Do you expect performers to be great 8 shows a week?- Page 11

[dramamama611]

Posted: 8/10/13 at 12:06pm

Frustrating to whom? A director has a vision, the actor needs to work within that vision.

[N2N Nate.]

Posted: 8/10/13 at 12:18pm

I'll give you an example: An actor has been cast as The Emcee in Cabaret and wants to follow Alan's interpretation but the Director wants the Actor to play it more like Joel Grey's interpretation.

"A director has a vision, the actor needs to work within that vision"

Yep.

[ljay889]

Posted: 8/10/13 at 12:23pm

A good director will assist the actor in coming up with a NEW interpretation. Not copying a former interpretation of the role. I'm not sure that's a good example.

Updated On: 8/10/13 at 12:23 PM

[N2N Nate.]

Posted: 8/10/13 at 12:27pm

100 percent agree, ljay8898, but unfortunately that is not always the case.

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 8/10/13 at 12:34pm

N2N Nate,

I doubt that a community theatre performer should speak about things they know nothing about.

[ljay889]

Posted: 8/10/13 at 2:48pm

LOL

[Wynbish]

Posted: 8/10/13 at 3:15pm

Oh dear God, this thread is still around?

[N2N Nate.]

Posted: 8/10/13 at 5:50pm

LOL indeed.

Updated On: 8/10/13 at 05:50 PM

[Liza's Headband]

Posted: 8/10/13 at 5:58pm

"LOL indeed."

...?

[darquegk]

Posted: 8/10/13 at 6:01pm

The Cabaret example is a bit of a different one, because that character is somewhere between an actor/director interpretation and a new textual reading of that character, in a text that supports that version of the character.

We've seen different reads and interpretations of the Cumming-style "New Emcee," and different reads and interpretations of the Grey-style "Old Emcee."

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 8/10/13 at 7:59pm

@Gaveston, I oddly couldn't find any info on why 8 shows is the standard. I'm sure someone must know.

Thanks for trying, Nate. I am to blame here, as I'm sure I knew the history once upon a time and have forgotten it. If I can find an answer, I'll let you know.

***

FOR EVERYONE ELSE: I was by no means arguing that actors should do more than 8 shows per week. The shows in Vegas that do 12 or more shows per week are very different in form.

And, yes, the best actor/singer/dancers I've known have given their all during those 8 shows, so I am by no means arguing that performers have it easy.

On the other hand, in my last theater job, I worked 70+ hours/7 days per week for 9 months of the year. (40 hours/week the other 3 months.) And I was a marketing writer.

That was pretty exhausting, too.

[N2N Nate.]

Posted: 8/11/13 at 12:00am

@Gaveston, Don't blame yourself, it seems to be a very tricky answer to find. I am going to do more research on it. It has been bugging me lol.

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 8/11/13 at 10:44pm

Nate,

This is a good article (better than the "History" pages of AEA itself):

http://www.uiowa.edu/~cyberlaw/elx99/odega430.html


It doesn't answer the 8 shows/week, but it does point out that producers may actually schedule 10 shows per week, but the extra pay to cast members for performances 9 and 10 is prohibitive.

I suspect 8 shows "evolved" from the original agreement in 1919 until it became today's one show per day plus two matinees (and one "off-day" for the actors). Perhaps the matinees originally fell on weekends (as they sometimes still do today). Giving actors one day off per week leaves shows with their current schedules.

[N2N Nate.]

Posted: 8/12/13 at 11:52am

Thanks Gaveston! Great Insight.