How do companies deal with the serious/extreme 'what if' situations?

Hey Jonno,

You raise some really interesting questions. I've served on a committee before and been involved in countless production teams, and it's surprising how often these sort of situations arise. A lot of the time, as well, the rest of the cast and prod team have no idea that a situation has occurred. Fortunately (if this can really be looked at as a positive thing), most situations I've had to deal with have been minor and, in these cases, it's worked perfectly to talk through the situation with those involved.

The fact is, with so many big, theatrical personalities crammed into one room, there's going to be conflict. As a committee person (particularly in the executive committee) or as a production team member, it is essential you are prepared to deal with these. In any situation though, the first essential step is dependant on how serious the situation is. Some of the situations you mentioned above can be classed as criminal offences - if this is the case, it is vital that the police are involved as otherwise (as far as I'm aware) the company can be held liable... particularly in this age where taking someone to court is the new black!

In less serious situations, talking through it is often the most effective as a lot of these stem from misunderstandings. If talking is not working then further action MUST be taken in order to make all involved in the show feel safe. It could be as simple as removing someone from a scene where the conflict is taking place, ensuring break times are kept to a minimum where these kind of situations can occur, or removing the offending party from the show. This final one is hard to do but I've seen it happen two weeks out from a production and the cast (including myself) were fine. They knew the basics of the situation and were supportive of the 'understudy' who stepped in to fill in the role.

I agree with you on the 'guidelines' being given to cast. When I was on the committee, we used to provide all cast and crew with a statement of obligations which included a section on how they were to treat other participants in the show. We would give them two copies - one to keep and one to sign and return to us. This way, when a situation arose, we could refer to the statement and make it very clear that they were accepted into the show based on those terms.

Anyway, I think I've rambled on enough. Hopefully that covers some of it. Two main things I'd say in conclusion is:
- Don't be afraid, as a committee member or prod team member, to take action against situations like this - but ALWAYS consult with other members of the company to ensure action taken is fair.
- Never underestimate how accepting your cast can be. Don't be afraid that they will turn against you because you removed someone from a show. If they know you are creating a safe and fun environment for them to perform, they will be accepting of these decisions.

John

• reply
• 0 votes

What a timely and relevant topic you have brought up for discussion. I think that defined responses to 'duty of care' is something that is overlooked in many amateur theatre companies. Unlike our places of work (day-time), we rarely put in place policies and procedures to address situations such as the ones you have mentioned above in theatre companies. We are on top of things like OH&S, but when it comes to the grey areas we are hesitant to take a front foot on it.

I don't believe it's because we don't care, or we don't want to address them; but it's because theatre is seen as our escape and our creative outlet. In a world that is governed by rules & regulations, why would you want to add that structure to something that brings us the most joy?

As a committee member of a company, I believe that we have to have policies and procedures in place to ensure that we keep our 'hobby' enjoyable and safe. When difficult situations arise, they are usually made more stressful by a lack of clear and defined action/response scenarios. This usually means that much discussion must take place with many people before a situation is resolved - usually not in the most productive way.

By having set policies and anticipated response avenues, it takes the discussion out of it and makes it a lot more cut & dry. Of course there are degrees of behaviour and as such, degrees in response, but ifyou have situations that involve bullying or assault, there is no grey area for dealing with them (in my opinion).

By having clear and concise response procedures to situations it takes the guess-work out of it for everyone. From a committee it means less talking and quicker action, for the cast/crew it's support/comfort in the knowledge that an issue will be dealt with & for the person responsible, there is no room for accusations of unfair treatment or favouritism.

Personally, I would have all cast, crew & production team read an acceptable behaviour policy and sign to say that they have acknowledged & read it. It doesn't need to be anything more than that, for the most case. The security comes from the fact that if there ever is an issue, everyone will be on the same page.

Does it sound full-on? yep, it probably does. But these days, you can't be too careful & the last thing you want is a situation that is handled poorly (and possibly has a bad outcome), just because the idea of having a "policy/procedure" is scary. Its not about watching and monitoring behaviour and stopping people from having fun - it's about protecting people if/when/in case something does happen.

• reply
• 0 votes

I have been involved in live theatre in every capacity from cast member through to stage manager, director and committee member over a 30 year period and with around 20 different groups and more than 150 productions.

I have seen a lot of different situations that have caused conflict. I personally was physically cornered and attacked by 2 guys when one of them wanted a role in a play that was given to me. I was forced to defend myself and I got out of there.
I reported the incident to the committee and director immediately and both guys were permanently banned from the group.

I have witnessed a stage manager physically removing a director from the theatre on a performance night because he was giving notes n the dressing room and upsetting the cast.

I have seen cast members feuding over dressing rooms, incidents of sexual harassment,
cast members deliberately playing around with vital props and upsetting other cast members... and the list really does go on a lot more.

I personally believe that issues should be dealt with before matters get worse. If they're not matters that can be easily managed with a simple apology from the people involved, someone in authority has to make firm decisions and be seen to do that.

I am involved with a drama school and I help coordinate things during the performances. The cast are aged from 3 - 18 years of age and it is my job to set the rules in the theatre.

I hold a briefing 15 mins prior to the start of each performance and I tell them all the rules and that other adults around will enforce the rules. If the young people learn discipline early on, that should carry on into adult hood.

• reply
• 0 votes