Author Topic: Meetings as rehearsal hours?  (Read 6597 times)

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leastlikely

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Meetings as rehearsal hours?
« on: Aug 08, 2014, 01:49 pm »
I'm about to start rehearsals on a show where 4/7 of the cast are non-Equity, and 3 are performing on... well, I don't actually know what contract it is, I haven't seen that sort of paperwork yet. I joined 6 days before first rehearsal... it's been hectic. But the bottom line is, the AEA actors are allowed 30 hours a week. So we have 6 five-hour days scheduled each week.

First rehearsal is this coming Tuesday. But the director wants to meet with each actor for an hour on Monday, and on Sunday apparently the MD wants to meet with the entire cast for 60-90 minutes and introduce them to the musical world of the play and maybe jam out a bit, but not really work music from the show.

Am I correct in my understanding that, since these meetings are required, we will have to cut 2.5 hours of rehearsal later in the week for the AEA actors? I get the impression that the director feels that it's not ~Rehearsal Time~ per se, therefore it isn't ruled by the contracted hours... but I feel like, if we are telling the actors that they must be on site for these meetings, then that counts toward their 30hrs?

Also, these meetings are on Sunday and Monday before a 6 day work week, which means (if this actually counts as working hours) actors will be working for 8 days before a day off...

loebtmc

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Re: Meetings as rehearsal hours?
« Reply #1 on: Aug 08, 2014, 02:28 pm »
You cd even make the case that this is paid in overtime, since it's prior to first rehearsal. And no, the director and MD can't require rehearsal prior to first rehearsal unless actors are being paid. And no, they can't work 8 days in a row without a day off. The act of coming in to meet w the director for an hour, or w the MD for a few hours, does indeed count as rehearsal. So if the Dir/MD want to do that, they would not only incur OT for hours, but penalties for work on a Monday and for too many days in a row without a day off. And the Sunday would mean a paycheck in the week prior to first rehearsal.

leastlikely

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Re: Meetings as rehearsal hours?
« Reply #2 on: Aug 08, 2014, 02:54 pm »
Ok, thanks. That's what I thought but you explained it more clearly so I was able to bring the issue to the PM and Artistic Director.

AD says that the cast was made aware of these meetings a long time ago (so, before I was involved in the production), that these are "unofficial" meetings and they have all agreed to do it for the director.

So glad to have been looped in on that one...  :-\ Still ruffles my feathers a bit but if they have all offered to volunteer their time, I guess they're allowed to make that choice...

loebtmc

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Re: Meetings as rehearsal hours?
« Reply #3 on: Aug 08, 2014, 04:58 pm »
key is, did cast offer or were they told. And see if you can have some private conversations w cast members (perfect excuse is when you call to intro yourself and check on things like food allergies and preexisting conflicts). Without priming get a sense of their feelings abt this. If there is any resentment/bad feeling, it will come back to bite the prodn, esp if (down the line) there are other requests to stretch the day (notes, "one more time" etc).

MatthewShiner

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Re: Meetings as rehearsal hours?
« Reply #4 on: Aug 08, 2014, 05:59 pm »
This is wrong on so many levels for AEA - but without knowing the contract . . .

Starting work prior to contract date?

"Meetings" outside of rehearsal hours?

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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.

VSM

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Re: Meetings as rehearsal hours?
« Reply #5 on: Aug 09, 2014, 01:29 am »
"Danger, Will Robinson, danger..."

Oh I know only a handful of you will get this reference!
Ordo ab chao

MatthewShiner

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Re: Meetings as rehearsal hours?
« Reply #6 on: Aug 09, 2014, 11:05 am »
"AD says that the cast was made aware of these meetings a long time ago (so, before I was involved in the production), that these are "unofficial" meetings and they have all agreed to do it for the director."

So, was this "hey, we would like to cast you, but there are going to be these meetings before hand . . . "


Let's carry this to an extreme . . .

"Hey, we can cast you in this part, but we need to do two weeks of script work prior to rehearsal beginning - and it won't be paid."
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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.

leastlikely

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Re: Meetings as rehearsal hours?
« Reply #7 on: Aug 09, 2014, 12:58 pm »
Unfortunately, since I only just joined the production, I have absolutely no idea what may have been said before I was CC'd on the emails. But I do know that the director expects the cast to be off-book by first rehearsal... and is planning these meetings before first rehearsal/before they receive contracts... :\

And in a production meeting on Wednesday the scenic designer/TD was asking for his contract because he wants to start building ASAP, and the PM said "yeah we're working on them, we'll have it ready by first rehearsal Tuesday. Maybe I can email it to you Monday night." And the PM is out of town right now, the weekend before rehearsals start. Excellent timing.

I had heard generally positive things about this company, but now that I'm actually working here it's kind of a disaster. I'm not sure how much of it is the director (who is an outsider to the company, but she's a Tony-nominated and Obie-winning actress, she should know how this works) and how much is the disorganization of the company, but I'm not impressed.

(And VSM, I may only be 28, but even I know of Lost in Space!)

babens

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Re: Meetings as rehearsal hours?
« Reply #8 on: Aug 09, 2014, 02:15 pm »
I'm not sure how much of it is the director (who is an outsider to the company, but she's a Tony-nominated and Obie-winning actress, she should know how this works) and how much is the disorganization of the company, but I'm not impressed.

Don't count on a director also being an actor to follow the rules.  A lot of actors either just don't know the rules (because they've been in situations like this where nobody stood up for them), or they go in with the mentality of "I wouldn't mind doing these kinds of things if I was an actor in this show, so I'm sure everyone I cast will agree with me as well and go along with it."  I've seen that second scenario especially used somewhat often to try to justify ignoring of certain rules, and I learned early in my career to not let them get away with it.

loebtmc

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Re: Meetings as rehearsal hours?
« Reply #9 on: Aug 09, 2014, 03:33 pm »
As I said, when you call your actors before first rehearsal,  that's a great time to have a casual conversation abt many things, including any preexisting conflicts, food allergies, special issues - and finding out how they were approached abt this pre-rehearsal.

Requiring actors to come in off book is just not ok. Yes, some actors work better mostly emorized, but others find it more useful to tie lines to blocking, intentions etc - to the discoveries in the room. And memorizing out of context leads to what one teacher used to call "broomstick acting" - that is, when it won't matter what the other actor is doing, nor if that character is saying their line to a broomstick or a human being, the line read will always be the same, because they committed to how they thought it should be done/the other actor would do it.

PSMKay

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Re: Meetings as rehearsal hours?
« Reply #10 on: Aug 09, 2014, 04:11 pm »
This director/MD team reads to me like newer creatives who either a) have not studied directing terribly much, b) are worried about not having enough rehearsal time, or c) all of the above.

When I was a wee baby thespian I learned that 99% of the director's work happens before first rehearsal. However, this is not something that should carry over to the rest of the cast IMHO. If warmups are required, it's work. If the actors have to be thinking in the mindset of their characters, it's work. (NB: Not official AEA definitions of "work" there.) This is not a company BBQ we're talking about here.

I'd say a call to your rep should be on your do list.
« Last Edit: Aug 11, 2014, 12:43 am by PSMKay »

leastlikely

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Re: Meetings as rehearsal hours?
« Reply #11 on: Aug 09, 2014, 04:36 pm »
To be honest I don't know who my rep is or how to contact them, as I've never needed to before... I actually don't think I've ever PSM'ed a show with an Equity cast before, only ASM'ed. How would I find out who to contact - is it based on my city, the type of contract (which I need to find out)?

babens

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Re: Meetings as rehearsal hours?
« Reply #12 on: Aug 09, 2014, 05:15 pm »
It will be based on your region and which contract you are under.  If you are unsure of who to talk to just call the Equity office in your region and ask the receptionist to connect you to the business rep for whatever contract you are under.  I can't speak for the Chicago or LA office, but the receptionist at the NY office always knows who to connect you to.  And even if they do connect you to the wrong rep that person will pass the message along and make sure the right person gets in touch with you.

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Re: Meetings as rehearsal hours?
« Reply #13 on: Aug 09, 2014, 05:54 pm »
And - hmm - what is the contract? Because it is a rare contract that allows an EMC or other non-AEA member can SM for a cast of AEA members. It sounds to me like this is a director who 1) has no respect for the union and 2) likes to get away with things - which is going to lead to bad outcomes further down the line.
« Last Edit: Aug 09, 2014, 05:56 pm by loebtmc »

Maribeth

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Re: Meetings as rehearsal hours?
« Reply #14 on: Aug 09, 2014, 06:54 pm »
Pure conjecture here- I'm guessing it's something like a Special Appearance Contract, that allows for an AEA actor to work at a non-AEA theatre under certain conditions. (The Special Appearance Contract Tier 2 allows for 30 rehearsal hours per week, and you can have up to 3 actors on that contract at a time).

There is at least one contract that allows you to ask actors to memorize ahead of time, but it requires additional payment. From the SPT contract:

"47. (F) Prior Work. The Actor shall not be required to memorize a part and/or musical score prior to first rehearsal unless the Actor agrees in writing by means of a rider attached to the contact. The Actor shall receive no less than one week's contractual salary for such work."

 

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