You Know It's Community Theatre When...- Page 5

[VonTussleGirl]

Posted: 10/27/06 at 7:33pm

...one of the cast members faints in the greenroom during Dark of the Moon, and isn't discovered until intermission.

[HumATune]

Posted: 10/27/06 at 8:03pm

When my sister was a senior in high school, they put on Sound of Music. All the runs wore large burlap sacks dyed black as part of their costumes—except for my sister. Since she was Mother Abbess, she got a "real" costume.

My sister felt pretty good about this—until she realized she had to share a microphone with Gretel.

[Jovie24]

Posted: 10/27/06 at 8:17pm

"When the director's wife sells homemade snacks at intermission."

...while also being in the show...


ERINDILLYFAN that was funny

[NathanLaneStalker]

Posted: 10/27/06 at 8:31pm

When everyone who auditions gets in anyway.

When everyone claims they love broadway when the only shows they know of are Wicked and RENT.

When the directors close friends and family get the lead parts.

When the cast is constantly told during the show "SHHHHHHHH!!!!!!! THEY CAN HEAR YOU ON STAGE!!!!!!!!"

[singingwendy]

Posted: 10/27/06 at 9:39pm

"..."Rock Island" from the Music Man has the drummer playing as a metronome in the background to keep everyone on beat. "

Ok..this made me laugh...it hit way to close to home....only our production used sand blocks!


And yes, there are many of these "horror" stories of community theatre...the lack of budgets, the nepotism in casting, the reused costumes. And yet, I've also seen some AMAZING community theatre productions.

And I think it's amazing to realize that most of the people on stage in a community theatre production are doing this just for the enjoyment of being on stage. They've spent all day at another job or school, and they've still find the time and effort to come to rehearsals and performances and give it their all.

[DRSisLove]

Posted: 10/27/06 at 10:19pm

Got one that's kind of been said.

...the angels in Anything Goes are bumped up to 7 instead of the usual 4. Its also done so the director's daughter can stand center stage when Reno's in the middle of them.
Updated On: 10/27/06 at 10:19 PM

[Feathah]

Posted: 10/27/06 at 11:10pm

Can I just say I LOVE this thread?

How about when John Proctor is dragged away to his death in The Crucible and then plays the drum roll himself backstage to signify his death?

Posted: 10/27/06 at 11:24pm

The man playing the father is old enough to be his "son"'s grandson.

The stage is black for 5 minutes before the next scene begins.

Posted: 10/27/06 at 11:29pm

The entire casts of Oliver!, My Fair Lady, and Sweeney Todd have southern accents.

[husk_charmer]

Posted: 10/27/06 at 11:32pm

...when any special effect is done with dry ice fog

[roquat]

Posted: 10/27/06 at 11:41pm

...when every set change in "Sweeney Todd" takes twenty minutes and, after the Judge and the Beadle have entered and started their scene downstage of the "Sweeney cube" IT KEEPS MOVING FORWARD, threatening to shove them into the orchestra pit!

[broadwayguy2]

Posted: 10/28/06 at 12:46am

this honest to GOD is the truth...

when you manage to make "I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change" last THREE HOURS even though you made cuts to the show to remove material deemed "offensive" and "shocking"

[flicker_]

Posted: 10/28/06 at 1:11am

The "Les Mis" barricade must be turned by hand by the back-stage tech people sitting behind it.

"Once Upon A Mattress" is done in a 60's motif because the costumes are easier to make that way.

We don't get a curtain until opening night.

There are those people who just think that they are the absolute best singers, so they feel the need to sing every damn song imaginable, in hopes they we'll hear their wonderful voices and compliment them.

[Raviolisun]

Posted: 10/28/06 at 1:27am

...The backdrop paint is still drying as you're performing.

[jefflang007]

Posted: 10/28/06 at 6:29am

When blue eyeshadow goes up 6 points on the stock exchange.

[Trekkie2]

Posted: 10/28/06 at 7:27am

When the male director tells all the boys that if they ever need to talk, we can call him. And if you call him, he'll say some stuff that sounds really weird, and you tell your parents about it and the next day there's a new director... mabey that was just me.

[justafan2]

Posted: 10/28/06 at 12:26pm

.....when most people in the audience are friends and/or family of the cast and/or crew (cast and crew are usually the same people)

[thejcm]

Posted: 10/28/06 at 12:54pm

When the Urchins in Little Shop are 5 (or 6) prissy white girls in poodle skirts instead of 3 sassy black girls.

[VonTussleGirl]

Posted: 10/28/06 at 8:41pm

...when the choreographer (a high-school girl) just doesn't show up for dance rehearsals.

...when what is written into the script as a steamy tango scene between two characters is turned into a booty-shaking dance number to Shakira's "Objection Tango."

...when one of the actors in Anne of Green Gables (a fifty-something male) leaves during the show to go to the casino five blocks away.
Updated On: 10/28/06 at 08:41 PM

[sing_dance_love]

Posted: 10/28/06 at 8:53pm

...when the entirety of "The Gods Love Nubia" is accompanied by step-touches

...when the diresctor has to come onstage before the show to say "though this actor is white he will be portraying an african-american..."

[bwaychae5192]

Posted: 10/28/06 at 10:51pm

...When your all-white cast is subjected to only all-white shows.
...The last multi-ethnic show you did was The Wizard of Oz, because they did Big River in the same season and had to put those actors in somewhere.
...When the actors do their own tech. (My HS did that this year and JWT does this to free actors)
...When the musical director has alo directed the show(s)...EVERY YEAR.

I can relate to the costume thing. At Jenny Wiley Theatre (Where I've worked the past 7 summers), they do a locally-written musical about Jenny Wiley. And they have like, 3 boxes of costumes from the show's performances since 2001. I had a skirt that was apparently from Into the Woods this summer!

But JWT is a professional theatre AND community theatre combined. Out-of-town actors make up 3/4 of the adult company, and local kids and teens are always cast. This year we had about 50 people in all, and 22/go-knows-how-many kids and teens were VERY lucky. Our cheographer is also the American Girl Place cheographer, and our Ren in Footloose is on the Jesus Christ Superstar tour. In 2005, Eugenia Primis (Japan's Elphaba) was an ensemble member. (

[Amneris]

Posted: 10/28/06 at 11:19pm

-when they do a 50/50 raffle at intermission
-when castmembers stand around and say "boy, this is worse than guffman"
-when "production team" ask the cast to go out and get donations for ads in the playbill from family and friends
-when cast show up for rehearsals when they feel like it
-when there's a giant chalkboard blocking a hallway that states
"CAST AND CREW ONLY"
-When sandwich boards serve as advertisments for your show

[soapguy17]

Posted: 10/28/06 at 11:22pm

This thread makes me afraid to leave home. I live adjacent to an artistic area. Which means the community actually puts money into the theater. You people are scaring me.

[broadway_socialite]

Posted: 10/28/06 at 11:27pm

When the actors are also glorified set movers, and your mother is sewing your costumes.

[Amneris]

Posted: 10/28/06 at 11:33pm

AMEN =) ohh this thread cracks me up. I love community theatre but, it's like the joke of getting great experience.