Working two plays at once.
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Topic: Working two plays at once.
Posted By: GoldCanyonLady
Subject: Working two plays at once.
Date Posted: 7/11/05 at 10:12am
|
I live in an active adult community in southern Arizona and am director
of our play this year. It is my first directing experience here and the
Village Players is only on its third year, The play, Meanwhile, Back on the Couch,
was cast before many of the residents left for the summer. The first
two plays were directed by the gal that got the Players started; she
was offered a chance to direct again this year but said she wanted a
year off. The old director, instead of taking a year off, has started a traveling theater troupe which would present a play in different RV resorts and communities in our Valley. Right away she tried to coax the actors which have been active in our community plays to work with her in her production of The Odd Couple (female version). She has five of our people who were either actors or worked in some other capacity in other productions so we have lost them for this season. Just recently my understudy actor gave me back his play book and said that he was going to be in the play with the first director then my leading actress asked to be released because the old director wanted her to do the lead role in her play. Because she is my producer's wife and because I chose her above all to be in this play, I appealed to her sense of duty and she agreed to stay. Then I just learned that she took a smaller role in the Odd Couple (Sylvia) and plans to do both plays at the same time. I haven't said anything to her yet, but feel that she cannot do both at the same time? So my question is: Can an actor/actress be in two plays for two different companies at the same time? By the way I can re cast her easily. Barb ------------- Barb Hofmeister, MountainBrook Village Players, Gold Canyon, Arizona. |
Replies:
Posted By: dougb
Date Posted: 7/11/05 at 11:08am
| I don't think an actor can rehearse two plays at once. I have worked with (directed) several actors who start to rehearse the second play as soon as the first play opens. As long as the first play gets the priority for the actors time there have not been any problems. |
Posted By: tristanrobin
Date Posted: 7/11/05 at 11:43am
|
For what it's worth: I've been in rehearsals for two plays at once
- and as a director, I've had actors who have been in rehearsal for more than one play. Though it's a challenge, it can certainly be done. It depends on the experience/skill level of the individual - there is no hard and fast rule. For those of us who have majored in theatre in college, we're accustomed to not only doing two plays at once, but more than two - and required, at that. Though, there are limits. LOL I can't imagine anybody rehearsing to play King Lear and Hamlet at the same time 
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Posted By: POB14
Date Posted: 7/13/05 at 4:13pm
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I would not touch this woman with a ten foot pole. What you have here is a situation that will turn into a p***ing contest between you, your producer, the other director, the actor, and probably about six other people as well. (There WILL be such a contest, anyway, but you don't want it affecting your show. If you use this woman, it will. Absolutely.) Unless she acts llike Helen Hayes and looks like Britney Spears, (and probably even then) politely inform her that your rehearsal schedule cannot accommodate the other play, and bid her a fond goodbye. ------------- POB Old Bugger, Curmudgeon, and Antisocial B**tard |
Posted By: casey05
Date Posted: 7/15/05 at 4:31am
| I've got a question on this subject. I've been cast in the chorus of Les Mis, but I'm also playing a role in another production (3 weeks away from performance). There's around four rehearsals for Les Mis that I may be away for, playing the lead in the other musical I'm in. Is this acceptable? |
Posted By: GoldCanyonLady
Date Posted: 7/15/05 at 10:39am
|
Thanks everyone. This morning she responded to my ultimatium (my play
or the other--not both) and she quit our play. She says she did it
because she didn't like the ultimatum, not because she wanted to do
the other play so much. But I feel relieved. Now I can go on with the
play. Barb ------------- Barb Hofmeister, MountainBrook Village Players, Gold Canyon, Arizona. |
Posted By: Kathy S
Date Posted: 7/16/05 at 2:25am
| Barb, it sounds like you may have saved yourself the trouble of working with a bit of a prima dona.... Don't worry. You're going to have a great show. |
Posted By: POB14
Date Posted: 7/20/05 at 5:16pm
|
Casey05, I would have no problem with your situation, as long as both directors know about it and are okay with it. In GCL's situation, there was a director trying to pull people away from an established situation, an actor promising to stay with one group and secretly jumping to the other, and as a special bonus a producer married to the actor involved. What I call that, is a mess. That's not remotely comparable to a chorus member missing four rehearsals. (They aren't the dress rehearsals, are they? ------------- POB Old Bugger, Curmudgeon, and Antisocial B**tard |
) Heck, everybody misses four rehearsals. Don't sweat it, as long as you are up-front about it.