Controlling an Unruly Cast

[Scaenicus]

I am a high school sophomore stage manager, and I often find it difficult to control large casts of students.  Our shows have casts anywhere from 15-50 people; the upcoming musicals have 35 apiece, and it is hard to control a large bunch of rowdy kids who are, for the most part, older than me.  Does anybody have suggestions for asserting my authority, when I am younger than most of my cast?  Also, any techniques for quieting down the cast besides yelling?

Thank you in advance.

[jempage]

Hey scaenicus

check this thread out: http://smnetwork.org/forum/index.php/topic,2901.0.html
Same sort of discussion about getting attention.

I always suggest that you work on some sort of 'ritual' with the cast that immediately focuses them and gets them to be quiet and listen. For example with my current gig the actors are all between 13-18. It's in children's theatre, so its a bit of a pantomime.

My trick at the moment is to assign each of the 15 cast members a number which they have to remember. When I need them to be quiet and listen, I call "Sound Off!" and they have to go through their numbers as quickly as possible and then freeze immediately afterwards.

Not suggesting that this method will work in every case, but check out the other thread for more tricks and ideas.

[gabzi27]

I know the feeling, I'm also a sophomore stagemanager and currently stagemanaging a production of High School Musical and the director doesn't turn any one away who wants to be in the show. We usually end up with a cast of 70-100 but as the show is H.S.M. we have over 120+ its crazy, what we (the 3 SM's and the 2 ASM) do is just raise our hand when they get too loud. Some one is bound to see one of the 5 of us and tell the person next to them and we have the people that see us we have asked them to also raise there hand, people can usually see hands going up in there peripheral vision, and if they see 50+ hands up they know to stop talking.  It works quite well, and fast after doing it many times. But it also makes the last person talking a little embarrassed but they just have to get over it. That's theater right.

[BWEEVEED]

It's happened with me too. I'm now a senior in high school and at this point most people recognize that I'm involved in the theatre and they listen to me.

If it ever becomes an issue of people just dismissing you when you ask them something, then you can go to the higher ups. If you keep your cool and talk respectfully they'll come off as being rude.

As to calling attention, God mics are helpful if you can set one up.

[Scaenicus]

As to calling attention, God mics are helpful if you can set one up.

I usually use a God mic, and I think that will be of great help.  The problem is that most talking occurs in the dressing rooms and wings, because we don't have a policy of keeping actors in one place during rehearsals.  I think I will put a speaker in the dressing room hallway, so that everyone can hear.