OFF-BROADWAY - Actors being the musicians and issues

[MatthewShiner]

So, doing a show where some of the actors are playing some instruments in a show.

Obviously, there is nothing in the contract that allows or requires a music call or sound check of any sort.

Has anyone dealt with this in the past on an AEA contract (I have, but looking for other's input). 

Tuning is another issue we have to looking into.

One of the things I am looking at possibly doing is having an amp in the green room area in case they want to self tune . . .

Thoughts. 

(Instruments are guitars for sure, but other ones tba)

[Rebbe]

You may be aware of this one, but if there is a sound or props crew person familiar with the instrument, they could be delegating tuning it, and doing a sound check, pre-show.  The green room amp seems like a good supplemental option. 

[MatthewShiner]

Oh we have an A2 and and another sound person on the show, so that is the first plan.

[nmno]

My current show is a musical with some pit musician and some actors playing instruments (electric guitars, basses and drums).  The pit guitar player tunes and maintains the 12 guitars/basses and the pit drummer maintains the drums.  If a string breaks mid-show we have a "Swing musician" who can drop out of most numbers if necessary (he mostly doubles) to change and we have a back-up guitar we can use in a pinch.  Other than playing them onstage, the actor does nothing.  Probably not at all helpful for your situation. 

Another musical had an actor playing guitar onstage. We actually ended up renting his guitar for the show.  He tuned it during half hour (even though we had pit musicians, a prop guy, a stage manager and a sound head all capable of doing do) and maintained/changed strings as necessary.  I'd say if we weren't using HIS instrument, he probably would have had us change strings but he still would have tuned the guitar - sort of like an actor checking his own props.

In both shows, sound checked the packs on the instruments in hour before half.

I don't know that you'd need an amp to tune.  We use the guitar tuners that clip on - accurate, fast, and easy. 

Hope some of that is helpful to your situation.

[lsears]

When the Huntington did RUINED last winter there was a 30 minute onstage call prior to half hour that combined fight call, the most aggressive of the dance moments, and sound check for our drum set, two guitars and the primary singing mic.  It took the full 30 minutes to get through everything.  This is a practice the company began when they originated the show at LJ Playhouse and other than lots of crew grumbling about the stage needing to be ready early it worked fine for us.  I'm not sure how the cast and management responded in LJ when it was originally proposed.  As Matthew knows, Huntington is a LORT contract, rather than an Off-Broadway, and a non-IATSE crew.