We use an audition form that has a space on it asking that prospective actors list the dates of any conflicts they have that might interfere with evening rehearsals. We tell them we want the information to help the director plan when to hold rehearsals, not an "if you list anything here, we won't cast you" kind of thing.  Most of the time, you can work around any conflicts, and it can enter into deciding which part you want someone to play -- if they have a night class every Tuesday and Thursday, you may not be able to use them in a lead, but they're OK for a smaller part. Occasionally I've had people come in who say they'll be out of town during tech week; I talk with them and explain why they won't work, and ask them to come back to audition for the next show.

I also require that actors not work another show while mine is in production, and ask for that commitment on the form. My feeling is that one of the two shows is going to suffer from sheer exhaustion on the actor's part. Since I don't want mine to be the one that suffers, I usually won't use them, even if the other show's rehearsals don't conflict with mine. Some people don't agree with that, but I want actors totally committed to my show and my show alone. Hard enough to find the time to learn a part when you're juggling a show, a family and a day job without adding a second show to the mix!

made up a ?Commitment Agreement, which was signed by everyone in the cast of ?A Chorus Line?, it sort of worked, but soon lapsed over a period of weeks. Although we stated that if they were tardy & fail to turn, with out contacting us or having an acceptable excuse, they would be replaced!

It last a week before the ?No Shows? started, then I had to decide who I was going to pull the pin on. Actually I never did, they opted out each time, luckily I had the 7 extra bit art dancers, who I promoted in to a role, each time. All the extra?s worked great & I had no need to worry!

So even if you lock them into to an iron clad contract of commitment, it won?t change a lot & in the end it makes not a hapeth of difference!

It is a moral string you can pull &/or use to your benefit.

I hope it will make a big difference to you!

Chookas

I have had success with the conflicts page of the audition form.

Here is how I like to work it: When an actor auditions for me, they fill out an audition form...lots of "name, rank, number" type stuff...but also on the form are the dates and times of  rehearsal, tech week, production etc. This info is followed by a large space for a listing of  any and all conflicts. I save a small amount of time during each audition to ask them a question or two...to get a small sense of the person..and to relax them a bit ... one of the questions is always about the listed conflicts.

This has worked well as it stresses the importance of rehearsal time...and gets them to commit (out loud, in fornt of the director and the SM ) to being available.

Good Luck,

Countbio

Conflict listing on an audition form is the NORM for our theater too.  Still, every once in a while, there is one bad apple that decides to take advantage of the director, and it is usually too close to show time to find a replacement.

I can understand about doing 2 shows at once, but if the part is small enough, and the actor good enough, I see no problem with doing 2 shows at once (my personal best is 3 shows at 1 time, but I am insane.  HA HA HA)

I don't know how much this response will apply in the community theatre realm, but for all those high school teachers eavesdropping:

I finally had to go to an actual contract that my students and parents of students must sign before a student can audition.  Many of the topics are mundance, such as the costs involved (we charge a costume fee), a tentative rehearsal schedule (tech week can get to be up to 40 hours of rehearsal/performance and missing classes--parents have to agree it's ok to miss classes). 

Some of the less mundane is a statement that a parent will not punish a student by making him stay home from rehearsal, that absences for illness, car accident, and family get-togethers are OK under certain circumstances--and family get-togethers are no longer permissable within three weeks of performance.  (We are not allowed to rehearse every day of the week, and my cast usually has weekends off, so I feel families should rearrange their schedule a bit instead of having grandma's dinner on a Thursday, reschedule to the weekend.) 

We have a drop rule at our school that allows students to drop classes up to a certain point in the semester. But because our rehearsal period usually overlaps semesters, I've had to include in the contract that they cannot drop once they've accepted the role.  (I had to administrative approval on this policy.)  Do you know how disastrous it is to have a student drop 4 weeks into rehearsal?

I also indicate on the contract that by auditioning they are willing to accept any size of role, even a non-speaking role.  They also agree that the director has the final authority in assigning roles.  They can ask about their audition, but no amount of pleading, whining, etc., will change their roles.