Messages

1

Job Postings / Non-union opera ASM needed in Boston

« on: Mar 15, 2016, 11:27 am »

Boston Youth Symphony Orchestras (BYSO) seeks experienced, creative, outgoing, and friendly individual for Assistant Stage Manager position for a special semi-staged, family version of Rossini’s Cinderella at Boston’s Symphony Hall in collaboration with the Boston Symphony Orchestra. Production will be conducted by BYSO Music Director Federico Cortese and Directed by Edward Berkeley. Candidates should have professional stage management experience, ability to read a vocal score, and be available in Boston for daily rehearsals from March 29-April 10, 2016. Please contact Matthew Ritter at mbritter@bu.edu for more details.

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Tools of the Trade / Re: Purchasing Gaff and Spike Tape

« on: Mar 09, 2016, 07:26 pm »

In the Boston area most theaters use Production Advantage (http://www.productionadvantageonline.com) They are based in Vermont and ship pretty quickly.

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The Hardline / Re: SM as Board Op -- What to Ask For

« on: Nov 24, 2015, 10:47 am »

I know - its unfortunate and it is common in Boston.  The first step we made in trying to get producers (and SMs) to understand this was to refuse to sign the rider about extra duties at the same time we sign our contracts. 

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The Hardline / Re: SM as Board Op -- What to Ask For

« on: Nov 23, 2015, 06:41 am »

Running a board cannot be a condition of employment.  Many smaller theaters (smaller booths or smaller budgets) treat it as such, but hopefully they already have a default amount of money they pay you when you sign your rider informing AEA that you are running a board.

I work in the Boston area where the NEAT contract frequently sees SMs run either the light or sound boards.  Over the past year we've worked very hard to get the theaters on that contract to standardize what they pay for those extra duties, however it is a drop in the bucket, about $50/week. 

The SMs in my area have vastly different takes on how much is included in that - on my end, I am not a sound technician or an electrician or a programmer.  I don't do channel or speaker checks and if something goes wrong there is next to nothing I can do to fix it.  I don't agree to run boards until shortly before tech when I know what the show is and how cue heavy it is and if there's a way to use someone else to be a board op.  I hate agreeing to anything that takes my focus away from my primary responsibilities.

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The Hardline / Re: Visit from My AEA Business Representative

« on: Oct 11, 2015, 08:45 am »

When I did a show in NYC with the Roundabout a few years ago our rep came to the first rehearsal and then also came to our first preview where he checked in with the deputy and I at the end of the show.  It was a nice face to face moment, not something we get in Boston at either the LORT or NEAT levels. Our NEAT rep we see at annual meetings so we're very comfortable reaching out as we need to.

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The Green Room / Re: Patrons behaving badly

« on: Jul 13, 2015, 08:00 am »

A few years ago I did a show where we had a popcorn maker start mid-intermission, so that the Act 2 lights up were on the cast eating the popcorn as it overflowed.  Almost every other show a patron would walk onstage to see if the popcorn was real, touching, smelling, eating...

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The Hardline / Re: AGMA Companies that are not offering travel/housing

« on: Jul 02, 2015, 11:25 am »

VSM - just curious how contacting AEA reps for AGMA issues would be beneficial.

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Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: PROPS: Breaking a vase

« on: Jul 01, 2015, 08:24 am »

I don't know the specifics of your moment but I did do a production of Private Lives where we 'broke' a statue onstage each night as part of a fight.  Our props person made a statue out of foam and coated it with something, then cut it into pieces and attached velcro strips between the cuts so they separated when thrown to the ground.  The statue had to be mounted on a wooden base so that there was a secure way to pick it up without breaking and also to help give some noise when it hit the floor.  Not sure if for a vase you'd be able to pull off something similar.

For La boheme we had to break a dinner plate (and not hit anyone on the very crowded stage and then clean up very quickly in a pause) and found the easiest way was to cover a plate with white clear tape so that you hear the sound of it shattering but the pieces stayed attached.

Good luck - let us know what your props department comes up with!

9

Employment / Re: Overqualified?

« on: Feb 12, 2015, 12:53 am »

I think the best questions to ask in these circumstances is 'why do you want the job?' 

I teach stage management at a university and had a fantastic time last year working as an ASM on Camelot with one of my students as the SM.  It was great - it was something I had discussed with management as they were planning their season, wanting to ASM the largest show they were doing, so I could get back to running a deck and away from juggling conflict calendars for a show.  We talked openly about the advantages to hiring someone younger to call the show with someone more experienced in the room as support.  They asked if it would be awkward for me to work with a former student and I said that would be a lot of fun and a great testament to their training. 

There have also been times when I've applied for things just to pay the bills, those aren't always as fun, and while it is never fun to be rejected from a job I understand wanting to give younger folks the chance to grow.  It all depends on what a team/show needs.  If I at least got an interview where I had a chance to explain how I thought my experiance could benefit a team I don't feel slighted.

Sometimes it isn't about a paycheck or a mental break - sometimes trying to make a sideways move to help your career in other ways means looking for jobs you seem overqualified for.  I think the question is, can you articulate why you are right for a job.

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Self-Promotion / Albatross

« on: Feb 07, 2015, 08:11 pm »

ALBATROSS, presented by The Poets' Theatre

'water water everywhere, but not a drop to drink'  Ever heard that before?  It's from the Rime of the Ancient Mariner and I'm working on a one man show based on the poem, adapted by the same gentleman who adapted The Kite Runner.  The actor is amazing, great soundscape I've been privileged to be hearing throughout rehearsals, loads of projections and light cues I'm eager to tech this week.

We're in downtown Boston, 1st preview this Friday, open on Monday, close on March 1.  Come see us!

http://www.poetstheatre.org/albatross/ 
http://www.broadwayworld.com/boston/article/The-Poets-Theatre-to-Present-ALBATROSS-213-31-20150106#

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Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: CALLING: Articulation marks in SM calling script

« on: Feb 06, 2015, 08:18 am »

I use these, especially if I know my ASM is going to learn to call the show.  One of them once asked when I 'loaded a cue' so that's how I've started to refer to when I begin to speak.  I don't often do this for opera, unless a transition is large and the music is fast, when my beginning to speak may be quite a distance in the page from the actual GO.

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The Green Room / Re: Broadway SM Symposium

« on: Feb 01, 2015, 05:01 pm »

Regarding the cost - I've never been but I think this is pretty reasonable price point. 

As an educator very aware of college price tags, I feel compelled to note that this is significantly less than the cost of a single credit, which may cover a 12 week semester, perhaps 12 classroom hours. 

Considering how few opportunities there are for SM to attend conferences aimed at us, the next step of our educations or careers this is a pretty stellar opportunity.  Consider also the cost of continuing education for other industries and this looks like a very low cost, an acknowledgement of the financial restrictions many of us face.

Off my soap box now, except to say that as an adjunct professor with no Broadway background, but in charge of educating students interested in Broadway, this is something I have highly recommended they attend.   I may in fact attend myself to see how I can better address these things within my classes.

13

Job Postings / 2 week musical workshop in Boston

« on: Jan 31, 2015, 06:23 pm »

February 15-27, 2015 two-week workshop of the musical the team has been developing over the past 18-months called A Pint of Understanding. 

Here's our website with info on the musical - the short video explains all:

http://www.apintofunderstandingthemusical.com<http://www.apintofunderstandingthemusical.com/>

We're operating under an AEA Reader's Contract. We have three AEA actors so we have to have an AEA Stage Manager. We can pay $1,200.00 for the entire two-week engagement and will put in for Pension and Health.


Here is the rehearsal schedule:

Week #1
Sunday          Feb 15        12pm - 6pm           Central Square Theatre Studio, Cambridge
Monday        Feb 16           6pm - 11pm         Central Square Theatre Studio, Cambridge
Tuesday        Feb 17           6pm - 11pm         Central Square Theatre Studio, Cambridge
Wednesday   Feb 18           6pm - 11pm         Central Square Theatre Studio, Cambridge
Thursday      Feb 19           6pm - 11pm          Central Square Theatre Studio, Cambridge
Friday           Feb 20           6pm - 11pm         Central Square Theatre Studio, Cambridge
Saturday      Feb 21            DAY OFF

WEEK #2
Sunday         Feb 22        12pm - 6pm            Central Square Theatre Studio, Cambridge
Monday       Feb 23          6pm -                     Regent Theater Studio, Arlington, MA
Tuesday       Feb 24         6pm - 11pm            Central Square Theatre Studio, Cambridge
Wednesday  Feb 25        6pm - 11pm             Central Square Theatre Studio, Cambridge
Thursday     Feb 26         6pm - 11pm            Bill Bordy Theater, Emerson College
Friday         Feb 27          7pm                        PUBLIC PRESENTATION -  Bordy Theater, Emerson

Contact Benny_Ambush@emerson.edu if available.

14

Tools of the Trade / PROPS: overflowing champagne

« on: Jan 15, 2015, 03:44 am »

Question from an actor friend:  "Do you have a good 'recipe' by any chance to make for champagne that is supposed to bubble out/overflow when popped open?? "

I'm not on the show so I don't know what they've tried.  I found an article (http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2880482/Shake-bottle-bubbly-STOP-overflowing-Vigorous-shaking-actually-decreases-pressure-inside-bottles-champagne-study-finds.html) that says shaking and fully chilling the bottle both decrease pressure making popping/overflowing less likely, but everything else I found on line is about how to avoid overflows.

Any suggestions?  I asked if they were using non-alcoholic champagne or trying to fake something with ginger ale but haven't heard back.

15

The Hardline / Re: AEA LORT COSTUME FITTINGS

« on: Sep 25, 2014, 02:05 pm »

I've had this question come up on the East Coast a few times but we've never gone to the rep, just talked it out between myself the actors who asked and the deputy.

The last time it happened was for a five hour rehearsal beginning at 11a, with 1 person getting a 10a fitting and some one else getting a 9a fitting.  The 9a person asked for OT since it wasn't consecutive to the rehearsal call.  We explained our reasoning that since all the calls added together were consecutive to the start of rehearsal (and the shop could only see one person at a time), that we were following the rule.  The other part of this ruling allowed the 10a fitting to have 6 consecutive hours of work without a meal break and without counting their day as a straight six.

So - I'd say your proposed schedule was according to the rules as long as you are within span of day regulations.  But again, I've gone to a business rep with the situation.