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Overall, you act mostly as a liason liaison between the director/designers/producer(s) and the actors. It's your job to help provide communication between the actors and everyone else to ensure that everything will be ready for prod week.
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Meet with director - discuss scheduling preferences, rehearsal preferences. These may include:
- How many breaks in a rehearsal, for how long?
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- How would the director like to be reminded of time constraints?
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- How should actors be corrected (lines, blocking) if they mess up?
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- How should warm-ups be done? By director (or actor) at beginning of rehearsal? By each actor individually before rehearsal?
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- Work with the Director to create a rehearsal etiquette policy to be handed out to all actors at the first rehearsal.
- Longer or more complicated scenes need more time. Ask about length/complexity of the scenes.
Meet with Assistant SMs (ASMs) to discuss their roles and duties. Make sure you get their phone numbers and email address(es) at this time.
Create SM copy of script. A few example pages are included.
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-Get the casting done as quickly as possible. If possible, and try not to have the final auditions end too late at night, so that people (especially real people, as opposed to students) are more likely to answer the call when you are trying to cast them.-If possible, schedule the last day of auditions to end early to give you time to call people. (this should be the schedule the last day of auditions to end early to give you time to call people. (this should be the last day before callbacks and the day of callbacks if possible)
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-If possible, make a characters list before-hand and have an idea of how large each part is (search the play name on wolfram alpha- it's super useful!) and which parts can be combined if needed. List which characters are in which scenes. This is also a good time to decide which characters are important for the rehearsals of each scene, which will help with scheduling.
-encourage Encourage the director to take scheduling into account during auditions. Try to prevent giving main roles to people who don't have the time for them.
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-Get an ASM to come to rehearsal so one of you can take line notes while one focuses on rehearsal
-write down as many notes as you have time for
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-Try underlining everything that people mess up, and showing them after the rehearsal is over, so they get instant feedback as well as detailed feedback
-Send out the notes as soon after rehearsal as possible
Before Production week:
Run time jobs: Figure out what runtime jobs are needed and assign them to actors. For more info on this, look here: Technical Director
Run Crew: Get some. More details here
Ushers: Get some. At least one per night. 2 or more if seating is mildly complicated or confusing.
Production week:
The show now belongs to you. Oh, the power =)
During prod week and the run, you control everything. It is your responsibility to make sure that you get into the performance space every night, and that it's secured when you leave. Your word is law. When you decide the show will start is when it will start. You have to coordinate the actions of the cast, crew, house manager, ushers, audience, etc. Again, you need to make sure that everyone that's supposed to be there is there. You call the show. You tell the light board-op when to hit the button. You tell the sound board-op when to hit the button. You tell the stage crew when to move the button (or table, or chair, or flat, or elephant, whatever!). If anything goes wrong, it's your call on what to do, who to call, and how to fix it, so be prepared to make split-second decisions about what should happen in case an actor takes your pre-show comment to heart, and really does break his leg.
Make sure you talk to your sound and light board-ops about what they need you to do before each tech rehearsal and show, and add those things to your checklist (see below).
Sit back, relax, and enjoy the show that you've seen at least a thousand times already (maybe not, but it feels like it) and watch how your audience responds to the production that you got to see take form from beginning to end. Have fun!
The SM clipboard
Admit it, a clipboard will make you feel extra cool, plus it will provide a place to put stuff without carrying around the whole SM binder now that you need to more a lot more. Some stuff to put on it:
-The nightly schedule of what happens when (call, house opening, etc.)
-All of your actor's phone numbers and room numbers (you can also use this list to keep attendance and figure out who's missing
-A list of who is your run crew/house manager/box office manager/etc. each night. And their phone numbers.
-A list of anyone who might be willing to sub for run crew/ house manager/etc. if they go missing. And their phone numbers.
-A blank sheet of paper, for taking random notes
-A pencil
-A time keeping device. (okay, I admit, it's hard to attach a clock to a clipboard. But make sure you have some kind of time keeping device with you. If it's your phone, just set it on top of your clipboard)
(these checklists are everything that needs to happen. Delegate to your ASMs!)
MONDAY: dry tech/Q2Q
Dry tech is where the director, the SM, the Light Designer and the Sound Designer get together to finalize cue positioning and length. Each designer will name each cue, and tell you when it must be called. Then they will set its length. At this time all of the cues should be put into the SM book, which is what you'll use to call from.
Dry tech:
Get all cue numbers/names from designers
Mark down all cue placement in SM book
If at all possible, run cues without actors (it will speed up Q2Q)
The props table should have been created by the props folks. If not, create it now. (complain later)
Put glow tape on all stairs and any corners. Look for "actor traps" and glow tape/repair them.
Get run job list from officers, and post in the green room
Post sign-in sheets in green room
Post scene list (if needed/desired) in green room
If there are lots of transitions, create a chart of what happens during each transition, and who's doing what. Post it everywhere (green room, backstage)
Q2Q:
Monday (or possibly Sunday) is cue-to-cue (Q2Q). This is the design staff's only* opportunity to set when cues are called, how long they are, what they look like. It is usually the first time you're in the performance space. And it's the first time with the sets and props. Actors don't like Q2Q, but that's okay - a good Q2Q will make the rest of prod week go SO SO SO much more smoothly. So use it well.
(*of course, things change during the week. But ideally as much should be done as possible on Q2Q so that the other rehearsals really can be runs)
Q2Q: Again each cue is run, this time with actors. The actors should be given some time to walk around the set to get used to things. During Q2Q, all tricky entrances/exits and all scene changes should be rehearsed until you are confident that everyone can do them well. (usually this is a no-brainer, since they usually coincide with light cues, but not always, so be sure to get them all). (Alternately, if you're run crew won't stay the same throughout the run, skip set changes for Q2Q but spend 10 minutes on them at each dress rehearsal and (if needed) before each performance. Your actors may hate you, but your audience will be happier. )
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Assign run-time jobs. Things that need to be assigned include:
- clean the stage
- clean the audience
- clean the dressing room
- laundry (assign multiple people if play involves blood)
- clean props (as necessary)
- buy food (candy) for dressing room - a lot, actors are greedy
- buy water (and cups) for the dressing room - a lot, actors are thirsty
- silence doors
- warm ups
- morale
- props
(More jobs can be added as necessary to make the number of jobs equal the number of actors)
Ask for job preferences, and assign in order of seniority, with Ensemble members first. Ties are decided by who has done the most shows with Ensemble.
Run Crew: Get some. More details here
Ushers: Get some. At least one per night. 2 or more if seating is mildly complicated or confusing.
Production week:
The show now belongs to you. Oh, the power =)
During prod week and the run, you control everything. It is your responsibility to make sure that you get into the performance space every night, and that it's secured when you leave. Your word is law. When you decide the show will start is when it will start. You have to coordinate the actions of the cast, crew, house manager, ushers, audience, etc. Again, you need to make sure that everyone that's supposed to be there is there. You call the show. You tell the light board-op when to hit the button. You tell the sound board-op when to hit the button. You tell the stage crew when to move the button (or table, or chair, or flat, or elephant, whatever!). If anything goes wrong, it's your call on what to do, who to call, and how to fix it, so be prepared to make split-second decisions about what should happen in case an actor takes your pre-show comment to heart, and really does break his leg.
Make sure you talk to your sound and light board-ops about what they need you to do before each tech rehearsal and show, and add those things to your checklist (see below).
Sit back, relax, and enjoy the show that you've seen at least a thousand times already (maybe not, but it feels like it) and watch how your audience responds to the production that you got to see take form from beginning to end. Have fun!
Dry Tech or Papertech
Dry tech generally happens the Friday or Saturday before tech week starts. This is where the director, the SM, the Light Designer, Sound Designer, and other relevant designers (ie. video) get together to finalize cue positioning and length. Each designer will name each cue, and tell you when it must be called. Then they will set its length. At this time all of the cues should be put into the SM book, which is what you'll use to call from.
Dry tech:
Get all cue numbers/names from designers
Mark down all cue placement in SM book
If at all possible, run cues without actors (it will speed up Q2Q)
The props table should have been created by the props folks. If not, create it now. (complain later)
Put glow tape on all stairs and any corners. Look for "actor traps" and glow tape/repair them.
Get run job list from officers, and post in the green room
Post sign-in sheets in green room
Post scene list (if needed/desired) in green room
If there are lots of transitions, create a chart of what happens during each transition, and who's doing what. Post it everywhere (green room, backstage)
The SM clipboard
Admit it, a clipboard will make you feel extra cool, plus it will provide a place to put stuff without carrying around the whole SM binder now that you need to more a lot more. Some stuff to put on it:
-The nightly schedule of what happens when (call, house opening, etc.)
Sample Schedule for an 8pm Show:
- 6:00 - Call (make sure all the actors are there!)
- 6:05 - Warmups
- 6:30 - Fight Call
- 7:15 - Morale
- 7:35 - Open House
- 8:05 - Start Show!
-All of your actor's phone numbers and room numbers (you can also use this list to keep attendance and figure out who's missing
-A list of who is your run crew/house manager/box office manager/etc. each night. And their phone numbers.
-A list of anyone who might be willing to sub for run crew/ house manager/etc. if they go missing. And their phone numbers.
-A blank sheet of paper, for taking random notes
-A pencil
-A time keeping device. (okay, I admit, it's hard to attach a clock to a clipboard. But make sure you have some kind of time keeping device with you. If it's your phone, just set it on top of your clipboard)
(these checklists are everything that needs to happen. Delegate to your ASMs!)
Tech Week Emails
At the end of each day of tech week, meet with the director to go over notes. Write these down. Send an email out to everyone with these notes.
MONDAY: Q2Q
Monday (or possibly Sunday) is cue-to-cue (Q2Q). This is the design staff's only* opportunity to set when cues are called, how long they are, what they look like. It is usually the first time you're in the performance space. And it's the first time with the sets and props. Actors don't like Q2Q, but that's okay - a good Q2Q will make the rest of prod week go SO SO SO much more smoothly. So use it well.
(*of course, things change during the week. But ideally as much should be done as possible on Q2Q so that the other rehearsals really can be runs)
Q2Q: Again each cue is run, this time with actors. The actors should be given some time to walk around the set to get used to things. During Q2Q, all tricky entrances/exits and all scene changes should be rehearsed until you are confident that everyone can do them well. (usually this is a no-brainer, since they usually coincide with light cues, but not always, so be sure to get them all). (Alternately, if you're run crew won't stay the same throughout the run, skip set changes for Q2Q but spend 10 minutes on them at each dress rehearsal and (if needed) before each performance. Your actors may hate you, but your audience will be happier. )
Standard Terminology:
- Standby= I’m going to call a cue soon (should require a response from the person you’re giving the ready to. i.e., SM: “standby lights 143” Light board op: “lights standing by”)
- Note that multiple cues can be on standby if they are done in quick succession or are called at the same time.
- Example: SM: "standby lights 53, sound 25". When it's time to call the cue, SM: "lights and sound go"
- Example 2: SM: "standby lights 5 through 7". If a lot of cues are on standby because a section of your show has many in a row, it may be helpful to let your lights and sound boards know when they are done with standby. Make sure everyone is clear about what's going on.
- Go= start from where I told you to start from
- Put a subject before "go" - i.e., "actors go" or "sound go". That way the light board op doesn't get confused (for example).
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- BE CONSISTENT. You can say “elephant” instead of "go" if you want, just as long as you’re consistent.
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- Hold = stop exactly where you are, don't move, don't talk
- Restore = go back to where we started from before
The big thing to remember about Q2Q is that it's your last real opportunity to practice the logistical side. If you want to run something again, run it again. If you're confused about something, ask, and get clarification. Your goal should be to have Monday's run be as smooth as possible.
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