Community Theater Green Room Discussion Board: Replacing an actor

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jayzehr
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Topic: Replacing an actor
Posted: 7/07/11 at 3:31pm

Anyone have any experience replacing an actor who as it turns out just can't do the part at all? Or is the theater code to always just muddle through no matter what? (Any general words of encouragement appreciated! Smile

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PaulyWally
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Posted: 7/07/11 at 6:47pm

As a general rule:

I will replace actors that are disruptive to the production. I don't replace actors that "can't do the part."

There are always exceptions. But them's my basic rules.

IMO, community theatre is a lot about learning. If you feel s/he is not doing a good job, then maybe you should help him/her with that. Even on the professional level, when an actor doesn't "get it," it's the director's job to step in and make sure that the actor does "get it."

But one thing I keep wondering is, didn't you cast this person? If that's the case, I believe you have nothing to say here (especially in CT). If not, then I feel you should still suck it up and learn that you should not agree to direct a show you are not allowed to cast.

Just my .02

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David McCall
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Posted: 7/07/11 at 7:14pm

We had a couple such instances in the schools last year.

One was a kid that read great, but when it got to the part where they were supposed to be off-book he didn't come to rehearsal. The mother got to the director and read him the riot act for threatening the kid that he couldn't be in the show if he didn't learn his lines. As it turned out the kid had a mental issue that was keeping him for memorizing the script. It was a middle school show, so they let him go on with a script in his hands. Other than that he was an OK actor (for the radio).

The other was a high school show and the main character in the show was a decent actor in past shows, but this show had him on the stage for nearly every scene. It was just a bit beyond his capability. At final dress he was still asking for lines. We went so far as to rent an ear monitor so that someone could feed him lines. We had a day off between dress and open, and miraculously he managed to learn his lines and did a good performance for all 4 shows.

It can be very scary, but often, it works out in the end. Don't look upon this post as advice. It's just a couple real-life stories. Your mileage may vary.

David M

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jayzehr
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Posted: 7/07/11 at 10:24pm

Originally posted by PaulyWally

But one thing I keep wondering is, didn't you cast this person? If that's the case, I believe you have nothing to say here (especially in CT). If not, then I feel you should still suck it up and learn that you should not agree to direct a show you are not allowed to cast.

It's a longer story but yes, I did the casting. On reflection your answer is, of course, the right one. I'm just struggling right now to make things work. I guess I have to trust the mysterious forces of theater to pull things together.

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Rorgg
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Posted: 7/08/11 at 11:17am

Can you be a little more specific on what the actual issue is? There's a pretty wide range of scenarios running through my head, from can't learn lines, to isn't a good actor, to has accent problems, or whatever. All have different potential solutions.

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Majicwrench
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Posted: 7/08/11 at 6:32pm

I'm with PW above. If he/she is disruptive, isn't showing up etc, is a no-brainer.

If showing up, learning lines, I'll try to stick with em.

Looking forward to hearing just what the issues are.

Keith

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jayzehr
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Posted: 7/09/11 at 3:36pm

Thanks everyone for your input!

As I said before, after a very brief reflection on your responses I realized it's a no-brainer that in CT we'll stick with the people cast barring catastrophic issues.

I also realized I don't feel right discussing the specific situation in a public forum right now.

I'll get back to the board and let everyone know how things turned out if anyone is interested!

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falstaff29
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Posted: 7/11/11 at 5:16pm

As others have said, the specific difficulty involving the actor affects the response. Some situations might call for replacing the actor, but this course should be avoided if possible. I've sometimes found that taking the actor aside and discreetly discussing the issue in more detail can go a long way to resolving it. If not, and the circumstances don't warrant firing, it's still a situation you can learn from: don't cast said person next time.

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AnnetteLogue
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Posted: 8/16/11 at 12:31am

I have used the old "your energy just isn't there yet." Are you having problems with your character or memorizing your lines? Is this part too much for you? I gave you the part because I thought you could do it, but if you aren't comfortable, maybe we can change it up a bit....And if it is too much, change it up QUICK!

Annette Logue
McIntosh Theatre Arts Company
Darien, Georgia

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jayzehr
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Posted: 8/16/11 at 3:28am

As the one who started this thread let me just say that the lesson I learned here is that if you are desperate enough to go to the internet for advice on something like this, there is a good chance that the situation is not going to turn out well. Anyway, the play is over, we made money, what doesn't kill you makes you stronger and all that jazz....

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