THE PROGRAM (Table of Contents) THE PRESHOW (Preface) – v THE PROLOGUE (Introduction) – 1
ACT I: WHO AND WHAT
Scene 1: THE WRITER – 9
Where it all begins – 10 : : The Composer / Lyricist – 14
Scene 2: THE PRODUCER – 17
Characteristics of a Producer – 18 : : The Option – 21 : : Capitalization – 22 Finding Investors – 24 : : Production Staff – 25 : : Into Production – 28
Scene 3: THE DIRECTOR – 31
No easy task – 33 : : Pre-production – 34 : : Casting – 36 : : Rehearsals – 37
After Opening Night –39 : : The Choreographer – 40
Scene 4: THE STAGE MANAGER – 43
The Hub of the Wheel – 44 : : Pre-production – 45 : : Rehearsals – 46
Tech Rehearsals – 48 : : Running the Show – 49 : : After Closing Night – 50
Scene 5: THE DESIGNERS – 53
The Scenic Designer – 54 : : The Lighting Designer – 59
The Costume Designer – 61 : : Other Designers – 65
Scene 6: THE ACTOR – 69
Who is the Actor? – 69 : : How does the Actor act? – 70 : : The Acting Challenge – 72
The Typical Struggling Actor – 74 : : Actors Equity: Rules and Contracts – 78
Scene 7: THE CREW – 83
Who are they? – 83 : : Shops – 86 : : Load-in – 88 : : Running Crews – 91
Work Calls and Rehearsals – 94 : : Load-out – 95
Scene 8: THE SHOW – 97
Pre-production – 97 : : In Production – 99 : : Rehearsals: The First Day – 101
Rehearsals: The Grind – 104 : : Rehearsals: Tech – 109 : : Previews – 112
Opening Night – 114 : : The Critics – 116 : : A Flop – 121
The Gamblers and the Sad Tales – 123 : : A Hit – 125
The Working Actor’s Routine - 8 shows a week – 128
INTERMISSION – 133
ACT II: WHERE AND HOW
Scene 1: WHERE IT'S AT – 137
Broadway – 137 : : The National Tour – 140 : : Bus and Truck – 142
Off Broadway – 143 : : Off-Off Broadway – 146 : : Other theatre – 151
Scene 2: HOW TO GET IT – 155
The P&R – 156 : : The Trades – 159 : : The Interview – 161 : : Auditions – 165
The Chorus Call – 168 : : Agents and Managers – 170
Directors – Designers – Stage Managers – 171 : : Indirect Methods – 174
Scene 3: WAITING – 177
Training – 177 : : Survival Jobs – 180
THE EPILOGUE – 183
Why
CURTAIN CALL – 187
The people who helped – 187 : : Special Thanks – 192
GLOSSARY – 195
For me . . . it has been a pleasure and a great cathartic experience putting it all down on paper. And, in a way, it has also been a struggle—even as much of a struggle as pursuing a theatrical career. From beginning to end it took over 25 years to write this book. In fact, it took over 30 years to live this book—in order to be able to write it. As I look back over all of the time and all of the experiences and remember all of the people, I can honestly say I would do it all again. (Well maybe not all!)
But after all is said and done there is only one other aspect of a theatrical career that we need to at least touch on. It is the hardest thing to write about because it is the hardest thing to describe. And that is: why? Why do we do what we do?
The answer is unique to every person who pursues a career in the theatre. From the writer to the actor to the stagehand there are many reasons—some poignant and some pathetic. But whatever the reasons, they are the reasons that brought us all together. We have left our homes and sometimes even given up our families to pursue a career in the theatre. We have starved. We have been rejected. We have trained. We have worked at menial jobs. We have succeeded and we have failed. And we have done it all because… we had to. There is just something in the heart of the theatre person that tells us to try. We have a talent or an ambition and nothing else can satisfy the desire to pursue them. We must do theatre. It is more than a goal—it is a dream. It is a craving. It is a need. It is an obsession. The lights and the applause and the triumph and the failure—we need it like food or water. Despite the setbacks and even failures . . . we go on. There is just something inside that drives us.
If you are the parent or the spouse or cousin or friend of someone in the theatre then you may know how driven your loved one is. And you may know that you might never really truly understand the passion. But, hopefully, after reading this book you have come to some understanding of what we do, so that you can support and inspire your loved one to go on. We need your support and love and even your inspiration (not to mention a few dollars every now and then). And we need you to understand even if we can’t explain it to you.
If you were given this book to help you understand, I hope we have succeeded. If you are reading this book to see what theatre is all about before embarking on a career, I hope I have told you enough—because there is so much to tell. But fear not. You will write your own book as you live your own life and pursue your own career.
If you are reading this book to determine whether you should add it to your theatre curriculum reading list, I can only hope you have determined that it has the value you are looking for. No book like this existed when I went to college—which was part of my motivation for writing it.
Thank you for joining me on this journey. It has been a pleasure to be your guide.
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