What can i do?

[Jambo_UK]

Hi every1,

 

I have got to that point in my life were I need your advice on which route I should take,

 

I have just finsihed my GCSE and I will be doing my A levels for the next 2 years otherwards but I would like to get involuded more in my local theatre but I have no idea how to go about it.

 

As if I wrote to the stage manager there he would tell me to hop it, as would you have a 16 yr old on your team that you knew nothing about?

 

I have alot of experience at school concerts and have arranged fourin in the past two years, So what do you guys and gals recommend, How do I get on the ladder to sucess?

 

If it helps I'm based in Crawley, West Sussex,

 

thanks for the help

 

from

 

Jambo

[gareth]

*Sigh* .... I wish people would take a few minutes, before posting a question, to look through past topics to see if it's been answered before (as this one definitely has, several times).

 

Basically, for getting involved with the local theatre scene, you have two choices - casual work at your local professional theatre, and finding a decent am-dram group to join. Seeing as you're doing A-levels for another two years, and I can't imagine a professional venue being considerate enough to rearrange their fit-ups and weekday matinees around your studies and you'd therefore be limited to evenings and weekends, then I guess that kind of leaves you with option 2 ....

[Lena]

I can't imagine a professional venue being considerate enough to rearrange their fit-ups and weekday matinees around your studies and you'd therefore be limited to evenings and weekends, then I guess that kind of leaves you with option 2 ....

 

But by virtue of being casual you can work when you can and not if your studies get in the way. I worked in my local professional theatre all the way through my A levels and my degree. I found that all the theatres I worked in were sympathetic to my needing time to study and if I missed a fit up and matinees I could still op the evenings.

Likewise my tutors let me take time to work and I did miss course time, as long as you get the work done it's usually ok. But I did do theatre courses so it kind of counted as work experience.

I do believe though that A levels take up more time than when I did them but still it has to be worth a try. it was the best thing I could have done as my boss has told me that it was my experience in the real theatre world rather than my degree that got me the job I have now.

 

So, Jambo, my point is that you have nothing to loose my trying.Write to your theatre and see what happens rather than assuming you'll get no answer.

[Cleaver]

yeah. There are actually some nice people in this world. You just have to look hard enough.

But like lena said. There is absolutely nothing to be lost in trying.

[benweblight]

I am 'supposed' to be doing what lena said at the moment but hasnt worked out, ah well, probably just me

 

one word of advice jambo, school gigs dont count!!!! well they help but most places would expect you to have done lots of out of school shows you (lots of unis, and professional theatres such as nt)

[gareth]

But by virtue of being casual you can work when you can and not if your studies get in the way.

 

If you can find a theatre that's prepared to let their casual staff work like that, then great. But the reality of the situation is that most busy venues will have their 'first-call' casuals, who are generally available for Monday fit-ups, weekday matinees, etc. Unless, like Lena, you have an understanding tutor who's happy to let you regularly take Mondays off from your course (along with other afternoons to cover matinees), then your usefulness as a casual to a working theatre is going to be kind of limited, and the chances are that you'll find yourself pretty low down on their "people to phone when we need casual staff" list after you say 'no' to the first few phone calls asking if you can work a Monday get-in or a run of shows including a weekday afternoon performance. Likewise with get-outs - although you'd think that with these happening at a weekend they'd be ideal opportunities for a student to get some casual work, the reality is that (as a matter of courtesy) most HODs offer the get-out to those who did the get-in. In such circumstances, the only time that 'slots' on the get-out crew become available to "weekend and evening only" cassies is when someone else drops out. And with £30-odd per hour on a TMA/BECTU get-out, drop-outs are quite rare!

 

Don't be completely disheartened - you might get lucky and find a theatre which is able to offer you casual work on a basis which fits in with your studies. But all I'm saying is, don't get your hopes up ...

[Stu]

If you have an arts centre near you, or a venue with 2 or 3 spaces in it you might have some more luck as these kind of places might need you to do the odd friday and saturday night in their Studio, or doing a in/out for a rock 'n roll show or something similar.

 

Stu