I was just reading a few other threads and the thought came to me. I don't think the director I work with EVER allows a "Tech rehersal" We just end up moveing things around the actors and never truly get that time to learn what goes where and when. Any ideas on how I might go about advising her to give us one?

Normailly, the cast takes the stage after we've completed the set building, with about 2 weeks before the show (this is high school nad that amounts to 5 TOTAL rehersals...inlcuding FULL dress the night before) and the crew moves things around when I tell them to. I always feel like I am interupting HER rehersal time when we need to change the scene. We just finished a show where she would call "okay go on to the next scene" with out allowing the crew the time to change the scene....and I was told " Just move it around the actors" when I said, can you give us time to move the set before you go on?Doesn't that defeat the purpose of things??? Cast learning to move around the crew while they change the set??? Just curious what others think and do....

Aimee

When you have complex set changes, the only way to make them quick and accurate is to rehearse them just like you rehearse any other element of the show. If the cast is not directly invovled in the scene changes then these rehearals can be done at another time.

Dan

Ask her to imagine this scenario.

She gets a call today; she's being invited to play Lady Macbeth on Broadway.  She needs to report to the theatre Saturday morning.

So she shows up at the Helen Hayes theatre bright and early Saturday, and is told that the show opens Friday.  There will be a couple of hours rehearsal each night, but the crew will still be building the set, so she'll have to work around them.  The director will be busy with other things, but he's sure she'll do fine; she's acted before, hasn't she?  Oh, and there's some scripts at the New York Public Library, probably.  Her fellow actors will be in and out, so she'll probably meet most of them before opening night.

What's that?  She doesn't think she could give a good performance under those conditions?

Well, NEITHER CAN YOUR CREW, doggone it!

It's amazing what we expect crews to do with one or two rehearsals dedicated to them.  It's sadistic and irrational to expect them to do it with none.

Originally posted by Shatcher We should start a club: TUABHD    Techies united against bone headed directors..

I'm in.  You can be president, since it was your idea.  I'll be Vice President In Charge of A** Kickings.

Thanks for all the replies. They all certainly made me laugh, and I certainly needed it!  I may even try the rotisserie things to see if it works.  

I hearby submit my application to TUABHD!

Now we need a slogan/motto.....

I'm a theatre arts teacher, so I can understand that when the cast's acting is running behind there is a temptation to short change the tech.  However, it is highly unadvisable.

I would personally approach this teacher from the following point of view:  how vital is the set and your technical cues to the telling of the story?  Does the audience lose interest when they are stuck watching scene changes for 2 minutes?  Do they get up and leave the auditorium, looking for the bathroom, thinking the play is over but instead there's a problem with the lights?

If these issues are not important to her, then maybe she should do away with the technical end and perform on a bare stage without costumes--not unheard of.  If they are important to her, suggest that she add another 2 weeks into rehearsal, carefully scheduling them out so she has enough time to accomplish everything.  If her actors aren't off book on time, have her make them sit in a circle, start at the top of the first page, and say their lines.  Each time someone gets even 1 line wrong, make them go back to the top of the page.  One rehearsal like this usually insures that each person is off book at the next rehearsal.

When she's willing to listen to reason (and during performances and right after a play is over may not be the right times to broach this subject), talk about what it's like to be a tech person--how the cast has had months to learn their parts, but you are expected to know everything in 1 day--and sometimes in 30 seconds.  Inform her that you are all part of the same team, striving to meet the same goal.

Lastly, suggest she contact other drama teachers in the area.  Go to other school's plays, go to teacher's conventions, etc.  Even just call up the local CT to get some answers.  If you think she would be open to some advice, have her log on to this site and private message me.  I'd be willing to share my experience, as I am sure there are others.

Show your maturity by choosing your time wisely, by having an attitude of improving the program (which seems like she cares about), and by carefully bringing up these different points.  If I had a student like you, I would greatly admire you for your professionalism.

I hereby appoint Aimee Vice President In Charge Of Coming Up With A Motto.

And I'm going to keep doing this until everybody on this forum is a VP of something!

POB

alas my poor Cubs!!

I'm all for the shirts, and the meeting place!

MOTTO... how about "Can you do it in the Dark?....We can!"

Joe,

I think I'd settle for "VP In Charge of Curmudgeonly Standards".

And, yes, t-shirts are in order. You guys settle on a slogan and I'll speak to the Design Diva.

(On the topic of slogans, I vote for "WWTGD?" What Would the Gaafa Do?)

And the top ten slogans for TUABHD "Techies United Against Bonehead Directors" are ... (drum roll, please)

10.  "Saving your @$$ since 1589."

9.   "If we build it, they will come .. and mess it up or lose it."

8.   "In the wings.  Saying a prayer."

7.   "Having a VISION and HALLUCINATING are not the SAME THING!"

6.   "Just tell me whose leg to break."

5.   "Join us.  For a nice change of scenery."

4.   "I'm ready to pull the plug!"

3.   "Thanks for keeping us in the dark."

2.   "We're watching your back."

And finally, the number one slogan is ...

1.  "Please. No applause."

Being from Iowa, I like #9...

I'm a director and a techie as well.  Could we start an off-shoot group for directors and call it.

DATUABA

Directors And Techies United Against BoneHeaded Actors.

I'm sure we've all worked with them.  You know the ones who won't wear certain colours because it makes them look fat or who can't understand that a 'rehearsal prop' is a understudy for the 'real prop' which (if it's breakable) we save 'till tech.  "But I didn't have this tray the last time. It's not the same."  etc.etc.etc.  Or who don't realize  that they have to move to their light not vice-versa because lights hung up on bars way up in the ceiling are not follow spots and do not have an operator.  Bring on the PFD rope!!!!

Sad to say, but the term "boneheaded actor" is probably redundant.*

Anybody who signs up to do theater should be well-aware in advance. Such a support group typically meets after every rehearsal in the nearest tavern. 

(*See also "Conceited actor," "Attention-starved actor" and "Horny actor.")

I'd like to join.  Sign me up!

I am also a teacher and the schedule is really tight so I'm not sure but the way I've been doing it is to cue everything along with the script and have it all written with the 1) ON CUE (something is about to happen, you there?), 2) READY (ready to wake up and act), 3) GO (do it NOW) sequence (something I read on this board and found really very helpful).

Even if for the first few rehearsals the tech people can't do their stuff, they know when the stuff is supposed to be moved and what the cue is. Also, I add drawings or directions as to where to move what from or to and sometimes by whom in the script. I think it's best if you worked it all out (if time is pressing as you may have the best idea where everything should go and plot it all out).

As for the person you are working with, sounds like this person is serious about getting the acting right and wanting a good performance but a good performance is incomplete without everything else going smoothly as well and that can't happen if you don't run through the whole thing as the real thing at least a few times.

I remember in another post on this board someone mentioned accidents almost happening because the actors didn't know when the stuff was to be moved and they didn't get out of the way. So it's only responsible and sensible to do a tech run. But you have my sympathy.

Note also that for certain parts if no actors are needed, you could rehearse changes of scenery without them present and work on doing so efficiently but you definitely have to work it out with the actors present for a few times.

I guess with a few times I'd mean a minimal of 2-3 times.

Originally posted by Gaafa  Yabewdy Falstaf! I have been attempting to find out &/or try to remember what 'TUABHD' was again! G?donya!

Joe, I was going to take you to task for not following the link in my sig, when I discovered that it doesn't work!  How embarrassing!  I'll try to fix it.

ETA:  Think it works now.

As I started this post during our last production, finding it resurected during our current one seems funny to me. I can add that I "sort of" got a tech run this time around. I do mean sort of. I just flat out told the director we are going slow so we can get things in the right place and tape set pieces. That was as much as I could get, if it was wrong, there was no stopping, we just moved things around them while they acted....better than we usually get, but not what I want....yet. 

The show opens tomorrow night..thank god! I left rehearsal the other night ready to just throw in the towel.   But last night things went MUCH better , so I am feeling less frustrated now, this is just turning into "one of those shows"

I think we need several mottos. This week it's  " Just Tell me whose leg to break" Next week, who knows.