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Messages - cprted

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1
Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Calling Script
« on: Nov 24, 2013, 05:53 pm »
I've done, more or less, the same as everyone else here.  I'll see if I can dig up an example later today.

2
The Green Room / Re: Sleeping in your theatre
« on: Mar 12, 2013, 11:14 am »
Empty roadcases wrapped up in packing blankets ....

3
People thinking they can do rigging has always made me really wary... I worked at a Casino doing large scale concerts, and the riggers were always specially trained contracted employees from the outside. As far as I am aware there are special certifications in rigging, yes?
That is the problem with rigging is that other than ETCP, there really isn't a rigging certification.  Anyone can hang a shingle outside their door and say, "rigger for hire."  It all comes down to experience and reputation.

Like others here, I honestly would have no idea what to think if I saw "basic rigging" on a resume.  When hiring riggers, if they ever use the words "should," "I think," or "probably," you need to find someone else.  ;)

4
That "morale" quote at the end hurt just to read it.
I lived through a boss who should have had that engraved on a gold plaque on his office door.  He pretty much hit each of the four points on a daily basis along with throwing his employees under the bus to make himself look good at least once a week.

Thank God that job is long behind me!


5
Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Sweeney Todd
« on: Jun 26, 2012, 10:27 am »
I did a production of Sweeney about two years ago.  Our production had a two level set with a revolve, no flys (not in a fly house) and it was LX heavy.  It was a lot of fun and I second what Kay said about being meticulous. There were a couple of very intricate sequences.

6
Stage Management: Other / Re: Spiking a Dance Floor
« on: Aug 20, 2011, 03:21 pm »
These days I spend most of my theatre time touring with a Ballet company.  I use 1/2" paper artists tape for spikes and will cover them with clear marley tape if we're going to be in a venue for more than 2-3 days.

A very helpful house tech once covered my spikes with scotch packing tape ... that was a job and a half to remove after 10 days of shows/rehearsal... thankfully, it wasn't my floor!

7
The Hardline / Re: Stagehand Wages
« on: Jul 01, 2011, 06:31 pm »
In my neck of the woods, non-union could be as low as $10/hr and union hands start around $19/hr and go up from there.

Post Merge: Jul 01, 2011, 06:37 pm
What about the general wages for a Stage Manager Position?
As an SM, I have worked for $100/week, $900/week, and all points in between.  All non-CAEA.

8
I did a contract last year as an SM coming in for tech week.  Sound of Music, 50 kids, two casts, it was a disaster.  Reasonably well paid, but a disaster none the less.  Oh the stories I have ...

9
I know you say there isn't money for "proper comms," but have you looked at Production Intercom's offerings?  They're much more reasonably priced than Clear-Com or Telex and are more durable.  www.beltpack.com

10
I am primarily responsible for the touring floor with the ballet company I work and occasionally am called on to do some work on the studio floors.

Daily, the floor gets a dry mop and a euro mop.  We use standard dry mops that are marked for dance floor use only.  They are washed regularly without soap or fabric softener.  Fabric softener especially will slick up a floor!  The euro mop involves wrapping soaked towel around a wide bristle broom.  As with the dry mops, the towels used for the euro mop are for mopping only and are washing without soap or fabric softener.

Every couple of weeks, we'll mop with "Slip No More."  I can't remember the manufacturer, but I'll look the next time I'm at the studio.  The Slip No More gets applied with a normal mop (that you have made sure is only used for slip no more and hasn't been washed with soap or fabric softener) after the dry and euro mopping.

For those tough rosin marks or pointe shoe marks, you can get pads for floor buffers that will take those off.  Contact the manufacturer of your floor for suggestions.  We usually do that twice a year.

I'll PM you the details of our tape.  It beats anything I've seen anyone else use.  We only have to redo the tape in the studio every 2-3 months.

11
Stage Management: Other / Re: Backstage at the Nutcracker
« on: Dec 18, 2010, 12:13 pm »
I'm currently on tour with a production of the Nutcracker.  Yep, 100+ kids backstage, organised chaos ...

12
Tools of the Trade / Re: Useful applications for Blackberry
« on: Dec 17, 2010, 03:51 am »
So I just stumbled across this app called "Trapster".  It is available for Blackberry, Android, iPhone, and even some automobile GPS units.  It uses your phone's GPS feature to alert you of upcoming speed traps, photo enforced stop light cameras, etc...

REALLY happy to have found this since those cameras are popping up everywhere in Miami lately.
Be careful with that app, it uses a tonne of data!

13
Employment / Re: Transitioning from non-union to CAEA
« on: Dec 15, 2010, 10:51 am »
@SMrose - No - they don't.  They do offer a list of SM's currently not working to engagers looking for someone though.
While there is no "job board" per say, there are a fair number of SM jobs postings that get sent out on E-Drive.
http://www.caea.com/EquityWeb/OnTheBoards/Default.aspx

14
Employment / Re: Transitioning from non-union to CAEA
« on: Dec 09, 2010, 04:21 am »
Send out another batch of resumes indicating you're now an Equity member.  I wouldn't consider firing off unsolicited resumes twice a year to be spam.

15
Tools of the Trade / Re: Books about presenting houses
« on: Nov 18, 2010, 09:24 pm »
I was a TD at a roadhouse that presented about 1/3  of our performances.  From the technical end, the first thing you need is a rider from the technical contact.  Once you have the rider, start going through and make a list of all the issues and things to negotiate.  You can take care of many professional tours with one email and a followup call.  Then of course you're on to booking crew, possibly renting gear etc.

I haven't had anything to do with the hospitality end of things, but if you have any technical advancing questions, feel free to post them or fire them my way in a PM.

Cheers.

Ted

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