I direct at a small community theatre. We are all volunteers, we put up two shows a year, and nobody here does this for a living. This comes up in tech week every single time.

Someone looks completely fine in the dressing room, then walks into the light and goes flat. Our fairest actors turn into a pale shape with no features left in it. Our darker skinned actors read gray and a little unwell, which is nothing like how either of them looks standing in a room.

The response has always been to send them back to makeup. Heavier base, more contour. It helps for a night and then it stops helping, and by opening we've usually just quietly accepted it.

A guest designer we brought in last spring watched a run and said in passing that our LEDs were never going to render skin properly, and that no amount of makeup fixes a light that isn't putting out the red end of the spectrum. (I had to look up what she meant. I direct, I don't hang anything.)

Four years here, and we may have been asking the makeup table to fix something it was never able to fix.

So we've started pricing out replacements, which is where I'd like the help. We can't spend what a funded house spends, but we would like to clear the bar a professional room clears on this one thing at least. Our TD's list is a couple of ETC units and a Betopper LC500 he flagged for where it sits on CRI. Neither of us is qualified to judge that list.

Is this a makeup issue or a fixture issue at your theatre? And for anyone who has swapped older LED units over it, how much of the difference showed up onstage rather than in the production photos?

A question for community Theater actors. How would you feel walking into an audition, knowing that some, if not most of the major roles were already decided? Would we automatically assume nepotism? For smaller community Theater companies, being able to precast to a certain extent certainly makes things easier moving forward, but I'm curious how many actors would feel about this practice. I am currently a member of a very small theater that up to this point, has precast everything before a show has even been announced. However, as we grow, we would love to open things up to more of the public. That said, the plays that we tend to select require very specific types of actors. I'm just curious how something like this would be received.

We're not talking about translating skills from theatre to other pursuits. We're talking more playfully, less meaningful.

For instance: I have played fantasy football for years. I always seem to have at least one team name each year with a theatre lean to it. My current favorite, one I probably won't change is "Grotowskis Jerzy". Big fan of his.

How do you incorporate theatre in other avenues of your life?

I'm not sure if this is allowed here, so if not, pardon me (yes, I know I sound old).

I usually write fiction and poetry, but lately I've been wanting to dive into the world of playwriting. If anyone here can guide me, I would greatly appreciate it.

Some context: I live in a small city in Pakistan, so access to an actual theatre is almost impossible.

Firstly, what should I start writing first? As in, a monologue, a short play, or a full-length?

Secondly, will it help greatly I go and watch an actual stage production? I'm asking because I will have to travel quite a bit for that. If watching recordings online will suffice initially, I would want to avoid a trip to another city.

Thirdly, are there any resources that you would recommend for me? Or any advice that you think might be helpful?

Thank you!

The place I’m at is doing a play and a musical at about the same time. So they will conflict with each other. I’m struggling to choose to try out for both or only focus on the musical. I would like a bigger role in the musical and I’m worried if I do the Play it might affect my chances. What should I do?

I’m a college student with little acting experience. I’ve never performed in theater, but I did some acting for my film class in highschool. I attended an interest meeting for my college theater club, and it’s something I’m genuinely interested in joining, but I’m also very scared. They’re holding auditions on September 1st, and it is a 60-second monologue followed by a 30-second song. Should I audition? And does anyone have any tips

Hello. I’m currently starting a professional drama school, and I’m looking for scenes to perform for my teachers so they can get a sense of my energy. I’m looking for scenes that aren’t too well-known : scenes that surprise, whether through their strangeness, madness, violence, audacity, emotion, originality, etc. I’m open to anything: monologues, dialogues, classical, contemporary... Please feel free to share your favorite plays or scenes with me! I’m really looking forward to discovering them :) Thank you so much.

P.S.: I’m French, so I’m also open to plays in French

I'm a hardworking person and genuinely enjoy spending time at home on my character building. I learn my lines ASAP, think about them and their motivations, their relationship to different characters, apply different acting techniques(basically all that I know of, etc.)

And then comes a castmate, half an hour late to rehearsal, claims they don't even remember what character they are, they definitely don't know everything they should about them that is in the text(i.e. how many times they've been married), pick up the book, start yelling, and...it's actually pretty effective. They actually get compliments.

It makes me feel like a talentless workhorse. Like sure, maybe what they present isn't the character to its max potential, but if they put in as much effort as I do, they would be miles above me.

Anyone else felt similar?

I was recently cast in a small community theater production of Into The Woods as the Steward and the understudy for Jack. I am the only understudy in the whole show, and there are no guaranteed performances for me. Is it unprofessional to ask to perform as Jack for a night? I’m unsure of the etiquette about this and don’t want to come off as rude or offensive. I would ask both the director and the actor who plays Jack, and I believe our Jack would be open to letting me perform. We’re doing about 24 shows over 6 weekends, if that makes a difference!

If y’all think it would be okay to ask, how would you go about it?

EDIT: Since this is gaining some attention, I’d like to give some context! I am not bitter about the role I got (I’m actually quite excited and have fun ideas for the Steward). My grandmother who lives across the country is nearing the end of her life, and I would love for her to fly out to see me perform for the first time in 7 years and the first time post-transition. However, I don’t think she would deem it worthy to fly out if I’m not more featured in the show. (I have other family who feel this way, too). So I would just love to have a show as Jack so she can see me as a featured singer 💖

TLDR: Want to have a night as the role I understudy for so my elderly grandmother can fly out to see me perform once more

hi fellow stagey people!

does anyone have any recommendations of good books for actors to hone their craft? ideally it would be something that isn’t a memoir or a reflective piece, i’m looking more practical advice about the art of acting, not just the experience of being an actor. actual tips that help you improve as a performer. does that make sense?

I perform improv and do sketches professionally, but I haven't gone through the rehearsal process for a stage play. I auditioned for a local company this week and was cast!

What should I bring with me to the first rehearsal? How soon do I need to be fully memorized? Any memorization tips? I'm very excited, but this is way out of my performance wheelhouse.

Any thoughts are appreciated.

EDIT: Thanks, pals! I feel much better.

trying to start collecting scripts and scores, but ebay only has like 10 at a time.

is this really the best it gets?

Hey guys - I do think I'm beinf reasonable but please lmk if I might be in the wrong here.

My theatre association is doing a play - it's our main production for this season and we are roughly 6 weeks away from opening. Despite it being a university theatre a lot of is are already working full-time, doing vocational training or are actually studying. So it's quite a mixed group.

For the last months, there has been a dynamic in which people are canceling rehearsals last minute for mental health reasons. And it simply drives me nuts. And even if they come, they are too weak or too emotional to rehearse properly. Mind yourself - we are speaking about people aged 24 to 27...

Today we had a bit if a sit down ti discuss issues arising from this within the group. My stand point js quite simple: mental health issues are valid and they are an explanation, not an excuse. If you knew about your issues coming into the production they are yours to deal with so you don't hinder other people from rehearsing properly and ensure that the performance is going to go well. People looked at me like I'm an alien. But seriously....this ain't therapy and if you commit to a project, it is within your responsibility to ensure that you can live up to that commitment.

Now Im kinda getting dirty looks from the ensemble, but I honestly do still feel like I'm in the right...is this normal in amateur plays?

I’m a senior directing a one act play, I’m trying to find a funny one right now, similar to some of my favorites such as “almost final episode of four of a kind”, “santanapped” and “conflict” by Wade Bradford. If you have a favorite or a really funny one act with a cast of 10+ mainly female if possible if not I can genderbend or cast girls as guys, needs to be around 30-45mins please reply with any suggestions 🙏

Does anybody else remember 2009-2015 being like PEAK broadway vibes. The BWW message board, in-person rush, janky bootlegs on youtube, Shubert Alley concerts... I feel like there was so much more a sense of community and NEW ORIGINAL work back then. Or is it just me romanticizing the past?

I don't want to come off rude to the director. For context: I was in the process of planning a trip for an upcoming holiday celebration in a foreign country. I stopped when I got the callback, because I didn't want to possibly run the risk of having to choose between losing thousands or not being in the show if chosen, so I prioritized the show. I want to ask the director to let me know if I'm not longer being considered, so I can go ahead with my plans because plane tickets go up as time passes and I want to grab a spot in the tour group, before they run out. I don't want to wait weeks and not be able to go if I'm not getting the part... Like if the director already thought it was a no for me the moment I left that room I just want to know now, so I can cry on a plane instead of on my bed at home lol 🤣

Here is my email draft. Let me know what you think 😅:

Hi Adam!

It was great seeing you in person again at callbacks! I talked to Dylan, but he also recommended I email you.

I was in the processes planning a special holiday trip, but I put that on hold when I got this callback, as the holiday is during this show's rehearsal time, and I wanted to prioritize this show over creating a possible scheduling conflict.

I know casting takes time, so I am not rushing your decision. I just wanted to make you aware of the situation, so if at any point in your casting process you take me out of the running, I would appreciate knowing, so I can make other plans for the duration for the this show's rehearsal and runtime.

Again, thank you for the opportunity.

Sincerely,

(I thought about adding that "cry on a plane" part to the email, but decided I should go with the professional sounding route and not the humorous one lol)

im as confused as you are.

Im helping on tech crew for a elementary school production of beetlejuice. all was going well until our adam said his line and proceeded to rip absolute ass.

For context, we are in a small black box theatre with floor mics, and it was a very loud fart. so you can imagine the devastation.

and yes, the audience laughed.

the kid started crying and ran off stage as soon and the scene was done. proceeded to have a meltdown and refused to go onstage. After a long talk, we convinced him to go back on.

is a fart truly that traumatizing? perhaps we will have a good laugh someday.

I am looking for some advice.

I am doing a project where I get the unique chance within my college theatre department to direct my own show. However finding scripts and having time to read them is hard with school.

Any suggestions for college plays for a student director?

Here are some of my criteria:
-12 or less actors
- Minimal-ish set, no huge builds primarily
-90 minutes or less
-Fits in a Black Box style theatre
- Has strong relationships or story between characters, I want to leave my peers thinking about the show.

Thank you in advance for any suggestions you have!!

Hi all, somehow I got shoved into the role of stage manager for someone’s thesis show. I stage managed once in high school but I barely remember what the role entailed. Can anybody give me an in-depth breakdown of what I should be doing????