Rehearsal Reports - Do you use them?

[thorin81]

Does your organization use rehearsal reports from a stage manager to help facilitate changes and communication?

[cdub260]

The Pageant of the Masters operates a bit differently than a typical show. We have rehearsals every Thursday night from February through June. We are not rehearsing the performance, but setting lights for our paintings and sculptures. We'll rehears 3 or 4 pieces on any given rehearsal night, spreading the process out over 5 months. These rehearsals also allow us to verify that costumes, make-up and set painting are all correct. The morning after the rehearsal we have a staff meeting where we compare photos of the original piece of art with photos of our reproduction.

Thats about as close as we get to rehearsal reports.

[Footer]

YES, THEY MUST EXIST. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING AN SM CAN DO!!!

You must also send out the all important performance report to keep the technical management team informed of things that need to be fixed.

[bdkdesigns]

Rehearsal Reports are a MUST! I can't stand it when I work with a certain SM and I get a RR with about 10 words on it and isn't split between areas.

Last year was the best: Find problem in audience, ______ got hurt, fix before anyone else breaks anything.

Now, while one might think that these rather vague discriptions are related, they actually weren't. The "problem" in the audience turned out to be an isle light that was burnt out. The actor randomly tripped on the stage over their own feet and got a bruise. The broken item was actually a rehearsal prop that was starting to crack. That was the SM's entire "rehearsal report"

Rehearsal Reports and Production Reports are the two most important items that an SM can send to me.

[Van]

I live for my daily rehearsal / show / House Managers reports. Without them I have no idea of what's going on once a show goes into production. As far as rehearsal reports go, I can't imagine getting to techs and finding half a million little things have changed during the rehearsal process. Production or show reports are a must for communication between the SM and all the different departments, I check them first thing in the morning and they tell me how I'm going to start my day. On the weekends then Sm's are under strict instruction to call my cell and home numbers in the case of major issues. I also receive House Manager reports, while these have some information which is of no use to me, such as concession sales, they let me know how the audience is reacting and commenting on the show.

Here is a cut and pasted copy of a show report from the SM


STAGE MANAGER: L. Widener Performance # 24
Personnel Reporting Late: Date: 10/10
HVAC: 69/68 Weather/Parking: cool and clear

UP
7:32

DOWN
8:53

Run Time:
1:21



Performance:




Lights:


Sound:

Props:
- Michael’s wheels on his chair sound like they need some oiling
Costumes:
- Jill no longer able to slide on the floor since the new coat of urethane. Was wondering if washing her booties might help in that problem. They might be getting dirty on the bottom which could be contributing to her issue

Set:
- all white edges of blocks and “C” got a new coat of pitt tech, tops of blocks got scrubbed and old yellowing pitt tech removed
- #7 block was reglued and clamped also noticed # 3 block having same problem and fixed.
- FYI, foggers are working beautifully now every time since the cables got dressed. I think we found that problem
- FYI,while up on the chase way replacing the aerial silk and checking rigging I noticed for the first time that there was a screw coming up through the bottom of the flooring. It was the business end of a 3 inch screw that is being used to hold up a ceiling piece onto the underneath of chaseway (honestly, I have to say that I'm surprised Gilberto didn't notice this first! and strange that it took me this long to notice it) I hammered it down.

Misc./FOH:
- while audience was entering one of the ushers tried to talk to the actors on stage during the preshow. She was very concerned about the suspicious man that crossed earlier and wanted to know if he was one of the actors. (Todd) and then she was upset when the actors wouldn’t answer her. I told her she mustn’t talk to the actors.
- and edge of the audience riser in the House Right vom got hit or kicked or something and a large chunk of the facing has come off and is now showing bare wood.






__________________________________________________ __________

Here is a copy of an House managers report:


ArtistsRep House Manager Report: Blackbird

House Manager: Natalie
Box Officers:
Concessions:
Volunteers:
Date: Friday, October 10, 2008 7:30pm



Statistics:
· Number in Attendance:
· Concession Sales:
· Hearing Aids checked-out:



Weather/Mood of Audience/ Producers Lounge
· Cold night.
· Light house but they brought a good energy with them. Loud conversation in the lobby and discussions of eagerness for the production.
· No one in the Producers Lounge.
Incidents/Customer Service Issues:
· We held the house for several late comers. Multiple people arrived to pick up tickets at or just after curtain time. Everyone was admitted for the production. They were all happy to be seated and appreciative of our holding the house. We did start about eight minutes late.
· One woman left the production about fifteen minutes before its end. I did speak with her and she was alright.
Maintenance Required:
· None.

Some info from each of these removed form anonymity, and when I receive them they are nicely formatted in Excel.
Notice that Our HM's and SM track weather conditions, attendance numbers, audience reactions. When doing a controversial show like Blackbird checking on audience reaction/attrition, is very important.

[thorin81]

Van, I have never seen a House Report, but I LOVE IT! I will start using it immediately. I have a show that goes up Nov. 20 and that will be excellent since it is mostly parents that take care of my front-of-house dealings. Teaching HS makes it hard for me to be all the places I need to be at once, but if I can get a report every evening from my House Manager that would be ideal. I have a template for my rehearsal reports that is set up quite well and I think I can use the same kind of format for the House Report. If I can, I will put the template up here.

[Grog12]

First off: I LOVE REH/PERF REPORTS.

That being said, no I do not. Namely because I'd be sending them to myself to fix things.

Oh well...

[cdub260]

Having seen Van's post, it occurred to me that while we don't use rehearsal reports, we do use performance reports. When the Pageant is running, we have a notes list back stage which any member of the crew can put a repair or general not on. Every night after the show, our Crew Chief/Master Carpenter compiles this notes list into a general memo which he then E-Mails to each of our core staff. If there's anything in the E-Mail which concerns me, I deal with it. If not I ignore it.

[dannyn]

I would really like to see that template. I am going to use part of the pdf template you posted.. if that is okay.

[Arez]

Yes and no, during highschool I tried using them and the director and TD scoffed at me, so I gave up on them for most of highschool, supplementing them with an oral rehearsal report. During outside gigs I use them on a base to base discretion, generally communitie theatre gets an oral version, everyone else gets what they need.