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

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

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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,

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

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Oh dear God, this thread is still around?

"LOL indeed."

...?

@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.

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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.

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.