Fiddler on the Roof Question

[wickedfan11]

Posted: 7/12/10 at 2:20pm

Hi. I am playing the constable in a production of Fiddler on the Roof this fall. We start rehearsals in late August, and I was wondering if the constable is often in the ensemble in amateur productions?

[michelle4]

Posted: 7/12/10 at 2:32pm

It is not uncommon.

[lightguy06222]

Posted: 7/12/10 at 8:52pm

duh = the constable is in two scenes.

If the director is choosing to NOT use you in the ensemble, you probably suck.

[PRFRMR20]

Posted: 7/12/10 at 9:09pm

The Constable is in 3 scenes and crosses the stage with his introduction (in Tradition). On Broadway, National Tours and in varied regional productions the actor who plays the Constable does not also play an ensemble role. In fact, the actor is usually the most seasoned straight actor in the cast. So, lightguy (smarta$$)- you are wrong.

However, most amateur productions would probably have the actor do a few Ensemble scenes (though not many with the Constable's scene coming right after the big ensemble numbers).

[Q]

Posted: 7/12/10 at 9:12pm

"If the director is choosing to NOT use you in the ensemble, you probably suck."

Aren't you quite the charmer.

[lightguy06222]

Posted: 7/12/10 at 9:23pm

hey, im just being honest! I have worked on 5 different productions of Fiddler, ranging from teenagers, to "professional" community theatre productions, to regional productions.

In each show, the constable was also in the ensemble. They were in:
"The Dream"
"To Life"(exited when the Russians started to sing, in order to facilitate the costume change)
"Sabbath Prayer"
"Sunrise Sunset"
"The Wedding Dance" (in one show, he was also a bottle dancer)
"The Rumor"

[PRFRMR20]

Posted: 7/12/10 at 9:39pm

And I worked on the most recent Equity National Tour (starring Topol, Harvey Fierstein and Theodore Bikel) and an Equity Regional Theatre production (starring Sally Struthers and Eddie Mekka) of Fiddler:

On tour our Constable was played by Stephen Lee Anderson (http://ibdb.com/person.php?id=29881) - the original Reverend Shaw Moore in Footloose and several plays on Broadway including Julius Caesar and The Crucible. He also played the Constable in the recent Broadway revival (opposite Alfred Molina). He was NOT in the Ensemble.

And at the regional theatre... our Constable was Doug Stender (http://www.ibdb.com/person.php?id=69486) a graduate of the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts who was in Broadway's Pygmalion and Noises Off as well as many others. He was only in "The Rumor," in the background, and that was honestly because he wanted to do it (sort of as a joke).

So once again lightguy - realize that you don't KNOW IT ALL!

The Constable is a great role. Yes small, but has a many layers and choices to discover.
Updated On: 7/12/10 at 09:39 PM

[lightguy06222]

Posted: 7/12/10 at 10:57pm

Im not trying to be a know it all, but the O.P. said an amateur production. Not regional, not touring, not broadway.

[Q]

Posted: 7/12/10 at 11:00pm

It's still a bit of a leap to go from what little we're told to "you probably suck."

Unless, of course, you're just dripping with awareness and charm.

[Schmerg_The_Impaler]

Posted: 7/13/10 at 12:26pm

Our Constable got to be in all the ensemble numbers. If your director doesn't want you to be in the ensemble, come up with another costume you can change into, and the director will probably assent.

I was Fruma-Sarah, and she didn't want me in the ensemble because she thought I couldn't get the corpse makeup and terrifying hair on and off in time, but I learned all the ensemble parts anyway, proved I could do it in the dress rehearsals, and was in all the chorus numbers except Sunrise-Sunset/Wedding Dance for every performance.

[wickedfan11]

Posted: 7/13/10 at 12:55pm

I picked up my script today and talked to the director. She does want me to be in the ensemble for some numbers.

[Q]

Posted: 7/13/10 at 12:58pm

Then you probably don't suck