closing night improv
Printed From: Community Theater Green Room
Category: Theater Administration
Forum Name: Running Your Theater
Forum Discription: General questions about how to make it work
URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=3746
Printed Date: 11/23/24 at 2:42am
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Topic: closing night improv
Posted By: wolfpak6
Subject: closing night improv
Date Posted: 1/17/09 at 5:15pm
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I am new to community theater. I've spent the last six years as musical director/accompanist for High School productions, but recently did a show for the local community theater group. It was a great show with quality sets and lights and a semi pro orchestra. We worked hard for this show, but on closing night, the cast took liberties with the script and had their own little version of "amateur improv night". I was so disappointed. What they did wasn't clever or funny but just dumb. It seemed self indulgent to me, and I was embarrasssed. My sister drove nearly an hour and paid $25 to see the show that I had given up my Christmas vacation to rehearse for! Is this normal? Or acceptable? Or even legal? Thanks for your input!
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Replies:
Posted By: imamember
Date Posted: 1/17/09 at 8:52pm
I could see it if this were a High School production but I've never seen this happen in community theatre.
Very unusual, not acceptable or legal.
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Posted By: chelserin
Date Posted: 1/18/09 at 11:46am
I could understand an actor wanting to try something a little different, IF they run it by the director first. However, to change an entire show - lines and all is completely unprofessional. Yes, there are those creative people who can change it up every night and keep the integrity of the show and it works. I've been in a couple shows with actors who liked to do it a little different each time. Granted, they were hillarious. However, the director talked to them about how important it is for the rest of the cast for the scene to be consistent each night so that no one gets thrown off gaurd by what they are doing. Especially in community theatre when there are usually several people who are new to the stage and are just trying so hard to get their own lines/blocking out.
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To be in the world, and of the world, and never to stand aside and watch.
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Posted By: belle
Date Posted: 1/18/09 at 12:58pm
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Doing improv on closing night is a tradition in certain places. Veterans think it is OK to do it, and younger actors pick it up from them. Thus, the tradition continues. In other places, this is never done. I expect that some people come to the show on closing night to see the improvs.
We don't have this tradition, and I caution our actors when we begin production week and on closing night that it is unprofessional even though they may have done it in high school or elsewhere. I emphasize that the audience has expectations about the show and that we have to meet them rather than be self-indulgent.
I make clear that anyone who improvises on closing night will not be cast by me in future shows.
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Posted By: KEB54
Date Posted: 1/19/09 at 6:26pm
Personally, I have never heard of it being done.
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KEB
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Posted By: MartyW
Date Posted: 1/20/09 at 9:24am
Ok as always, the IMHO disclaimer.. BUT. Never, No Way, No How! The audience paid the same price for the final show and deserves the same show that all the other audinces got. You want to play, (at the directors discretion) have fun at a pick up rehearsal.. NEVER on a ticketed night.. How would they feel about it if they went to a profesional show and got them on a FUN night.. Not so fun I'm sure after paying PRO prices... Someone does that in a show that I'm in and they probably don't need apply at my next audition... As for High School, woe to the cast that thinks they can get away with it in one of my productions!!! Ok, rant on a pet peeve over..
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Marty W
"Till next we trod the boards.."
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Posted By: Theatrestation
Date Posted: 1/20/09 at 10:20am
Originally posted by MartyW
Ok as always, the IMHO disclaimer.. BUT. Never, No Way, No How! The audience paid the same price for the final show and deserves the same show that all the other audinces got. You want to play, (at the directors discretion) have fun at a pick up rehearsal.. NEVER on a ticketed night.. How would they feel about it if they went to a profesional show and got them on a FUN night.. Not so fun I'm sure after paying PRO prices... Someone does that in a show that I'm in and they probably don't need apply at my next audition... As for High School, woe to the cast that thinks they can get away with it in one of my productions!!! Ok, rant on a pet peeve over.. |
I agree 100%! At least once during a run (more if needed) I remind the cast that the audience "tonight" is every bit as important as any other audience and as always they deserve the best show possible. I also remind them that our theatre has a reputation for putting on top quality shows and they need to uphold that reputation.
I have seen instances in other theatres where inside jokes become onstage improvs. I think allowing that to happen is what separates the amatures from the professionals paid or not.
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http://www.castbuilding.com
http://www.theatrestation.com
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Posted By: kaelidancer
Date Posted: 1/20/09 at 11:51am
As a director, I've been asked about this by cast members.: "Hey, since this is the last show, can we do something funny?" (the young ones, mostly) ... and my answer is always an unequivocal NO. Like Marty said, the audience paid the same price for the same ticket, and they deserve the same show as everyone else.
I do allow a fair amount of fun during pickup rehearsals.. I figure by that point they've worked hard enough, they deserve to blow off some steam. But never for an audience. Never ever.
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Kaeli Gardner
Johnson City Community Theatre
http://www.jcct.us - www.jcct.us
http://www.gardnerarts.com - www.gardnerarts.com
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Posted By: ziggy1122
Date Posted: 1/21/09 at 9:33am
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We do a "joke night" at the last dress or second to last dress rehearsal ONLY.. and that's ONLY if the previous rehearsals have gone well enough, AND the director feels that the cast knows their lines, blocking, cues, etc...
This lets them get it out of their system and not affect any performances, plus it helps relax the cast that's "getting nervous because opening night is right around the corner".
It is NEVER allowed during a production night. We believe the same that the audience on the last night is entitled to the same show the audience saw at opening night.
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Posted By: wolfpak6
Date Posted: 1/25/09 at 12:36pm
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Thank you so much for your valuable input. I appreciate the time you took to share your thoughts. You confirmed what I believe to be true. May you have a profitable year of quality community theater!
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Posted By: jayzehr
Date Posted: 1/25/09 at 1:42pm
I've never heard of that. It's definitely not legal. If I had paid to go see a play that I knew and liked and this happened I would be extremely angry. I would never go see another play from that group again. If I was an actor and this was going on and allowed to go on I would seriously consider walking off (well, I guess not but I would be VERY upset.) If I was a director and that happened, I would be backstage ASAP and put a stop to it with the clear admonition that anyone who didn't stop would be not be cast by us again. Maybe after a long, LONG run on the professional stage but for us we're putting on shows for 5-10 performances max, and a lot of people in the community including relatives and friends don't get there until the last night. That just seems completely self indulgent and bush league. You put in too much work to just blow off one of the few performances you have.
Just my opinion.
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Posted By: jayzehr
Date Posted: 1/25/09 at 1:54pm
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I will add that as a director I usually talk to everyone before the last performance and ask that they go out and do the same show that we've been doing. I've actually never had any problems with anything myself but have been in shows with other directors who seemed very concerned about that so I assumed it's something to touch on to be safe.
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