Messages

1

Employment / Re: Listing a remount on your resume?

« on: Jul 25, 2013, 08:24 pm »

I tend to list my shows on my resume in chronological order.  So any remounts are listed with in the year they happened. For instance I've done The Nutcracker 3 years in a row, but I have done 5 or 6 show in between them.
Example

The Nutcracker                  2010
Annie                                2010
Beauty and the Beast        2010
Seussical                           2011
The Nutcracker                  2011
         

2

The Green Room / Re: Thoughts on Director Acting in Show?

« on: Mar 03, 2013, 11:12 pm »

I have had to do this before.  It isn't as bad as you think it might be depending.... what we did is record the rehearsal form the back of the house then he would watch the video the next day and give notes at the top of rehearsal.  The only issue I really had was knowing when to ask technical questions before he got into character and actually giving him time to get ready for the show.

3

Tools of the Trade / Re: Portable Measuring Tape for stage spacing

« on: Nov 13, 2012, 12:05 am »

I am guessing you mean a number line for spacing, we have one that is along the DS edge just beyond the plaster line that is permanent right at the edge of our pit.  When we do dance show we end up putting the marly DS on to the pit so I have made a number line on 3" wide by 50' sewn together black duvetyn with 2" sticker numbers.  It works great and can be folded up easily and place in a gallon size zip lock bag.  If I get a chance I am going to look for Iron on numbers like you might get for athletic jerseys to make them a little more permanent. 

4

The Green Room / Re: Relief from insomnia

« on: Sep 17, 2012, 08:53 pm »

My last ditch method is to listen to a movie on my ipad with my headphones in- something that I have seen many, many times- and I can relax and sleep.

I am totally a watch a movie I've seen kinda guy.  When I was in school still, my 2 go to movies to fall asleep to were Aladdin and Phantom of the Opera. Odd choices I know! Aladdin was because I watched so much as a child and I think my mom put it in at nap time that it has become a Pavlovian response for me to just sleep.  I some times don't even make it past "Arabian Nights"  and I could have been so wound up 3 minutes earlier.   Phantom is the same way, I get to just before think of me and I am out.  My roommate thought I was so weird, because he would come in late from the library and Aladdin would be playing and I am sleeping away.

if nothing else works I turn everything off and just close my eyes and take deep breaths.  even if my mind is racing it usually calms me down enough to fall asleep.

5

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: ESCRIPTS: Post your requests for electronic scripts here!

« on: Jul 16, 2012, 07:58 pm »

I am looking for a copy of The Secret Garden
Thanks

6

The Green Room / 54 uses for Binder clips

« on: Jun 28, 2012, 09:52 am »

I found this on Pinterest the other day and I found it very interesting what some people have used them for. 

http://www.buzzfeed.com/kevindanger/54-uses-for-binder-clips-that-will-change-your-lif-555z

so I pose this question what other interesting ways have you used binder clips for?

7

The Green Room / Tony Awards

« on: Jun 07, 2012, 07:01 pm »

So the Tony awards are on Sunday.  So I want to know what are every ones predictions?

Which play will sweep with the most wins?

musical?

Will Spiderman win for sets or costumes?

Will Audra McDonald win her 5 Tony for Porgy and Bess?  (Watch out Angela Lansbury, Audra is catching up)

Will the sound for the telecast be as bad as it has the last two years?

How many technicians will we see running across the stage?

What is NPH going to open the show with?

And when are we going to get that damn Tony for best Stage Management for a show?

Also is anyone working them? or are you like me and its one of the very few nights off? 

8

The Green Room / Article: Behind the Scenes at La Cage Aux Folles

« on: Mar 15, 2012, 05:53 pm »

http://www.styleandwisdom.com/2012/03/behind-scenes-of-la-cage-aux-folles.html


I found this nice article about the current tour of La Cage that is currently in Pittsburgh and it is an interview with the SM Karyn Meek.  i feel like it is a nice little glimpse in to our world.  As you can see and we all know, and have done it before some times you have to explain out what exactly you do everyday.

9

The Green Room / Re: Pavlovian Response ?

« on: Dec 11, 2011, 11:34 pm »

Like BalletPSm mine is Nutcracker inspired

at my theater we do two holiday favorites every year A Christmas Story (yes the one with "you'll shoot your eye out," the leg lamp, and the pink bunny suit... the whole nine yards) and The Nutcracker. 

Well during A Christmas Story there is a section where the Old Man and Mother go back and forth unplugging and plugging in the leg lamp. It just so happens that the sequence is underscored by the Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy.  So then when I start tech for Nutcracker the following week (we play these shows back to back)  I still have the sequence ingrained in my brain and try to call those light cues in the middle of the number except there aren't any cues there in our Nutcracker.

10

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Beauty and The Beast Transformation Scene

« on: Nov 26, 2011, 11:42 am »

Side note: Ooo that set alone is a Beast!  I worked on the original production at MTW.  Don't you LOVE those facings!

Oh the horror of those facings. i still am having dreams that my crew couldn't get them on in time.  Luckily they during the shows they made it. We cut the number of times we were originally going to switch them out after we figured out how trouble some they could be.  The castle was our biggest beast as you can imagine.

Sorry, CO2 does not work like smoke from a smoke machine.  It's heavier than air so it will roll along the ground. not float around in the air.  And as to whether it will set smoke alarms off, well, mostly they tend to be in the roof, so that is probably correct (the gas won't get to the detectors) but there's no guarantee.  And it can cause problems if you have an orchestra in the pit, because it'll roll off the front of the stage and drop into the pit, meaning you run the risk of the musicians a) not being able to see their music, or b) and this is worse, if you have enough CO2 it can cause breathing problems, if they can't get above it to breathe air.

You can get CO2 to work like smoke it all depends on how you have it coming out of the container you are putting the water and dry ice in.  If it come out of the container from a 3" pipe its going to flow out and roll.  if you reduce the pipe diameter it will pressurize it and it will shoot out of the pipe. you have to be careful that you don build up too much pressure though or you could blow the lid off your container.  also there are CO2 cannons that they use in rock concerts that blast CO2 in the air. 

Yes you have to worry about the risks of cutting a lot of the Oxygen off from performers or the Orchestra but for the amount of time this effect will be needed (30sec or less) the risk is less than say you are doing a show where a performer comes up out of the ground that is covered in dry ice fog. (if any one has seen "Sing Faster" where they had to build oxygen tanks in to the set for the performers because they were using so much dry  ice fog you know what I mean)   

11

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Beauty and The Beast Transformation Scene

« on: Nov 25, 2011, 08:16 pm »

ok so I just finished my run of BATB last week.  A lot of the transformation all depends on the set.  Our Castle (we rented the set from Music Theater of Wichita) spun around so that the fight between Gaston and the beast was out side the castle and then After belle brought the beast back in the castle spun back around. Also there was a Beast double for the fight so that the actor playing the Beast could wash off the makeup and change in to the Prince costume over the prince costume the actor had a full face larger beast mask and a full wrap around cape so that when he transformed he could rip it all off to reveal that he was the prince. 


I would also see if you can do CO2 (Dry Ice) It will work like smoke from a smoke machine but will dissipate quickly and should not set any alarms off since it does not have the same hang time in the air as smoke.


if you want any other hints PM me and good luck with your production it can be a "Beast" of a production

12

The Green Room / Re: Happiness is...

« on: Sep 20, 2011, 11:00 pm »

Happiness is ...
   
      When you go to tell your ASM/Crew to do something and they tell you it is already done.

      When the Producer and/or Director has your drink of choice ordered and waiting for you after the show since you of course are the last one to the bar/party.

       The first time the crew completes a difficult cueing sequence/scene shift flawlessly.

Its the little things that make it all worth it. I could go on for ever...

13

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Re: ESCRIPTS: Post your requests for electronic scripts here!

« on: Aug 02, 2011, 09:26 pm »

Hi Has anyone got the Script for Beauty And The Beast Musical. (preferablly word document)

I would like a Copy of Beauty and the Beast format does not matter we open in Nov but rehearsals start in early Sept

send to magil.joel@gmail.com
please and Thank you !

14

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Re: ESCRIPTS: Post your requests for electronic scripts here!

« on: Apr 03, 2011, 01:33 am »

Finally our Musical for this summer has been announced. its Oklahoma! (Groan!)  if any one has it let me know!  please. and thank you

15

Stage Management: Other / Re: Managing Large Rehearsals

« on: Mar 25, 2011, 10:57 pm »

I have had the privilege of on working shows with casts as big as 3 and as small as 60.  I don't change much with what I do. I find that it just takes longer to do things on a larger show. like getting sign ins and contact list and stuff completed just requires more man hours.  Since I currently work at a Preforming Arts School I end up having different ASMs with different levels of skills on each show so I end up using them differently kind of by what I know they can do at the time. Then if they are on another show with me ill give them more responsibilities.

I also find that on larger shows I don't get to have a personal bond with large casts as much. you know who the trouble makers are, but the ones who show up do their job are the ones that sometimes are the first ones you forget about.

There also seems to be a little more alcohol in my house during large cast shows.