Friday, July 8, 2011

(Seemingly) Little Known Truths About Community Theatre

Well, didn't get into Footloose. And, no, we'll never really know why. That's the way the game is played. Did one other audition with a group we hadn't auditioned for before since then. Our experience there got me to thinking about how some things just don't seem to be common knowledge in the community theatre world. Even though they seem like they should. Such as:

1) Nobody's THAT good - In the world of professional theatre, there are a few people who can actually get away with a diva attitude because either they have already made a huge name for themselves or they are so stinking talented (or both) that the rest of the cast and crew will put up with them for the money their name and/or talent will bring in for the show. But if you're in community theatre, nobody's that good.

Your crew - the director, music director, choreographer, costumer, etc., may be being paid, but they're not making a living at it. The cast and most of the stage crew are all volunteer, just like you are. No matter how good you (or anyone else) think you are, you're NOT good enough to be worth putting up with a diva attitude. Politeness and common courtesy will get you amazingly far in the community theatre world. A diva attitude will not.

2) Directors (and other crew members) talk - to other directors, actors, etc. If you blow a director off, don't expect a greater than luke warm acceptance from other directors in the area. I know this first hand. No, I haven't been a jerk or blown off a director, but I have listened as directors and other crew mingle at cast parties and other functions. I've even had directors point out various people at these functions and explain why they never seem to get cast in anything... On the flip side, if you actually pay attention in rehearsals, learn your lines and blocking, help out as much as you're able on set and on strike, directors talk about that, too. Although maybe not quite as much. Especially if they have a show coming up they want to make sure you're available to audition for. :-)

3) The theatre world is incestuous (at least in the Twin Cities) - I don't know if it's the same with other activities, like sports or whatever, but it seems like once you get involved in theatre, you're not able to attend any theatre event without knowing at least some of the people involved. It's rare for me now to go to an audition or a performance and not see at least a few people I know on one side of the curtain or the other. For someone who's always been a bit of an outsider, that's a really weird experience. Nice, but weird. :-)

4) If you're a guy and you want to meet girls, do theatre. Seriously, if you can speak loud enough to be heard and clearly enough to be understood, and can walk a relatively straight line without falling down, you will be seriously looked at. If, heaven forbid, you can actually carry a tune and move in time with music, you can all but guarantee a spot on the cast list and be considered for a lead. IF you're male. Of course, if the only reason you're doing it is to meet girls, that will become very obvious very quickly, and, while you're likely to continue getting cast, the girls will likely already know all about you....

5) Auditions go both ways.  Yes, when you audition for a show, you are asking the director to considering putting you in their show. But you're not the only one auditioning. And I don't mean the other 40 or so people in the line outside the audition room door. The director and theatre are auditioning, too. They may have the say in who gets offered parts, but you CAN choose whether or not to accept it.

Now, I'm a firm believer that, if you know full well there's no way in heck you could do the show, you shouldn't audition. It's a waste of every one's time. But if you go to the audition and something about it makes your skin crawl, you are well within your rights to turn down any role offered. It's not an easy thing to do, I'll admit. After all, you're being offered a part, the thing you work toward with every audition. But if accepting that part is going to make you miserable, is it really worth it? I've attended one audition where the people running it were so obnoxious I probably would not have even accepted a callback had I gotten one, much less a part. And another audition where "the regulars" were so tight-knit and snarky that I couldn't imagine trying to deal with them on a nightly basis for two months in rehearsals. Again, it's hard to turn down a part, but there are very few parts out there that are worth being miserable for.

That said, if you turn down part after part, you will get a reputation for it. Remember #2.

6) "Director's favorites" get labelled that and cast for a reason. Here's an example of what I mean in the form of a dialog I've heard...

"Oh, he'll never cast me. He only casts his favorites."
"He casts people he doesn't know. The first time he cast me he didn't know me."
"Well, of course he cast you. You're good."

Yes, there ARE a few directors out there that only cast their favorites. Or will only cast people in lead roles that they've worked with before. But that's not overly common, especially in community theatre. But I'll tell you a secret. If you're good, you have a better than average chance of being cast by any director out there.

Now, before you say, "well, duh!", let's define "good", shall we? Believe it or not, it doesn't mean having Oscar-level acting skills or Broadway-caliber singing. It means being on time, not missing entrances, not missing rehearsal (without a really good reason), learning and KNOWING your lines (yes, there's a difference), helping out as needed on set building and painting, lending a hand when you can, attending and actually WORKING on strike night... the list goes on. Basically, it means having a good work ethic.Theatre isn't a "show up and have everyone marvel at your ability" activity. It's WORK. It's fun work, but work all the same. Just as actors can get reputations for being divas and pains in the ... you know, they can also get reputations for working that same you know off. Those are the ones often labelled as director's favorites. But they're not getting cast simply because the director likes them. They're getting cast because their work ethic and the consistent product of that ethic have earned the respect of that director.

7) Theatre is a great place to meet and make friends. If you love theatre, becoming involved in a show guarantees that you will meet other people who love theatre. Right off the bat, you have something in common. Most of my favorite people I have met either through church or through the theatre. Each place, we have the chance to start off on the same footing, through a shared love and interest. The ice is broken immediately and painlessly, and we can move on to learning more about each other right away.

Does this mean you're guaranteed to like every person in your cast? Well, how big is your cast? If it's a one person show, chances are pretty good you'll at least get along with the cast. But I've been in casts ranging from 12 to over 60 people and I can honestly say that in almost every cast there was someone I really enjoyed getting to know, and someone I'd wish never to be cast alongside again. I've been in some very special casts, and some that weren't so special. But there was always someone I enjoyed spending time with backstage and getting to know. And some that have become very dear friends. And I never would have met them without theatre.

I'm not sure exactly when my next audition will be. I know there will be one coming up after Labor Day, but whether there will be any before that, I'm not sure. So if you have any questions about community theatre, getting involved, what it's like, or what I've experienced, feel free to ask. I'll do my best to give you an honest answer.

1 comment:

  1. These hold mostly hold true for the professional world as well...(less so the friends and dating aspect...when you're paid its more of a job and less of a social experiment).

    But even at the professional level divas are not allowed. I've seen two lead characters replaced late in the game due to attitude problems...once during dress rehearsals, once during PREVIEWS! Never okay. That goes for designers too...costume and scene shops do talk to the powers that be and if a person was difficult to work with, no matter how brilliant the design, they usually do not return.

    Director favorites run thick among designers (there's a reason they are called a creative "team"...they just work that well together), and some theaters do have favorite actors, but do you know why they are favorites? Just like you said: they learn their lines, they are a pleasure to work with, they push themselves, they are talented and have the work ethic to go with it.

    And the theater world is incestuous...on a global level. From HI to NY to MN, WI and IL to London I am constantly running into the same names and faces. It is terrifying the degree of separation you began to nurture the longer you keep at it!

    ReplyDelete