THAR 281 1st Edition Lecture 15 Outline of Last Lecture I Absurdism II Edward Ablee III Harold Pinter IV Samuel Becket Outline of Current Lecture I Initial steps II Auditions III Rehearsals IV Opening a show V Things to consider Current Lecture producing a musical I II Initial Steps Idea from a preexisting book movie or story OR an idea from new material Creation consists of the composer who writes music librettist who writes the lyrics and the playwright who writes for when music is not playing First presentations consist of the producer who is control of the money good productions and marketing the play First is the reading step that is usually done at someone s house The staged reading which is on stage with scripts not memorized Next is the workshop where creator can hear and change material out loud Last is the backer s audition which entices potential producers to fund the play Auditions These notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor s lecture GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes not as a substitute III IV Audition notices are posted in the magazine or online at backstage com This is where actors find notices about jobs with their wanted descriptions The catle call is for young beginner actors The hierarchy of actors o The chorus sing and dance no dialogue o Ensemble small shows less people may have a line or two o Featured named characters may have a solo in a song o Supporting important roles may have scenes or songs by themselves o Lead carries the show o Swing does not fit into hierarchy knows many actor roles in order to play them in case of an emergency The Audition involves the director casting director and the 3 creation people Actors will come into a room introduce themselves and give the pianist his book This contains many cuts of songs that the actor can sing in a variety of genres Typically there should at least be one up tempo and one ballad Also the book will contain a headshot resume and a monologue Callbacks is when the directors sends script for actor to perform for another audition Rehearsals Logistics is the show is rehearsed somewhere else and stage directions are given Players are the cast stage managers director choreographer music director and orchestrator Schedule is where actors learn their blocking where and how the actor should move on stage The script is still in their hand Then later the script is memorized This is called off book rehearsals Last is sitzprobe rehearsals which the cast gets together with the band for the first time Opening a show Technical rehearsals involves set designers costume designers lightening designers sound run crew band orchestra conductor and the house manager The actor s areas are backstage wings and the stage The band s area is the recessed pit in front of the stage The audiences area is the house The best seats in the house are orchestra seats then mesani balcony and lastly the balcony Previews are in front of an audience but it can be drastically changed during the play The play can be stopped and corrected Opening night is the first time for a paying audience with the final show The show can no longer be changed Break a leg refers to the vaudeville shows In these shows if you were passed the leg of the curtain on stage then you got paid Therefore the saying means hopefully you get on stage in time for your part The critics and reviews are based on this night Beyond set run are set dates that can extend or the theatre space can be transferred to Broadway Open run are no set end date of production V Things to consider Time many years to right People do you have the necessary people to produce a play Place do you have a theatre rehearsal space and can make money Money everything cost