Opera Stage Management

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Facilities Management Emergency Line: (319) 335-5071

Consensual Touch Policy

Martha-Ellen Tye Opera is dedicated to integrating consent-based practices into all production environments. In all production activities, all participants are expected to abide by the Consensual Touch Policy and Intimacy Best Practices.

Consensual Touch

In Opera, physical contact may be a part of the production staging. The Director and Cast members commit to asking for consent prior to physical touch each time. The student has the right to say yes or no in that moment.

Ask before you touch
Be specific about the contact
- Where?
- For what purpose
Try Open Questions
- “Does that work for you?”
Be prepared for “no”
- Offer alternatives
- Visualization
- Demonstrating on yourself
- Using their own hands
- Using Props

Production, Staging, Choreographing Intimacy

In addition to Consensual Touch, Intimacy requires the following:
- Practice a consent-based process
- Use an Audition Disclosure form to allow performers to opt-in or out of intimacy.
- Use The Button.
Establish Boundaries
A third party such as Stage Management must always be present for the staging of intimacy.
Productions with Intimacy should have a no-cell phone policy in rehearsal and backstage for all members of the production.
Directors will never step into stage intimate moments or have any physical contact with the performers during the staging or rehearsal process of intimacy.
Use non-sexual language for staging the intimacy or discussing it.
If you need to talk about the performer’s actions, use character names.
Refrain from making sexual jokes, innuendo, or comments.
All intimacy, regardless of how simple or straight-forward it might be, must be choreographed.
Choreography must be notated by stage management.
- Notation should be written. Video recordings of intimacy should not be created for privacy.
Performers must not deviate from choreography.
If a performer’s boundaries change that alters the choreography, they should notify the director as soon as possible so modifications can be made.
In Production, performers must discuss any changes to choreography with the director and may not make changes themselves.
Placeholders may be used any time during or after choreography is set except during performances.

Integrate The Button

In any exercise, a participant says “Button” if they need to briefly hold to clarify a boundary.
When a participant calls “Button”, the participant offers a way to continue working that works for their boundaries (for example using placeholders like a palm to palm or high five, etc)

Communication Best Practices

In production, if you have a concern regarding intimacy or consensual touch, please speak with a faculty or staff member associated with the production (i.e.: Director, Production Stage Manager, Production Manager, or Department Chair).

Opera Rehearsal Guidelines

(as of 2012)

The rehearsal period for full-length productions is typically five to six weeks, including tech week. This length of time may vary due to the availability of the guest director.

Rehearsals will not be held during University vacations with the possible, but not guaranteed exceptions listed below. If you wish to rehearse during University vacations, please inform PSM:
Sunday evening after Thanksgiving - may be no more than a 4 hour call
Monday before the beginning of second semester (one week before classes) – may be no more than a 36 total hour week with each rehearsal day being no more than a 6 hour daily call. Please Note: this amount of rehearsal time is dependent on the amount of hours that the Piano RA has available in accordance to COGS. The Piano RA may not be available during the entire week.
Sunday at the end of Spring break. – may be no more than a 4 hour call

(The maximum rehearsal call on the days listed above is six hours with a 20 minute meal break along with your standard 5 & 10 minute breaks. Directors can choose to take a longer meal break, if wanted. Shows are not required to rehearse on the extra dates listed above, but it is an option)

No members of the production team – including performers, stage managers, and technicians – may be called for rehearsal more than 24 hours per week. During the last five days before opening they normally may be called no more than 30 hours. The week is Tuesday through Sunday.

Currently the standard rehearsal week is Tuesday through Friday (7pm-10pm). If a director chooses to rehearse more, then they must receive permission from DEO, David Gier.

Prior to tech week, the company must have at least one full day off each week. A full day shall be 24 hours either on Saturday or Sunday

Performers must be released by no later than 11pm each rehearsal night, and have at least a 12 hour break before their next rehearsal call time.

The company must have a rehearsal day off the day prior to the beginning of tech. This day of the week may vary depending on when tech start day is.

Rehearsals may not last longer than 4 hours a day Monday through Friday, or 6 hours a day on Saturday or Sunday. Rehearsal normally begins at 6:00pm or 7:00pm Tuesday through Friday, and not before 10:00 am on weekends.

There will be a minimum of 12 hours break between the end of rehearsal work on one day and the beginning of rehearsal work on the next.

All rehearsals, except technical rehearsals, end no later than 11:00pm. Technical rehearsals – including notes and post rehearsal business -- end no later than midnight.

Technical rehearsals typically last no longer than 8 out of 10 hours. The production team may request a 10 out of 12 hour technical rehearsal – all requests should be submitted to the PSM, PM, and TD at least two weeks prior to tech.

Sitzprobe: break times will be determined and administered by the conductor.

It is the director’s decision to use Equity or AGMA rules in the rehearsal hall. Equity rules only will be used in technical and dress rehearsals. See rules below.

AGMA:

There must be a 15 minute break taken every 90 minutes of work. This may be taken by:
- Taking two breaks (one 5 minute break and one 10 minute break) within each 90 minutes of work

Taking one 15 minute break every 90 minutes of work

EQUITY:

There must be a 5-minute break after 55 minutes of work or a 10-minute break after 80 minutes of work.

Communication and Engagement Best Practices

The Performing Arts at Iowa Marketing and Engagement Best Practices aligns with the Performing Arts Industry standards as it relates to Video Calls, Photo Calls, and Engagements while simultaneously supporting the Performing Arts at Iowa consent-based practices utilized in the Department of Dance, Department of Theatre Arts, and School of Music Opera.

In this document, Production Activity is defined as all related activities to a production produced by the Department of Theatre Arts, Department of Dance, School of Music Opera, and the Performing Arts Production Unit. This includes auditions, production meetings, production shop operations, staging rehearsals, production install, tech rehearsals, dress rehearsals, performances, and strike.

Department of Theatre Arts

Archival photos are the photos taken by a photographer during the dress rehearsal process of a Theatre Arts production. The intent of these photos is to document the final product of the show and showcase the work of the designers, technicians/shops, cast, and director. They are made available on the Department of Theatres SmugMug for students and faculty to use for portfolios/websites which is an integral tool in Marketing their work for future professional opportunities. Additionally, archival photos may also be used for pre-performance marketing and post-performance storytelling on social media, websites, and in print/online publications. Any marketing efforts that extend past this standard usage will need further approval, which will be requested by the marketing team.

Archival photos must be scheduled through the Theatre Arts Production Stage Manager. The intention of the photo call must be clear in the initial request, for example where and how the photos will be used. Any use of photos that goes beyond the original intention must receive appropriate approval and be coordinated through the Theatre Arts Production Stage Manager.

Archival photos are ideally taken at the final dress rehearsal of a production. If a photographer is unavailable for that date, an alternate dress rehearsal may be selected with the Theatre Arts Production Stage Manager.

For any photo call, the performers and team members that will be present must receive a minimum of 24 hours’ notice. This notice must come from the production’s Stage Manager. The notice may be in writing (i.e. on a daily call and/or tech schedule, in an email) or verbal (i.e. announced at the beginning or end of a rehearsal).

Department of Dance, School of Music Opera

Archival photos are the photos taken by a photographer during the dress rehearsal process of a Dance and/or Opera production. The intent of these photos is to document the final product of the show and showcase the work of the team. They are made available on the Department’s SmugMug for students and faculty to use for portfolios/websites which is an integral tool in Marketing their work for future professional opportunities. Additionally, archival photos may also be used for pre-performance marketing and post-performance storytelling on social media, websites, and in print/online publications. Any marketing efforts that extend past this standard usage will need further approval, which will be requested by the marketing team for approval by the DEO and/or Opera Director.

For any photo call, the performers and team members that will be present must receive a minimum of 24 hours’ notice. The date and time of the Archival Photos will be shared with the cast and production team via the rehearsal/production schedule, which will be posted to the physical callboard.

Photos should be sent to Director/Choreographers for review and approval before they are shared.

Department of Theatre Arts

Archival or any video footage must align with the production’s licensing agreement. A copy of the licensing agreement may be obtained from the Associate Company Manager.

Archival video requests must be made at least four weeks before the production’s opening and must be made to the Director of Theatre and Theatre Arts Production Stage Manager.

Archival video may only be used for archival purposes unless otherwise stated in the production’s licensing agreement.

Performers and team members must have at least two weeks’ notice for archival video.

Department of Dance

All productions will have archival video taken during performances.

For Dance, the department videographer records the two final performances of each concert.

Footage can be accessed by request of Molly Dahlberg.

School of Music Opera

Archival or any video footage must align with the production’s licensing agreement, if applicable. A copy of the licensing agreement may be obtained from the Associate Company Manager.

Productions that have approval to be recorded, per the production’s licensing agreement, will have archival video taken during performances.

For Opera, the recording team (led by James Edel, Music Production Manager) will record 2-3 performances, based on the needs of the production.

Department of Theatre Arts

Photo and video calls (press, marketing, etc.) other than archival, must be scheduled and coordinated through the production’s Stage Manager for all production activities. The intention of the photo or video call must be clear in the initial request, for example where and how the photos or video will be used. Any use of photos or video that goes beyond the original intention must receive appropriate approval and be coordinated through the Theatre Arts Production Stage Manager.

For any photo or video call, the performers and team members that will be present must receive a minimum of 24 hours’ notice. This notice must come from the production’s Stage Manager. The notice may be in writing (i.e. on a daily call and/or tech schedule, in an email) or verbal (i.e. announced at the beginning or end of a rehearsal).

If the photo or video call is to take place outside of rehearsal hours and/or the rehearsal room, then it must be coordinated through the Theatre Arts Production Stage Manager.

Department of Dance, School of Music Opera

Photo and video calls (press, marketing, etc.) other than archival, must be scheduled and coordinated through the production’s Stage Manager for all production activities. The intention of the photo or video call must be clear in the initial request, for example where and how the photos or video will be used. Any use of photos or video that goes beyond the original intention must receive appropriate approval and be coordinated through the Dance, Opera Production Stage Manager.

The date and time of the Archival Photos will be shared with the cast and production team via the rehearsal/production schedule, which will be posted to the physical callboard.

Photos should be sent to Director/Choreographers for review and approval before they are shared.

Dance archival photos are used to document the show and may be used to promote the show or the Department of Dance. Use of archival photos for marketing or any other non-archival purposes must be approved by the Dance DEO.

Requests for guests in rehearsal rooms for recording or photography:

Requests should be sent no fewer than 48 hours before the requested time.

Requests should be sent to:

Dance Auditions: PSM and Director of Dance Production

Dance Rehearsals (before moving to stage): Choreographers

Dance Rehearsals (onstage, tech and dress): PSM, SM, Choreographers

Opera Auditions: PSM and Opera Director

Opera Rehearsals: PSM, SM, Opera Director

When the request is submitted, it should include an explanation of how the photos or footage will be used. This information will be shared with anyone who may be recorded. Any uses not included in the original request require an additional sign-off from all participants.

If the requested date is not appropriate for recording, the Director/Choreographer/PSM/SM will work with the marketing team to find an alternate date.

If a request is approved, the PSM (or SM, as appropriate) will notify the performers and team members within 24 hours prior to any recording. Members of production reserve the right to decline for themselves and comms team will assure they are not captured in any footage.

Department of Theatre Arts, Dance, and School of Music Opera

The Company should take a secret ballot vote on if they will allow spontaneous photos and videos to be taken during the rehearsal process that would be used on social media to help advertise the show and create excitement and interest regarding the production.  Prior to any media being posted permission must be obtained by all the parties captured in the media and the director of the production.  Note: This policy does not apply to scheduled marketing photos and videos where the company receives prior notice. 

PHOTOGRAPHY AND SOCIAL MEDIA SAMPLE BALLOT

Taking photos during the rehearsal process can help us to advertise the show and help to create interest and excitement about the work we are doing.

We are therefore seeking permission from you now to take spontaneous photos and videos during the rehearsal process.

Prior to any posting on social media all parties involved should be notified and give consent for its use.

Please no photography or video once we move into the theatre until the 1^st photo call.

DOCUMENTARY VIDEO SAMPLE BALLOT

The Office of Performing Arts and Engagement will be joining us a few times throughout the rehearsal process for Fierce to create a video about the creation of the production. Below is information shared with us by the team about the project (insert scope and purpose of documentary video recording)

**Please note that you will be notified of all filming for this project no later than 24 hours before the scheduled time of filming**

Department of Theatre Arts

Each team member and performer are responsible for submitting their materials for the Virtual Lobby. If they fail to do so by the set deadlines, they acknowledge that their information may be incomplete and/or excluded.

The production’s Stage Manager is not responsible for ensuring the Virtual Lobby materials are received by Marketing but can help share information and/or send reminders.

Information that is collected for the Theatre Arts Virtual Lobby (bios, headshots, etc.) can be coordinated through the production’s Stage Manager two ways:

The Stage Manager can provide a contact sheet with all cast, crew, and team members email addresses for the Marketing Manager to use to contact those that can submit materials for the Virtual Lobby.

The Marketing Manager can share a drafted email with all the information regarding the collection of materials for the Virtual Lobby and the Stage Manager can forward it to the cast, crew, and appropriate team members.

Department of Dance and School of Music Opera

Playbill deadlines will be created by the marketing team and shared with the production team, along with what information is needed and how to submit.

The production’s Stage Manager is not responsible for ensuring the playbill materials are received by Marketing but can help share information and/or send reminders.

Proofs will be shared with the entire team via the marketing team.

The SM will be responsible for sharing a paper copy of each proof in the rehearsal room.

All changes should be sent to the team ahead of the final deadline.

A minimum of 2 playbill proofs are needed before it goes to print.

Department of Theatre Arts, Dance, and School of Music Opera

Office of Performing Arts and Engagement Guests:

All engagement guests must be approved by the Department’s DEO and Director of Theatre / Director of Dance Production / Opera Director and include a proposed schedule of their engagement. Once approval is received and a schedule is agreed upon, the visit must be coordinated with the Theatre Arts / Dance, Opera Production Stage Manager and the production’s stage manager.

All parties in the rehearsal room and/or Theatre will be notified a minimum of 1 week in advance of Guest’s attending a rehearsal and or production.

Transportation to rehearsals and/or any production related activities is not the responsibility of the production staff or production students.

Department of Dance, Theatre, and School of Music Guests

All requests to utilize Performing Arts Guest Artists in marketing/promotional materials or events must be made in writing at minimum 48 hours prior to the engagement and signed by the artist to be attached as an addendum to the original Letter of Agreement. Please coordinate with the Associate Company Manager on all requests. Once received the Associate Company Manager will liaise with the artist and confirm availability & acceptance.

All engagement guests must be approved by the Department’s DEO and Director of Theatre / Director of Dance Production / Opera Director and include a proposed schedule of their engagement. Once approval is received and a schedule is agreed upon, the visit must be coordinated with the Theatre Arts / Dance, Opera Production Stage Manager and the production’s stage manager.