How To Get Them To Hire You Again
By Stacey Lichter, N2Arts Correspondent
An Insiders Guide to Getting Through Your First Professional Show
 

ou just got the phone call from the director - you’re still on that euphoric high because YOU GOT IN!  All that hard work you put into the audition paid off and you’re part of the cast of your first professional show.  Now, the tough part: how do you prove you’re not just a good actor/singer/dancer, but a responsible colleague who will get to be in the next show as well?

First of all, if you think being talented and cute forgives a number of sins, you’re in for a bumpy ride.  Some mistakes novice actors make are forgivable - others may get you blacklisted with the company for the rest of your professional life. Here are the Do’s and Don’ts straight from the horse’s (director’s) mouth.  If you do enough shows, you’ll hear plenty of people getting lectured on this stuff.  Hopefully, after reading this article, you won’t be the one getting lectured!

I just finished a production of “Oliver!” with Lyric Opera San Diego.  There were 16 children in our production, ranging in age from 10 to 17 years old.  They had varying levels of theatrical experience, ranging from roles at the Old Globe Theater to being choristers in their school plays.  What was it that separated the amateurs from the professionals?  Not pay, not theatrical experience...but behavior.  Getting paid is not the difference between amateur actors and professionals - so what is?  Being a responsible and prepared colleague.  What follows is a practical list of Do’s and Don’ts for young actors who want to keep working in the theater.  Some of the info is just common sense, but some pointers will really set you apart from your more inexperienced colleagues.  Read and get re-hired!

The Rules of Rehearsal

Most people figure that learning the show starts at the first rehearsal. Wrong!  In a professional theatrical environment, the rehearsal is for putting all the parts together and breathing life into the story, not for teaching everybody the show.  That can be a rude awakening if you’ve been accustomed to using rehearsals as as a way to memorize.  So the first rule is:

1. Show up to the first rehearsal with your music learned and your lines memorized.  That may seem like a lot of work, but not only will you blow everybody away with your preparedness, you will be able to learn blocking and dance steps much faster.

   Most companies can get you the script ahead of time.  If the show is a well-known play or musical, borrow the CD’s from the library and listen, listen, listen!  Sometimes, you can even find videos of stage productions. These are particularly helpful to watch if you’re trying to understand a specific character.

2. BE ON TIME! And while you’re at it, BE ON TIME! Being late is disrespectful to your colleagues, annoying to the Stage Manager, and irritating to the director, the one who hired you.  Need I say more?

3. Always bring the following items to rehearsal: your score or script (even if you’re memorized), a pencil (or three), a bottle of water, rehearsal shoes, and a notebook.  Ladies and gentlemen with long hair should bring a hair elastic to keep hair out of the face.  Also, bring the show rehearsal schedule so that you can adjust it for any changes in call time or location.

4. Ask early on what type of shoes your character will be wearing.  If costume information is not yet available, character shoes are always appropriate.  Men’s character shoes are a leather lace-up shoe with a heel. Ladies’ shoes are a black or beige closed-toe shoe with a heel.  They are available at any store that sell dance apparel, such as Capezio.  For dance shows, you must be wearing dance clothes and either jazz, ballet, or character shoes.

5. Write down your blocking (remember that pencil?) and be sure to review your notes before each rehearsal.  It takes a while for these patterns to sink in - that’s why we have rehearsal.  Don’t make the director back-track on your account - know your dance steps and blocking!

6. A word on rehearsal etiquette - and the word is QUIET.  Learn the discipline of being completely silent when you are not on break and not onstage.  There is nothing more frustrating than listening to a director holler for silence during a rehearsal.  Some folks like to “visit” with their new friends during a rehearsal.  If this describes you, it’s time to kick the habit.  Save those friendly chats for the break.  If there is a lull in the action, it’s because the director is trying to figure something out.  It’s not the chance to start murmuring about the party last night or how boring rehearsal is. This includes those “mumble times” when you’re getting ready to run that scene again or take that number from the top. Stay quiet, focused and ready for your instructions.  This is a tough one and it requires a lot of concentration, but it is crucial to an effective working environment.  A good rule of thumb is if the Director, Conductor, Stage Manager, or any actor onstage is speaking, you’re not.

7. Warming up is a part of your job as an actor.  You should arrive at rehearsal early (at least 15 minutes early) so you can be ready for the demands of the rehearsal.  If it is a staging rehearsal, review your lines and blocking.  If it is a dance rehearsal, make sure you are stretched out and physically ready to go.  If it is a singing rehearsal, you should have already warmed up your voice either at home, or in the car on the way over. Get your props organized, put on your rehearsal shoes and check in with the Stage Manager so he or she knows you’re there on time.

8. Props and costume pieces are, at times, a valuable part of the rehearsal process.  For instance, if you know your costume will be a long dress, it makes sense to rehearse in a long skirt, and of course the proper shoes. Men should wear slacks (not shorts!) so that they can get used to moving in the right type of clothes. No tennis shoes either, unless they are specifically a part of your costume.  Make your adjustments during tech week as pain-free as possible by asking if you may bring in any necessary props to rehearse with.  Sometimes the Stage Manager will provide you with a rehearsal prop - try not to let anything bad happen to it!

9. Personal hygiene and good grooming is a must.  In theater, we all work very closely together, and sometimes have to touch, stand, or sit in very close contact with each other.  This means you have a responsibility to smell clean at all times.  Shower daily.  Brush your teeth. Wear deoderant. (If you don’t know whether or not you’re old enough for deoderant, take the sniff test: Sniff under your arms after recess or P.E. If it’s funky, get some antiperspirant. Remember, if you can smell it, everyone else can too!) That being said, don’t wear perfume or cologne - some folks are allergic to these and the smell will make them cough.  If you are rehearsing in the shoes you will be using for performance, wear clean socks or pantyhose every time you put them on and air out the shoes when you get home.  A sweet smelling cast is a happy cast!

The Rules in the Theater

The theater rules are the same as the rehearsal rules to an extent...you are still in rehearsal, so everything above still applies, plus a few extras. The theater is a bigger space with a lot more going on.  Crew members are joining the fray, and the Stage Manager has to teach all of them the show in one week.  That means the cast members lose their babysitter, who gets replaced by a schizophrenic multi-tasking jail warden with absolutely no patience for actors who don’t know what they’re doing or where they’re supposed to be.

Here are a few more gems to keep in mind as you transition from the rehearsal space to the place where the magic happens.

1. Know what day rehearsal in the theater starts.  Showing up at the rehearsal space instead is an inexcusable mistake that can be avoided by staying on top of the show calendar.

2. Be extra attentive whenever anyone in charge makes an announcement. These announcements could relate directly to your personal safety during the movement of sets and props, so listen carefully in order to avoid physical injury.

3. BE QUIET BACKSTAGE.  And that goes double and triple when you are in the wings waiting to go on.  Other actors backstage need to concentrate and your chatter will distract them.  Plus, the audience can hear you, and there’s nothing more amateurish than backstage noise.

4. Have your rehearsal props and costumes with you and use them until the production staff provides you with the production costumes and props.  Your motto should always be: Be Prepared!

5. This one goes almost without saying, but since it happens all the time, it must need mentioning: NEVER MISS A CUE.  This means you must allow plenty of time for entrances and costume changes.  Running behind the syke or scrim at three hundred miles an hour makes noise and causes the backdrop to ripple.  Some stage managers get very nitpicky about this particular bad habit. And “I was backstage changing” is not an acceptable excuse on any day other than the first dress rehearsal.

6. Which brings us to Number 6: Never complain about the color or look of your costume.  You are part of an overall design effect that the costume, lighting, and set designers have worked together to achieve, and not a single one of them is interested in your opinion about the color of your outfit.

7. Never approach the director about a crooked backdrop, an unpainted set piece, or anything else that has to do with the look of the show.  The people whose responsibility it is to handle those things are probably already aware of it, and it is not your job to give those notes anyway.  If a set piece or prop is causing a safety concern, tell the Stage Manager and let him or her decide how best to handle the situation.

8. Don’t direct other cast members.  That is not your job either, and it will cause a great deal of resentment among your castmates.  If you have a suggestion, take it to the Stage Manager and let him or her decide if it’s important enough to discuss with the director.

9. Conflicts between castmembers or between cast and crew occasionally cause flare-ups during a production.  If you are clashing with someone, alert the Stage Manager, and be prepared to let the situation drop.  Remember, onstage we all have to work together, so keep things offstage as pleasant as possible.  Addendum: No Diva Tantrums!  They are never appropriate, and you always end up looking bratty and spoiled.

10. Last, but not least, have fun up there - and don’t make any mistakes! See you at the cast party!

Stacey Lichter is a professional opera singer and soprano. She resides in San Diego, California and teaches voice to children, teens, and adults. She can be reached by email at lichter@cox.net.