To think if you accept a part in an am dram production you should show some commitment

[Misscromwellrocks]

We've just finished our winter production and a couple of the cast treated the whole thing like a casual hobby that they could dip in and out of as they liked - not bothering to turn up for rehearsals, announcing half way through that they'd decided to book a holiday in the sun for a fortnight, missing the tech or dress rehearsal etc.

Aibu to find this pretty unacceptable and unfair on the director and other cast members?

I find some people in am-dram take it way to seriously, it really isnt the RSC

I’m sorry, I can’t get past “am dram”

But the rehearsal times, dates of techs etc are all stated at the beginning and cast are asked to let the director know of holiday plans so that she can work around them.

One or two people messing around can jeopardise the whole quality of the production. No its not the RSC but neither is it a school nativity play. Audiences pay to see our plays and we have built up a good reputation.

We're actually called a local theatre group and never use the term am dram in RL.

YANBU.

If you make a commitment where other people are relying on you, you either honour it or have the decency to withdraw so someone else can step up.

I think it's reasonable to ask for commitment for a team effort and this should be spelled out at the beginning, so anyone who thinks it might be too demanding can drop out early.

However, to most people, it is just another hobby. Most of the ticket buying audience will be family and friends who have been dragooned into attending.

You are absolutely not being unreasonable. My DF was telling me that her young son is involved in a production and parents were told at the outset that the children were allowed to only miss 2 rehearsals before being cut, excepting unforeseen sickness etc. If they could not commit to that then this production was not for them. It seems fair.

That would annoy me.

YANBU at all; I am part of a “local community theatre” and we have the same problem! It annoys me no end. If you are given a part you and told the show dates months in advance then you should show up at weekly rehearsal and keep the week before the show free!

There seems to be some stereotyping of local theatre groups here and an assumption that it's all about putting on substandard plays in draughty community centres wearing hastily put together costumes and wonky props and badly recorded sound effects.

There may be some local groups like that, but a lot are like ours and spend a couple of thousand pounds or more on staging a production, and perform in a variety of venues including actual theatres. We also use professional standard lighting and sound, which adds to the cost.

But I think some people join with clichéd views and get a shock when they realise the commitment required.

To be honest, I'd never cast anyone in any sort of meaningful part unless they'd already done a production in a bit part. That way you know they understand the commitment involved and they've proved to you that they understand it. No open auditions for newbies.