Anyone feel hiding replacement boards is deceptive? — Page 2

If you wanted to see a performer so bad that you'd rather get a refund than see the show without them, why wouldn't you stop and LOOK for the board?

Re: 1 of 3 ways- Equity requires that understudy announcements must be done 2 out of 3 ways.

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Updated On: 6/7/11 at 11:05 AM

If, indeed, the understudy board was hidden, this is a matter for Actor's Equity. Ever since David Merrick played games in announcing the absence of Ginger Rogers in HELLO, DOLLY! they've been adamant about giving the understudy proper credit.

For the record: Ginger Rogers had an exceptional performance record in DOLLY! but when she became legitimately ill, Merrick waited for a few moments before the downbeat was given to announce over the theater's PA system: "At this performance the role of Mrs. Levi will be played by Bibi Osterwald." Most people in the theater didn't realize that "Mrs. Levi" was the title character. As (at the time) Rogers wore a red wig in the role, many people sat through the whole performance thinking seen her play Dolly when they actually saw Osterwald.

As a result of this, Equity instituted strict rules for announcing the understudies AND Ginger Rogers abandoned the red wig and played Dolly as a blonde.

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I missed the board at Spider-Man. Entered on the 43rd street side. There was a slip in my playbill welcoming a new cast member. Right before curtain they announced that Jennifer Damiano's understudy was on. I can't remember but do they always just make an announcement when a lead is out?

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The Replacement Board does not have to exist at all, provided an announcement was made and a slip was included. However if it was not, there are specific rules that must be followed about the replacement board.

The Equity hand book states:
"When an Understudy takes the place of an Actor whose part listed in the program is a specifically identifiable character, or where such an Actor is replaced by another Actor (except in an emergency which occurs at of after half-hour, in which case an announcement shall be made from the stage), announcement to this effect shall be made in two of the following three ways:
(a) Through the insertion of a printed slip in all programs.
(b) By means of an announcement from the stage.
(c) By means of a sign conspicuously and prominently posted at the entrance to the theatre at the place where tickets of admission are collected. This sign shall be at least eight by ten inches in size, with letters at least one inch high.

Eris, that's what I thought may have happened. Maybe it was last minute.

Also, over at New World Stages, they use slips. No board or announcement.

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Yes it is nice when an understudy board is out in the box office but the simple fact of the matter is that it a requiremtn for those attending the performance be able to see if someone is missing. I would not consider the palace's board hidden as you put it. It is in plain sight as soon as you walk in after your ticket has been scanned.

No, the Palace's understudy board is before you get your ticket scanned. It's in the middle lobby, where the bar and merch booth are. Tickets are scanned at the back of that lobby, right before you enter the seating area.

at the Broadhurst it is in the lobby,usually opposite the box-office, by the doors that are on an angle.For 1 or 2 shows it was by the box-office, but now because of the tv monitor in that position,it is no longer put there.
Keep in mind, if you go the the box-office during the day, you will see the replacements from the night before. The SM usually posts cast changes for the evening between 5:30 and 6:30 PM. If a big star is out,mgmt has been known to put up signs on the glass doors informing people of the change. This is done as early as possible

It doesn't really matter where you think it should be. The AEA has made it quite clear where it should be and how visible it must be, and under what circumstances it must be used. It sounds to me like everything was in order; and let's not forget, they are not even obligated to put a replacement board up in the first place.

I must respectfully disagree. My perception of your post is that you think that if a theater follows the equity rules (at least on this one), then it's all right. However, I don't think that AEA regulations should be considered the best way of doing things. I think that thismyshow's position is that theaters should place the understudy boards in more visible locations. My personal belief is that regulations should be changed if it does more harm than good. And if more visible understudy boards help theatergoers decide whether to purchase a ticket for that night, then I don't think that thismyshow's opinion "doesn't matter." I think it's rather reasonable.

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I agree with the OP in the sense that it would be nice if the board were in the front lobby, but sometimes it isn't possible. In London, many shows have it out front, but it's often not accurate for a variety of reasons.

I also agree that many people see shows because of a specific performer or performers, but there's just no way to know you'll see who you want until the curtain rises. It's the nature of the business.

The board is probably in the middle lobby so that stage management can access it all the way up until the lobby opens without having to deal with patron traffic. There is a cut-off time when the stuffers (those little slips of paper) have to make it to the ushers, otherwise they can't stuff the programs in time for house opening. Usually it's 90 minutes before curtain. So, if a performer calls out after that cutoff time, then the board has to be changed and a live announcement made to fulfill the union requirement. As most of us know, actors have up until 30 minutes before the show to be on site and sign in, so late call outs are common.

In terms of the slider board, on the road it's slightly different depending on where you are and who is in charge. Sometimes Stage Managers hate making announcements and avoid them like the plague. Other SMs favor the announcements over printing and cutting up thousands of stuffers. Sometimes if we were in a huge house (like the Fox theaters is St. Louis or Atlanta), it's just too much to print up and/or stuff 3500 stuffers so they don't bother. Sometimes the theatre doesn't want to pay ushers to show up early and stuff programs so there are no stuffers in that city. And so on...

On my last tour the board was often wrong for various reasons. Sometimes a lot was happening last minute and they didn't have the time to change it or someone called out during the overture. Sometimes they forgot to change it on a two show day and the names on the board were from the matinee. They did their best, but sometimes it just didn't happen.

Sometimes the stuffers in the program were from the previous show. The ushers are supposed to un-stuff the unused programs from the last show, but sometimes they don't or they miss a few.

Unless something is scheduled in advance, Box Office staff is often the last to know, if they ever know at all. It's not a reliable source of information much of the time. Maybe in New York they are more well informed than on the road, I don't know.

Basically, it's a flawed system at best, and that's why there are 3 methods of notification- the information should get to you before the curtain rises somehow.

Updated On: 6/7/11 at 09:02 PM

>>>"wow alot of people missed the point. what i am saying is that I dont think its right to not have the replacement board in the box office lobby, not that i couldnt locate it."<<<

With all due respect, that was easy to do because the initial message on this thread rambled like crazy.

As I said before: "Clarity"!!!!

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The use of slips is incredibly impractical and it puzzles my mind as to why they're still used when both the other means don't have you printing out all those slips and stuffing 1500 playbills with them. I will keep the ones I manage to hang onto for the three hours and the bus ride home, but it's just not often that happens.