Missed Cue Calls

So you are saying to disregard the am completely? No in pro theater no one takes a call without the sm calling go. No its and or buts you as a designer should never interact with the board op on a show to show basis other than for programing. Its the SMs job to record cues, when to take them and ultimate take the brunt of any timing issues. No board op should ever take their own cue.

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I have never worked a show where the SM (professional) missed a call. That being said, I would take the cue if I new the show depended on it.
Say I'm on an FX and the safety of a cast member depends on my action. Wait for the SM to do nothing and FU, or do the right thing and save a life? Suddenly there is a difference, yes?
For me, the show is the thing.

I've never seen a single instance where a cue not taken could harm anyone. Ever

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Fly cue, set change, pit move, pyro, seen some.

When I'm blind to the move, wait for the call.
So now comes if the SM is wrong do you take the call and hurt/kill someone?

DuckJordan said:

I've never seen a single instance where a cue not taken could harm anyone. Ever

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I haven't either (personally) but I could imagine there being some cases where it could happen. Usually in a life safety circumstance, you have more than one set of eyes (error checking). That kind of weight usually doesn't come down to a single person who may blink or sneeze at the wrong time.

As a pyrotechnic operator, I could see it happening the other way around. We are the final say and will not take a cue, even if called by an SM, if we feel that doing so could create an unsafe condition. Even the Fire Marshal cannot legally instruct us to fire a cue. It's our license and our decision. Likewise, we have the right to halt any pyro cues in progress should we feel the need to (the SM has that right as well). But that is a different ballgame altogether, much like stage flight.

We won't, however, assume to take our own cues in a heavily choreographed show unless instructed to do so (which isn't unheard of - it just depends on the type of production). Normally a GO is given, at which point we go when it's safe. Usually it's immediate, but not always.

Missed cue, cue called wrong, all starts to feel the same to me. Training is everything. So perhaps a previous comment as to actions acceptable when a called cue is missed is better than guessing what to do. My world had many instances where a missed call would hurt someone. Mainly in blackout. As Les says, they have final control over the safe calling of a cue, not the SM.

If I was waiting to take a cue that I knew was going to be missed, might be time to say on headset,"standing by on LX 21." Just to let the SM know.

Robert said:

If I was waiting to take a cue that I knew was going to be missed, might be time to say on headset,"standing by on LX 21." Just to let the SM know.

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I find that this is the best way to be proactive without stepping on toes.

Generally I will take a cue if I was put in a stand-by and I knew that it was supposed to go AND the SM is dealing with something, if I am not in a standby I will ask "Am I in a standby" and 50% of the time I hear "Oh S**t Go Cue X" and the other 50% I hear "No, but you should be".
EDIT: Of Course I am Electrics...

It really depends on what level of theater is and what the experience the SM/board op have. If a SM has never called a show before or is dealing with some other crisis (I've seen set pieces fall onto actors, the ASM storm out of the theater, ushers leave mid-show and then audience members talking on phones in the middle of a show, the com system breaking mid-show, etc.), then the board op should take their own cues until the SM can return to the call station.

When I operate the board, I try to not take cues independently unless I'm told specifically that I have permission to do so. And if I want to change where a cue is, I communicate that before the next performance.

(Proof-reading that list, I think the best solution is to find more seasoned people and invest in a new com system.)

I have worked on a show where the SM would miss 30-40% of called cues - this wasn't a small show either, it was an IATSE touring Broadway musical. The SM lasted 13 performances before they had a replacement out to us. We noticed she was bad fairly quickly and we would all take the cues ourself -- including our flyman who had the potential to deck actors if he didn't watch out really good. The entire crew held a meeting to see what we should do about it - we had run the show 100+ times and could do it ourselves by then. We decided to give her a week to see if she improved, and after the first week we told her we were taking cues where she called them. 4 actors were decked, the light cues got almost a full song off at one moment - we had a ton of midi linked cues where LX would fire sounds, it was a disaster.

Long story short: I almost always take the cue if SM forgets because my cues are not safety dependent most of the time (sound here...). If my cues have the ability to hurt other people I'll skip it - usually there isn't enough time to ask for clarification. I'm the sound engineer on a Local 1/AEA show at the moment and I have had SM's miss the 2 called cues they give me (I take about a hundred others myself) once in a while - they have to call 800 other cues an act, and when we have an SM who hasn't called in a few weeks mistakes can happen. I take those missed cues every time because I know they don't impact the safety of the scene but do further the story (1 of them will not cause the entire scene to progress...) and without them we wouldn't have a viable show.

to wrap it up: time and place, if it's appropriate take it.

I also would add that location makes a diffrence. In both the theaters where I have been the house board op the stage manager is backstage. That's fine for the first one that was a procenum (sp?) But not ok for my current house, a half- thrust. My SM cant see very well, so sometimes I will take a cue. I will never take us out of a blackout or scene change without somthing from the stage though. I also am on book all the time, and read music (a plus for a opera LD) so sometimes i have a better perspective on the show.

So in short: i will take a cue in my own house if it is critcal for the show, but I will not overreach and take another departments cues.

Shows cam run by cue lights, the reason we have headsets is for questions...

DuckJordan said:

I've never seen a single instance where a cue not taken could harm anyone. Ever

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Robert said:

Fly cue, set change, pit move, pyro, seen some.

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It's a hijack but...
I would argue that if there are potential dangers of someone being harmed if a cue is not taken at the correct time, there are serious safety issues with the show that should be addressed. Anything dangerous should be cued to happen only if the people are already safe. It should never be the other way around.

gafftaper said:

I would argue that if there are potential dangers of someone being harmed if a cue is not taken at the correct time, there are serious safety issues with the show that should be addressed. Anything dangerous should be cued to happen only if the people are already safe. It should never be the other way around.

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I agree with @gafftaper, however, it may be that a cue not taken means it is not safe to proceed with a later cue. For instance missing a cue to move a set piece might leave an obstacle in in the path of an actor who is moving fast later in the show. Technically the cue that started the actor's movement whas not safe to take, but missing the cue to move the obstacle might be viewed by some as causing the unsafe condition.