Code of Ethics for Theatre Workers

Not a blog about a particular show this week.

I found a couple of interesting articles on a Code of Ethics that was written in 1945 by Kathleen Freeman.

This is the code of ethics ;

Foreword to the Code

“A part of the great tradition of the theatre is the code of ethics which belong to every worker in the theatre. This code is not a superstition, nor a dogma, nor a ritual which is enforced by tribunals; it is an attitude toward your vocation, your fellow workers, your audiences and yourself. It is a kind of self-discipline which does not rob you of your invaluable individualism.

“Those of you who have been in show business know the full connotation of these precepts. Those of you who are new to show business will soon learn. The Circle Players, since its founding in 1945, has always striven to stand for the finest in theatre, and it will continue to do so. Therefore, it is with the sincere purpose of continued dedication to the great traditions of the theatre that these items are here presented.”

The “rules” follow:

1. I shall never miss a performance.

2. I shall play every performance with energy, enthusiasm and to the best of my ability regardless of size of audience, personal illness, bad weather, accident, or even death in my family.

3. I shall forego all social activities which interfere with rehearsals or any other scheduled work at the theatre, and I shall always be on time.

4. I shall never make a curtain late by my failure to be ready on time.

5. I shall never miss an entrance.

6. I shall never leave the theatre building or the stage area until I have completed my performance, unless I am specifically excused by the stage manager; curtain calls are a part of the show.

7. I shall not let the comments of friends, relatives or critics change any phase of my work without proper consultation; I shall not change lines, business, lights, properties, settings or costumes or any phase of the production without consultation with and permission of my director or producer or their agents, and I shall inform all people concerned.

8. I shall forego the gratification of my ego for the demands of the play.

9. I shall remember my business is to create illusion; therefore, I shall not break the illusion by appearing in costume and makeup off-stage or outside the theatre.

10. I shall accept my director’s and producer’s advice and counsel in the spirit in which it is given, for they can see the production as a whole and my work from the front.

11. I shall never “put on an act” while viewing other artists’ work as a member of an audience, nor shall I make caustic criticism from jealousy or for the sake of being smart.

12. I shall respect the play and the playwright and, remembering that “a work of art is not a work of art until it is finished,” I shall not condemn a play while it is in rehearsal.

13. I shall not spread rumor or gossip which is malicious and tends to reflect discredit on my show, the theatre, or any personnel connected with them-either to people inside or outside the group.

14. Since I respect the theatre in which I work, I shall do my best to keep it looking clean, orderly and attractive regardless of whether I am specifically assigned to such work or not.

15. I shall handle stage properties and costumes with care for I know they are part of the tools of my trade and are a vital part of the physical production.

16. I shall follow rules of courtesy, deportment and common decency applicable in all walks of life (and especially in a business in close contact with the public) when I am in the theatre, and I shall observe the rules and regulations of any specific theatre where I work.

17. I shall never lose my enthusiasm for theatre because of disappointments.

In addition, the document continued:

“I understand that membership in the Circle Theatre entitles me to the privilege of working, when I am so assigned, in any of the phases of a production, including: props, lights, sound, construction, house management, box office, publicity and stage managing-as well as acting. I realize it is possible I may not be cast in a part for many months, but I will not allow this to dampen my enthusiasm or desire to work, since I realize without my willingness to do all other phases of theatre work, there would be no theatre for me to act in.”

All members of the Circle Theatre were required to sign this document. And they must have-because the theatre, and the group into which it evolved, was successful for many years.

This from an article published in the LAStageTimes in August 2009 which can be read in full here.

LAStageTimes did a follow-up article in July 2011  here which is quite a long one, but at the end is an updated version of the code which is fun to read.

I hope you find this interesting and amusing.

Anything Goes - (3)

Blow Gabriel Blow picture from the Rider Waite Tarot pack Judgement card

Gifts that relate to this show include all kinds of nautical paraphernalia, life belts, ship's wheels, anchors, toy boats; plus sailors, and their hats, collars, uniforms.
Angels, and Gabriel's horn (like a post horn or fanfare horn, just a straight one like the picture above)
1930's style gangster machine guns (a nerf gun or water gun perhaps?) or a “Wanted” poster for Public Enemy Number 13
Friendship bracelets, or Forever Friends merchandise (particularly for Reno and Moonface)
Champagne or champagne bubbles (blowing bubbles).
Tap shoe charms, stockings, postcards wishing Bon Voyage or “wish you were here” messages, depending on character or rehearsal happenings. Rehearsals are often the most fertile ground for imaginative personal presents, things that relate to a particular lyric or move that are personal to you and your partner or team.

Anything Goes - (2)

Set on a cruise liner, the nautical theme runs throughout the show, with the added glitz and glamour of on-board cabaret, and the high fashion cult of celebrity which was as prevalent in 1934 as it is today. Lots of design freedom in the costuming, with trousers being fashionable for daywear,, and bias cut evening dresses in fabulous fabrics at the other end of the scale.

Our company had a two tier set, depicting the deck and bridge of the ship, with ladders leading from one level to the other. These were narrow sets of steps that gave the opportunity to vary the height and patterns of the players, so that Blow Gabriel Blow had several of the cast perched on the ladders and formed up across the bridge framing Reno centre stage, and giving everyone exposure to the audience. It did mean that the taller cast members had their heads up among the lighting bars if they weren't careful! At that time our auditorium had a flat floor, so the higher level allowed for some better sight lines for the audience. This is the usual way of setting for this show, but small community venues with low proscenium arch openings may make this impossible, and set your designer and director some headaches in developing imaginative settings that work well on a single level.

Anything Goes

Probably the most famous and long-lasting of Cole Porter's musicals Anything Goes was first staged in 1934 as a contemporary piece of theatre. Set on a cruise liner with very little in the way of set changes, it is a fun story with lots of well-known and popular songs including “I Get a Kick Out of You”, “You're the Top” and “Anything Goes”. Less well-known maybe is the evangelical “Blow, Gabriel, Blow” which is a big production number in the second act.
There some decent sized parts as well as the lead, Reno Sweeney, and her love interests,  and plenty of chorus numbers to get your teeth into. Reno also has a backing group of girl singers, her “Angels”.
The original 1934 setting gives scope for some fantastic costumes and a wide variety of dance styles, including some tap dancing if that is a skill available among a company's membership. It can also be updated to different time periods without too much difficulty as the music crosses several decades of the twentieth century without being out of its time.
The version I did was the 1962 revival version which included some songs that have since disappeared from the libretto, such as “Heaven Hop” which for us was a tap routine done in shorts and striped sailor tops (perhaps that was why it was cut from later productions!) with Bonnie leading (even this character has been re-named and re-written for the later versions.)

The Music Man - (4)

Gifts for Music Man:

Any kind of musical notation; such as treble and bass clef or quaver charms, Notebooks, mousemats, ties, socks, with sheet music designs.

Pin badges and charms of instruments, particularly trombones and other brass instruments and piano

American flags (it's Independence Day) and Uncle Sam ephemera.

Books, particularly copies of works by Chaucer, Rabelais or Balzac. And bookmarks.

Pocket watches for the Barbershop quartet. A less expensive option - sweet watches may still be found.

Sweet worms or Cornetto ice cream for Winthrop, depending on the child, and the circumstances. (Some companies will not allow ice cream or drinks in the dressing rooms because of space issues and spillages)

See categories The Music Man and Gifts for Musicians and Singers on www.thedramaqueensdrawers.co.uk


On a personal note; Loughton Operatic Society's production in which I am currently appearing (ooh that sounds so grand!) had its first night last night.  We thought we had sorted all the problems that had cropped up on tech and dress rehearsals, but the weather had other ideas. We arrived to find the stage and stage-left legs and wings soaking wet, because the rain was coming in through the roof of the building, so congratulations to our crew for managing to dry out the stage in time for curtain up. We are praying for slightly less rain for the rest of the week!
Wishing  “ Break a leg!”  to all my friends for the rest of the run, and that our audiences enjoy it as much as we are. Congratulations everyone on a great show.

The Music Man - (3)

The settings for Music Man are of the main street of River City, the interiors of the Library and Gymnasium, and Mrs Paroo's house and verandah (Indoors and out), and of the park with a footbridge, where courting couples meet. Quite a challenge for set designer and stage crew, with multiple changes, especially if presented in a small community hall with limited flying facilities. Depending on available space there is also the arrival of the Wells Fargo wagon at the end of Act One, bringing a plethora of brass band instruments for the children. Of course it is possible to dispense with a practical wagon, and have parcels being “unloaded” in the wings. Or at the other extreme, with unlimited space and budget, one can bring in a horse(or pony)-drawn wagon to complete the climax before the interval.

This can be a spectacular show, with costumes and setting becoming brighter and more dramatic as the story goes on, culminating in the arrival of the uniformed Boys' Band. The epitome of shimmering trumpets, clashing cymbals and thundering timpani. 

Music is the central focus of the whole show with piano, pianola, and brass marching band  all featuring in the action.

The Music Man - (2)

The Music Man is set in 1912, so period costumes are required, and some research into the possible attitudes and habits of society at this period. Fortunately this year is well documented, partly because of the Titanic disaster, and the news coverage that has survived from that time, and the films and stories that have been made to tell the story of the unsinkable liner. There is much interest in this story because it is 100 years since it happened, and lots of ideas for commemorative events include costume and hairstyle details, which are very helpful.

Hairstyles relate very much to the hats that were being worn at the time, and wide hats required structured hair to support them, and allow long hat pins to be skewered into braids and buns to keep hats in place. We so rarely wear hats these days that it requires quite a lot of practice to remember to keep one's poise with a large and unwieldy confection of net and lace, feathers and flowers, balanced precariously. Especially when you then are about a foot taller than usual and have to remember to duck through doorways.

Men's hats were not quite so difficult to manage, but remembering to raise your hat every time you meet anyone, when to wear or not wear your hat, removing it on entering a house, carrying it in your hands instead, all of which are no longer part of everyday life. Plus no wristwatches, only pocket watches, so actually using these things and making it seem natural and not contrived, all add to the characterisations of the chorus as well as principals. Personal props all add to the period feel, but are also a trap for the unwary or less experienced members of cast. Few of us recognise the anachronisms of gesture which we use every day, such as looking at your wrist to indicate that you are conscious of time, or of someone being late, even when not wearing a watch at all. It's a gesture of modern convention, but not always easy to avoid.

Who thought there was so much to learn when they first started to engage in amateur drama, and set foot upon the boards?