Titanic - The Musical Post Mortem
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RPI Players Production #254
Post Mortem Meeting Minutes
May 3, 2006 CE
Contents |
[edit] Introduction
The RPI Players production of “Titanic – The Musical” was a success.
The production came in $147 below income line for ticket sales, with actual ticket sale numbers being 37 seats over. The discrepancy being based on the mix of student/senior/adult ticket sales predicted. Concession sales came in $50 above predicted value.
All keys that the production team has should be turned in to the Technical Director of Players immediately.
This report will now start with a list of problems that were identified in the meeting. There will then be reports from the individual production departments. And finally the list of problems identified will be addressed in detail, unless they already were addressed as part of a department report.
Major Problems
1) Scheduling
2) No dark night
3) Receipts through Business Manager instead of Producer
4) Set not ready for dress rehearsal
5) Stage Management relations with cast & crew
6) Communications between the Cast, Crew and Production Team early on
7) Scale model a pain
8) Better delegation of set schedule
9) Rigger position needed
10) Better publicity delegation, speed and handling
11) Show start times
12) Cast wrangler
13) DOSO Excuses
[edit] Department Reports
Box/House
All went smoothly; last weekend extra busy, extra tables were needed. Need to teach new people better. Make sure people ask for help if they don’t know what they are doing. Leave space for fire apparatus access in back corners of house. Have design positions write report for future, for use in the Playhouse manual. List of previous people for help would be useful. Consider having a table OUTSIDE of the office for ticket sales over 175 for any performance. Consider having a House Manager over house and box assistants instead of separate top level positions, since they are so intertwined. Do NOT declare a sell out till 95% of seats sold. NEVER actually say “sold out.” We had some empty seats that we should NOT have had closing night. It is Box’s call when there are no more people waiting for tickets before a show. It then goes to the House Manager as to WHEN the house is ready to flash to half.
Makeup
Age/extensive makeup need earlier call times than we had. Call time conflicts should be e-mailed out. Be sure times are organized based on number of people and what they need done and number of makeup stations available. Get conflicts as of Tech Day at the LATEST. Consider a privacy curtain if quick, full costume changes are required.
Publicity
Lots of work, got stories in three papers. The paid ad in the Troy Record DEFINITELY helped, consider strongly for the future. Survey audience on how they heard of us. Need to delegate more. A separate show publicity director and Players publicity director have ambiguous responsibilities. Need to discuss between them early. More communication and clearer definitions of who does what. Mailings sat in the office when they should have been in the mail. The mailings were taken to the mail room, bounced back, and sat for way too long. Business Manager needs to provide an account number for the mailings. E-com needs to discuss this issue further, who’s in charge of what. Advertising needs to aim at smaller/local businesses, not large corporations. Need to poster locations where they have been suggested or requested. Listen to critiques and advice, when asked for. Keep list of businesses that take out ads and posters so they can be approached again. Point out in the playbill that ads are available. Consider selling personal message space for “well wishing.” Group discounts did not work, except for with the Greeks. Need earlier, simpler, flashier announcement to RPI mailing list. Angling signs a great idea. Consider TWO marquees at an angle. Use correct paint when painting marquee. Consider hanging a sign off the Union balcony as we used to.
Set
Rough. Things got done. Need to dimension earlier. Too much thought on platform over the rest. Deadlines set and in order to be met, we need to be efficient, do things in parallel, not serial, and need delegating. Master Carpenter needs to be considerate and trusting of the volunteers at work parties. Master Carpenter and Assistant Master Carpenter must communicate well and often, this should be established early. People waiting around at work parties and not working because there is not enough design information available is a really bad situation. Double duty use of set pieces was not considered early enough. Master Carpenter being the only person with a controller for the lift was a BAD idea. There were safety concerns with the lifting set, but the overall safety turned out well. RPI staff giving us advice on the lifting set was a VERY good idea. There were issues with the Master Carpenter setting a good safety example for the set building volunteers. Safety consciousness needs to be more important to the Master Carpenter role. Never do something you don’t want others doing. Players see, Players due. Safety devices such as eye protection should ALWAYS be used when doing set work.
Lights
Gobos worked. Time/Date display worked well. We needed full run thrus earlier. Master Electrician worked OK. Lighting team figured out the new system well. Gels for pit lights need to be done by Tech Day. Keep track of the gel # used for pit lights for future musicals.
Sound
Mics need to be turned on BEFORE being given to actors. Consider shoe pouches, number, character, real name on mics. Put mic tape and makeup over it instead of spirit gum. Need actor mics up quicker. Be sure all scripts have identical line cues. Cover lights on mic packs. Be sure to note all entrances for mic control at board. Mic conflicts and problems are being fixed over the summer of 2006. Mic checks need to be done earlier in the schedule. We found our problems very late and had to rent mics on an emergency basis, that isn’t good. Orchestra was powerful; nothing could be done about that by Sound. Acoustic foam on walls is an idea, deaden sound reflectors, and actors need to PROJECT more. Actors need time to get used to mics. Actors need to get used to projecting more both with and without the orchestra playing. The stage absorbs sound. The actors need projection training. The director should mandate this as part of early rehearsals. Sound got better during the run. Orchestra got more balanced relative to the actors as the run progressed.
Costumes
Communications, especially with the director, are important. Need to know WHO is in WHAT much earlier. Need to be considerate of private sewing machines that may be in the Playhouse, call and ask before using. Got help sewing near the end, but could have used help sooner. Rented tuxes, made 1st, 2nd, and 3rd class outfits. Rented most of the suits for the officer’s uniforms. Costumer would have been 4X the cost; Capital Costumes was cheap, but not fully accurate. Explore other options, such as borrowing from Mac Hayden in the future. Contact Barbara Peduzzi mightymidget@taconic.net for Mac Hayden costume borrowing.
Props
Personal dilemma, be sure your assistant can handle your job if an emergency arises. Assistant Props did great. Props went well, except for life jackets. Consider selling them. Call for props early was great. Table should NOT be made of glass. Glass shelves should NOT be used on stage. Model supply store is in Albany, Hobbytown. Model ship would have been done on time, except for problems that happened. Paper mache needs mortar in the mix. Flour, water, Elmer’s glue, Quick-Crete needs to be used. Better lighting for models so they can be seen from the audience. Debug stuff that needs to move on the stage sooner. Stationary casters should be used instead of free rotating ones to allow a straight line across the stage for something being pulled.
Orchestra
Auditions for musicians need more publicity. Talk with music director, but advise on our experiences in the past. Music auditions shouldn’t be on Tuesday due to typical evening classes that day. Size of pit shouldn’t be the reason for dropping a musician. Plan for the space available when casting. Be sure audition notices get out where they need to be, we have a lot of musicians ON CAMPUS. Tell people in person as well. Emphasize to the Music Director the importance of more vocal training for the actors in the show.
Stage Management
Keeping actors was a problem. We lost some important people late in the rehearsal process. We cast everyone, which isn’t a good idea. Actors should sign a contract committing to the rehearsal schedule with extremely limited absences accepted. Need understudies for major roles. Switching costumes is REALLY hard. The e-com should look into contracts for the actors. The producer, who doesn’t get paid, signs a contract, so shouldn’t the actors as well? Other area theater groups do have rehearsal commitment contracts with their actors. When recruiting actors, a flyer with a cell phone number is not as good as an e-mail address, in the RPI world. Flyers should also be sent to Troy High School and RPI’s Arts Department, this may be a promising idea to pursue. There has been a rift between Players and the Acting I course professor, and maybe we should try to heal it? Apparently, the teacher tried to take Players over when she started 10 years ago, which didn’t go over well with Players.
A major issue happened on Tech Saturday. The Master Carpenter wanted to be running crew chief, but the Stage Manager did not agree to this. I supported my Stage Manager’s decision; the Stage Manager is the boss for this domain on Tech Day. Upon this decision, the Master Carpenter LEFT on Tech Saturday. This was not a constructive result. These kinds of issues should be decided BEFORE Tech Saturday.
Tech Saturday involved more of a concentration on lighting and sound cues, since set pieces were not all ready. The crew chief and running crew turned out well. They trained for a day before Tech Saturday. The running crew should mime moves of crew that are not there. There were some attitude issues that turned up with the crew chief, and a running crew member had to step in to replace the chief when the chief was out sick. Not everything that always needed to get done on the stage did get done; some of these things were pointed out by actors. It is important to listen to people who point out these problems, be they cast or crew. The stage needs to be swept before EVERY rehearsal and should be swept AND mopped before EVERY show.
There needs to be a Stage Manager presence at ALL rehearsals, be it either the Stage Manager or the Assistant Stage Manager. There were issues with the cast not having initial confidence in the stage management, since there were no visible blocking notes being taken by the Stage Manager or Assistant Stage Manager for a long time. They really need to be written down and available, so that actors can check on blocking and such during any rehearsals. Dust should be swept from the stage and the stage fans used to ventilate if dust, paint or other obnoxious odors are in the stage area before rehearsals. It is important that questions that need decisions to be made get to the right people to make the decisions, so communication among the whole production team is very important. The Producer needs to enforce things when power struggles happen within the team. The production team that interfaces directly with the cast needs to be kinder and gentler. Though there were a lot of problems with getting all the necessary cast at each rehearsal, and an attempt had to be made by stage management to improve this, the methods used were often too harsh for our cast. The division of labor between the Stage Manager and the Assistant Stage Manager was often confusing to the actors as to who was in charge of what. This needs to be made clear to the actors to prevent confusion. TWO Assistant Stage Managers for such a big show should be considered in the future. Mentoring production roles is a good idea to consider for the future. More detailed job descriptions are needed for what exactly are expected of the Stage Manager, Assistant Stage Manager, or ANY of the production roles. It is important that the Director’s vision needs to be represented not just in the acting, but also in the tech. The main way to achieve this is with frequent communication between the director and the rest of the team, to prevent misunderstandings or confusion on WHAT is desired for the vision on the tech side, and IF it is possible. We should not give up on last minute changes to improve the show, IF they are realistically possible. Egos don’t work with team spirit, and in a competitive student environment like RPI, you are going to find egos. Everyone needs to try to manage their egos, it’s a tricky problem. The director’s initial scheduling caused worries for the production team, based on how late some things were scheduled to come together. The lack of a show run thru on Tech Saturday concerned the production team greatly. Earlier scheduling for the show to be ready to run on Tech Day is necessary, and should definitely be implemented for future productions.
[edit] Major Problems in Detail
1) Scheduling
A problem.
Students need to know more in advance, they can not be secure in their very busy schedules otherwise. The Director thought we would make it in time, but others did not. This happened due to different philosophies and experiences in people’s backgrounds. The Stage Manager is used to the Director leading scheduling for a show. Spending two days on one number was scary to many on the production team. The Director was not used to having a Tech Day two weeks before opening, and therefore needing to have the show ready at that point in time. The last announcement at all rehearsals should be reserved for the Director. Some actors were definitely worried as of Spring Break, feeling that they had spent too much time on early numbers in the show. Actors expressed a desire to rough thru the whole show before detailing scenes. This is not how the Director does things. It is important for the Director and the production team to discuss scheduling issues EARLY so everyone can understand each other’s point of view and COMPROMISE for the benefit of all. Set crew MUST know the final blocking of the show BEFORE Tech Day in order for it to be of proper benefit to the production. Compartmentalized rehearsals would help time to be used more efficiently by the cast. Three rehearsals per week are what the cast had been told they would be needed for until April. The reality was additional rehearsals per week were added right after Spring Break. Actors were quite surprised by this. The Music Director suggests that auditions happen and music rehearsals start BEFORE Christmas Break. This should be considered in the future. Community theater directors that know Players schedule have also mentioned concerns about the short rehearsal time for Players Spring musicals. Players should think carefully about the complexity of ensemble shows that they choose in the future, there are many other great shows with simpler elements that don’t require as much ensemble work. This show was one of the most ensemble intensive shows that Players has produced in many years. Script rental is expensive for large ensemble shows. Tech should ALWAYS listen to after rehearsal notes with the cast. It is important for tech to learn who people in the cast are and who they are playing. There are also typically tech issues wrapped in cast notes as well. A large part of scheduling problems were based on the large cast and their diverse conflicts. Designers needed actors to be scheduled for their scenes to know WHO was going to be in each scene. Minor roles especially didn’t know for sure who they were in some scenes until Tech Saturday. This was way too late. Communication is the most important method to solve and prevent these problems.
2) No Dark Night
Not having a dark night is not fatal to the cast, but it can be very stressful. A dark night gives tech time to do stuff that needs to get done that hasn’t been done yet. Blacking the stage needs time to dry. Tech can’t work while the actors are rehearsing. Many late nights are a part of tech, 6 people worked till 4AM on many nights. Wednesday should be dark if possible, consider an alternate rehearsal space for Wednesday if needed.
3) Receipts through Business Manager instead of Producer BAD
As long as the Producer delivers them to the Business Manager properly, giving them to the Producer is the superior way to do it. There is NO other way for the Producer to have a handle on what the expenses really are. Gino will change this policy as the Business Manager so the Producer will collect receipts and pass them on to the Business Manager. If the Producer doesn’t have control of the money as he is supposed to, the Producer can’t be as effective. The current Business Manager at the time of this production bit off more than the Business Manager could chew, resulting in delays in getting expense data to the Producer of this production in a timely manner. The Producer also needs to know the final numbers when every bill has been resolved. These numbers, AFAIK, are the ones quoted at the start of these meeting minutes.
4) Set not ready for Dress Rehearsal
Set schedules were not met by the Master Carpenter. The night before the show opened, the Master Carpenter refused to come and finish, so he had to be awakened at home by the Producer at 1:30AM to get the job done. The people available that could have done the work instead did NOT have the necessary design information which ONLY the Master Carpenter had. If the Master Carpenter vanishes, the Assistant Master Carpenter can follow a list of things to do and the design data, but ONLY if communication makes all this information available. Next in the chain of command in this circumstance would be the T-com chair and then the Technical Director of RPI Players.
5) Stage Management relations with cast & crew
This was covered in the Stage Management department report.
6) Communication between the cast, crew, and production team early on
All Tech positions need to have scripts for the show EARLY. This is an important tool to help keep the Crew and Designers in the loop with what the Director and Cast are doing. The common language of the show script can help a lot with communicating creative ideas between different groups in the production.
7) Scale model a pain
The scale model of the ship was a pain to build. It took longer than expected and was not fully finished by opening night. In the future, we should buy pre-built models when we need them.
8) Better delegation of set schedule
This was covered earlier in these minutes.
9) Rigger position needed
A rigger position is needed. A dedicated position of rigger should strongly be considered when dealing with a show with as complex a set as this one.
10) Better publicity delegation, speed and handling
Publicity needs more delegation to accomplish phone calls, mailing of letters, etc. in the timely manner needed.
11) Show start times
Box office is either busy or not, there is no in-between. There should be a 5 minute warning for scheduled show start, till Box releases the show. Do NOT tell actors to expect delays. Actors are anxious with long holds. And as happened with one of our performances, they weren’t ready when the show started on time. It is important for there to be better communication between the Stage Manager and the Box/House Manager. We did the best we could for what we had expected to happen in this production.
12) Cast wrangler
Someone is needed to keep the cast informed of the start time of the show. A wireless com would be helpful for this. Or we could install a Clear-Com jack in the Makeup/Costume room so someone can monitor it there. Actors are typically good at policing themselves to not miss cues, but they need to know when the show starts.
13) DOSO Excuses
It is important to decide WHO is responsible for collecting the info for those who need these excuses, sending in the request for them, and then delivering the official excuses. This needs to be done EARLIER; it was very last minute in this production, since it wasn’t clear who was responsible for them. It is important to include makeup call times in the planning for whether someone needs an excuse or not.
[edit] Addendum
After this meeting, one other issue came up. There was some concern from a cast member that the cast was not included directly in the post mortem process and that they had issues to raise as well. As Producer, my understanding of the post mortem process that I was expected to implement ONLY involved the Production Team, of which I had direct responsibility over. Anything else was beyond the scope of this meeting. Although theoretically the Producer is on top of the food chain for the entire production, we all know this is not truly the case with the manner that RPI Players hires the Director as a paid role, while the Producer is not. So really, the amount of control a Producer has over a Director is VERY limited in this type of relationship. Further, the Director is the direct interface to the cast; they do NOT have a direct relationship with the Producer. This was a very complicated production, and there were plenty of issues on the production side that needed to be addressed in this meeting, as shown in this report. The meeting ran over THREE HOURS. A longer meeting would NOT have been practical.
As Producer, I do feel it is important to have cast views and problems represented in the meeting, in a controlled way. I did this by inviting cast members that had expressed concerns or problems to me directly to come and participate in the post mortem meeting and they did. In my opinion, they represented cast concerns well. If cast members had problems that I didn’t know about, they did not tell me about them and there was no way for me to invite them. I did NOT post a public invitation to the cast, because as I said, I didn’t feel this would be a productive way to implement the process of this Production Team based meeting.
I did announce to the cast, crew and production team early on that ANYONE could come to the Producer with any problems that they needed help resolving. During the course of the production, some did take me up on this offer and issues were resolved. It is IMPORTANT for the Producer to emphasize this ombudsman function of the role to the cast, crew and production team on a regular basis during the course of the production. The Producer should invite ANYONE with a problem to see the Producer privately or come to the normal Production Meetings to raise any issue.
Beyond this, I think it would be a VERY good idea to distribute to the entire cast and crew a survey form requesting their ANONYMOUS views as to how the production went and anything good or bad that they felt about the production. This could be anonymously left in a box for the producer BEFORE the post mortem meeting so that any cast/crew issues could be brought up there. The Production Team is directly represented in the meeting, so they don’t need this survey themselves. In past productions I have produced for RPI Players, ones that were directed by Laura Andruski, she provided a survey that was given to all the cast and crew at the end of the production that accomplished this purpose. It may be useful for the e-com to contact her to copy this form for RPI Players future use. Personally, I think the form went beyond what we need, since it requested actual ratings for every production role in the show. I think just a more general survey form would be all that we really need.
After this issue was raised by a cast member, I did post a request for any other cast members with issues to please contact me so they could be resolved. NO other cast member contacted me, so I think this may have been less of a problem than it initially appeared to be. I still think that even one person with an issue is enough of a reason to initiate the future survey response that I suggest above, though.
Note that I’m not suggesting that none of the rest of the cast had any issues, but I think their issues were already addressed by the cast representation that was present in this meeting or resolved through other channels such as through the Producer directly.
Eugene W. Kosarovich
Producer, RPI Players, “Titanic – The Musical”
