The Stagelights Little Blue Book of Do's and Dont's

We are all Amateurs,
but it's not difficult to be Professional Amateurs.
Without discipline we are nothing.

This little booklet is to help you understand the do's and dont's of stage performance by Children and Adults, Actors and back-stage crew. Any self respecting Amateur Theatre Club should try to abide by these few simple rules so that the total performance that is being presented to an audience will be greatly enhanced.

AUDITIONS
Auditions are of course, the first thing to happen in nearly all productions. It is probably the first time you will be given the full rehearsal schedule. Look carefully at all the dates, and ask yourself, 1, Can I make all the rehearsals. 2, Can I make both dress rehearsals. 3, Can I make the Performances. 4, Do I want to commit myself to all these evenings. If the answer is not 'Yes' to all these questions then consider trying for a small part in the production, i.e. in the chorus, or better still make yourself available to help back-stage. Remember it is your decision to join in a performance, and by accepting a role offered to you, you are committing yourself to every rehearsal that you will be required to attend, with no arguments. Every rehearsal you miss will have a direct result on the standard of the performance at the end. It is not at all reasonable to miss a dress rehearsal and under any circumstances (apart for illness) to miss a performance. Remember, the club as a whole, is what is most important, not any individual. It is not a crime to be in the chorus line. They are what holds a production together and gives it pzzazz and credibility.

THE REHEARSALS
Keep Quiet during rehearsals. It is not fair on those trying to learn their parts if you are talking aloud and making too much noise.
Do not argue with the Director This is a sure fire way of upsetting him/her you may think that you know more than the director, but you probably don't. Only they know exactly what it is they are trying to achieve.
Do discuss with the director any problems you may have. If you don't, then the director can't be expected to sort them out for you.
Rehearsals can be a cause of boredom and irritation, but they are absolutely necessary. It is a fact that every production that is undertaken by a large club will have within it roles that are not on stage all the time. Those people with small roles will be expected to sit quietly, learn their lines, listen to the director and watch the rehearsal to learn from the others more about stage craft and especially to learn what the production is all about and when their entrances are due. It very soon becomes clear to those that matter, (i.e. Directors, committee members and 'future audition panels') who is most committed to their club and who can be relied upon, and besides, you may want to rely on their support in future auditions for better and more fulfilling roles, so behave with decorum and be prepared to sit and wait for your turn with patience.

THE ROLE
Any role that you are given is very special, and is very necessary to that production. no matter whether it is in a pantomime, a play or a variety show, you should believe in the character that you are trying to portray. Become that character for the duration of the rehearsal. Try to understand how your character would behave, think, speak and act.
When you are performing you should be trying to take the audience to another place other than the auditorium in which they are sat. You want them to believe in you, to believe in what they are seeing and most of all to believe in the story that is unfolding before their eyes. This is not difficult with a good script, a good actor and a good theatre club. if any one of these three elements are poor then the effect will not take place. This is why it is so important that once you have built up an imaginary scene in their minds that this is not spoilt by the characters being seen in places unrelated to the script. e.g. the auditorium or outside passages.

PREPARING FOR THE PERFORMANCE
The final 4 rehearsals before dress rehearsal are the most critical, and it is these where it will be necessary to rehearse the whole performance from beginning to end for several reasons. To ascertain the running time; to achieve continuity; to familiarize yourself with the correct props and make sure they work correctly; etc. etc. By making sure you have learnt your lines and by being 'in the right place at the right time', i.e. ready to come on in the right place, the length of these final rehearsals can be considerably shortened. The director must expect his cast to 'pull' together, If they don't it will very quickly lead to a poor production. It is imperative that you support the director at all times. If you don't like something, discuss it early in rehearsals, don't wait until two weeks before performance to complain about a particular move or song etc. And remember it is often necessary to make move changes close to performance, don't complain, just do it, The director is in front and can see the over-all look from the audience's perspective, the director is right. The director's job finishes at the end of the final dress rehearsal. Everything you do after this will determine the success of the production. It is now that you Shine.