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Deadline June 2013: Safety and the Stage Manager

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bex:
Preparedness- Evacuation plan, knowing where fire extinguishers are, etc., as was previously mentioned, but also does your theater have an accident report form? Where are they? Who does it go to once it's been filled out? If there isn't one already, what information should you include to make your own? (Why should you make your own in the first place?) Who is responsible for escorting injured performers or crew to the doctor or ER? Does your theater even have worker's comp?

PSMKay:
Sleep deprivation is a major factor in non-union houses, and even in AEA houses when dealing with the interns and/or non-IA crew. I did numerous shifts of over 19 hours as an intern, and a few over 24 hours in length where I was required to drive, use power tools and chill on top of an A-Frame for hours and then expected to be chipper for first tech rehearsal as deck crew 6 hours later.

I spent six weeks at one particular theatre on this lovely schedule:

6am: Walk to work (too poor to afford the train except in bad weather.)
7am: call for rehearsal setup
9am-5pm: rehearsal (no lunch for interns most days)
6pm: performance at night
8pm: curtain
11pm: curtain down, 1 hr cleanup & laundry
Midnight: Walk home or if I'm lucky, get a ride from a crew member.
1am: Get home. Sleep until 5am. Repeat.

Repeat 6 days a week for six weeks, with some variety on Sat & Sun due to a 2 show day. Try to not get sick. Try to not kill anyone. Try to not fall asleep in the wings.

I knew of one high end AEA house without an IA contract that would run its load-in crew on 24 hour cycles with everyone taking overlapping 16 hour shifts.

SMs need to know if their crew will be subject to these conditions immediately before a rehearsal or performance. It is not safe, especially if the deck track involves any sort of pyro, rail, firearms or handling of fragile objects/people in the dark.

BMarie_SM:
First aid, first aid, first aid!

I am just starting out but one of my most helpful things in terms of safety has been my first aid kit. I always carry my personal kit because as a freelance you never know what you are walking into. My college first aid kit was notorious for being poorly supplied (when I first started it was empty!). Larger houses should supply first aid kits, but I worked with a new theatre company (showcase equity) and my first aid kit was our primary one. I always make sure to have it stocked and have used it many times. Even if an actor needs a band-aid for something as simple as a bad paper cut, being prepared and calm with small things establishes trust and helps when bigger issues occur.

Also, I think stage management success is directly correlated with personality. I do very well in emergencies. A stage manager tries to be pro-active (safety checks), but they need to be prepared to deal with crisis and deal with it in a level headed manner.

For example : I once had a stage hand cut herself backstage during house open. I had to take care of her, call an ambulance, comfort her, reassign her tasks etc. before we could start but really the harder job is to keep actors and other technicians calm.

You may have the situation completely under control but remember not everyone you work with might be as calm. Patience, reassurance, and good leadership is key to dealing with a safety situation and also preventing a snowball affect.



Hope this helps!

Rhynn:
If you have the time during college, take an EMT class--more advanced than first-aid.  You don't have to take the corresponding state test, but it has helped me a lot more than just the basic first aid class.  Also, you get CPR & AED for the Professional Rescuer--helpful for when you have kids in the show, etc.

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