h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I have a probably stupid question. David, Pimms, are your theatre groups considered amateur, semi-professional, or what?

Amateur - we don't get paid The only people we pay are those we can't convince to do for the love of it, doing it in a professional capacity - rehearsal pianist, director, musicians in the band.

I have also been in a semi-professional show for a producer aiming to make a profit, for which I and the other amateurs were paid a pittance to perform. The producer did his best to offer the minimum to get his cast to agree - most saw it as an opportunity to be in a show that would not be done by amateurs, or to get experience prior to getting into a drama school and becoming professional (which gives opportunity of joining Equity and getting union rates).

My group is also an amateur group. I have been the 'semi' in various semi-professional productions where the principals have mostly been professionals (and all principals have been paid, but not the chorus), which was really good experience. The only paid people in this group are the director, choreographer and musical director.

I'm not sure, but I think that must be the way the Joplin Little Theater works. Now my curiosity is peaked. I must check into it and find out.

Of course, one always remembers that 'amateur' is not a bad thing. It means someone who does something for love, rather than for monetary reasons...

Very true. And we know that gifted amateurs are often as talented and professional as the preofessionals. In all of the arts, a great deal more than talent goes into 'making it'. I have begun to believe that it often involves sheer luck more than anything else.

Exactly. That's what I always say to colleagues who ask me whay I've never pursued the idea of acting professionally. Talent (which I am never entirely sure whether I really have) is only one part of the equation.

In our profession it is obvious that talent isn't even necessary in order to be a successful writer. Some of the really popular books with my readers don't deserve the paper and ink they're printed on.

*listens in, fascinated by the business of monocle-wearing*

I still remember being invited to the home of a teacher when I was in 4th grade. His wife was Spanish and he had a wedding portrait on the wall with something odd around the right eye. The teacher explained that they were the marks worn by the habitual wearing of a monocle. Not that he wore one, but in that era a monocle was thought to be a sign of class and education, so the painter put it in.

Even with the metal rim with rests most people I've tried my monocle on have found it takes some practice to hold a monocle in the eye socket for more than a few seconds with any apparent relaxed ease.

As with David I have avoided the deceptive lure of taking up professionally what I enjoy as a pastime. Several professionals I have known have reinforced the impression that talent comes below perseverance, and that below luck, in the success of any performer.

One former professional tellingly said that what was most depressing wasn't failing to get jobs, but seeing others not as talented get them repeatedly.
Another implied that the cameraderie often found in amateur productions was diluted in professional ones due to the back-biting and sniping caused by the knowledge that you could be competing for your next role against those you were working with. I'm not saying there isn't any of that in amateur groups too , but at least we aren't comparing what we are getting paid, which is divisive

If anyone's interested (and Pimms has already found it), I have written an entry on the show and submitted it to Peer Review. A6920408 - I hope that doesn't count as spamming or whatever, as it is rather on topic!

I don't recall ever knowing anyone with a monocle. I've only seen them in films, so obviously haven't tried to wear one. But I imagine it would take some practice.

Then there's the attraction of being a big or even a medium-sized fish in a small pond, rather than a tiny fish in a lake...

The competition out there is scary. A couple of years ago I auditioned for a production to raise money for the new children's department of the John Radcliffe hospital in Oxford. It was advertised as 'anyone can audition, come and give it a go'. When I got there, every single other person there was a professional musical theatre actor (or trying to be)- amazingly powerful voices, CVs, professional glossy pictures etc. If I'd have known that there's no way I'd have gone.

I'd love to act professionally but it's just too hard a world out there. My sister was professionally trained in dance and tried to get into the West End but gave up after many knockbacks. You need to have a very large ego and a very tough skin.

Lbclaire

... and be prepared not to be rich or even moderately well-off (unless you are fortunate enough not to have to work for your living [that would be nice wouldn't it?]), due to the time between engagements in generally low-paid 'resting' jobs.

My ego is only middlin' sized

Well I've got a pretty large one. Ego that is. But it's also a very fragile one so I wouldn't last five minutes in the cut and thrust world of professional acting.

It must be difficult to always have to audition for parts as well. It's like they expect you to prove yourself over and over. And such a few people actually make it to 'star' status. Yes, I agree that being an amateur and doing it for the love of it is probably just as satisfying - or more so.

Warning, this might turn into rather a long post, as I've had three rehearsals since the last time I did a rehersal ramble...

Last Tuesday was a run-through of Act Two with all the principals and a couple of the other people playing walk-on parts. Things got a bit tense at one point when a principal and a walk-on person got very cross with each other - principal wanted to run over their bit several times, and walk-on didn't see the point of doing so. No blows were exchanged, thankfully. The amount of people relying on their scripts had also increased since before Christmas, which was rather depressing. I still knew all of my lines (), but the assistant director had to have words at the end about the need to learn the lines properly. We have to be off book (i.e. from memory, and relying on the prompter if necessary) by the next acting rehearsal. I was particularly intrigued to see that one person who only has about four lines in the entire show was still relying on their script... I did feel a bit guilty for knowing all my lines, as it is much easier for me. My part is one of the main characters, but tends to have maximum impact for minimum stage time, so I had less to learn than most others.

Friday, we started choreography for my big number, 'The Sun Has Got His Hat On', which opens the second act. It is traditionally a big tap number, prominently featuring my character, but there is a slight snag, due to my lack of tap experience. This has been solved most intentively. It's still a big tap number, I'm still the lead vocalist, and I am still prominently featured in the dance break, but I have very little tap to do. One of the other characters basically pushes me out of the way to hog the limelight whenever the music starts to get very fast, so that I skulk off to the side and sulk for a while before joining in again. Most of my dancy bits are very silly, involving skipping around and waving my arms etc. One of the choreographers was very pleased that there was no sign of when I was skipping. I do have to do a bit of tap at the end, which was disastrous on the night. Everyone else got it straight away, but I just couldn't follow the steps as we were taught them, so ended up standing still for most of it. I then prepared an 'idiot sheet' (Pimms is familiar with the concept) from the choreographers' notes, so that I could practice at home.

And practice I did, between Friday and Sunday, and found I could do most of it (), but came unglued with a turny, hoppy bit.

Sunday afternoon was another choreography session, for the duet between myself and 'Jackie' ('Thinking Of No-One But Me'), which is the second number in the show. This was in a dance studio, which was very exciting, as I've never been to one before. The people in the number are myself, Jackie (a former dancer) and the eight young dancing men from the chorus. Oh, dear. Nine dancers and an inept librarian... It wasn't too bad in the end, though, as my function is to provide comedy in the routine, chasing after everyone else, leaping out of the way and so on. I get to do a kickline half way through, which is very cool. And during a period when I wasn't needed, one of the choreographers took me aside to help me out with the tappy bit. I can't yet do the turning, but I can do all the actual steps. Great improvement.

I feel very happy about both numbers. They will require much work from me (everyone else picked up the steps straight away, but everyone else is a dancer to some extent), but if they were easy then they wouldn't really be worth doing. 'The Sun...' should be an absolute show-stopper (mainly due to the pheneomenally fast tap performed by the dancers and 'Lady Battersby') and '...No-One But Me' should be a good crowd-pleaser as well. Again, not thanks to my contributions, but I'm fairly confident that I won't let the side down.

Now my thighs hurt and my knees are sore (I do a bit of running around on my knees in the duet number), and I must practice whenever I get a moment, but I'm excited instead of scared about the dance numbers now! I almost look forward to learning the last two routines (I shouldn't be too prominent in either of those, thank goodness). Almost.

No more rehearsals until Friday for me.

Sounds really fun, David, and I'm very impressed with your tap progress. I've never done tap, but I'd love to try.

I'm one of those annoying people who always learns their lines very quickly as well. I find it so much easier when I don't have to have my book in my hand. I also find it's often the people with the smaller parts who don't learn their lines, weird, but it seems to happen that way. Perhaps they don't think it matters if they don't as they're not in a large part. Who knows?

I can't learn dances just like that either - I'm usually the one messing it up completely when we're learning it. But like you, I go home and practice and I have it by the next rehearsal.

I'd definitely advise you to get some dancers knee pads for the duet number - I borrowed my sisters ones in a recent play I did where I had to crawl around a lot. I injured my knees a couple of years ago and can't kneel on hard surfaces without pain, but the knee pads were absolutely brilliant - completely secure, excellent padding, and unnoticeable under a pair of trousers. You don't want to be uncomfortable while performing, and you might do yourself some damage over the course of the run without some knee protection.

I have another rehearsal tomorrow (unlike you we only rehearse once a week), so we'll see if I'm stuck at the back again!

I had knee pads on, thankfully, as I was at the dance studio for that one. My knee was still red and sore, though! I shall have to track down some pads to keep, though - good idea, thanks! I should probably be wearing plus fours for that number, so they definitely wouldn't show...

Hope your rehearsal goes well and that you're not stuck at the back this time. Of course, now you'll have to do a triple flip followed by six pirouettes (or however you spell that)!

!