Does your organization use rehearsal reports from a stage manager to help facilitate changes and communication?
Rehearsal Reports - Do you use them?
- Thread starterthorin81
- Start date
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.
Thats about as close as we get to rehearsal reports.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
As a High School teacher I never used them. I was a one man show, I was there for the whole performance, it made no sense. I sat down with the stage manager at the end of each performance for a few minutes and discussed if there was anything that needed to be fixed that I didn't know about. Anything more formal would have been silly under the circumstances.
So I guess my answer is it depends on how involved you are with the production and how many people you have working under you to delegate work to.
So I guess my answer is it depends on how involved you are with the production and how many people you have working under you to delegate work to.
elite1trek
Active Member
Not only do we do rehearsal reports, but we do production meeting reports, performance reports, design process updates, a load in report, costume fitting reports, and the dreaded post production analysis.
Now...we don't always do all of these, it depends on what the director wants.
And when I say we, I of course mean the people that work for me.
Now...we don't always do all of these, it depends on what the director wants.
And when I say we, I of course mean the people that work for me.
Sayen
Active Member
After reading this thread, I used them for our last performance at my high school. I had my SM and ASM complete forms during dress and tech rehearsals, and then distributed information to crews to carry out notes. It wasn't perfect, and I still caught the burden of the labor, but I think it did help build awareness of the work needed. I'm going to need to experiment to find a form and procedure that works for me in my environment, but I think I just added this to my show process.
I'm really glad to read this! Taking info from here trying it out, adding your own twists to it...... It warms my Heart.
I will tell you having a centralized / setup distro list for e-mailing makes it so much easier. We add a new one to the server for everyshow with all the new designers, sm's, pa's, etc. Good on ya for trying something new!
Rehearsal Reports/Performance reports are a HUGE must. We never used them during my high school, and I believe it's definitely something that needs to happen in a larger production. Main reason we didn't, is that all teh people involved in the technical work for HS, were at the rehearsal, so knew what needed to be done.
Rehearsal Reports help everyone, not just the tech. My rehearsal reports include general notes for the actors, schedule for the next rehearsal, what we did that night, as well as notes for myself, director and each one of the designers. If it's a musical, it usually has the choreographer on it as well.
I put a blank one on this. We post a copy of it on our call board, which will also contain personal actors notes that go out with the report if they have any that night.
We're required to send the report out by the morning after the rehearsal, so the technicians/designers, can get their notes and see that they are fixed (hopefully) in time for the next rehearsal.
~*~ Pixie ~*~
Rehearsal Reports help everyone, not just the tech. My rehearsal reports include general notes for the actors, schedule for the next rehearsal, what we did that night, as well as notes for myself, director and each one of the designers. If it's a musical, it usually has the choreographer on it as well.
I put a blank one on this. We post a copy of it on our call board, which will also contain personal actors notes that go out with the report if they have any that night.
We're required to send the report out by the morning after the rehearsal, so the technicians/designers, can get their notes and see that they are fixed (hopefully) in time for the next rehearsal.
~*~ Pixie ~*~
Professionally, show reports were a must. As a high school teacher, not so much, although I now am willing to give it a shot since Sayen is having some success with it!
themuzicman
Well-Known Member
From the perspective of a designer, they are a must. The SM for any given show, will email out rehearsal reports to the design team/board ops. As we are not required to be there at every single rehearsal, if an issue comes up It is helpful to read it in the rehearsal report and be able to fix it by the next rehearsal.
Walshd5000
Member
I've never been a designer on a show that's had rehearsal reports, but would have been handy. Every show that I've stage managed has had them. Whether or not I initated or the PM or TD wanted them, they'd go out. Using a free PDFwriter (CutePDF is my fav) it means anyone can view them. Email was the best way. Setting up groups of email addresses means you can add all the relevant people with one click to the email and the report goes out. I think I used Excel for mine so it could be all compartmentalized and on one page. Designers aren't necessarily picky, but boy the TD and PM are picky as all get out.
If nothing else, the rehearsal and performance reports are necessary for CYA. I would have gotten kicked out of a few shows had it not been for the reports and the emails. People just don't like to admit they screwed up and move on. There is so much drama in theatre. SAVE EVERYTHING!
Break Legs!
I'm a high school stage manager and I started sending out rehearsal reports and everyone loves them. At my school until myself we never had someone stage manage more than one show, so nobody ever had time to learn all the things that help out a production. But everyone involved in my school's current show loves them and is glad that I use them. Obviously my reports don't have the same information a professional stage manager would include but I have found that sending out notes to designers and reminding actors of what we are doing the next day is very helpful to the run of our show.
shiben
Well-Known Member
We use rehearsal reports at Calvin Theater Company currently, and I have noticed that it is hit-or miss for each SM you get. The one we have currently is not very good about putting in relevant information. As the ME, this becomes a problem when, oh, a few lamps blow out in a hard to reach area, and now im up on a ladder interfering with sound check and whatnot because I needed to move the band to get to their lights, or when their monitor goes out during a performance and no one knows about it until the band complains the next day (it was an electrical service problem). To me, if there is not a detailed report sent out, especially during performances, there is just no way to make sure that things happen correctly. One of the most frustrating things I have ever encountered is SMs not using a simple tool like this to communicate, which is critical in such a massive collaborative project like most theater productions are.
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