A few days ago I exchanged email with a fellow producer who was having a lot of trouble getting a production up and running and asking for a little bit of moral support while dealing with Herculean roadblocks such as flaky actors, unsupportive management, and a ton of drama. Here are some excerpts from the note.
Contracts Are Good
…Have actors sign contracts. They are effectively worthless unless you enforce them. If you’re paying them, withhold paying them until after the last show. Have penalty provisions in the contract that account for those occasions where they miss rehearsals due to things in their control (no-call/no-shows, flakiness, etc). It’s an incentive to show up to get paid.
Establishing Communication Path From Producer to Talent
…I have a contract with the producer as well stipulating what the general communication workflow will be. Always have provisions that the producer will speak to the cast through the director and not directly unless both parties agree.
Flakes Exist In More Than Just Cereal
I’ve been struggling also with flaky mofos. … We need to figure out how to allow actors to “own” a part of the productions they’re in. Money seems to help. Credit or partial ownership helps too..
With that said, I am changing my auditions a bit. There are plenty of actors that can act circle around me but don’t have the professionalism that I do and need. So, I started last year adding stuff to my questionnaire asking them why they auditioned, what they wanted to get out of the experience, what would force them to leave the production, etc. Almost all actors were thrown off by the questioning. Even with that questioning, I got a lot of duds in productions but it did help me zero in on who was “down” and who wasn’t. In future version, I may even ask for references that I can call if I don’t feel comfortable with them so I can gauge their commitment…
Building “Ensemble” For Successful Productions
A skill I sorely lacked last year was techniques to foster “ensemble”. We have to make these actors not only accountable to the production team but to each other as well. Can we get them to like each other?? Even better, can we get them to want to spend time with each other? Think of all of those exercises we did in our intro classes to work on building a group-mind and working together – there was a reason for that. It wasn’t only to get out of heads when performing but it was also to create a safe-zone to play. A lot of actors get caught up in their own hype … and feel that “everybody wants them” and that they should play the field. To a degree, yes, you should but not at a detriment of your commitments. So, it’s even more important now to build the ensemble from the beginning.
…Book a “hang out night” with the cast, do team building exercises at the top of each rehearsal, remind them to check in with each other, etc…
Believe In Yourself – Cuz No One Else Will
…Don’t let [other’s] BS dictate to you your value and worth…I personally struggle with this very thing. I automatically assume that eveyone thinks I’m a dick in the community when in fact I’ve gotten some of the best references and glowing reviews from people who I’ve butted heads with. It’s strange… I take my rep and legacy very seriously but at the same time, I can’t control people. So, gotta let ’em think what they want about me and move forward. I will prove them wrong in the end.
The best thing you can do against the haters is succeed. Just be successful. Whatever that means to you, do it. Haters can’t argue success. I’ve got 1000 anecdotes about this very subject in my tenure. lol.
I got a lot of thanks from my colleague and felt that they got the help needed to know that this particular production in this small, crazy, close-knit world of theatre wasn’t the first nor the last to run into problems stemming from management all the way down to talent. The important thing is to know that there are ways to place the odds in your favor for future productions.
Nothing’s guaranteed in the end but the diligence needed to bring you closer to success.