Show Posts

This section allows you to view all posts made by this member. Note that you can only see posts made in areas you currently have access to.


Topics - centaura

Pages: [1]
1
I thought I'd try to get some folks chatting here by throwing out a question.

What is the most unusual job that you have had as a stage manager?

Has there ever been a job that you've taken that you've questioned how it related to theatre?  Or have you taken a job that was titled differently, but at the end of the day you pretty much felt like you were stage managing?

I'd be interested in hearing about unusual jobs that folks have taken.

-Centaura

2
The Hardline / venue battle with local IATSE
« on: Mar 01, 2006, 03:07 pm »
Greetings,

I just started work full-time at an IATSE roadhouse [in a non-union postion].  One of the first things that I've noticed is that there seems to be a on-going fued between the venue and the local union, one which I don't quite understand, but I also don't have the full history on yet.  While I am working on being nuetral - until I have the sides figured out, I am in the position of hearing each side bitch about the other side.  Part of my job is being the venue contact for the local BA.  They're going to be in contract negotiations at the end of the year and its going to be ugly.  Does anyone have any experience with fueds between houses and their unions?  Any recommendations or bits of advice?  

One of the things being threatened is putting the union out of the venue; does anyone know of a case where this happened?  And what the venue did for crew afterwards?

At a loss and in the middle,
-Centaura

3
SMNetwork Archives / Emergency Forms
« on: May 04, 2005, 10:40 pm »
Quote
Re the first aid thing:

I have all cast and crew submit a CONFIDENTIAL Emergency Medical form


I will give this statement a resounding "I AGREE"  I will not go past day one of working with a group of actors without a Emergency Med info form!  I've already had three cases of having to take a comatose or non-sensical person to an emergency room, and in each case I was able to hand their form straight to the emergency staff personel.  

Even if the person is totally coherent, I find its still helpful, especially if I have lines for their health insurance information, which most folks don't know off the top of their heads.

-Centaura


thread edited by nmno. was originally part of "Leaving the booth..."[/i]

4
Employment / DIVERSIFYING: SMs in other roles
« on: May 04, 2005, 10:21 pm »
Its been brought up in another thread about SMs doing other roles for a show other than just SMing.  To me this can tie into a lot of the union discussions that've been posted lately.

Is is just me, or is one big difference between working union or non-union the chance to work hands-on in other departments other than your own?  Or is this just a scale thing, larger shows having more crew and therefore more clearly defined roles, and smaller shows having less staff and more crossover?

One of the things that I've enjoyed about working on no-union shows has been the chance to help outside my area.  How do others feel about working in other areas of tech?

-Centaura

5
This has come up in the "LX/Light" thread, and I thought I'd open it up for opinion gathering.  Its actually a question I've had, regarding how my calling is received in the houses that I go to.  Do you call a warning, standby and go?  Or just standby and go?  Or just go?  In college, I was told to say all three.  But, since then I've found that that can actually be more confusing to some people than just a standby and a go.  I had dropped warnings altogether several years ago; though sometimes get curious if the way I'm calling is similar or different from other ways that tour SMs call things.

A few folks had commented on this in the lighting thread, but anyone else have any comments?

-Centaura

6
Howdy all,

Was looking for some advice on a situation that I know is going to come up on my next tour.  I have a group of actors who all know each other and have a lot of history with each other going out on a non-union national tour for the first time.  This in itself is a new situation for me, I've never had more than two actors know each other prior to going out on tour.  Anyway, two of the actors already hate each other - from previous shows that they've done.  Going into the dressing rooms and hearing them talk, I'm hearing things that I don't normally hear until a good 5 or 6 months into a tour.  Now, my dilema is this - I've never had to deal with this at the begining of a tour.  The Artistic Director, in his happy land, is all excited that he has all locals going out this year who all know and like each other.  My boss at the theatre has told me to 'just smile and nod' when they come to me and complain.

I know what to do when it starts to interfere with the show, which I have zero tolerance for, but I was curious if anyone had any advice on how to stop / slow it from getting to that extreme in the first place?  They've figured out that I'm not taking sides, but that hasn't stopped the one girl from hinting that if the guy can't do the show her way then 'there's the door'.

I'm just used to being at the point on tour of saying 'I know you don't like so and so, but you only have to deal with it for the short time left'.  Now I'm in the situation of 'I know you hate so and so, but you agreed to do this knowing their on tour with you'.  Anyone have any adivce on this one?  I know I'll get no support from my home office while I'm gone.

-Centaura

Pages: [1]
riotous