Kanata Theatre: the current season
 
 

The Timeline of one performance

What members must do in the Ron Maslin Playhouse to allow
the audience to see one performance of a show.

The times shown here assume an 8pm start to the performance.

Before the Performance
Time What happens
4:50 pm Box Office staff sets up office, picks up voice mail (ticket orders) and returns those calls.
5pm Box Office opens for ticket sales and season ticket sales: Box Office staff unlock front doors of Playhouse.
5:30 approx. If needed, servery staff bring new food and drink supplies.
6:30pm at latest Stage Manager opens the playhouse stage door, turns up thermostat for the theatre, then checks the stage, picking up extraneous material, possibly sweeping or mopping the floor as needed.
6:30pm Make-up people start setting up make-up desks.

Actors start arriving and each checks in with Stage Manager or initials the check-in sheet.

Green Room person puts snacks on table, starts the first of several pots of coffee to be consumed by cast and crew.

Assistant stage managers start their checklists, to ensure all is in place backstage.
6:45pm Light and Sound operators check that all equipment is working correctly and that no lights have burned out, and make sure hearing-assist equipment is turned on. Operators report All is Well (or all is NOT well, as appropriate) to the Stage Manager.

Actors are getting into costume, beginners being made up (professional actors do their own make-up: our actors generally have someone else do it). If a period play, dressers may be needed.

Wardrobe person stands by in case repairs are needed.

Properties people and furnishings people preset the stage ready for Act 1. Any expendables (e.g. drinks consumed on stage) are replenished.
7pm Front of House staff arrive: turn on foyer, corridor and house lights, check the House (the auditorium and itself) and open corridor doors, check that programs are available and that emergency flashlights are at hand. They also check supplies in each washroom and ensure that washroom exhaust fans are ON.

Front of house manager ensures that staff know what to do in an emergency, and assigns tasks: e.g. two people are designated as Greeters, to open car doors and welcome audience members; one (or in winter, two) people are assigned to the cloakroom.
7pm to 7:15pm Servery staff start tea and coffee brewing, set cakes and cookies out on trays.
7:15pm approx. Cloakroom opens.
7pm to 7:30pm Actors may walk on stage as part of their warm-up
7:15pm Front of House puts two people at each pair of doors leading from the foyer to corridors, to stop audience members from entering too early.
7:30pm Servery opens, selling tea, coffee, soft drinks and cakes & cookies.

Stage Manager declares stage "closed": nobody may go on stage and all must be quiet backstage.

Stage Manager goes to control room, checks headsets with Assistant Stage Managers.

Backstage and working lights are turned off. Assistant Stage Managers shade the red “EXIT” lights backstage, and ensure that the Juliet lights are also dark.

Front of House manager checks with Box Office whether any members of the audience will need space for wheelchairs.
7:40pm Corridor doors open and audience starts entering the House: Front of House staff take tickets, hand out programs and if needed, show people to their seats.
7:45pm The Director may give a pep talk to the actors. If so, it will most likely end with “Get out there and enjoy yourselves”.
7:50pm Stage Manager and Assistant Stage Managers keep headsets on from this moment on.

Beginners (actors who are first on stage) get 5 minute warning to take their places, over loudspeaker in Green Room or from Assistant Stage Managers.
7:55pm Front of house Manager rings handbell to "encourage" audience to enter.

Last call for beginners: they should be in place for their entrances.
8pm Unless there is a catastrophe, Front of House gives signal to close House doors exactly at 8pm. Staff close each of the House doors in turn (starting with the doors nearest the back row) in synchronized fashion, one person in each side corridor.
8:00'10"pm The person closing the final door (the one nearest row A) checks that no audience member is still looking for his or her place, then closes the door.
8:00'11"pm Stage manager watches for the door to close, then starts the show with
"Sound cue: GO", "Lights cue: GO".

House lights go down, then stage lights come up . . . and the show starts.
8:05pm Front of house staff count ticket stubs and report attendance to Box Office.

Front of house and Servery staff clean up dirty cups and soft drink cans.

Any late-arriving audience members are given seats in the back row until intermission, if there is space in that row.
8:10pm Box Office closes for casual ticket sales, but remains open for Season Ticket sales if at that time of year. Staff reconcile the day's sales with credit card slips and count the cash.