It's been my experience that in the world of amateur theatre there is this idea that if the final dress rehearsal is bad, it means a good opening performance. Has anyone else run into this idea?

The truth is that frequently in amateur theatre settings, the opening night may well be the first time that the show is performed without any stops, with all the props, with all the costumes, with all the set finished, and so it seems like it's a good performance. And compared to the final dress it is a good performance. But the truth is that it would have been a much better opening night if the show as performance ready by the penultimate dress rehearsal.

I like to have a show performance ready two rehearsals before we open. I've only achieved that one or two times out of the 50 plus shows I've directed. At Bethel College we only get three full dress rehearsals on the stage so we are usually not performance ready until the final dress. Even then we may stay up half the night (or all of the night) putting the final touches on sets and costumes.

And I use "amateur" here in the best sense of the word. "Amateur" means someone who does something for the love of doing it. Some of the most high quality theatre I've ever seen has been in an amateur setting.