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

[Dollypop]

Posted: 12/20/08 at 10:46pm

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

[BRDWYrobb]

Posted: 12/20/08 at 10:50pm

...you end up having to provide most if not all of your costume

...there are 4 mics and your getting one off you before your into the wings to get it onto someone else in the next scene

[dg22894]

Posted: 12/20/08 at 11:11pm

"-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

[Perfectly Marvelous]

Posted: 12/20/08 at 11:58pm

Or Summerstock, when it's opening night, and you still haven't teched the show...

At all.
Oh, the memories!

And you are using the Broadway sets and costumes with a crew only a quarter of the size that it should be.

Yes, running The Producers with a wardrobe crew of five instead of 15 was fun. Especially for the quickchanges.



"when the cast is using their cell phones to call or text backstage during the show.

That happens in professional and regional productions as well.

Hehe - isn't this what Forbidden Broadway's "On My Phone" is all about?"

Pretty much. I remember singing it often while working on Les Mis.



Adding on:

(these can be applicable for summerstock or regional as well)

- When character costume lists don't get to the actors until five-ten minutes before they start teching the show with costume changes.

- When the crew has set up an arts and crafts station backstage.

- Whenever there's a photoshoot and no one knows what order the scenes or costume changes are going in.

Updated On: 12/21/08 at 11:58 PM

[TheatreDiva90016]

Posted: 12/21/08 at 12:17am

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."

[AndAllThatJazz22]

Posted: 12/21/08 at 12:46am

When there are cell phones ringing backstage, and you can hear the entire conversaton because it is being picked up by thie microphones.

(Experience)

Updated On: 5/22/09 at 12:46 AM

[iluvtheatertrash]

Posted: 12/21/08 at 1:10am

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.

[shanescot]

Posted: 12/21/08 at 1:47am

...the 59-year-old executive director of the company casts HERSELF as Shelby in a production of 'Steel Magnolias.' (True story...in Jackson, Mississippi...and the actors cast as Ouiser and Clairee were in their 30's...yikes).

[DRSisLove]

Posted: 12/21/08 at 1:51am

"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

[Perfectly Marvelous]

Posted: 12/21/08 at 1:58am

^ In my case, they are. (and in Diva's case, too).

Besides, I think the fact that some of these are real make them a lot funnier.


One more thing I wanted to add:

- When the pit band has to change in the wardrobe room (so it's awkward trying to go in and get something because you don't know if there's going to be someone in there).

[LadyDramaturg2]

Posted: 12/21/08 at 2:20am

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.

[nmartin]

Posted: 12/21/08 at 5:59am

When the rented costume for the Wizard in The Wizard of Ox makes you look like an Ethan Allen couch.

[PiraguaGuy2]

Posted: 12/21/08 at 6:36am

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

[nmartin]

Posted: 12/21/08 at 6:59am

When your costume is stapled together. Literally. Not kidding. Happened.

[Jack King]

Posted: 12/21/08 at 7:51am

Right you are, CM.

[ggersten]

Posted: 12/21/08 at 11:10am

You're told that you can't have Charity fall into the orchestra pit in Sweet Charity for liability reasons, and to come up with something else, but no budget for something else.
Updated On: 12/21/08 at 11:10 AM

[blondebaby589]

Posted: 12/21/08 at 11:27am

"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...

[Meadowlark109]

Posted: 12/21/08 at 11:40am

^ I despise that excuse! I heard that way too much growing up.


Sadly, most of these so called "Sterotypes" most people are bringing up I have actually experienced. But it's really interesting/funny to hear other community theatre experiences as well. It kinda teaches us to learn from these experiences, so in case we happen to work in a community theatre, such as owning one, we will learn not to make these mistakes. That's how I see it.

[esparza 333]

Posted: 12/21/08 at 11:45am

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.

[Meadowlark109]

Posted: 12/21/08 at 11:45am

...when your auditions always consist of cold readings, doing full songs, have a horrible accompanist, and no one even knows what a monologue is.

[thejcm]

Posted: 12/21/08 at 12:10pm

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.

[Perfectly Marvelous]

Posted: 12/21/08 at 12:31pm

Two more things (and these are actual experiences):

- When there is more people in the cast than in the audience. (this happened once during the run of Snoopy! Seven people in the cast, four people in the audience.)

- When your make up stations consist of a hallway with mirrors, counter space and chairs and your dressing rooms consist of bathrooms.


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

I went to a few auditions like this, one was in a professional theatre (it was for The Rocky Horror Show -- Live!)

[gypsy4]

Posted: 12/21/08 at 12:48pm

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

[D2]

Posted: 12/21/08 at 12:55pm

When the director re-writes the second act of WEST SIDE STORY because "it has problems."

And you have blond/blue eyed sharks.

[jennamajig]

Posted: 12/21/08 at 1:05pm

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).