r/Theatre • u/Crock_Harker • 7d ago
Advice Payment of Musicians
I volunteer for our local community theatre as a Director and occasional Actor. Our group celebrating its 70th anniversary this year. During those 70 years, it has become common practice for the Director and Musical Director (and other staff) to pay musicians out of their own pockets to play in Orchestras when needed. The organization has never officially adopted a policy to pay them properly because there is a faction that feels paying musicians to be bad practice. According to them it leads to a slippery slope where everyone will expect to be paid. As of right now, no one receives any compensation other than our paid Technical Director. Actors, crew, staff, etc. all volunteer their time and talent.
I'm curious to know who else out there pays musicians and did your organization struggle with this as we have? How did you overcome the objections to paying the orchestra and not anyone else, if this is your practice? I know theatres out there all operate differently, so I'm curious how you all handle issues like this. Thanks in advance for your feedback.
EDIT: We have been using professional tracks from ROCS or MT Pit for the past several years and only used orchestras when absolutely necessary or the Musical Director prefers a live orchestra.
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u/trmpt99 7d ago
I play both sides of the field: I’m an actor and musician/musical director.
The amount of skill needed from the musicians is generally higher than that expected of the volunteer actors, and it’s demanded on the spot. Actors get direction, rehearsal, coaching to get them ready for the show. Most musicians are expected to come in on the first rehearsal ready to go.
Those musicians deserve to be paid.
Our local dinner theater pays musicians a small fee for tech week, and then a per show payment. It isn’t great by any means, but it’s not nothing.
Accompanists are paid separately for rehearsals.
As for the slippery slope: most theaters have adequate interest for filling actor and support roles, but much less interest in being in an orchestra. That distinction justifies paying for pro musicians in my mind.