As has been said--its the board op job to take the
cue WHEN they are told G-O. I've been doing shows for 22+ years in venues from Broadway to the Burbs....and when I'm LX board op I usually have the show memorized after the first or second rehearsal..but its the SM's responsibility to
call the show..period. If the SM is yappin on their phone, doin a soduku puzzle or otherwise distracted (yes I've seen all of that--the SM's were usually replaced or yelled at, especially when the
producer/director happens to stroll quietly into the booth to give a note and see's the SM doin a puzzle.).
In the chain of command, the board op is UNDER the SM for show duties--they do as they are told by the SM. If the SM is a flake, unable to
call the show or handle all the cues or just not payin attention--they need to be replaced...simple as that...and that is the
Producer and Directors job to decide that..not the board op. The SM is responsible for the show
continuity and the show cues and performance production.. The board op may know the cue--but its not their job to
call the show or take cues on their own. That is a good way to get fired. A nasty SM may even report you for taking cues on your own, and you can get yelled at or fired--even if you are right on a cue--you did not follow chain of command. The SM will get yelled at by the
producer/director if something is wrong--and they will sacrifice the board op to
cover themselves--and if you are asked and say that you took the
cue without a GO--then YOU are wrong, not the SM, and you will take the heat. If the SM did not give the cue--that is all you need to report--and its the SM who failed, not the board op. If a
producer/director has to talk to the board op for running on their own or ignoring the SM--the board op will usually be replaced without a second thought. You do a show NO SERVICE by tryin to do the SM's job or usurping their authority....you do the show NO SERVICE by covering for a lousy SM... If they miss a cue--they miss a
cue and they will hear about it... As Board Op--YOU do not always know of any of the changes which may have been made between the SM and the director/
producer...for all you know the
CUE may have been instructed to be called later or earlier or to wait for a visual the SM knows about....but if you take it before you get the GO cause you remember the nite before it was at a certain point--you again do NO SERVICE to the show. Do your job when you get the GO
call...don't try to do the SM's job as well..thats what the
producer and director expect of the board op--to do their job when they are told by the SM....not take a
cue when they think it should happen. It all comes down to "Too Many Cooks..". Nothing wrong with letting the SM know you are standing by for a
cue if you see they are not paying attention and a
cue is getting near or passed--and that often snaps them back into attention...but that is as far as you take it... If they ignore you--or they don't follow the cue--that is the SM problem, not yours. I know a few SM's who never can get the
cue right or
call it properly for timing after 5 rehearsals--and while its annoying to see and you know it could be better if it was called properly or at a certian time, its their job, not yours to decide that and figure it out.. Many SM's if they have a problem with a
cue or timing will often ask the board op about the
cue timing and so on--and its those opportunities when you "may" be able to offer a suggestion to help....but in the end its up to the SM to
call it...
-w