When you meet one of the actors after the show, and he recognizes you from the audience…of the previous show he was in.
You have to give somebody your costume at intermission because theirs ripped.
A slob of a guy wearing a stretched-over-the-belly black t-shirt and shorts (with inch-long eyebrows) "introduces" the show by shilling season tickets...but they're "out of brochures right now."
Seven words: "Eight little maids from school are we...".
From the group that also brought you 'Pirates Of Penzance' with no fewer than eighty daughters. My WORD but the guy playing the Major-General spent that run feeling incredibly masculine. XD
...spray painting something brown automatically makes it wood.
When you're doing a review and in the program it just lists the song and the writers, and next to "All That Jazz" it says "Ebb and Kander"
"Ebb and Kander"... jeez.
...you have to tell everyone backstage to "Shhhh! They can hear you!"--my favorite
...you have to supply your own costume
...you are folding your own programs and cutting your own tickets
...The lead doesn't show up for dress rehersal because he has baseball practice
...Said lead misses his entrance because he was "on the crapper"
...There is no such thing as too much make up
...It's a big deal when you finally get microphones.
...A cast member brings along a Play Station for when they are off stage.
Big dance numbers become more and more like stylized walking a rehersal goes on.
...you dont have time to change so you are changing in a cabanna tent in the wings...
...you have 25 seconds to change in a dressing room full of guys and they panic like girls because "WE CANT FIND OUT SHORTS?!?!?" (gotta love high school musical!)
...You dont work with the orchestra till opening night...
...you start screening your calls so you dont have to talk to the stage mamanger....
...you look around and realize you paint 99% of the set and realize..dont we have a crew?!?
...the same people get the lead roles EVERY YEAR. And it gets old.
...the same costumes are worn practically every year, just for different productions.
...the shows repeat on a 5-6-7 year cycle.
Stand-by Joined: 7/13/06
You get called to be told you DIDN'T get a callback.
Rehearsals are cut short because the Irish Step Dance team needs the space to practice.
You recognize your teacher from six years ago in the show. She is playing Sandy from Grease.
The Director/President of the Board writes a long rambling pointless letter for the program and feels the need to introduce the show and say exactly what was in the long rambling letter.
The Director "has" to take play Starbuck in 110 in the Shade, because no only three men auditioned for the show.
He then plants himself centerstage for all of his scenes with Lizzie and never moves from that spot.
You recognize your teacher from six years ago in the show. She is playing YOUR daughter. There isn't enough makeup in the world...
Everyone wears character shoes because there isn't a costume budget.
You provide your own clothing as costumes and never see them again. Till you see someone else wearing them next season.
Broadway Legend Joined: 8/20/06
You win the lead in a Broadway show from a reality tv series, and youre not on the AOL homepage.
Trish2 wins!
When actors have to build the freaking set on a Saturday!
And when they sneak revival scenes/numbers into the show and exclude them from the program only to have MTI show up and give out fines.
Broadway Legend Joined: 5/11/06
When every teenager thinks their next stop is Broadway.
When the same people get the leads every year.
When you play 4 different parts, but the director tells you to stay in the same costume throughout the show.
When the most exciting visitor in the audience is the local news man.
I got a million of them.
My community theatre pet peeves: I am highly involved in community theatre, so I reserve the right to moan about how awful it is sometimes.
- playing music in the dressing rooms; they don't understand that the dressing room is RIGHT BELOW THE STAGE. Many a performance I've heard some bad rap song or other blasting underneath my feet.
- the microphone man; he always sucks, no matter who it is. If you're onstage, your microphone is typically turned off. If you're offstage, you can assume it will be on. Or worst: when it comes on in the middle of your line or song. "I've been good and I've been KIND MOTHER!!!"
- triple casting
- politics. Our drama teacher (who is typically very good about not letting people politic their way into roles) has been forced by his coworkers to cast a) the community theatre director's daughter. and b) the history department chair's daughter in EVERY SHOW. Neither of them can act, sing, or dance. Luckily, he makes sure to always give them the smallest part possible.
You sit patiently for 5 minutes during set changes because some overly ambitions set designer tried to recreate the original Broadway set for Victor/Victoria.
And oh, hello MYB...totally.
Updated On: 3/26/07 at 11:01 AM
The most over the top audition lands some girl who can't sing or act the lead.
"a white man plays coalhouse walker"
BroadwayGuy PLEASE tell me you are joking here. I hope this doesn't happen.
My favorite is when in one family the husband is playing Max, the wife is playing Liesl, and their 11 year old daughter is playing Gretl.
Your show stars one of the rejects from "Grease: You're the One That I Want"
...I'm the star!!
"...A cast member brings along a Play Station for when they are off stage."
Eh thats way more common than you think, on the professional and collegiate level, and not just a sign of Community Theatre. And honestly as long as no one misses an entrance because of it, how is it really different than bringing along a book?
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