Managing Large Rehearsals

[Maribeth]

What are some of the tools/methods you use to manage large-scale rehearsals? (50+ people)

Are there physical things that help you with big groups? (nametags, sign-ins, a different way of organizing the room set-up)

Do you use your staff differently? (more staff, different responsibilities, etc)

Are there scheduling tools that you use?

Does your management style change? What do you do differently to manage a rehearsal on a larger scale?

[JMagill]

I have had the privilege of on working shows with casts as big as 3 and as small as 60.  I don't change much with what I do. I find that it just takes longer to do things on a larger show. like getting sign ins and contact list and stuff completed just requires more man hours.  Since I currently work at a Preforming Arts School I end up having different ASMs with different levels of skills on each show so I end up using them differently kind of by what I know they can do at the time. Then if they are on another show with me ill give them more responsibilities.

I also find that on larger shows I don't get to have a personal bond with large casts as much. you know who the trouble makers are, but the ones who show up do their job are the ones that sometimes are the first ones you forget about.

There also seems to be a little more alcohol in my house during large cast shows. 

[MatthewShiner]

I think you find tricks to deal with large casts as quickly as you can.

I did an opera with a cast of 100.  I never met the entire cast.  Never did.  You try to make things simple.  Simplify everything.  Signage.  Sign in.  Policy.  Procedures.  Dumb down EVERYTHING.   I have to admit, doing Chorus Costume Fittings was AMAZING!!! (It was done by Disney's costume department they way they costume extras . . . they had it down to a science.) 

In general, I try to learn one thing about everyone, so if I ever get caught at the call board, I have something to to talk to them about.  I found on the really large shows, I made sure I always wore my "Stage Manager Hat" so they knew who *I* was even if I didn't know who *THEY* where - the AD was much more on top of it.

[iamchristuffin]

  I have to admit, doing Chorus Costume Fittings was AMAZING!!! (It was done by Disney's costume department they way they costume extras . . . they had it down to a science.) 

Can you elaborate? I'm intrigued......

Chris

[MatthewShiner]

The designer brought in like 12 or 14 assistants (in pairs) to handle the massive stock.

The chorus was given 1 day to come in for the costume fittings, but no times were given.

As they showed up, an assistant met them, asked them their off their rack sizes, and then took some very basic measurements.  They then stepped into stock and, dressed the extra and the designer would sign off on the villager look.

Seriously, the one or two times I poked my head in . . . it was like a huge department store sale . . . but they had it down to a science.

[On_Headset]

I've gotten into the practice of making up what I call "brady sheets" for large casts: you scan through the company headshots, arrange them in a grid, add names, then run it off. The effect is reminiscient of the opening sequence of The Brady Bunch, and I find them very handy.

For one thing, they completely eliminate the "Okay, hold on, which Susan are we talking about?" and "Are you sure you're talking about Murphy? Because I think you're thinking of Murray..." conversations. I find they make it much easier to learn names, especially if you use them to expedite things like sign-in and attendance-taking. They're also an enormous help in situations where you won't learn everyone's name no matter how hard you try: when you quickly need to find someone, you can look up their face rather than wandering through the company going "Barbara? Barbara? Does anyone know a Barbara?" like a child lost at the mall.

They seem most useful with a cast of 30-50 people. Any larger and they become unmanageable. (SO MANY FACES! SO MANY NAMES!) I'm attaching a low-resolution sample so you can get a better idea of how they look.

ADMIN EDIT: After reviewing and speaking with On_Headset, it looks like many of the images they used were copyrighted without license to alter them (nor attribute them to differently named actors).  I've removed On_Headset's version and replaced it with a similar one using all freely licensed images so that we aren't abusing the work of hardworking photographers.  It isn't quite so pretty but it gets the point across. - PSMKay