Klarinet Archive - Posting 000093.txt from 2009/07

From: Richard Gordley <rgordley@-----.net>
Subj: [kl] More doublers - help info
Date: Mon, 20 Jul 2009 09:29:34 -0400

Thanks to everyone for their opinions which have ranged from suggesting tha=
t real pros should be prepared to play cold without warmup or tuning - some=
thing I have to discount as emerging from inexperience - to agreement that =
the director needs a wake-up call that lack of a reed section might provide=
.

Let me clarify a couple of things before laying this to rest. First, I'm no=
t suggesting that we need time to "run cadenzas and Mozart concertos" in fa=
ct I find this suggestion somewhat insulting. I am asking for a reasonable =
warmup period where we can verify that all mechanisms work and that reeds a=
re compliant. I am also asking for 2 or 3 minutes just before curtain for t=
uning purposes. And, as Walter notes, doing this in another room and stagge=
ring into the pit and running the gauntlet of equipment there with an arm f=
ull of instruments is asking for trouble.

It also seems that I need to clarify the situation with the director. This =
woman has been directing these shows for 15 years and retains her position =
mainly out of ignorance of the board of directors whose only concern seems =
to be that their names are known as the "movers and shakers" in the communi=
ty. Her resume is impressive, but her actions make one wonder whether she h=
as ever actually seen a professional production. Long past her prime, her m=
ain directorial technique is screaming. At rehearsals with the orchestra, s=
he issues a 7 PM call, starts the rehearsal from 30 minutes to an hour and =
a half late and can go on well past midnight with orchestra participation o=
f less than an hour. She regularly stops the rehearsal only to wander aimle=
ssly about the stage periodically screaming about faulty scene changes, mis=
sing props, or some missed bit of business while the actors, who respond to=
this mainly by tuning her out, wander off into the wings or elsewhere with=
the result that when she runs down and wants to start again, it takes 15 t=
o 20 minutes to round everyone up and get things underway again.

In addition, she is obsessed with bows. For the current show she has devote=
d more than 2 hours working out the bows and at yesterday's matinee, where =
most of the orchestra showed up an hour early in order to get everything as=
sembled and do some warming up before the doors opened, we were told we cou=
ld not play at that time either because she was on stage screaming at the c=
ast as she spent yet another half hour working on bows. And by the way, no =
other room was provided for warm up purposes.

In spite of all this, shows go on, the quality of talent available in this =
area makes it possible for all concerned to put the show together in spite =
of this harpy. The board sees results and has little interest on how they h=
ave been achieved.
(However, she is burning through the people who are willing to work with he=
r and it will only take a couple more years before high school students wit=
h no previous experience will be her only talent pool.)=20

Why do we do put up with this? We do it basically as a favor to the conduct=
or who is a great guy and universally respected by anyone who has worked wi=
th him. Those of us in the pit thoroughly enjoy playing the show once the r=
un begins and the director has to finally sit down and shut up. And the con=
ductor does it out of his love for music and conducting. If there was nowhe=
re else for him to work he would be out on the street teaching people to si=
ng just for the love of it.

So what we have here is the best and worst of the amateur theater experienc=
e. Great people who actually do the work under the shadow of a senile, bitt=
er old woman who gets her way by making people miserable.

I see that by describing the situation to the list, I have defined my own p=
osition. If I really want to play the show, I should suck it up and quit co=
mplaining. If not, life is short, I should get out while I can.

Thanks for all your thoughts on this subject and thanks for giving me a pla=
ce to vent.

Rich

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