Show dictionary · Production Management
10 out of 12
A 10 out of 12 is a technical rehearsal day in which performers may work ten hours within a twelve-hour span, with the remaining two hours as breaks, a structure set by Actors’ Equity Association rules for technical rehearsals.
In practice
The 10 out of 12 exists because tech needs long days: integrating light, sound, scenery, and performers cue by cue is slow. The format concentrates that work into a few brutal days, historically with crews working even longer than the actors the rule protects.
The practice is actively debated: a sector-wide movement has pushed to reduce or eliminate 10 out of 12s in favor of more humane tech schedules, and a number of major theatres have adopted shorter tech days. Where the term appears on a schedule, its exact meaning follows the governing union agreement.
How you’ll hear it
"Tuesday is a 10 out of 12; lunch at 1, dinner break at 6, curtain of act two by 10."
Related resources
Part of the eventools.io Show Dictionary, a free glossary of live event production terminology.