Stage actors (or others in the know): To what extent is the background action for stage productions (particularly musicals or operettas) "blocked" and/or rehearsed?
by 
Old School
ANSWERS: 3
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In the productions I have been invovled in fairly meticulously. The worst thing that can happen to you as a lead player is that you are in the middle of your delivery and you slam into a background player who is not where they should be. Incredibly distracting and it then tends to spiral out of control. A well oiled machine is the best way of doing these things not hoping to fortune. Although I know there are different opinions.
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Depends on the Director and his/her vision... I've been in shows where the director personally gave everyone some business to do, and others where the director never acknowledged the choruses existence.
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In the larger musicals I've been in I would say about half or less of the rehearsal time is devoted to perfecting the background action. The first few rehearsals are spent teaching the movement and the extras are expected to study their blocking etc. That way most of the time can be spent on the foreground/main action.
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