Assistant to the Director

Originally by Stephanie Toney

• Assistant to the Director
  • Auditions - Week 1
  • Week 2 - First week of rehearsals
  • Weeks 3 & 4 - blocking & wallow weeks
  • Weeks 5 & 6 - Run throughs and tech
  • Evaluation:

The Assistant to the Director (AD) is the person who provides assistance to the Director and the Stage Manager throughout the rehearsal process. The AD should be at most if not all rehearsals and has specific duties.

Auditions - Week 1

Before the week:

Contact the director and the stage manager to give your phone numbers and any conflicts that you have between the audition date and opening night. Discuss any help that may be needed during auditions, generally handing out cards, collecting cards, running more copies of the calendar.

Check with the Technical Director and begin to compile the names of crew chiefs who will be a part of the show. It is your job to contact all of the chiefs to invite/ remind them about Weekly Production Meetings.

During Auditions:

Arrive early enough to help set up the table or tape off rows in the theater. Help out with various clerical duties. The call-back meeting is strictly confidential and the assistant to the director does not usually sit in on this meeting. If a situation arises where you are asked to be a part of this meeting, remember that you are there for clerical help, the director makes the decisions. Ask if you will be needed for callbacks.

During Callbacks:

Arrive early and help to prepare the stage for the call-backs. Check to see if anything needs to be copied. Find out if the director would like you to take notes.

You may or may not be asked to stay for the casting meeting. (It is usually understood that you will not be asked to stay.) If you are asked to stay for the meeting, remember that this is confidential material and that the director, choreographer, and musical director make the decisions.

At the end of Call-backs and before the first Cast Meeting:

You and the stage manager will need to get together and find out who is serving in all of the technical positions for the show. An exhaustive, and partially ridiculous, list is given here to remind you of what positions you need to inquire about. Get the names, addresses, and phone numbers for these people. You must invite all of them to the weekly production meetings. One of the easier ways to do this is to, call them for the first meeting, then hand out a postcard for the refrigerator for all remaining meetings.

Identify these Possible Technical Positions to Contact for Weekly Production Meetings

• Artistic Director
• Technical Director
• Scenic Designer
• Musical Director
• Choreographer
• Costume Designer
• Sound Engineer
• Sound Designer
• Lighting Designer
• Propmaster
• Stage Manager
• Assistant to the Director
• Assistant Stage Manager
• Running Crew Chief
• Sound Crew Chief
• Light Crew Chief
• Props Crew Chief
• Pit Crew Chief
• Dresser Crew Chief
• Makeup Designer/Chief
• Concessions Coordinator
• Box Office Manager
• Rehearsal Pianist
• House Manager/Usher Coordinator
• Office Manager
• Costume Apprentice
• Any other Apprentices

A note from Haskell Fitz-Simons? about notes:

Probably the most important job for the Assistant to the Director (AD) is taking notes for the director during run-throughs, technical rehearsals, and dress rehearsals. "Taking notes" means literally listening to what the director (and sometimes the choreographer) says during the course of the rehearsal, and writing it down in simple terms so the director can retrieve his or her thoughts during the notes session following the rehearsal. It is useful to use some sort of shorthand, abbreviations, and/or other symbols during this process to increase speed and efficiency (see symbols for director's notes - page 2).

Need to insert a graphic with these symbols

Sometimes the AD must become something of a "kamakazi" mind-reader/editor because some directors give notes in a stream-of-consciousness fashion. It then becomes incumbant upon the AD to distill that flow of verbage into a comprehensive note that makes sense to the director later. This is actually easier than it would seem: usually the bizarre flow of words is a result of frustration on the director's part as a result of an on-going actor-problem and all the AD really needs to do is note the Actor/character name and the specific line in the script that has pushed the director's button. The director can usually put that information together and come up with the appropriate note.

Always - check with the director to make certain that you are taking notes that are helpful to him or her.

Week 2 - First week of rehearsals

First Cast Meeting:

This is a relatively easy evening for you, help pass out and collect up the paperwork that the Stage Manager will be handing out. Remind cast members to sign in on the "Sign-in" sheet and explain that you will be checking attendance every night and calling anyone who has not shown up by call time. (Then of course you have to actually call them. Often you will be talking to answering machines while people are stuck in traffic, but that's okay, you said you would call.) Let the stage manager know of any late or absent cast members.

Either the Stage Manager or you will follow along in the script during the Read Through. You may be needed to write down measurements for the costumer as he takes measurements of cast members.

Production Meeting:

Invite everyone and be there. Get an estimate of the total crew size from each chief so you will have an idea about the size of Tech Dinner. More on this later.

Character Study and Dialogue Study:

Check with the director to see if you are needed for these days. You may be able to miss these days.

Music Rehearsals:

The musical director is in charge of these rehearsals and you may not be needed. Check with both the artistic director and the stage manager to see if there are tasks that you need to help with.

Blocking Rehearsals:

Blocking rehearsals move slowly. Both the Assistant to the Director and the Stage Manager write blocking notes in their scripts. There are examples of blocking notes included in the "Supporting Documents" section. Blocking notes also generate prop notes. Both you and the stage manager should keep a pad of paper handy to write down prop notes. Give your list to the stage manager each evening.

Every day:

Help with getting the stage ready. Sweeping, arranging furniture, setting out rehearsal props, setting out rehearsal costumes are all examples of tasks that will need to be done. Check the attendance sheet and make those phone calls to tardy cast members.

Weeks 3 & 4 - blocking & wallow weeks

"Run Through" Rehearsals:

Your primary responsibility is to take notes for the artistic director (see the shorthand symbols for director notes). You will follow in the script so that you can make page notations in the notes. You should make every attempt to write down everything that the director says in the note. For instance:

"John - pick up your cue from Mary on your entrance-page 34 - didn't we talk about not turning on the light when you entered but instead to wait until she throws the vase at you."

You will need to supply a legal pad, sticky notes for musicals, lots of pencils, and a flashlight for this task

Notes:

Sit beside the director during notes in order to decipher what you have written. Follow along in the script as the director gives notes in case there are questions and someone needs to know what page is being referenced. After notes, help the stage manager restore the rehearsal area to order and assist with locking up

Working Rehearsals:

Working rehearsals move very slowly and you may not be needed to write down notes. Check with the artistic director and the stage manager to see if there is something else that you need to be doing to help out.

Photo Call:

Publicity Photo Call is for everyone connected with the show. Remind crew chiefs when you talk to them about production meetings to have all of their crew attend this important night. If the marketing director is not running this event, you and the stage manager need to help out. Your job will be to write down the names of people in the photos so that names and pictures can be matched up. Make sure that you spell everything clearly and that you write neatly.

Weeks 5 & 6 - Run throughs and tech

Work TBAs:

Work TBAs are usually the last time that the stage manager has time to meet with lighting and sound designers. Try to make yourself available to be "on book" during this time period and, therefore, to free the stage manager for other tasks. When you are "on book," you follow every line in the script and supply the line if an actor calls "line". Don't supply the line without the actor calling for it, you may be interrupting a dramatic pause. Give the line clearly and loudly with a minimum of interruption to the flow. Stop the instant that the actor starts talking again, he might have only needed one word.

Double Duty:

If you are also to be the Assistant Stage Manager. you need to get a fill in for the Assistant to the Director position beginning on Crew Watch Night. Responsibility for attendance transfers to the Assistant Stage Manager on Crew Watch night.

Tech Dinner:

You are responsible for coordinating Tech Dinner. This potluck dinner is put on by the cast to welcome the crew after a long day of Tech on Tech Saturday. Put up a sign-up sheet several weeks in advance and remind people to please let you know what they will bring. The theater provides paper products. Get an estimate of the number of crew people expected from crew chiefs and remember to add in family members.

If it is a very small cast you may need to ask crew chiefs and Technical heads to help supply food. Plan to have someone come in and put food out during the end of Wet Tech since you will be taking notes.

Remember that you are the host and after everyone has served themselves you should lead off the introductions. Unfortunately, you are also responsible for cleaning up after dinner, but lots of people will stay to help. In rare cases with extremely small casts you may decide to collect money and go get pans of lasagna at Sam's - always remember to have vegetarian selections for people who do not eat meat!

Speed Through/Dress Parade/Dry Tech

You may not be needed during these time periods and can be polishing up Tech Dinner plans.

Dress Rehearsals/Previews

Your sole responsibility is to take notes during these days. During Preview(s) you should tape off the rows that the director will be using. Make sure that the audience is kept at least two rows away. Your final night is the night before Opening. There will be a reception after the preview for cast, crew, family and friends. Enjoy yourself.

Evaluation:

It is important for you to give the Assistant to the Director Coordinator feedback on your personal experience. Therefore, you are asked to provide a written evaluation of your experience at the end of the show. A sample format is below, but you should feel free to use your own format if you like. Individual names should not be used.

Evaluation - Assistant to the Director Experience

Show:

What was the best thing about this experience?

What was the worst thing about this experience?

What do you wish I had done as a coordinator to help you?

What two things would you want to see included in next year's assistant to the director orientation?

Why did you accept this position? Will you volunteer for this role again?

What was the hardest part of this show and how could it have been helped?

How well do you think you accomplished the responsibilities of an assistant to the director?

What needs to be added to the handbook to make this a better document?