You Know It's Community Theatre When... — Page 11

When the cast keeps telling the director: "But that's the way they did it in the movie!"

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"-When the props crew doesn't like a lead and puts some sawdust in their soup that they have to consume onstage, and then they have to pretend that didn't just eat something disgusting."

That has happened to me but it has been in coffee (when I played Mr.Macafee in Bye Bye Birdie) and when they put hot water in the water pitcher you are supposed to splash on your wife (when I was Mr. Sowerberry in Oliver)


Some others:

..When the dress your wife who gets water splashed on her is white because the costume mistress wanted your wife's costume to look the same as yours
..When people are making there ______________ theater debut is written in 40/50 bios
..when you have cast meetings on the stage before the audience comes in
.. when one of your prominences is sold out to people from a group home who you have to give a "backstage tour" to
..when the director is in the front row mouthing things to you
... when people miss the cue because the mothers backstage were too busy having their conversation and will not get out of your way
...when there is a 7 year and 1 ft difference between Mr. Bumble and Widow Corney
...when there is a 1 man/woman production team
... when parents are at the auditions
... when the understudy for the lead has to go on for the scene after intermission because they can not find the lead
... when the understudy do not know lines or blocking
... when there is one understudy for every male part and one for every female part so there are only 2 understudies
... when people are playing video games backstage
... when you have cleaning assignments after the show
... when there is a kitchen backstage to bake the baked goods for concessions
...when they do not give you a mic cause your voice is loud and your voice sounds horrible after opening night
...when the lead in your show gets a call to deliver a baby

Updated On: 12/20/08 at 11:11 PM

Or hearing the Director of the show tell the Managing Director, "You NEVER do a thing you say you are going to do. This is the last time I'm working here."

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As someone who grew up in and hopes to own his own community theater today, I cannot express enough how incorrect some of these stereotypes are.

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"As someone who grew up in and hopes to own his own community theater today, I cannot express enough how incorrect some of these stereotypes are."
I don't think these are all necessarily stereotypes, but rather actual experiences.

Updated On: 12/21/08 at 01:51 AM

Oh My Goodness, ILuvTheaterTrash --

if you can't tell that these examples are real, then when you say that you've "grown up in" community theater, we're wondering, Where exactly?

I started in Summer Stock in 1968, and the last "Community Theater" job I did was Betty Blake (W-Rogers Follies) in 2008, and honestly, this thread is hilarious because it sounds so familiar.

I wish I could add, something, like,
when the director sits you down for "blocking" rehearsal, and has you write into your script, "go DownStage Right, and sob a few moments..." (really happened)

but really, everything that's gone before is so much better.

When there's at least 3 tampons hidden somewhere on the set (out of audience view) on opening night.

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Right you are, CM.

"When the cast keeps telling the director: "But that's the way they did it in the movie!"

Or when the director keeps telling the cast that...

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This thread is funny but it is leaning on the lower side of community theatre. I have performed at a community theatre called STONC ( Summer Theatre of New Caanan) Which is very professional. They Have a broadway orchestra, and when they got the sets from the Cathy Rigby production of Peter Pan and had flying. This year Tommy Tune is performing for them in an autobiography. There are many community theatre like that too. Since many people here do community theatre and they grew up doing it let us also look at the positive side of it.

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When you auditions are held in the theater in front of everyone else auditioning and anyone else they may have brought with them.

When The Wizard of Oz has an "Adult Chorus" and a "Kids Chorus". Said "Kids Chorus" is only used to be Munchkins.

When 25 people is a small cast.

When ensemble members only serve as singing and dancing set pieces.

When Little Shop... has an ensemble and all of Orin's separate parts are split into different actors.

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when they write in or add a buttload of unnecessary characters.

when a stage mom complains about the costume her daughters wearing.

when the two ladies who play liesal and maria in the sound of music are sisters.

when the actors are in multiple shows that season.

The thing I like about community theatre is that I see people that I don't normaly see on a normal basis. and it's something everything looks forward to.

Updated On: 12/22/08 at 12:48 PM

When Little Shop... has an ensemble and all of Orin's separate parts are split into different actors.

Word to this one! Or when Crystal, Ronnette, and Chiffon suddenly get turned into six characters instead of three (local high school did it that way).