REPORTS: Rehearsal Report Question

[SMeustace]

Do you only include what your director says or tells you to put in the rehearsal report? Or do you occasionally add things the director did not tell you to include.

A friend of mine was SM'ing one show and he told me how'd the director only wanted him to write notes for the rehearsal report only after directly telling him to include it in the report. The director would get mad if he included notes that the director did not tell him to include.

Usually in my rehearsal report I would include things that the director did not directly say or tell me to make a note. For example if we blocked the scene with actors crawling and kneeling I would include a note on how the actors were blocked to crawl and kneel in my costumes section. So the costume designer would know the type of physical activity the actors were doing. If an actor was blocked to turn off a light switch I would include that as a note for Lights.

Is what I'm doing wrong or is it something that SM's should occasionally do?

Edited to add topic tag- Maribeth

[VSM]

Your brain works like mine.
The rehearsal report is for the entire production, not just the director's ego.
Report away.

[bex]

To offer a slightly different point of view...
I worked on a new work recently where the director was really open to the cast experimenting with props/business in the scenes during rehearsal, trying different things (what if I mix a martini during this monologue? what if I'm eating popcorn? what if I'm knitting?) each time we ran it. We might have done a scene with 2 or 3 different actions during the rehearsal day, and by the end of it the director usually had a clear idea of what he wanted them to actually be doing- which he might not have shared aloud (it sounds weird but it worked?). SO long story short, he didn't want us to request new props in the report without running them by him first. The last time we ran the scene Actor mixed a martini, but the director knows he doesn't really want that.
Not to say that you should run every note by the director, but it can be a good idea to clarify "yes we really want that/wait to request that til we run it again/etc"

[loebtmc]

In situations like that, I put it in the report but as a "we played with xy and z but haven't decided yet which will be used". That way, the props/costumes/set/person will have a heads up that something is happening that involves those elements, and some idea of what was played with so it isn't a total surprise when the final decision is made, but adds the caveat that decision hasn't happened and those props aren't required.

Plus, you never know when a director will ask you to go back and remember what xy and z were.

[MatthewShiner]

I've been in this situation.

I think the key is at the start of the process, always show the director the report prior to sending it out - so they get a sense of what you are putting into the reports.

You can, as other have mentioned, today we worked with three chairs for scene three.  Or POSSIBLE ADD: Two Small potted plants - where you are giving them a heads up that it might be added down the road.

My director who had this issue was he would sometimes lie to an actor to get through a difficult scene (Like, oh, sure we can add two chairs to this scene), but it was always his intention to have zero chairs in the scene.

But I always put everything into the report, with the caveat things can change - and they do.

 

[Branden]

I think it's important to note everything that happens that day; even things that may not be directly talked about. For example, a director may have an actor stand on a rehearsal cube that is standing in for a desk; I would note in the report that the desk should be strong enough to be stood on. That's a kind of note that you may not discuss, but may influnced what the scenery folks buy or build.

If we're not sure on an add or change, I'll note it as a possiblity. For example I may note: We are adding three bar stools to 1:10, all of which will be stood upon. We MAY also add a chair; decision will be made tomorrow.

Even if you don't put it in the report, it's important to contact the person that would recieve that note so they're aware of what's being thought about. If they have an add in the back of their mind, they'll be able to plan for it in the budget, or have solutions if we do want to add something.

[kdshort1]

If I'm ever unsure, I always ask.  I'd rather ask a few simple questions at the end of a rehearsal than forget something important or have an angry director.

[workinhard853]

I actually type out everything that I notice that people in the production team might want to know; people are crawling, people are drinking, people are breaking in through the window, things like that. Then at the end of the night I briefly go over everything in the report with my director to see if I caught everything they said, if they agree with everything I put in, and to see if they had any other ideas about additions that he didn't tell the actors about. This is also the moment when I would discuss the next days schedule and any concerns or questions the director might have. It's like a cool down from the day with my director.