Author Topic: rewriting a show: HOAH  (Read 1918 times)

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MatthewShiner

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Anything posted here as in my own personal opinion, and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of my employer - whomever they be at a given moment in time.

dallas10086

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Re: rewriting a show: HOAH
« Reply #1 on: Jun 21, 2014, 11:32 am »
We were talking about this article yesterday and someone asked, "Why didn't the music director or stage manager ask him if he had the right to make those types of changes?" I told them either or both of them likely asked, "Do we have permission to do this?" and he probably responded, "Yes," and that would have been the end of the discussion. I don't believe it's part of our job as SMs to follow-up to those responses when it comes to rights, royalties, or permissions - i.e. switching around songs, adding or subtracting who sings what, etc. Though some obvious, massive errors in judgement should be approached ("No, you can't play the entirety of 'Under The Sea' as background because we don't have permission") by an SM, if not the MD or Sound Designer.

When I went on the TUTS website it said their Artistic Director Bruce Lumpkin was hired July 2012. It seems like this type of error in judgement is something one can assume he's done at other places and thought nothing of it - a huge problem, in my book. But then to walk up to the author opening night and say his way was better...I had choice words.


MatthewShiner

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Re: rewriting a show: HOAH
« Reply #2 on: Jun 21, 2014, 03:36 pm »
I just lived though it.

We were "okay'ed" for certain changes, not others.

I knew we were in trouble when the artistic director ask for me to stop putting line changes into the performance report.  I went to the production manager, artistic director and general manager and got the outline of what changes were allowed by our agreement with the rights holder and what changes were not allow - and what changes were in a gray area.  The reason I was so involved is the  agreement got changed mid-way through the process when the rights were sold.  And I was worried about our tech time if we were going to have to make a radical changes mid tech, I wanted to make sure we had those plans a foot (like if we had to change a location of a song, did I have a tech plan to support that). 

Philosophically, as an artist, I have very strong feelings about this.  As a production stage manager, I am hired to do a specific job - but it's my responsibility to make sure that my producer knows what is happening in the rehearsal hall - as long as we are not breaking any LAWS or AEA Rules, then I support that - - - - but I need to make sure the people who have to make the big decisions and pay the piper at the end of the day know what's going on.

In this case, I think the artistic director / director was going to do what he wanted to do . . . regardless of what the agreement with the rights holder . . . and some directors are like that.  Do what you want with public domain work, but when the rights are held . . . you to honor that agreement - regardless of what they specify.  Don't like it - don't do that show.

The rights holders are artists to and we need to honor their work and their vision. 
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Anything posted here as in my own personal opinion, and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of my employer - whomever they be at a given moment in time.

 

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