I start right away and we all make the late ones sing. I had a few who worked on Broadway and folks always hoped they would be late. I had a couple who knew they were going to be late so they rehearsed a duet on the subway. I called it the entertainment game and everyone had to enforce it.
This worked well for me on audiences who routinely arrived for a weekly show I produced at at advertised start time but that’s when they all got in line to buy drinks. Most of the audience were college kids who depended on the last bus back to the campus so I had to end ON TIME or the my wouldn’t bother coming. I just started the show on time every night and they eventually learned to arrive earlier. The comics thought I was being unreasonable until a few weeks later when the room was completely full on time like clock work.
I start right away and we all make the late ones sing. I had a few who worked on Broadway and folks always hoped they would be late. I had a couple who knew they were going to be late so they rehearsed a duet on the subway. I called it the entertainment game and everyone had to enforce it.
This worked well for me on audiences who routinely arrived for a weekly show I produced at at advertised start time but that’s when they all got in line to buy drinks. Most of the audience were college kids who depended on the last bus back to the campus so I had to end ON TIME or the my wouldn’t bother coming. I just started the show on time every night and they eventually learned to arrive earlier. The comics thought I was being unreasonable until a few weeks later when the room was completely full on time like clock work.