POLICIES: Actors TOO Early for Call?

[VilleSM]

This may seem like a weird problem to have, but what do you do when actors are arriving too early for their call? I appreciate that actors are early, but when they're starting to arrive at the theatre before the SM and ASM, it makes me wonder what our duties are.

Our current call schedule (for an 8pm show) looks like this:

6pm SM/ASM call
6:15 Stage Door Open
6:30 Cast Warm-Up (a Director mandate)
7:00 Fight Call
7:30 House Open
8:00 GO

Now, most days it isn't a huge problem as there is Wardrobe crew, Box Office, or other administrators around to let the cast in. But on matinee days, the SM and I (the ASM) are usually the first people at the theatre, or are arriving at the same time as the Box Office. For example, today I was 15 minutes early for my call (11:45), and there was already an actor waiting at the Stage Door.

It makes everybody on the management team uncomfortable when actors are there before we are, even when we're early. But how do you tell them to wait until Stage Door is supposed to open (which, I believe, is still "early" by Equity standards) without sounding like a giant D-Bag?

[loebtmc]

The space I work most often is owned by the city and until I arrive, their folks are not on that theater's clock so if the actors arrive before I do, the company is charged employee hours. So I make it very, very clear that "the theater will be open as of (x) time, when I arrive" or "I will be there to unlock dressing rooms and backstage as of 6 pm" - and make sure they know that if they are early, there will be no one to let them in. I also suggest they go to the $1 bookstore, or the restaurant that serves a wonderful happy hour until 6, or some other constructive alternative.

[Maribeth]

Generally, I don't think it's a problem when actors arrive early. I would rather have them there early because they left extra time for traffic, public transportation, carpooling or whatever reason than have them be late. If you ask them not to arrive early, you risk them arriving late.

If it's a matter of them not being able to get in because the stage door is locked, they could find a coffee shop or somewhere else nearby to hang out until SM gets there. If there are people there to let them in (as you mentioned), can they hang out in the green room or somewhere until the dressing rooms are open? To buy a few extra minutes, can you open the door at 6p when you arrive, instead of 6:15p?

In all of the contracts I've worked, I'm not aware of any Equity stipulations about when actors "can" arrive for call- it's something that's worked out by the theatre itself. (For instance, some theatres give out key fobs or something similar, so that actors can let themselves in.) If the theatre doesn't want actors arriving before stage management, I would remind the actors that the stage door will open at X time, and if they show up early, they are risking having to wait until stage management arrives, because that's when they will be able to get in.

[megf]

I'm curious. Is this concern about more than simply having actors inside the building?

I've had casts who happily arrive at 7:28pm for their 7:30pm half hour... and casts where the habit is to arrive at 6:15pm for a 7:30pm half hour. Transportation realities, actual prep time for wigs/costumes/makeup/fight calls, warmup opportunities, etc. all factor into this, of course. In both cases, it's no problem.

Where it's been challenging is the situations where early arrivals use the time not for show prep, but to bring extracurricular requests to the SM office, which then interfere with Stage Management's preshow schedule. Is this what's happening?

[VilleSM]

The concern is that there is nobody actually in the auditorium/dressing room areas when they arrive, and they are hardly consistent about who is the first (or last) to arrive and when. The administrative offices are only open until 5:30, so if there happens to be somebody left that can open for them, great, but that actual show staff is not.

It's more of an annoyance than an actual "problem," though administration has made it clear that somebody (i.e. a member of the crew) should be in the auditorium when any actors are in the building - especially if they are not using the Stage Door (which only a few of us have the code to unlock for the actors).

It makes it difficult for us to know who is coming in and out of the building when there have been security issues in the past, and adds stress to the crew (who are already usually decently early) to try to be ahead of the actors.

[loebtmc]

sounds like a general "if you arrive before 6 pm, please don't enter the theater, but get a cuppa or go for a walk until then" kinda message needs to be relayed to the cast

One of the theaters I work has early people because we never know how bad traffic is going to be, or the trains run really early for some reason. We just don't enter until 6 - but meet for dinner or windowshop about nearby.

[VilleSM]

You'd think that in a city as big as this one, they'd do that... And with as beautiful as it's been the past few weeks, surely they can go to one of the local parks or something.

Thanks all. Just wanted to see if there was anything "official" to do, other than just telling them no. With all of the other casts we've had, they've understood that when the Stage Door is locked, you shouldn't come in yet.

[Dart]

I've had this issue with casts from abroad who really like each other. The admin office isn't anywhere near the theatre, so even if the actors arrive before the office closes, they can't get in unless I, or one of the other four or five people with keys, are in the building. It's gotten as bad as actors showing at 4 or 5 to a show starting at 8. I understand you're bored at your assigned house, but can't you make plans to go to a museum together?

Honestly, I draw the line at two hours to curtain. I'd hop on the metro so I'd show by 6ish to sweep, do my checks, and read, and if they showed up before me they could either pray for another keyholder, or go for a walk. Since their houses were all within walking distance and I'm paid a flat fee regardless of when I come in, I wasn't going to gift them two or three extra hours of my life every single day.

I do absolutely put my foot down on when sound checks, voice warm-ups to recorded sounds, and anything involving changes or running can happen, though, because my sound OPs and ASMs are paid hourly and the office isn't going to clear them for all those extra hours of sitting around and doing nothing after a way-too-early check.

[little_owl]

I had an actor with the last play that I worked on that came way too early but I took it as part of them just arriving really early more for their comfort in being totally relaxed and prepared, getting into the right mind frame in which they needed to prepare and it wasn't an issue. They also did have a lot of costuming issues to deal with but within fifteen minutes of them getting there, that was taken care of and they just had to deal preparing in whatever form. I was there within fifteen minutes of them getting there though which was really early for me as well but I think some people have their own rhythms in dealing with their roles if they are able to. 

[MatthewShiner]

It's all about the type of project and the level of support Stage Management - I just did a 90 minute show where the lead actress wanted the stage to walk her entire role . . . sort of weird, yes, but all it took was a little work with the tech crew and house staff to find a zero cost / zero effort solution to allow that time for the performer . . . I feel like there should always be an attempt to customize the experience of individuals. 

If an actor wants to be early, maybe wardrobe will be there and can let them in - no cost / no effort solution.

[bex]

My only issue with actors arriving SUPER early is when they want things from me- if they want to come in and warm up or sit in the green room on their laptop, whatever, that's fine. I begin to get annoyed when actors show up an hour before their call time (which would be my call time as the ASM) and get mad that there's no coffee made yet (well of course there's not, it's the first thing I do when I arrive for my call and we walked through the door together, and it takes 10 minutes to brew...). The difference between "Is the coffee done brewing?" and "WHY ISN'T THERE COFFEE YET?!" is huge. I know how long it takes me to do my job for your official call time, and due to my day job and commuting time and lack of overtime pay, I cannot arrive 3 hours before the show.

[MatthewShiner]

My answer is to teach them how to make coffee - it's a good life skill anyway. ;-)

[VilleSM]

My answer is to teach them how to make coffee - it's a good life skill anyway. ;-)

^^ I make sure everything is labelled in the Green Room so actors know how to get to things, and directions are posted on the Green Room bulletin board and the fridge on how to make the coffee, just in case. After tech week, I stop making coffee, because I hate making a pot and having it go to waste - especially when it seems most people pick up coffee on their way in, anyhow...