility of the individual performer.  If there is specialty make-up (like "Cats" or "Into the Woods") the make-up designer has instructed the performers on its application earlier in the rehearsal process.  Very rare does a make-up or hair person travel with a tour unless -- once again -- there is a celebrity on board who has requested it.  As a rule, producers don't want to pay for the travel and housing for anybody who doesn't need to be there.  If there are wigs that need to travel, the costumer will tote them, but will not care for them (it is rare to find a costumer that also does hair.)

Is it a particular person, place, thing, or idea?  In my opinion, yes.  It would send home importance to reader that the Green Room is actually the actor's waiting room that can be found in many theatres (but definitely not all) and not just a room painted green that someone happened to be in.  Of course, your publisher/editor might feel differently.

Personally, I think it would be called "the pit band."  Most rock bands are not the full size of an orchestra nor do they have the same types of instruments of an orchestra--woodwinds and brass particularly.

It really depends on the theatre.  If they are on the New York--Chicago--San Francisco--LA tour and are playing the big houses, you can expect there to be 2, 3, or 4 star-sized dressing rooms (one usually taken over as a production office), 2 or 3 dressing rooms for 4-6 actors to share, and 2 large chorus dressing rooms for chorus members.  If they are hitting the smaller towns in the suburbs instead of the main city theatres, you can expect maybe 1 or 2 star dressing rooms with 2 large chorus rooms.  Some of the smaller town theatres don't even have a Green Room or musicians' room.

The costumes, when not in trunks, are usually stored on rolling racks.  If there is room in the dressing rooms, the racks will be stored in the dressing rooms.  If not, they may be in a corner.  Actors are responsible for fetching their own costumes and hanging up their own costumes in the right place.  Dressers and wardrobe staff are responsible for cleaning, repairs, and checking that everything is in.

Standard make-up is the responsibility of the actor.  They are also required to bring their own--the company does not provide it--although it is tax deductible as a business expense for the actor.  Specialty make-up (the Beast in Beauty and the Beast, etc.) would be done by a make-up artist.  That artist would probably have to take on additional duties, taking care of wigs, etc.  If there is no specialty make-up, the costumer will transport the wigs but will not dress them.  Generally, whoever provides the wigs instructs the actor on proper care of the wigs.  If for some reason a wig needs redressing beyond the cast's abilities, then a hairdresser in that town will be brought in to redress the wig to match a production picture. 

Actors are responsible for doing their own hair.  I've seen many places where chorus members will help each other out with curling the back of their heads or other hard to reach duties.  There are generally, but not always, electrical outlets at each dressing room table.

BY THE WAY, this novel sounds interesting . . . when will it be available to read? 

Sometimes there is an additional position to fill under the title of "Company Manager."  The CM handles the business details of the tour, making sure everybody's got their hotel rooms, the trucks have fuel, the drivers have maps, watching the budget, ordering lunch, proper paperwork is filled in, etc etc etc and generally coordinates the mundane details of keeping the "show on the road."

The CM handles these details of everything that happens OUTSIDE the theater or OFFSTAGE.  The Stage Manager is responsible for everything INSIDE the theater including (but not limited to) lighting, sound, scenery, props, costumes and actors.

Because of this strict boundary, the CM and SM are considered equals and neither really out-ranks the other (However, the SM is not booking his own room, so he must remain in good graces with the CM at least).  I pity the poor SM whose producer is trying to save salaries by assigning them job of BOTH CM and SM!  However, in smaller companies this might be the case.

If an actor needs to be replaced, it's most likely the Director (who is still in New York) will cast from the place the tour originated (ie, New York) and the new actor will be transported out to join the rest of the cast at the next stop on the tour.  Most likely, instead of going through all the trouble of holding more auditions, the director will merely pick up the phone and call his Second Choice -- the actor who didn't get the part from the first audtion. (I myself have gotten more than one gig that way.  I'm not too proud to decline).

I've never heard of a Broadway tour replacing a major role with a local actor (although for dramatic license purposes it would make an interesting story).  Perhaps chorus or orchestra parts could be filled temporarily with local talent, but -- to preserve the integrity and "artistic vision" of the show -- a replacement actor is almost always flown in.

It is then the Stage Manager's job to rehearse the new actor seamlessly into the production.  It is the Company Manager's job to see that the outgoing actor (and their stuff) gets home safely.

There is little logic to the route a tour takes.  Most decisions are based strictly on money, not geography.  Whoever plans these things does so at their own risk.  The following are all factors in what cities a tour might visit:

Venue availability:  Is there a proper-sized auditorium that can support this show technically and financially?   Nobody's gonna put a Broadway musical in a 50,000 seat auditorium or a 50 seat music hall.

Hotel space:  Is there a convention (or more) happening at the same time?  Is the city's home team in the playoffs?  All this leads to overcrowding.  If it's too much of a hassle getting crew and cast to the venue, then it's possible the producers might just pass knowing it will also be a hassle getting an audience there.

Weather:  Very few tours visit the Midwest in Blizzard or Tornado season.  There's an old adage "Never do plays in months with J's" that stems from this reasoning.

Politics:  City officials sometimes vie for "high-class" entertainment.  A tour might stop at one city and not another because the Mayor and his cronies are offering incentive deals on lodging, meals or other kick-backs.

Unforseen consequences:  The theater that was booked burned to the ground two days ago.  Or there's a workers strike affecting the city.  A flood or other natural disaster.  A plague of locusts.  A rock band or a bigshot country singer who find themselves with a #1 hit offered a better deal to the venue who might try to slip out of the contract. 

And speaking of contracts ...  if your girl is injured during the tour the producers are only responsible for her until she gets better.  By that time it's most likely her part has been recast.  She may be entitled to worker's comp or her contract may have simply given her 2-weeks severance.  And unless she can prove negligence or loss-of-work she will be hard pressed to get another dime out of them outside of her medical expenses.  Producers usually have insurance to cover that.

This topic is quite interesting.

I will agree with Topper that on most Broadway-shows that are now touring, they will replace a lead or supporting actor instead of hiring local talent or using the "understudy."  Generally, if it is a large-enough name (such as Robert Guillome when he took over from Michael Crawford in Phantom) lead and the director is available, he will rehearse the actor with the company.  Sometimes the replacement actor will demand the director's presence. 

Otherwise, the stage manager ends up directing the actor and company--one of those other reasons stage managers should keep track of all directing/other notes given to actors so they can keep the show truly to what the director intended.

The cities--most of the tours I've seen have a plot like this:

1st year on tour:  large cities music centers and theatres:  downtown Chicago, downtown San Francisco, downtown Los Angeles, downtown Washington D.C., etc.

2nd year on tour:  the suburbs of large areas (you still need a large enough area to sell enough seats):  Oakland, San Jose, Santa Rosa (Bay Area); Thousand Oaks, Pasadena, Orange County PACs (LA), San Diego, Santa Barbara, Nashville, Phoenix  (smaller areas, but still enough for ticket sales). 

Of course, the producers will look at how a show "did" on the 1st round of the tour.  If ticket sales were off in a particular region of a country, they probably won't return to the same region the second year  (i.e., a right-wing pro-military piece in Northern California or Oregon or an amoral play with vulgarity and sensuality in the Bible Belt).

As for the route, you could use the inconvenience of travelling half-way across the country every other week as part of the conflict building in the company.  Everyone--no matter who they are--gets tired of living out of a suitcase and hotel room after 6 months, especially if they are with the same roommates all the time.

Every tour is slightly different, depending on who's sponsoring it and so on.  I can only speak generally, from my own experiences.

1) Trucks are still the most efficient way of transporting sets, lights, etc.  Even if they were shipped by train or plane, you'd still need a truck to get them from the depot to the theater.  Every professional theater has a loading dock for this purpose.

2) "... stringent system of checks" ?!  I nearly choked on my coffee when I read that.  True, a quality stage manager and company manager will typically have everything under control.  Even so, the best laid plans ...  While it is rare to have an "whole costume rack" go missing (the wardrobe person would easily be fired on the spot), it is not unusual that a mislaid prop, set piece or costume does not find its way onto the truck.  If it happens repeatedly, the person responsible can be cited or fined by the producer, so everybody is pretty reliable about such things. 

If the item was important enough, it would be up to the CM (and/or SM) to decide how to replace it.  Having the previous theater ship it is one option (if there's time), another option would be to replace the item by purchase or rental (hence the fines -- the producer has to make up his money somewhere).

What would be more likely is if the prop truck or scenery truck was misdirected, broken down or involved in an accident.  This would delay the load-in considerably and give you the dramatic situation you're seeking.

3.  Actors are SUPPOSED to check their props, yes.  Do they always?  Hah!  It only takes once for a prop to go missing before the actor decides to check them every time.

4.  In professional theater, warm-ups are typically left up to the individual performer.  It is part of their job and, as such, if they strain or injure themselves due to improper (or non-existent) warm-ups, they are effectively putting themselves out of work.  It is not unusual to stroll down the hallway where the dressing rooms are and hear a cacophony of moos, trills, and la-las emanating from within.

Sometimes the dance captain might call a quick run-through of a number if the SM noted something sloppy in a previous performance.  If there's choreographed violence, then a fight call is always scheduled before the house opens.

5.  There is always tech!  Hopefully, for the performers it is a "dry tech" where the performers are not called and the SM simply runs though all the cues with the stage crew to make sure everything is in place and working properly.  However, every theater is different, so placing sets props and other things in the off-stage spaces changes from place to place.  It is beneficial for everybody if a tech takes place.  Sometimes it is constrained due to time issues (like the truck was late)!  Nobody can avoid tech.

As to warm-ups, I've seen witnessed two different things:  actors in dressing rooms warming up individually or actors using the stage before house opens for stretching and vocals (in this case, they were vocally performing while stretching their bodies).

Very rarely have I seen an SM leading warm-ups and a game before house is open.

"The performers have a turbulent flight..."

I didn't catch this first time through, but I don't believe this would be accurate in the scenario you're trying to create.  It is extraordinarily rare for a Producer to fly his entire cast anywhere.  Unless your producer has his own private aircraft, it is simply too expensive and not a cost-effective way to transport a large group of people. 

Broadway producers are polar opposite of Hollywood producers (even to the point of being on different coasts.)  Hollywood's answer to solving problems is throw money at it until it works (and since it's being captured on film, it only needs to work ONCE.)  Broadway's answer is to find a cheaper way of doing it or cutting it out altogether (Hey, we're doing this show eight times a week!  Do we really need all those Cats?).

Most performers are trucked together on a bus or "motor coach." (Call it what you will, it's still a #%$@! bus).  The reasons are many:  Namely, first and foremost, cost!  A bus can be rented by the week; plane tickets need to be purchased at every stop.  The coaches vary wildly in quality and comfort -- some may have sleepers, some may have a lavatory -- most likely, there'll just be large seats that recline somewhat with scheduled potty breaks or stops for food.

Another reason is that the motor coach keeps the actors, crew and their luggage all together in one spot.  The CM or SM has one less hassle trying to round up everybody.  No wasted time waiting around terminals for baggage to be checked or cleared.  Nobody is rushing to catch a plane and nobody gets left behind at the snack counter or restroom.  It's the same mentality that goes toward herding cattle:  keep the group together at all times.

Some larger tours may have designated "smoking" and "no smoking" buses but this is rare.  Most tour buses are "no smoking" and there are always several performers (or crew) who opt to drive their own vehicles in a caravan following the tour.  This gives them the option to smoke the entire trip, and it also allows them to have a car in a strange city and not rely on taxis or public transportation to scope out the night life after the show. 

Those who drive are sometimes paid a stipend for gas (which is never enough).  Parking, tolls, tires and general wear & tear are their own responsibilty that can be written off on their taxes.

In the case of the understudy replacement that you mentioned in previous posts, it would be understandable for the producer to spring for a plane ticket in order to get the new actor into rehearsal ASAP.  If there is no rush, the producer would just a soon offer train fare or a bus ride.

I've even heard of Producers tell their freshly-auditioned cast:  "Our rehearsals start on (Date) in (City).  Call the CM's cell phone when you get there to check in and find out where you'll be staying."  (The guy wouldn't even pay for transportation to get the cast all in one place to begin with!)

Hope this helps.

Again, there are typically no FORMAL warm-ups called for or conducted by the SM.  It is not unusual for informal groups to sprout up and help each other with bending, stretching, etc.

My favorite warm-up story involves a seasoned singer who had a pitch-perfect voice.  It was twenty minutes before the house opened. The company was scattered throughout the theater, each doing their own pre-show rituals as he walked onto the empty stage of this magnificent, old vaudeville playhouse (approx 1100 seats).

He inhaled, paused, and let fly a note -- a clear, resonant, bell-like tone that reverberated off the art-deco plasterwork and sent tingling vibrations through the skin of anybody within earshot.   It was a stunning thing of vocal mastery and beauty.

As the tone echoed into silence, he nodded satisfied to himself and walked off to the wings where I was standing, watching.  I said to him, "is that your entire vocal warm-up?"

"Man," he said, lighting up a cigarette, "if that one works, then they ALL do."

I have worked with theater groups where, I swear, it seemed that the after rehearsal drinking was main reason to be in the cast....the parties were legend.  On the other hand I have worked with groups that frowned on such behavior.  Personally I don't like working with drunks but enjoy a couple of cold ones after (not during) work.  There may be theater companies that would put a DUI recepient on probation but I have never seen it happen.  Maybe if they were drunk on stage but even then they seem to be pretty tolerant of lubricated behavior.

this is something that would be stated in your contract. I have seen tour contracts that include a line about after hours conduct, I don't think there would be any reprimand unless it affected the show (actor missing curtian ect) I am sure drunk on stage would be a problem. I have seen it happen, it is never good.

this is a fun thread... any more ?'s

The only person(s) I can imagine being reprimanded for receiving a DUI would be any one of the drivers assigned to command the tour bus or one of the scenery trucks.

The Bus Driver would be on the payroll of the company from which the vehicle was rented and I'm sure his boss would have something to say about it.  The Driver(s) of the other trucks might be independent contractors or they might be members of the stage crew who have the right class of license.  In either case they would be directly answerable to the Producer.

And the only reason the producer would care is a DUI on their record would most likely raise his out-of-pocket insurance costs.  (The safety of the other people on the tour might be a smaller factor.)  Repeated infractions would be dealt with no doubt by the Producer, CM or SM if it affected the quality of the show.

"Minute I enter a stage door the bottle gets put away ... until intermission."

 Gay Wellington You Can't Take it With You.

Here we go with my 2 cents worth.  I have a family member who is bi-polar so I have a lot of experience with perscription sedatives and stimulants.  Prozac  is used frequently to treat depression but it can have a serious side effect (particularly in bi polar patients) in that it can cause bouts of hyperactive behaviour and panic attacks.  A person who is over-medicated on anti-depresion medication will often suffer from insomnia which leads to the use of sedatives.  The one I am most familiar with is Trazadone.  This will slur the speech and make the person very "stupid"...driving through red lights etc. All of these drugs are addictive and all of them are available on the street.  You could have your character bouncing between up and down.

Another idea is the over use of presciption painkillers.  In the course of treating my daughter  I have come into contact with a lot of other familes and  it seems that there are a lot of young people out there who started out with a broken leg  or surgery and legal painkillers and then quickly graduated to "street" drugs cause it "felt soo good".

Hope this helps..... 

Speaking from 10 years of commercial driving (school bus, don't you know), receiving a DUI while operating a commercial vehicle is an automatic revocation of your license in most states (and that includes your Class C [normal automobile] license).  The producer would be required to replace an offending driver.

DUI by an actor in his own vehicle--the only way it should impact the show (unless he is touring with a religious group who has standards against drinking or overindulging) would be if he were incarcerated (jail time) during the run.

I never did them myself (honest!), but I did go to college at Humboldt State--part of the "Emerald Triangle" and world capitol of psychedelic mushrooms (or "shrooms").  I have witnessed a few actors under the influence of marijuana on stage.  They generally play their characters more "mellow," which is usually taken for the actor just having a lower energy level.  Occassionally, an addicted actor would become quite hyper when he needed a "hit."  Generally, the actor was unaware he was performing an differently than he had in the past.

Those who had done the shrooms usually were off in their own little world and wouldn't even respond to those around them.  Fortunately, I never witnessed anyone using shrooms during a performance.

I don't know anything about cocaine, heroine, or LSD.  If you do some searches on drug addiction, you might get some more information.

Back to the Tech for a moment. One of the theaters I work in brings in traveling groups all the time. A part of the Tech crew (running crew) that works for the theater, in my experience the company usally has the routine down and things go relatively smooth. (Yes each group is different) If it is early in the tour we experience for confusion as to how things are set up and what goes where. I spent proabaly 2 hours for one show tying, untying and their drops as they could not decide where they should be hung...it was very early in the tour for them. other times it goes so smoothly we get 3-4 hours downtime before the show.

Load in and load out are long hours...and if it is all done in one day, exhausting!  depending on the type of show and the company's schedule, yes it can be all done in one day. The cast usually show up well after everything is set up or nearly set up to run their rehersals, and checks, but the SM is there bright and early to help with load in, and load out.

Drugs, can't help you there....other than to say someone is bound to get hurt if there is drugs or alcohol being done...yikes

Good luck, this does sound rather intersting!

Aimee

I have my fingers crossed for you.....have you been following the thread in the Play Selection area?  We are talking about a parody of Taming of the Shrew called the Screwing of the Tame.....it might be a fun writing exercise for you although you sound as if your plate is full right now.  Again...good luck to you.

Now in answer to your question.....at our little theater we have had actors show up minutes before curtain (for various reasons) and we always let them go on with a minumum of fuss.  Afterwards, however, everyone had something to say to that person and, in this age of cell phones, there is no excuse for not being in touch.  The guilty person usually goes around and apologizes in person to everyone.  It is never forgotten and often brought up when we are considering casting that person again.

In professional theater, half-hour call before curtain is fairly standard.  Unless their makeup, costume or warm-up procedures are very extensive or elaborate it would be unusual to require professional actors to arrive earlier than that.

That being said, there is nothing preventing actors from arriving at the theater BEFORE call (unless the doors are locked and the SM cannot let them in).  The SM is usually prepping the show at least an hour before showtime.  Usually it is the female actors who need to arrive early to spend time on their hair and don't want to rush.

If an actor arrives late, it is usually the SM who reprimands them.  The SM's wristwatch is always right.  Fines are not uncommon (anywhere from $5 on up to $50 or more) which can take quite a bite out of performer's salary on the road. 

Unless the SM was "trying to teach them a lesson" there would be no reason to prevent a late-arriving actor to sit out a performance in favor of their understudy.  And, depending on how much clout the actor might wield with the Producer or Patrons, the SM might be considered to be overstepping his authority to exclude the tardy actor.  In that case, it would the SM who was reprimanded for "not keeping closer accountability of their cast."

The SM might say, "The curtain goes up in five minutes; will you be ready?"  If not, it is up to the SM to hold the curtain for a reasonable time until the actor is placed.  I've seen situations where the show has already started, the understudy is in place, but the character who's missing has not made their first entrance yet.  The late-arriving actor makes it to the theater before his first cue, slaps on his costume and make-up and breezes onto the stage.  

If the show has already started, and said actor has already missed his first entrance, then it is most likely the understudy would complete that performance and the tardy actor would be penalized by fine or dock in salary.

This is where the messy problems of contracts come into play.  Most contracts would state that the actor on tour is obligated to a minimum number of performances per week.  If the actor fails to achieve that minimum, the producer can arbitrate this matter as he sees fit.  Fines, cuts in salary or even dismissal are all options.

And Joan 54 is right.  Peer pressure from the rest of the cast, or losing face in the presence of one's colleagues often carries much more weight than any monetary or legal consequences.

Just updated this for it to be easier to find.