call times

[NHStech]

When calling a show - be it a play, concert, etc. for those backstage, are there "traditional times" that are commonly used? That is, informing people over your PA, say, 15 minutes before house opens, when house opens, 15 minutes to showtime, places, etc.? Or is that generally left up to the stage manager?

[Maribeth]

I would say that it varies between companies/theatres/venues, but it is fairly standard to call "half-hour","fifteen" "five" and "places". I know there are people who give ten minute calls but I generally don't.

I always think a good idea to let the company know that the house is open so that no one wanders onstage without realizing that there are patrons in the house (less important in a theatre with a house curtain).

In my current theatre, I make my calls through the PA and over headset, so that the crew and house manager are aware of these calls, as well as the actors. If there is something unusual happening pre-show, like actors being onstage during the pre-show, or a fight call, or a scheduled warm-up onstage, I will adjust my calls to include those things.

[MatthewShiner]

I would agree with Maribeth, but I cheat.

I call half-hour at 30 minute to posted show time.
Announce House open when it's open.

I call the 15 minutes call at 15 minutes + what ever time it will take them to get to place from the dressing room.  So, if it is two minutes, I will call 15 minutes at 17 minutes until posted show time.  So, it's 15 until places.

I call the 5 minute call at 5 + what ever time it takes them to get to deck, so in this example I call 5 at 7 minutes.  So, it's 5 minutes until places.

I call places, in this example, 2 minutes before the post start time, so that people are ready to go at places.

Now, if I am going to hold.  I announce at 5 minutes we are going to hold, so the next call will be places . . . and I adjust the places call.

It has worked for me.

[Maribeth]

I cheat as well.

[loebtmc]

I think that's the norm - I time to the clock up to 5, but at that point adjust to reality (and places is as close to a real 2-3 minutes to start as I can predict). And always always call house open

[MatthewShiner]

And orchestra places is sometimes a minute or two before cast places . . .  depends on your theatre, conductor and contractor's wishes.

[BeccaTheSM]

I worked at a theatre this summer where places was at 5minutes to posted time. But it was actually necessary. The dressing rooms were OH so far away from the stage. Also, it was a hydraulic pit so we had to be absolutely sure that every orchestra member was in before we even thought about moving it up to show level.

[Aerial]

I also call half-hour (house open), 15, 5, and places, and I definitely cheat.  The degree to which I cheat depends on whether or not I have a page mic or I have to walk around to each dressing room.  If I have to do the walk around, I go to the booth at 5, and my assistant calls places.   If I have a 15 minute intermission, in the interest of getting started against as soon as possible, I will give the house manager a 10 minute call, though I only call 5 & places to the cast & crew.  On the musical I was doing this summer, the conductor requested a cue to tune approximately 30 seconds before I sent the curtain speech.

[BayAreaSM]

I guess I feel like the odd little duck here, though perhaps it was just how I was trained - since I ASM'd for 5 years at the company I now PSM at (going on my 4th year).

I call Half, 15, 10, 5 and Places (2). For all shows with our symphony, I still call half at 30 minutes prior to the advertised curtain time (which is really 35), though I was taught to say "Half Hour til Top of Show" - meaning that I was never calling the time til places. Perhaps ballet is different...they need every call, and I even give those same calls to our pre-show warm up. I do tend to adjust to the proper call time after we pass the 15 minute call, so that I more properly align with the real top of show. Sounds odd but works every time - I have a symphony in the pit and dancers onstage by the time we get the house. I also walkie-talkie every call to my house managers, as they like to keep in sync for the bells. Yes, 30-15-10-5-and a Double Check at Places.

I carried that call time style into every company I work for (expect for the crazy adjustment per symphony contract). I took over calling a show once for another SM who had to leave, and when I shadowed her, she didn't call 10. I asked her about that and she said it wasn't necessary. When I took the show over, the actors requested that I give them a 10 minute call as well.

So I suppose it depends on the company, and perhaps even the actors. For the show I took over, it was a 2 man show - so I was happy to give them whatever they needed, call-wise. Though in my experience, I've only met that one SM in the last 9 years of my career that didn't call 10.

[iamchristuffin]

For an opera at 7:30, I call:

6.55 - Half
7.10 - Quarter
7.20 - Five
7.23 - 1st Orchestra
7.25 - Beginners and 2nd Orchestra
7.28 - Conductor

I've never heard the Ten being called!

C

[BeccaTheSM]

What is 1st orchestra versus 2nd orchestra? I've never heard of those terms.

[iamchristuffin]

I believe it came about in the first company I DSM'd for because the Orchestra were quite unreliable about being in the pit on time, meaning  we went up late. The 1st and 2nd calls were to give them their own Five, in effect.

C

[MatthewShiner]

I often call places, with not so steller response and then call "Second Call for Places".

Somehow that gets them to light a fire under the butts.

[PSMKay]

I'm wondering. If you start with "second call for places" will the company just think they missed the first one? OR is there some sort of scolding inflection in the second call that makes them scamper?

[BeccaTheSM]

I believe it came about in the first company I DSM'd for because the Orchestra were quite unreliable about being in the pit on time, meaning  we went up late. The 1st and 2nd calls were to give them their own Five, in effect.

C

Thanks! That makes much more sense than what I was thinking... I was somehow imagining that the orchestra was divided into two groups for ease of getting into their seats. ....But I like to over-think things a bit.