Getting Rid of Intermission and a Few Other Things...- Page 2

[JBroadway]

Posted: 5/14/21 at 11:48am

Joshua Rosenthal said: "I believe, if whst someone who I know who used to be on Broadway told me is correct, every hour of rehearsals or performance, the performers and I believe crew as well are obligated by union rules to a 15 minute break. Even for shows that are in between 1 to 2 hours, their break I believe is then technically before the show starts since there won’t be intermission there. In terms of most musicals however, there would then have to be a break by union rules unless they plan on changing that which I highly doubt considering many people on both sides of the curtain really need a break during the show at some point."

 

I'm not in the union, so I can't claim to know the rules for sure, but what you're saying doesn't sound totally correct to me. Don't most actors have a half hour call before curtain? In theory, I guess that could count as a "break" since they aren't performing, but aren't they spending a big chunk of that time getting in costume and makeup? It seems to me that Equity wouldn't let that fly as a "break." Unless the call-time is earlier for shows that have no intermission, but that doesn't seem right either. Is it possible that the rule you're thinking of only applies to rehearsal, not performance? 

[temms]

Posted: 5/14/21 at 1:26pm

The 10 minute break every 90 minutes rule doesn't apply to runtimes. If in rehearsal you're doing a runthrough of an act that lasts longer than 1:20, you don't have to stop for the break. If, however, you stop the run at any point prior for any reason, you do have to stop and take a break after 1:20 regardless of whether the act is finished.

A CHORUS LINE is interesting because it does in fact have built-in breaks for the actors and musicians - everyone but Cassie and Paul gets a big huge break and the orchestra gets to go smoke/pee during the Paul scene. Zach can take his break after Connie's section of the Montage and honestly, he could be doing his lines from the bathroom for all anybody knows. I also feel like it has a built-in drive and holds audiences' interest better than most 2+ hour shows, but that's just opinion.

[Dollypop]

Posted: 5/16/21 at 12:50pm

Conversely, there are problems in adding an intermission where one didn't originally exist. Case in point: the Gateway Playhouse's lackluster performance of A CHORUS LINE a few years ago. An intermission was added and it made an already sluggish performance even more tedious. I would have left but my friend was enjoying the show.

[ACL2006]

Posted: 5/16/21 at 8:18pm

Dollypop said: "Conversely, there are problems in adding an intermission where one didn't originally exist. Case in point: the Gateway Playhouse's lackluster performance of A CHORUS LINE a few years ago. An intermission was added and it made an already sluggish performance even more tedious. I would have left but my friend was enjoying the show."

That was probably the second worst (professional) production of ACL I've ever seen. Only one worse was the recent one at Papermill (2012?).

Updated On: 5/16/21 at 08:18 PM