Topics

1

The Green Room / Best mentions of a stage manager in the press

« on: Mar 04, 2010, 08:29 pm »

Matthew Shiner's link to an article about his current production made me think back and giggle at the few and far between times that I've been mentioned in an article about a production.  I couldn't find a thread on this so here we go:

What are some of the best/silliest/worst/completely wrong/etc. mention's in the press of the work stage managers do?

Here's mine:

"Assistant stage manager Debra Sherrer brings the simple piece of furniture into the center of Studio 4 in Point Park University's spacious new dance complex. It immediately becomes a magnet for the cast members, whether relaxing, checking notes or simply chatting -- a clear-cut case of life imitating art."

AKA-I moved a bench...

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09344/1019744-325.stm

2

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Point Park: I guess putting it on SMNet makes it real...

« on: Jul 19, 2009, 11:21 pm »

At the ripe old age of 25 (on Thursday) I am going back to school to finish my undergrad.  Needless to say I'm excited and terrified at the  same time.  I've called shows for former presidents and world leaders but let me tell you that this is much harder than anything I've ever done before.  I was pretty instantaneously admitted to the theatre department at Point Park University and will be pursuing a BFA in Stage Management in a mere few weeks.  Everyone that I've met seems truly fantastic and immensely gifted so I can't wait to learn as much as possible from every teacher and student there.  As of today, I may have even found a house, which is a step in the right direction.  (How I'm getting my furniture from storage in GA to PA is another very big step that I haven't figured out yet.)  I may have hunted down a part-time job to pay for said house so things are really lining up.  I love Pittsburgh and I can't wait to call it home, even if it's just for a couple of years.

Deb

3

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / RUNNING: Cancelling a show

« on: Mar 22, 2009, 03:57 pm »

Not sure where to put this because it's partially a legitimite question and partially just a vent so fell free to move it somewhere else...

I am currently stage managing an educational tour with a 5 show rep.  You read that correctly!  I oversee six actors and 5 shows and we do between 5-10 shows a week for schools, libraries and community events. From Sept. to May we currently have booked approx. 180 shows.  That's a lot of shows considering five years ago it was about 30.  The company has grown and grown and yet some things haven't changed which has been my biggest frustration since I arrived in Sept.  The days are long, the drives are hard and the pay is low; but I love what I do and I live on an island so overall I'm very happy with it.  

We will be cancelling our third and fourth show since Sept. tomorrow due to the death of the grandfather of one of my cast memebers. (This poor girl can't catch a break, she dislocated her shoulder two weeks ago and is having her wisdom teeth removed on Saturday!)  She calls me and I start the fun game of calling everyone else.  I call the Education Director who is my immediate boss and she says cancelling is fine due to the circumstances but could I please call the Artistic Director and get his take before making it official.  (She's in NYC with auditions and he's here in the office.) So I call the Artistic Director and let him know and then have to listen to a ten minute dialogue of "this is so inconvienent, we're going to lose money," etc.  Now, I have a very strong knowledge of our budget and I get that this is inconvienent but why wasn't his first question, "Is she ok?"  We've decided to cancel the shows but of course no one is answering at the numbers on the contract.

So I guess my question is: What have some of you gone through when you've cancelled shows?  What are some of the quirks you've come across along the years?  Every theatre is different and theatres with understudies would just continue in this case but we don't have that luxury.

4

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / PROFESSIONALISM: Hell Week...?

« on: Oct 20, 2008, 10:09 pm »

I was reading some new and old postings today and was a little discouraged that Tech Week was referred to as "hell week"  as often as  it is.  Isn't it our job as stage managers to keep everything flowing above the nine levels of hell?  Sure, things can get ridiculously hard, but if we start out assuming the tech week will be a week of hell aren't we setting ourselves up for some kind of devastation?  The teacher in me screams things like, "If you set a child up for success, they'll reach it.  And if you set them up for failure, well they'll reach that too."  If we as stage managers go into a tech with a sense of dread that can only be invoked by the word "hell," what are we setting ourselves up for?
Now I'm not saying that tech week should be called "Lollipops and Rainbows Week" but could cutting this simple thing out of our vocabulary make a difference?  I don't know. Let's discuss...

5

The Hardline / AEA Rulebook

« on: May 11, 2008, 04:03 pm »

Hey gang!

I need a copy of the AEA Rulebook.  I'm sure it's on here and I just can't find it.  I went to the Equity sight but I only found very specific rulebooks.  Is there not a general one?
Plus, if anyone has a copy of anything like "Stage Manager Job Description" I would greatly appreciate it.  My current Artistic Director and I don't see eye to eye on what my job is, so I'm looking to try and meet her in the middle; but having some other opinions on the day to day things  we do would be helpful.  Most specifically what we do once the show is open.  She feels that the SM  should never give an actor a note.
Thank you all so much,
Deb

6

Employment / So...I want to go on tour

« on: Jan 09, 2006, 10:46 am »

I have been stage managing professionally for four years and I think it is time for something new. I am 21 and I don't have a degree. (Educational theatre and I don't mix.) I think I want to go on tour, but I don't really know what to do. I'm a stagehand at a couple of different theatres so I've met a lot of people and gotten a lot of different opinions about being on tour, and I think I want to go. Any tips on what to do, or who to call? I don't know a lot of people currently on tour, so anything will help. Thanks in advance.

Deb

7

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / PEOPLE: Difficult Producer

« on: Nov 17, 2005, 10:42 am »

What do you do if you have worked at a theatre for years and the Producer says, "We here at the ______________ (it's a historic theatre that is ranked as one of the best in the south) think of stage management as a kind of night and weekend job." Therefore, he wants my contract to reflect what he thinks a stage manager does, as opposed to what I really do. I had to fight to get about $6/hr on my current production. I had rehearsals from 10-10 and he still thinks of stage management as a night and weekend thing.
Do I leave after four years of stage managing here and hope they find someone who can teach my sm students? Do I stay and barely pay the bills? If I move, where is there to go?
There aren't a lot of stage managers in my area so I'm looking to all of you for some help.