# back to basics...



## megf (Feb 1, 2004)

So...

In my (albeit relentless) quest for info on other ppl's strategies, I'll ask a nice broad question:

How do you run rehearsals? 

In terms of how you inform actors of when they're called, what you do during rehearsal, how you interact with the director / choreographer / musical dir., etc., what kind of blocking notation you use... what your favorite caffeinated drink is...


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## Nephilim (Feb 1, 2004)

Blocking notation:

Cross:
X->SL

Or whatever location

Exit:
Ex->USC

Entrance:

->DSR

Then just little words like 'follow' or such if it's a more complicated move.

I prefer Coke, but I get free Pepsi.

Since we're a high school, the reh. schedule was handed out previously, and we do ring-arounds if major changes happen.

Interaction-wise; Early on I'm very passive, basically there to record events and prompt if needed. Later on I'll start actually running the rehearsal, giving cue lines after stops. At the stage we're at now, I'm just telling actors to shut up and facilitating the tech staff's needs. (I would be calling cues except we have no intercom).

During the run, I own the house.


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## zac850 (Feb 1, 2004)

I make sure to be in constant communication with the director, as well as everyone else doing everything. If your going to spend hours working on something, better make sure it is going to work with everything else.

I also usually end up running odd jobs, i'll photocopy 6 copes of the 190 page script for the director if she needs it, or help do whatever needs to be done, or read for someone if there not there....
This is good because the director then likes you, so is more likely to listen to you for other things, as well as I like the director as a person, so its nice to help

As for actors, during the rehearsals I usually like to know where they are. There eater in the room that were rehearsing or a room just down the hall, or somewhere in-between. It is impossible to keep high school kids in the theater room without talking or being noisy, so they go into the computer room. The director hates this, but i let it slide on this, since this is the only way anything gets done.

My director never gives stage direction, so because of that i never bother to write down stage direction. During the rehearsals I try to get an idea of how each scene is, the mood, and logistics, such as this person and that person need to not run into each other, or this and that is supposed to happen at the same time. 

I also like to know the entire script by heart, and understand the plays backwards and forwards. This way if and when something bad happens, and we go off book, I can tell what the actors are doing, and give them the correct cue's.
for example, one of the shows last year, the most of the second half was off book because 2 of the actors screwed up. The next 10 minuets was off, but I knew the shows well enough to know what the actors were doing, and got them the correct cues for what was happening, and all in all, the audience didn't notice much.

I'm sure i'll think up some things later, but thats about it...

oh, and don't be upset taking advice from someone much younger then you, or smaller then you. Last friday I was taught about smoke machines by a 7th grader who knew about dry ice and how these things would work... 

Listen to everyone, get ideas from everyone

I'll think of more stuff later
--zac


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