Messages

1

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Dressing For The Part?

« on: May 17, 2007, 11:57 pm »

If I am running the deck I prefer Military Surplus BDUs.  I go with summerweight as they are lighter, with ripstop (amazing, pants will never tear large holes).  They are also flame retardant for about 15-20 seconds of pretty direct exposure to flame.

ahhh...but do they make that terrible rasping "shooshing" noise when you walk? I've thought about them, but remember nylon track and rain pants and the noise would drive me nuts (though only I would know I was going there).

Owen

To Believe is to Create.
To Create is to Do.
To Do is to Believe.


 

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Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Dressing For The Part?

« on: May 07, 2007, 07:53 pm »

Has anyone tried Paramedic's pants?  They usually come in dark colors, are very durable, and have tons of pockets.  They seem like they would be perfect, but I don't know.

Opinions?

SSM

'S what my wife wears when she's my ASM. They look good on her.

Owen

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Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Traditions in the Theatre

« on: Apr 08, 2007, 08:37 pm »

Most of the companies and casts I've worked with have a Circle at House Open or about that time of any opening. Perhaps you could do something like that to commemorate the fact this is the first performance to be done in the new space, create a little Welcoming Ritual for the space, ask for dedications from cast members, or some such. We're Theatre People. Make something up, for Heaven's sake. <G> Start your own tradition.

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Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: The Seagull

« on: Mar 09, 2007, 08:07 pm »

Papier Mache would probably be noisy being dragged across the stage. I'd go for a soft-sculpture, like your sock--perhaps a fuzzy one which would look like feather from a distance--with soft sculputred wings covered with feathers or cut fabric that looks like feathers... Of course, I'm the guy who sewed up a fish for a play a couple of weeks ago. It was a red beta which we affectionately named "Phish Styx". Put it in the little plastic aquarium, left the aquarium on the table back stage and several cast members thought it was a real fish.

Owen

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Employment / Re: Too Old

« on: Mar 09, 2007, 07:24 pm »

Good thing the guy isn't in California. It's not legal to ask an applicant's age. Not that it would help me in the least if I were interviewing with this joker. My silver hair and wizened face would give me away in a heartbeat. If 28 is too old for a 31 year old, then 55 would send him screaming into the night. Hope he has plans to be very successful and running his own company when he hits HIS 50's...and I'd love to see what his hiring criteria look like by then...or that he runs in to some young whippersnapper who looks at him and says, "Experience? Ha!! You're too old..."

I think you're wise not to waste your time on someone who values youth so highly that he uses it as a primary gauge of a person's suitability for a job in his company. Go where you are appreciated and respected.

Owen

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Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: 1 or 2 Scripts?

« on: Feb 25, 2007, 04:07 pm »

In a show with a lot of blocking (usually a musical for me) I take my blocked script to paper tech. If LD asks "Where is XY when he says Blah blah?", I have the information and write the cue there. Once we've run our cue to cue I transfer my cues (in pencil) in to a clean copy of the final script. From then on I use the clean script as a prompt script, moving only blocking notes that I find I need for one reason or another. ( ex: XY x to door L 31) I call the first couple of shows from the penciled cues, refining where each warning and standby should go, once I am calling the script consistently, I start inking in my cues.

Having just the prompt script safely in the booth during the run of the show saves space there and keeps it available to anyone who might need it were I hit by the Proverbial Bus. I'm working more and more from my laptop. I scan in audition forms resumes, headshots, receipts, notes, etc. I get CAD scenic drawings, costume and props plots as PDFs, and create calendars, attendance forms, rehearsal schedules, etc. on the computer to email and print. I print out everything and make a production book for the company. I like to leave it in the theater office if there is a place for it. I keep my laptop with me at all times, am accessible by phone or email  most of the time, and have everything that is in my book in the computer, as well as loaded on a 1 GB jump drive, AND saved on a separate hard drive at home.

I'm excessive. Even so, if there is a computer and scanner available at the theater, or at home, doing as much of the paperwork as possible on computer will save you much stress and angst in the long run. I'm not to a point of being able or willing to call a show from a computer, but I do see a time coming when I may well be ready to do all of my paperwork digitally, archived to CD or some other media at the close of the production, with a print out of the prompt script being the only paper I need to keep.

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Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: HELP ME!!! I AM SO LOST.

« on: Feb 25, 2007, 12:05 pm »

I've never been to ACTF, but I'd assume they are looking your philosophy, your style. My current SM on the production I'm LX for is rather authoritarian. She tends to make a lot of pronouncements and declarative statements--you will do this and I expect that. I am more likely to treat cast and crew as equals on my team--we're all going to work together, I'm here to keep you safe and will expect you to help me help you. I love going to work every day. It's my Happy Place. How do you approach your job?

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Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Taking over a show

« on: Feb 24, 2007, 04:19 pm »

What policies/expectations are regarding Show Stops.

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Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Tense Director During Tech

« on: Feb 22, 2007, 12:43 pm »

Yesterday was our first dress rehearsal. She only had 1 note for me on the timing of a cue. Tonight, she yelled at me, after yelling at our technical director for something stupid, because apparently I have been missing the opening couple light cue timings every single time. However, this was the first time I have heard of it. Mainly, I suppose I just had to vent, but has anyone else ever been in a situation like this? Any advice. Thanks.

Fortunately, NO, I haven't been blessed with this particular challenge--though I did have an ASM who was nearly the death of my first show--but it sounds like you have plenty to vent about.

Advice? Breathe. Just Breathe. Sounds like you've been able to pinpoint a large part of her motivation for the behavior. Add to it Fear of Failure, need to Look Good, perhaps because she's out of her comfort zone, and try not to absorb her negative attitudes or let them jade you. You aren't in a position to change her, so about all you can do is detach your emotional self from the equation. Don't take anything personally. Do your best and do it cheerfully. Don't bother to try to defend yourself when you find out she thinks you've been missing the cue all along. Take the note and say "Thank You." People around you in an educational setting are watching to see how you handle the situation, and more important, actually, than ever getting the cue, how you handle the challenge of working with a difficult director. People who will eventually be asked to give you references and recommendations will look back and say, "He works well under pressure."

Remember, too, that your attitude about the director will carry through to the cast and crew, even if you never say a negative word about her. You can't just pretend to like her. It goes deeper than that. I like the advice "accept what I cannot change, change what I can, recognize the difference".

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Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Dealing with stress

« on: Feb 11, 2007, 12:15 pm »

I'm very sad to hear that story.
For me, the mantra about 'no one dying' doesn't relate to non-accidental deaths.
I just meant that no one will die because the actor doesn't hit his mark 3" SL. No one will die because the sofa is mauve and not eggplant.
Things like that.
You just have to keep it in perspective - and remembering that an elderly woman passed away doing no doubt something she loved, and enjoying her life until the very last backstage minute, that is also a gift. And should remind us to enjoy every minute.

Agreed. Hard as we may strive for consistency and want to give the audience the same show every night, we're human and we're fallible. We give our best, but we don't always hit the mark. As we tell one another in my little house, "Welcome to Live Theatre."

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Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Chicago

« on: Feb 11, 2007, 12:09 pm »

Most metal chain is not shiny, or at least the stuff my budget would accommodate isn't. Plastic painted with silver paint and a touch of glitter would likely be much more useful. What looks good up close frequently doesn't make it on stage! (How I wish more directors were like the ones I've worked with recently. "Tell us what you want, let us do our best to figure out how to do it within our budget and time frame, accept our best effort.") It's actually up to Scenic department to deal with that kind of thing, but in school/community theater that usually does, indeed, fall to the stage manager.

Building for the stage is its own science. Trucks (or wagons in some theaters) should be sturdily built. Overbuilt, if possible, with plenty of support so they don't flex or warp. Suggestions of buying the best casters you can afford can't be overstressed. Soft wheels are preferable to hard. Most should swivel, for ease of placing the truck, but using non-swivel type in combination with the others can be a benefit and save money if placement of the truck will allow. Depending on how large your truck, you may need six or even more (as opposed to just 4, one on each corner), possibly in the center, to keep it stable. Clearance under the edge should allow for uneven stages or other issues. Removable or hidden Push bars will help with large trucks. Some kind of brakes or locks will be necessary for safety and for keeping them in place. Actors WILL jump on and off of them, if only in rehearsal, and they will move. They may also need weights (ballast) for balance if they are built up unevenly or are oddly shaped.       

Have a great time getting your show together. It's a peculiar mania that we suffer, but I can't imagine life without it.

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Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Dealing with stress

« on: Feb 07, 2007, 03:44 pm »

Something I don't think has been mentioned yet is; train a good ASM and DELEGATE! Many things should be generated by the ASM (with your supervision of course), especially anything having to do with backstage (i.e. prop lists) since the ASM will be backstage during the show.
STOP SAYING YES, no is a good word, one of my favorites.
I like to read.... anything non theater related to take my mind off of stuff.

I absolutely second the "train a GOOD ASM". Trust, but verify that they are getting things done.

As to the reading...I'm still green enough that I am still reading a lot of theater related stuff. Can't get enough.

13

Employment / Re: Part-Time Work

« on: Feb 07, 2007, 03:14 pm »

A quick update:

I've been looking since September and I have finally found a part time job!

Huge weight lifted!!!

That's great, Marcie! I know a lot of theatre folk who do Starbucks, Peets, or the local derivative, for the same reason. Flexibility of hours. Doesn't hurt if you love coffee, I'm sure.

When looking for supplemental work, I've found it really helps to have skills that can be applied to other parts of the theater. I'm lucky in that my main entre to the theater was in costume (I'm a tailor by training) so I've been able to contract to ASM and stitch costumes for a show I want to work this summer but couldn't afford to do without the stitcher job. I'll do most anything that pays in a theater, often painting the set and SMing for small producitons.

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Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Stop The Show!

« on: Feb 05, 2007, 02:09 am »

I think you're probably right, Mac. My little house is more than forgiving. It's our policy to call a stop if a patron shows signs of heart attack or seizure. We're a community theater, have no trained house manager or ushers, and it's part of my job as Stage Manager to call emergency services and see that everyone is okay. My employer called me the next day to commend me for handling the situation as I did. I don't think I would have done it quite the same in a house that seats 500 or 800, if trained house staff could have stepped in, taken care of the patron and the emergency call, letting me know what was going on with minimum disruption. As it was, with a third of my audience rapidly becoming involved in what was going on in those first few rows, there was no way to keep the audience's attention on the stage. 

Owen

I have noticed that smaller houses tend to be far more forgiving of show stops than larger ones - your experiance seems to confirm that. I am glad everything went smoothly, and god knows why they gave such applause to the actress who stayed in position - she probably had a wonderful nap whilst there... lucky person ;-)

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Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Stop The Show!

« on: Feb 02, 2007, 02:34 am »

Well, I called my first Show Stop tonight. Suddenly, during the first Act, just as one of my actors had exited the "mattress store" leaving his woman customer laying on the mattress she is considering buying, patrons began leaping to their feet in the first three rows. In less than 15 seconds I had reports over walkie talkie that an older gentleman had just become ill. I signaled my Sound Op who reached for the phone and called 911. We're a very small house, 88 seats, so I stepped out in to the house, and saw the man and his party step out the lower exit at the edge of the stage. One of my actors came to me saying he is a First Responder, so I sent him in to the rest room with the man before stepping back in to the house to tell the audience that everything was under control and thank them for their patience. Bounced back and forth between the booth and the hallway where the rest room was until EMTs arrived and 911 operator was willing to sign off and let us hang up the phone.

Once the pros were there to take care of the patron, I directed my crew back to what we do best. I made another announcement that the gentleman was being released to go home and that we would resume the show as soon as everyone was in their seat. They quieted almost immediately.I brought the house lights down, directed the crew to cue my actor, and resumed the show. The last 45 seconds of the scene played out, lights out, bow light came up and the cast got a standing ovation with swelling applause for the woman who had lain perfectly still, eyes closed, for the eight minutes it took to resolve the situation and finish the play. At intermission we had several people stop by the booth to tell us how impressed they were at how smoothly and professionally we'd handled it. Whew. I'm just glad the guy was alright and the rest of the show was smooth as silk.

Owen