Author Topic: RUNNING: Calling Half-Hour  (Read 5783 times)

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SMeustace

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RUNNING: Calling Half-Hour
« on: Aug 01, 2014, 04:09 pm »
At what time do you generally call Half-Hour and does it typically mean half hour to places or to curtain?

I generally say "Half hour to curtain", as my places call is sometimes 3-5 minutes before curtain, depending on the size of the cast and how long they would have to travel. If, we're holding house I make sure my actors are notified that we are holding house for x minutes.


Edited to add topic tag. - Maribeth
« Last Edit: Aug 02, 2014, 12:43 pm by Maribeth »
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MatthewShiner

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Re: Calling Half-Hour
« Reply #1 on: Aug 01, 2014, 04:18 pm »
I feel like we have talked about it, but an 8:00pm show if it takes the cast three minutes to get to deck. . . I do my calls as such

7:30p Half-Hour
7:42pm 15 minutes until Places
7:52pm 5 minutes to Place  (Crew to places for headset check)
7:57pm places

If there is a hold, I push back 5 and places call only . . . unless for some reason I suspect it to be a very long hold.

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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.

babens

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Re: Calling Half-Hour
« Reply #2 on: Aug 02, 2014, 01:16 am »
I'm generally follow the same pattern as Matthew.

Half hour is called at 30 minutes to top of show, and I will announce it as "Attention ladies and gentlemen, this is your half hour call.  We are at 30 minutes to the top of the show" and include anything else that needs to be included (reminder to sign-in, any company announcements, when stage management will be collecting valuables, etc).

All other calls are announced based on when I expect to call places and will be announced as "x#of minutes to places" whether that be 2, 3, or, on a very rare occasion, 5 minutes before the start time (I did have to do a places call at 5 minutes to start once on a very large opera as almost the entire 60 member chorus entered right at the top of the overture and we needed that much time to count heads and make sure props were all distributed correctly).

Trak26

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Re: RUNNING: Calling Half-Hour
« Reply #3 on: Sep 02, 2014, 10:05 pm »
I follow the British format (8pm show) which is:
7.25pm - half hour call
7.40 - 15 minutes
7.50 - 10 minutes
7.55 - Beginners
it is also used in Australia but I cannot comment if it is still the case
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MatthewShiner

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Re: RUNNING: Calling Half-Hour
« Reply #4 on: Sep 03, 2014, 01:19 am »
The challenge about calling half-hour at 35 minutes is actors in the states are not expected to be in the theater until 30 minutes - so they would miss the call.

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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.

flychief

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Re: RUNNING: Calling Half-Hour
« Reply #5 on: Sep 11, 2014, 07:13 pm »
I usually go with the basic, plain and simple form:

7:30 - 30 Min to curtain (95% of people will be in the black box at this time)
7:45 - 15 Till curtain
7:55 - 5 till TOS (places, crew at least in the scene shop (which is behind the stage and has access) and props/headset/etc. checked)
8:00 - Show starts

Even if we are holding house for 5-10 min we still stick with the same times because actors tend to be a pain.
« Last Edit: Sep 11, 2014, 10:09 pm by PSMKay »

Jonas_A

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Re: RUNNING: Calling Half-Hour
« Reply #6 on: Sep 24, 2014, 10:11 pm »
I follow the British format (8pm show) which is:
7.25pm - half hour call
7.40 - 15 minutes
7.50 - 10 minutes
7.55 - Beginners
it is also used in Australia but I cannot comment if it is still the case
This is still the case for most Australian musicals and straight drama. We generally call it as "half-hour until beginners on stage," although exact wording varies between SMs and companies.

Opera, ballet and orchestral usually work off what a lot of other people are posting, with the half hour call literally 30 minutes prior to the advertised starting time (eg. 1930 call for a 2000 advertised start) and so forth. (This is due to the way musicians are hired down here.) 

Matthew is right; sometimes people aren't in the house, but in my experience most of them will be.

ambrosialx

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Re: RUNNING: Calling Half-Hour
« Reply #7 on: Oct 01, 2014, 08:21 am »
I also do the half to places call. I tour though so everyone gets to the theatre in enough time to get the half that early. It also allows them time in a theatre that doesn't have a main rag to check their presets should they feel it necessary. I've only ever had 1 actor who actually showed up at the half regularly all others besides people who are consistently late come on their own much earlier.
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