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Auditions sides (for readings)
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List of Character Descriptions (including vocal ranges)
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Music sides (for callback music learning)
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CRB disclaimer (for all auditionees to read and sign)
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Audition forms - with numbers (i.e. first person to arrive is 1, then 2, and so on…)
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stapler
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songbooks (these live in the archives filing cabinets in the back of the Guild office)
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camera (bug the dir staff for their iPhones)
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numbered list of lined paper for sign-ins: make sure these number align with audition form numbers
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piano (and audition pianists to come along with the piano)
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tables (several in room, at least one for you)
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Take a picture of them -- this too should be affiliated with their number
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Casting
Remember, no creative input
Try to make sure no one dies or cries too much
No one is trying to ruin your life; we’re all volunteers; we all want the show to be good. Try to make sure the dir staff keeps all of this in mind
We usually call the cast as they are CRB-approved. They have 24 hours to think about a role before they need to tell us if they accept or not. Coordinate with the producer.
The producer should send the rejection emails, but sometimes this will be your job. If it is your job, be polite. I find it’s best to be concise; there’s no good way to say it.
Scheduling
I hope you like logic puzzles.
Music rehearsals should always come prior to blocking/choreo rehearsals for the same song. (Apologize if you can’t make this happen.)
It helps if you get the various director to tell you who they need and how much time they’ll need for each song/scene ahead of time. Approximate timing, if the dir people don’t know how long rehearsing will to take: 5 minutes stage time = 1 hour rehearsal time.
Be aware of who’s being called and for how long. That is, try not to call someone for only 15 minutes out of a 2 hour rehearsal, and try not to call people for 4 hours without breaks.
IAP (simultaneous rehearsals):
During IAP, you will probably want to schedule two or three rehearsal going on at once. This is an *enormous* logic puzzle. Leave yourself ~2 days to figure it out before you send it to your dir staff. Your dir staff will want to make changes, so plan ahead. You want to make sure everyone is where they need to be, then you should go to the director or choreographer to take notes. You *will* want an ASM for IAP, because you can’t actually be in two place at once, sadly.
Rehearsals
Get there at least 15 minutes early, to make sure the room is set up correctly. See Resources for CAC if room is locked, or is set up incorrectly. Tape* out the stage for blocking/choreo rehearsals (this probably will take more than 15 minutes; if so get there earlier). Call the cast if they’re late -- be consistent about when you expect them to arrive. Make sure the director is not going to be late. It should be noted that you can order cast around, but directors don’t take kindly to being ordered around, so find more subtle ways to interact with your director.
Organize with the director and props designer about rehearsal props.
Be ready to reschedule on the fly. Have a list of French scenes (de-marking scenes by who is on stage, rather than textual breaks).
If a rehearsal is cancelled, make sure to release rooms and make sure everyone knows what’s going on and why. (The cast gets really irritated when their schedule changes without reasons being given.) Also the rehearsal pianist. They are worth more than gold, do not offend them.
Take blocking notes. You’re expected to record the physical movements around the stage (cross upstage left, etc.). Some director won’t give direction like this; they’ll just wave their hands and wander around the space with the actors. Try to get used your director’s style. Also, it is important to record direction that affects designers. If the direction is “cross downstage and put the book in your pocket”, you need to let the props designer know there needs to be a book, and the costume designer needs to know there needs to be a pocket, and they need to talk about the size of these two things. This should go in rehearsal reports. (See below.)
As early as possible, get in contact with the set designer for a ground plan of the stage, to tape* it for rehearsal.
Rehearsal reports (can go as one email, or separate, depending on the show)
Cast: next rehearsal schedule, any important announcements (schedule alterations, costume parade, &etc.)
Prod Staff: (Lights, Sound, Props, Set, Costume, Dir Staff, Admin, Self) any information about the rehearsal that is relevant to these people; relevant conflicts for the next rehearsal
If actors miss rehearsal, make sure they get the blocking. Either email them your notes, or grab them before or after rehearsal to tell them what they missed. For choreography rehearsal, it often helps to make a video recording of the final practice of a dance, both for those that missed the rehearsal, or for people to practice from.
Make sure the director has a process that allows blocking to happen efficiently. Make sure you know where already blocked things happen, so you can tell the director when things are physically impossible.
Tidy the room at the end. Pick up trash, collect forgotten scripts. You don’t need to put away the chairs or the piano.
If you are in Lobdell, make sure that the room is back to “normal dining configurations” even if the room didn’t start this way. This means circular tables in the center with eight chairs to each table. If you do not do this, MTG will get fined 250$.
Things to get done before Prod Week
Schedule a meeting between the Set Designer, Technical Director, and CAC to get safety approval.
Paper tech
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