No web site would be
complete without a FAQs area to handle all those odd,
"I-don't-know-where-else-to-put-them" topics that are a part of any
informative site. It's also a good place to put things that people ask about
frequently.
Our FAQs
page is divided into three general sections.
GUESTS:
If you're thinking of coming to see one of
our shows for the first time, you should
probably glance through this section. It contains lots of interesting
info. on how
we do things here at WOB. This area is also a good springboard into
the other areas on the web site.
SUBSCRIBERS: This section will tell you what being a subscriber
means and why you should
become one.
PERFORMERS: If you're interested in working at WOB,
this should give
you a good idea of how we cast our shows.
GUESTS
I've never been to a
dinner theatre before. What should I expect?
First and foremost, you
should expect to have a good time! Basically, it's like going
out for the evening to dinner and a show, except it is all in one
convenient location. At WOB, you get a great dinner followed
by a full Broadway style show right after dessert. In addition, your serving staff are the actors
that you see up on stage. Pretty neat, huh?
After you
arrive at the theatre and check in at the Box Office, you are taken
in to your table. Your server takes care of
your drink orders and explains how the buffet works, what's
available, when you can go to what lines, etc. Just after
dessert, your server takes drink orders for the first act, as well as
drink orders for intermission and delivers a check to you.
Then the server RUNS backstage to get ready for the show.
You watch the first act. At intermission, your server collects
your money, brings change, brings intermission drinks, and makes
sure you're ready for the second act. They then run backstage,
the lights go down, and the second act begins. The show ends
(usually around 10:30 at the latest) and you file out with a full
belly and a smile on your face.
Now, there are a couple
of differences from a normal restaurant situation. The biggest
thing is the time table. At about 7:30 (1:30 for matinees), your
waiter is going to start to get your bar
tab squared away, and trying to wrap things up. We're not
trying to be pushy. It's just that we want to start the show
as close to 8PM (2PM for matinees) as we possibly can. And since the actors have
to have a few minutes (at least!) to go back and get ready, we have
to finish up all our waiter type business. Of course, if
you're still eating, then you're still eating. You're more
than welcome to munch during the first act. Just don't chew
with your mouth open.
Where the devil are
you?
We're
right here.
How do gratuities
work at a dinner theatre?
This is one of those
thorny topics that some people feel strongly about. But we
thought we'd go ahead and let you know what's customary. You
can take it from there. Like any restaurant, a gratuity is a
normal part of your service. Obviously, what you leave for
your server is entirely up to you. And tipping your server at
a dinner theatre works pretty much like anyplace else, but there are
a few differences. First, your server is a member of the cast
or crew of the production you are seeing and is working primarily
for gratuities extended by you. Unlike a normal restaurant,
waiters here at WOB do not receive an hourly wage. Nor do they
have a constant flow of customers coming and going all night long.
They have one group of people they wait on each night. They
provide wait service for you, and then they entertain you.
It's customary to tip 15% of your ticket price and bar tab at a
dinner theatre, but many of our patrons tip a lot more than that
(bless their gracious hearts). If your service was bad enough
that you don't wish to leave a gratuity, then please let us know
what we can do better. We'll never be able to fix a problem if
we don't know something's wrong. Also, if you happen to bring
a group of kids or young adults (for example, a girl scout troop or
a birthday party), you might want to explain to the parents that, as
with any restaurant, a gratuity is customary. That way, you don't
get stuck with tipping for the whole crowd.
What should I wear?
We certainly ask that
you do wear SOMETHING! Actually, BUSINESS CASUAL
is the usual dress of the day. We do ask that you respect the
theatre. Jeans, T-shirts, and/or shorts ARE NOT permitted at Mainstage performances.
What
time does the show start and when should I arrive?
That
depends on the day and whether you're seeing one of our Mainstage
performances or one of our Children's shows. Here's a list of
important times:
Mainstage Performances
|
Children's Theatre Performances
How can I purchase
tickets?
The only way to purchase
tickets is to call the Box Office at
(301)
662-6600.
It may sound old fashioned, but every now and again, it is nice to
talk with a real live human being.
Do I have to
purchase tickets in advance?
It is always a
good idea to get tickets before showing up at the theatre.
Many of our shows sell out.
We would hate to have you travel to the theatre only to be turned
away because we didn't have room for you. This is especially
true for our Children's Theatre performances.
How far in advance
should I get my tickets?
This is easy: As soon as
you know the date you want to come see the show. The worst
thing you can do is wait until the last minute only to find out a
show you really wanted to see is sold out for the rest of the run.
(And it happens all the time.) So don't wait. You
can make a reservation for any date in any season that's been
announced. That means you can call up in January and make a
reservation for next December if you want to. And people do
exactly that all the time. People start booking our holiday
shows the minute they're announced. There are some
restrictions on cancellations and such. Those are answered a
little farther down the page.
Hey! How did
I end up in the back row?!?
Calm down, calm down.
There are two ways to influence being closer to the stage. The
easiest way is to become a
Subscriber.
Our subscribers always get preferred seating. (There's more
info. in the Subscriber FAQs below.) The other way is to get
your tickets early. After subscriber tables are assigned,
tables are assigned in the order the reservations were made.
The earlier you reserve, the closer to the stage you are.
Do you have a
waiting list?
Yes, we do keep waiting
lists for Mainstage and Children's performances. If you're
locked in to one date and its full, just ask to get on the waiting
list for that date. We'll be happy to call you if a table
opens up for some reason.
We made a
reservation, but my mother-in-law dropped in for the weekend. Can we
cancel?
You're not gonna like this,
but no. Like almost every theatre, there are no cancellations,
refunds, or exchanges once you have purchased your tickets.
We've tried lots of different ways around this, but they all end up
causing too many problems. Please check out the rest of our
reservation policies by clicking
here.
Can I assume that
all shows are appropriate for the entire family?
As a rule, WOB puts on
shows that are appropriate for the whole family - although we do
find that young kids sometimes have trouble sitting through a
Mainstage performance. But, on occasion, we do perform shows
that contain some risqué or bawdy content, or perhaps some language
that you may not want your youngsters to hear. With those
shows, we always try to give you some warning if your reservation
includes children. If you know you're going to be bringing
youngsters, you can help avoid a problem by asking us when you
purchase your tickets. We'll give you an honest assessment of the
show as well as details of what you'll hear or see so you can make
an informed decision. We would much rather lose a reservation
or two like this than have you trying to cover your kids' ears
during one of our performances.
So how young is too
young?
This is another one of
those dicey questions that can lead to hurt feelings if not handled
properly. And the answer is different for our Mainstage and
Children's Theatre productions. For both types of shows, we
discourage our patrons from bringing children that are too young to
sit in a seat by themselves. We don't have high chairs, but we
do have a few booster seats. And the Fire Marshall
does not allow us to park strollers in the aisles.
Let's face it. The point of going to theatre is to be
entertained by the people on the stage. If your youngster is
too young to understand what's going on, then there's always the
risk that junior will get fussy and you'll end up walking him/her
back and forth in the lobby. For the Children's Theatre, this
isn't quite as big a deal. The show's only an hour long and we
strive to do shows that encourage a certain amount of audience
participation. In other words, people expect a certain
amount of noise from the audience at the children's shows.
The Mainstage is a
slightly different story. If you don't think your child can
sit through an hour and a half of dinner followed by a show that
runs an additional two to two and a half hours, then you probably
want to hire a baby sitter for the evening. Some kids handle
this type of setting better than others. Of course, we've run
across a couple of adults over the age of 30 who can't do that.
So maybe age isn't the delineating factor here. Hmmm.
The bottom line is this:
For the Mainstage, children five and younger are not permitted in
the theatre. If your child is older than five, we trust our
patrons will do what they think is best for their families as well
as for the people around them. After all, you know your
children better than we do.
SUBSCRIBERS
What is a
Subscriber?
A subscriber is someone
who has decided to show their support for our theatre by buying one
ticket for each show up front. Subscribers are really the
heart of any dinner theatre. It means we have a steady base of
supporters that we know will be coming to our shows.
It means there is a group of people out there who like what
we're doing and know they're going to have a good time when
they come to see us.
What's in it for me?
Wow. You guys
really ask the tough questions. OK. Here's what being a
subscriber means for you. First (and probably foremost for
most people), buying your tickets up front gives you a pretty
significant price break on a Mainstage ticket. So if you know
you're going to visit us more than once in a season, why not buy
tickets in advance and save some money?
A price break isn't all
you get. Subscribers also get preferred seating. Under
normal conditions, we assign seating according to the date of the
reservation. We start in the front row and work back.
The exception to this is that subscribers are assigned ahead of the
pack. That means, unless a subscriber tells us differently,
they'll be assigned a table towards the front.
Where can I find out
more?
Look
here.
I just looked at
your Subscription page and it told me I was too late.
Well, then you are.
Since a subscription gives you one ticket for use with each show, we
have to sell the subscriptions prior to the beginning of
the season. That means that subscriptions for the next season
generally go on sale during the run of the fourth show of the
current season. If you're on our mailing list, you'll get a
notification in the mail. If you're not on our
mailing list, you'll have to make a note on your calendar to give us
a call sometime during December.
PERFORMERS
How do I find out
about auditions?
Try looking
here. This web site is the first
place audition information will be posted. We also list them
in the The Washington Post, the
Frederick Gazette, the Frederick News Post, and in
other area newspapers and acting websites. But this is
where you'll see it first. It'll also be the place that gives
you the most information on what's expected. We always post
information about auditions in plenty of time for you to
prepare; usually several weeks in front of the actual audition date.
Just check back every couple of weeks to see if there's anything
new.
If I send you an
E-mail and ask real nice, will you send me an E-mail whenever you're
having auditions?
We do have
an Audition E-Bulletin List to notify performers of upcoming
auditions. All you need to do is send an E-mail to
WOB@wayoffbroadway.com with your name and E-mail address,
and we would be happy to add you to the list so you can always be
one of the first to know about auditions.
What can I expect
during an audition?
Obviously, the answer to
that question will depend a certain amount on the show and the role
you're auditioning for. But, in general, our audition process
is pretty basic. Just show up at auditions with a head shot
(if you have one), a resume (if you have one), and a calendar that
reminds you of all the stuff you have planned during the rehearsal
period and the performance dates. The calendar is especially
important because we'll want to know when a potential cast member is
unavailable for rehearsals and performances. You will be asked
to write those dates on a form that everyone fills out. When
all the paperwork is done, people will be brought in one at a time
to sing for the director and the musical director. (Unless, of
course, the show you're auditioning for isn't a musical. In
which case, you won't.) That means you should prepare a song
and bring sheet music with you. We'll provide the accompanist.
After a certain number of people have sung (if singing is
necessary), groups of people will be brought in to read selections
from the script. If it's a musical with dancing, and you're
auditioning for a dancing role, you'll be put through some
choreography auditions. If there's ever anything more required
of you at an audition, it'll be noted in the audition notices.
At any point during the process, the director may tell you that
s/he's got everything needed and you can leave. A few days
later or maybe a week later (usually not longer than that) - if
you're cast - you'll get a phone call offering you a role. If
you're not cast, you will not hear from us. But you
can always call us if you haven't heard anything for a while.
For those of you new to this process, that last might seem a little
cold. But its pretty standard, so you might want to get used
to it. It's strictly a business decision.
Does WOB pre-cast?
Yes. In fact, some
shows are entirely pre-cast. But its safe to say that most of
the time, all roles are open. If we hold auditions for a show
in which one or more parts are pre-cast, we'll say so on the
notices.
Do you cast people
you've never worked with before? Or do I have to audition a million
times before you'll even think about hiring me?
Actually, WOB is very
proud of the fact that we cast new faces all the time. So come
on down! If you're the best person for the role, then you'll
be cast regardless of whether we've seen you before or not.
How many
performances a week are there?
Primarily, WOB holds
performances on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Sometimes, we'll have a large group book a special
performance on a weekday night or afternoon. If we know about
those dates prior to auditions, they'll be listed as performance
dates on a sheet that will be handed to you when you audition.
If you have a conflict with any of the shows on that sheet, you'll
be expected to note them on the audition form. Otherwise, if
you're cast, we're expecting you to be available. Shows will
not be added after a show is cast unless its cleared with
the cast first.
Your shows run for
two or three months! What if I have vacation plans or something?
Should I not bother with auditions?
No, no, no. Having
to miss performances or rehearsals does not eliminate you from
consideration for a role; we do cast swings and/or understudies if
we know we're casting someone who has to miss performances.
If I get cast, will
working at WOB make me rich?
Hold on a minute.
(Insert brief pause
here.)
OK. Now that I've wiped
the tears of laughter from my eyes, I'll answer your question as
best I can in a public forum. There are two ways you earn
money at WOB: Through your performances and by working the various
staff positions required to handle the "Dinner" part of the "Dinner
Theatre." At WOB, you're paid a small stipend for each night
you perform in the show. The rest of your money comes from
waiting, bussing, and/or bartending. Waiters' compensation
consists entirely of gratuities. Bussers and bartenders
receive a small stipend in their paychecks plus a small percentage
of whatever their waiters make. There are lots of rules and
regs surrounding these various practices; all of them will be
explained prior to the opening of the show. You will be
expected to go through at least one training run on all positions
you wish to perform. Of course, there's nothing that says you
have to work on staff. If you just want to perform on
stage, that's perfectly OK. And that's about all I'll say on
that subject.
What's it like,
working at WOB?
Mostly, its like working
anyplace else. We work hard and we play hard. Sometimes
it's hard to tell the difference between the work and the play.
We try to foster a family spirit both in the dining areas and on
stage. There are some regulars who spend so much time around
each other that we've all become a second family to each other.
But we always keep new faces around to keep things from getting
moldy. People who come to work with a positive attitude, a
good work ethic, and knowing their stuff will be welcomed with open
arms. Those who constantly slack off, whine, complain, and
generally don't play well with others . . . well . . . no need to go
into that. We don't get many of that type anyway. But
its fun. It really is. Believe me, if it weren't fun, I
wouldn't be working here.
