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Messages - MusicTheatreSM

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1
Stage Management: Other / Re: iPhone Stage Manager
« on: Nov 17, 2011, 06:56 pm »
It was removed from the App store for a few days to fix some bugs, it is now back up and available! Yay!

2
My husband is the number one on my list. He takes care of our dog and cat when he comes home from work, runs to the grocery store, makes dinner, and even meets me by the train station to walk me home late at night (I live in a not so hot neighborhood in Chicago). He is always there for me to come home to, which is a really great feeling after a 12 hour day that might not have been the best. He is my rock and my sounding board, and probably the only reason I still have my sanity. And starting off in theatre, he was also my support system so I didn't have to work another job to support myself. He made sure I have been able to work any job I can without restrictions of another responsibility.

My dog and cat are probably second. Only because they know when I come home from a long day to come and cuddle and give kisses. They sleep in with me on the bed after my husband leaves for work. My dog especially, who when I leave the house, pulls on my sleeve, she doesn't want me to go for another long day, but it is my reminder that she loves me even thought I spend a lot of time away from home.

My parents come in at third. They are finally starting to understand my choices and career path. They weren't so supportive starting off or through college, but now are there for me to rant when I need or just a short escape is always nice when needed.

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Stage Management: Other / Re: iPhone Stage Manager
« on: Nov 14, 2011, 02:07 am »
I noticed it was no longer available also. And I tried buying it the day after it was released. Weird and sad. I wanted to play!

4
The Green Room / Re: How to deal with an unruly ASM
« on: Nov 03, 2011, 05:05 am »
More issues with my ASM.

Jack has a lot on his plate, this is a very tech heavy show and he is the only crew as well as ASM. Most of the scene changes are done by actors, he does have a few that he is strickly responsible for because of the fly system in place.

There are also almost 20 quick changes. 2 of these quick changes happen in the lobby and not backstage. Jack could potentially run around, but it doesn't quite give the change enough time and then the actor is late on stage. As it was tech adn this is the time to work through these issues, he wanted to practice. We worked it several times and he was still unable to get those last few seconds in to make the difference up. We enlisted the help of an actor who would already be there, as that was his exit, to do the change so Jack only had to focus on the scene change and not both.

Jack did not like me making this decision. He wanted to do all of it himself. It just wasn't possible. Even practicing it multiple times, the timing wasn't getting better. He left the space, very unhappy and this is how the night started.

We took a break between acts, cleaned the stage. the director was getting antsy because we has already started the run half an hour late do to technical difficulties. I went backstage to see what I could to to help hurry along the preset for act two. Jack had two things that needed to happen. An actor needed help getting into costume and a set piece needed to be moved. Respecting that backstage is essentially "his domain" for the run of the show, I asked if I could move the set piece. He said no, and moved it himself. So I stepped in to help snap the actor into his costume. Jack came back while I was finishing the costume about to tie the last section in and snapped, "I got it." and took the ties of the costume out of my hands.

I do not appreciate being walked all over. I am doing my job of making tech go as smoothly as possible. I am still at a loss of what Jack's problem is at this point. He isn't making this easy.

I had an outsider who hasn't been in the rehearsal process at all ask me tonight if Jack and I had problems because he was, as this person put it "shoot daggers out of his eyes every time I spoke" and went as far to say that any time I would say or ask something, Jack jumps in to tell me and the rest of the staff why things can't be done the way I am suggesting.

The frustration that is running through my body is ridiculous. I have worked on 40+ shows as a stage manager and 10+ as a production manager and have never run into these problems before!

5
The Green Room / Re: How to deal with an unruly ASM
« on: Oct 31, 2011, 01:52 am »
Wish I could just let Jack go. However, I am not allowed to make those decisions.

I have spoken to the PM, but she is friends with Jack and that makes this even more complicated. She is just giving me one off answers and excuses for why Jack isn't completing his job appropriately.

Just tonight, we had a production meeting. Jack sat there and played a game on his phone the entire time. Then I asked him about a piece of paperwork that I had given him today as a deadline for. He said it would be done tonight...it is now 12:45 and I still have no paper work. I'm about to go to bed since we have tech tomorrow.

I also specifically requested for him not to include a list of special effects props in the prop tracking sheet he made as they are in one scene and have their own track sheet since they need to be handled carefully. He made the sheet the way he wanted to and included them, even after I said not to.

Any words on how to talk to the PM maybe? Even though she is friends with Jack? Doesn't seem like the "come to Jesus" talk worked with him.

In truth, he now only talks to me if he wants something, TEXTS me instead of talking to me during rehearsals/runs, and has done numerous petty things also. (removed me as a friend on facebook, ( I could care less, he added me in the first place), we used to car pool to and from rehearsals, (I am no longer on his car pool list) and removed my wet shoes from the dryer for no reason so I went home with wet shoes last week (yes I know it was him, I saw him do it)

Again, any more tips?

6
The Green Room / How to deal with an unruly ASM
« on: Oct 28, 2011, 04:54 am »
I am currently working with an ASM who I am really struggling to get along with. We will call my ASM Jack.

Jack has a horrible attitude problem that I am not sure where it stems from. Throughout the rehearsal process, Jack has spent very little time in the rehearsal room despite having conversations about things I need Jack to accomplish. My director doesn't want anything to effect the energy of the rehearsal room and this particular company is big on the chain of command, so I took my complaints to the one who signs the paychecks.

Our manager said that everything needed to be in paper form (information, goals deadlines) or there was no real proof that Jack isn't doing his job. I did as our manager requested. Things were still turned in late and it was almost a fight trying to get a simple tracking sheet.

Finally, the other night. Jack was putting away props and told something could not go into prop storage because a fluorescent bulb had broken. Jack was told to store everything upstairs in the theatre. His response was that he was not going to the theatre. He was then told by the production manager that she would take care of things but to get the props out of storage because of the broken bulb.

I was working a special effects scene requiring a lot of props while this was happening. I was informed by the production manager that all the special effect props also needed to go upstairs because of the bulb. I asked my ASM to help me put away props.

Jack, already having a bad attitude because he didn't want to go up to the theatre in the first place, starting shoving props around. We loaded the elevator to get things upstairs and he proceeded to shove things out the elevators and toss things into the theatre. (these special effect props are already very delicate and can't really handle this type of manhandling) In the process, he broke several of the props.

 I told him to calm down, he needed to not throw things, take a breather etc. He did not listen and just made sure everything was out of the elevator and then left without out asking me if that was it for the evening or anything else needed to happen, etc.

I called the production manager after I left the theatre. I was quite fed up by this point with Jack's attitude, it has been a constant problem for me throughout rehearsal and this was my breaking point. My production manager just blew it off and said that Jack isn't normally like that.

I'm at a loss. I'm not sure if I can work with someone who has no respect for authority or the show itself. Jack is typically an SM and not ASM and struggling not being in that position of power according to my production manager. Jack, however, was also fired from a show over the summer that he was SMing. This particular show is cue heavy, prop heavy, quick change heavy, I need an ASM who is on top of it that I can trust. This one I can't even have a conversation with without knowing if I am being lied to or not.

Any advice on what to do, who to talk to, how to handle a situation like this? I go into tech on Sunday and I'm not sure I have the patience to deal with Jack's antics anymore.

7
The Green Room / Re: Halloween 2011
« on: Oct 04, 2011, 03:57 am »
We will be starting our first day of tech for a very geeky sci-fi/space themed Panto production.

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At the moment, I would say my Ipad...it has become a tool for me running my rehearsals and shows.

However...I did I show with an older Equity actress who had trouble seeing and jokingly said I had to give her a "runway" to exit in the dark, so my next answer would be glow tape.

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The Green Room / Re: Happiness is...
« on: Sep 22, 2011, 05:10 am »
Happiness is...

...when your ASM brings you coffee/tea the first day of tech.
...a director asks you a question, you answer, and they respond, "This is why I love you"
...someone brings you a bottle of wine for taking care of them and a need as an actor..
...an actor makes a coffee run on a break and brings you back a drink because he knows you don't really get a "break"

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Tools of the Trade / Re: 1/4" Glow dots
« on: Aug 29, 2011, 03:18 am »
wax paper.
you would still have to punch the dots out yourself, but you could stick them all to wax paper and have the sheet to carry around in your kit/book and such for future shows. 


11
overnightprints.com is where I got mine.

Mine are full color (simple design that I created and uploaded, just not black and white or cheesy pre-designed cards) 250 count and I paid 12 for them

The have my name, phone number, city and stage, and webpage address (which has my sm resume and my design portfolio) I also do a TON of free lance theatre arts teaching around the city so my card says stage manager and teaching artist.

If you are going to be handing it out a lot, it's worth the cost to get them. I do a lot of one or two night gigs running lights and sound for cabaret or improv and a lot of the performers I work with want to work with me again, so I keep my cards on me to hand out for the reason.

12
Tools of the Trade / Re: Digital Show Binder
« on: Aug 14, 2011, 02:05 am »
Quote
The most time I spend is putting cues into a digital script, which is usually an hour at the most.

What size shows do you work on?




And still, anyone working on an ipad or laptop in rehearsal still rubs me the wrong way, they aren't paying attention - maybe I am old fashion - I am probably 20 years older then most of you.


The size show I work on varies. Right now I have a 15 person cast and I am doing a Shakespeare with quite a bit of tech. I am also not AEA yet, so I work smaller Chicago theatre and don't typically do shows with 500+ cues.  But I'm just fairly quick at putting my ques into the binder. Especially if I'm reading it off a cue sheet, it takes no time. I made digital stamps that I just insert into the script. Save a ton of time and is effective and easy to read.

And I type on my ipad because I am paying attention. My current director loves to have it in the space because he has used it to reference proper verse techniques and show videos to the cast, he can see the timer and I tale quick notes without being disruptive and he can turn and ask and I have an answer. I would understand it being more of an issue if the SM/ASM was using their tools to search the web and play around.

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Tools of the Trade / Re: Digital Show Binder
« on: Aug 13, 2011, 01:29 pm »
I like having the ease of simplicity of having everything on my ipad. I can access and create all my reports, lists, run timers, etc all at once. I like the ipad also, because I can type on the screen and there is no "click-it-y" of my key board to be distracting. I can highlight line notes quickly and easily, I can make notes and email my self reminders. It's great. Now, all that being said...

I still have everything backed up digitally at home and I always create a show binder. I block on paper. it makes more sense to me to take blocking by hand. I print out all my paperwork and keep copies in my binder and then digital copies on my home computer. I have run a show using my ipad, where I put all the cues into the digital version of the script, and I can call cues and watch lines simply. If I lose any of that information, for whatever reason, the good old stand by is always there for me.

I do both because, as you said, some companies like digital copies and some want the binder. I do all my paperwork digitally and print it out anyway, so it's not much more effort for me to do both. The most time I spend is putting cues into a digital script, which is usually an hour at the most.

I don't think that paper copies of certain items will ever become obsolete in the stage management world. The impact of a technological fail would be too great and not everyone has or can afford to have an ipad backstage.

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The Green Room / Re: You know you're in tech when....
« on: Aug 05, 2011, 03:46 am »
When my dog grabs the sleeve of my shirt as I'm walking out the door because she has only seen me for an hour in the past few days!

15
The Green Room / Re: Convolution Creep
« on: Jul 23, 2011, 06:37 am »
The theatre I am currently working in has several idiosyncrasies!

We are using a smaller space on the third floor of this theatre complex. Our floor is just a single dressing room and the theatre space itself. There are no bathrooms on this floor, so in order for actors/audience to go, they all use the same door to go down a flight of stairs (2 flights for audience) to use the bathrooms.

Because of the nature of our show, there is no intermission and no reentry if they leave, so we purposely start 5 minutes late to give the audience a chance to go to the bathroom one last time and also let the actors go. This has led to two unique time calls of "10 that's actually 15" and "potty call"

I have a set of rental SM keys given to me by the space manager. He has replaced them twice because my one key will not open the main theatre door. The same key will open the dressing room with no problems. The only key at this point that will unlock/lock the door is a master key, and as a rental contract, our company is not allowed master keys.

The booth entrance is outside the theatre door, up a second staircase that leads to the roof. It was an makeshift or afterthought of a booth. The a/c runs through the ceiling, so if you are taller that 5'6 you can't stand up straight in the booth.

If you run the a/c anywhere below 76 degrees it leaks in the booth and dressing room.

The house lights are on manual dimmer knobs outside of the dressing room. I have to literally hang out of the booth "cut out" (it is so not a window) to cue the an actor to take house to half and again for house out. And at the end of the show, by ASM/sound board op runs down the stairs to bring the house lights back up.

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