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Messages - ErgoCue

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The only potential change I might have made would be to set a decision deadline with the actor (checking the AEA contract, if any, to see if there are any rules regarding an emergency.)  "Hey, I need to know at X time if you're up to going on tonight."  Then inform the rest of the cast that you are all in a stand-by to know what will be happening that evening and that you will inform them at X time.

That's a great idea, thank you!

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I'd love some advice for an incident that happened over the weekend.

I had an actor get injured during a matinee performance.  He got accidentally elbowed in the face by another actor.  I gave him ice and checked for a concussion (his eyes seemed fine).  He went on for another scene, but then complained of a bad headache.  I took him out for the rest of the performance for him to recover and redistributed his track with the rest of the ensemble.

After the matinee and he said he wanted to go on for the evening show, but needed some rest.  I checked in with him at 6:30 (an hour before half hour) and he confided that he wasn't in any shape to go on.  I then called everyone in for an emergency put-in to redistribute his track (we don't have any swings for the ensemble).

My question is: did I make the right call to wait to take him out for the evening show when I did, or should I have planned to have him out from the end of the matinee?  I wanted to give him an opportunity to go on, but I felt bad that I had to call the rest of the cast in so last-minute.  Any thoughts on this are appreciated.

Edited to add topic tag- Maribeth

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Thank you!

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When you have a score heavy show, do you have a double sided calling script or single sided?  I'm calling cues for a string quartet and I'm worried about not having enough time.

Mod note: This was split off from a thread on the Uploaded Forms board as it deserves a thread of its own! - PSMK
Edited to add topic tag- Maribeth

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Uploaded Forms / Re: !! - Request Forms Here - !!
« on: May 26, 2017, 05:29 pm »
Hi Everyone,

I'm looking for an example of cues written into a score only, not a libretto or a mix of script and score.

Thanks!

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The Hardline / Re: ARTICLE: 99-seat plan in LA
« on: Feb 28, 2017, 07:02 pm »
FOR THE RECORD:
I am not coming down Pro OR Con on this issue.
I wanted only to shed some light on the situation as I see it from the Pro99 side of things.
I wanted to give information as I live in LA, right in the middle of all this...

I totally understand.  I was in no way trying to attack you.  I know you were giving voice to the opinion of those who were upset at Equity's decision, which is what I was asking for.  Thank you for helping me understand their perspective better!

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The Hardline / Re: ARTICLE: 99-seat plan in LA
« on: Feb 22, 2017, 12:49 pm »
Many local Los Angeles actors feel they should have the right to decide when and if they want to volunteer their services. The tradeoff, in their eyes, is quite sufficient; they get to keep their "actor" muscles primed, they practice their craft without paying for classes and/or lessons. They get to do roles they might not otherwise get to do, they get to originate new works and network with up-and-coming theatre makers.

Does this help?

It does, though I feel it's a misguided rationalization.  The actor may get more experience and another credit on their resume, but in the end it only makes it harder for the union to fight for better wages.  Why on Earth would a theatre pay Equity wages when they can get a "volunteer" union worker for below scale?  It undercuts the whole reason we became union members in the first place.  I know it sounds harsh, but maybe these actors should leave the union if they don't care about a fair wage.  The rest of us can keep working toward one.

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The Hardline / Re: ARTICLE: 99-seat plan in LA
« on: Feb 17, 2017, 05:39 pm »
I know this is a divisive issue, but I'm really struggling to understand why actors want to be paid less.  Where I work in San Diego, most of the theatres are SPT, with 3 LORTs and a number that offer Guest Artist contracts. The union actors in my town are aghast that LA actors work for close to free.  Why become a union member if you don't want to get paid a semi-decent wage?  If you want to act or SM, great; but if you join the union, you should hold yourself to a higher standard and demand better pay and better rights.  That's why you joined, isn't it?  Becoming a member and then demanding to work for less than the minimum payouts is trying to have your cake and eat it, too.

I get it: producing plays is expensive, but theatres should pay their fair share.  In the short term, yes, there will be less work for actors.  But looking to the future, this forces theatres to budget smarter and hopefully will create better work environments for actors and stage managers.

Does anyone have some insight from the other side? 

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Introductions / Re: Hello from the SoCal area!!
« on: Jan 04, 2017, 06:17 pm »
Hi Karin,

Welcome to the forum!  Glad to have you aboard.  I work in San Diego, so I have worked at La Jolla Playhouse (LJP), which is on the UCSD campus.  What I can tell you is that they heavily favor their graduate stage management program.  As an undergrad, you would have ample opportunity to be an ASM or a PA on the school productions, but the PSM/SM positions would go to the grad students.  You could also apply to LJP to be an intern on their productions, but a summer show would be best as their schedules have day time rehearsals and would conflict with classes. 

If you wanted to PSM/SM at UCSD, you might have to work on the purely student productions.  So, what I can tell you is that you will get some experience, but probably not the whole package.  I know that UC Irvine also has a grad SM program, so you may run into a similar situation there.  For my two cents, I went to a small liberal arts school and was able to SM most of the shows.  It was such good experience to learn the ropes of running a production without the pressure of it being professional.  At UCSD, you wouldn't really get a chance to PSM until you were out of school.  That being said, the productions are top notch and you would get to work with a great group of people that will become life-long contacts.

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The Hardline / Re: Name change?
« on: Nov 02, 2016, 05:39 pm »
I did change my name professionally when I got married.  It was early enough in my career that I hadn't turned Equity yet, so I didn't have to worry if the name change would create problems (both my maiden and taken names are very unique). 

In terms of my career, I was working regularly at a few theatres.  When I changed my name, I just informed them and continued working as usual.  I never got any questions about who I was or anything like that.  When I branched out and worked more widely after I turned Equity, the name change was solidified for me. 

If you're concerned, you could always do something like put your maiden name in parentheses on your resume for a while to ease the transition.  I had an actor friend do that and it worked out very well for her.

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The Green Room / Re: Maternity Leave
« on: Feb 26, 2016, 01:00 pm »
I'm 5 1/2 months pregnant and am weighing the same issues.  I'm a union stage manager who doesn't have an annual contract, so in my situation, I don't have a contract looming over me that I have to fulfill.  That being said, with the baby due in late June, I'm planning to stay home through Christmas (as long as my sanity holds up) and will hopefully be back to work in January 2017.  I'm keeping in close contact with the theatres I work for regularly and updating them on my availability for next year.  The hope is that I'll work at some of the smaller theatres that rehearse mostly at night and on weekends so my husband doesn't have to take too much time off work and we can save on child care.

Like BayAreaSM said, only you can determine what's best for you.  If, while on maternity leave, you realize that you need more time than your contract allows, you have every right to go to your employer and work something out, like hiring a temporary replacement for one or two shows until you're ready to go back.  Any reasonable company will try to accommodate you.

The main thing I've noticed with my friends who have small children in theatre is that they try to set realistic expectations with their employers about time commitment and breast pumping, while also compromising on if/when baby can come to work.  Open communication works best.

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Stretching or doing small exercises while standing is a great way to pass the time.  It helps keep me energized, especially during long five-show weekends.  Plus, it's repetitive, so I can still keep my focus on the show and stop quickly to take care of the few cues that I do have.

Another fun thing to do is to create games for yourself within the show.  Bring a pedometer and see how much you walk from preshow to curtain.  Note how many times a certain key phrase or word is used in the play. Create small, non-distracting rituals for yourself and the rest of the cast and crew.  For example, I would make a fun little sign to show the actors as the exited the stage each night; it gave me something to do and something for them to look forward to.


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The Hardline / Re: 10 out of 12s Meal Break Question
« on: Nov 27, 2015, 09:38 pm »
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I'm working on a LORT D Contract currently and I was told that dinner on a 10 out of 12 can be 1.5 hours as long as we end the day 30 mins earlier, making the day a 10 out of 11.5.  I have NEVER heard of this.  Every other theatre that I have worked at (different contracts) have operated on the idea that a 10 out of 12 means a 2 hour dinner break.  Then if you want people in costume you call them to get dressed (or for half hour) after the 2 hour meal break.  Have I just been working at places that misinterpreted the rule and never looked into it?

Yes, I've been part of techs where this has happened, but the director, stage management, designers, and crew heads were all part of the discussion before a decision was made.  If the crew needed the full two hours, we would never agree to it.  It's usually happened when I've worked on a very small show with 4 actors or less and a single set.

Quote
So, I'm working SPT 9 right now and we're allowed two 10 out of 12s. Got the one figured out, but don't actually have enough hours in the week to add a true 2nd 10 out of 12 in the same week. Would I be able to do an 8 out of 10 at all instead of the 7 out of 8 1/2, and somehow count in being "okay" for the 2nd 10 out of 12?

I've worked in SPTs where we did one day with a 10 out of 12 and one with an 8 out of 10 without any issue.  Because the rule allows for SPT 5 through 10 to have up to 2 10 out of 12s, the 8 out of 10 fits into this (without going over the weekly allowance of total hours or span of day).  You can do 2 10 out of 12s, but the producer must be willing to pay overtime for the 2 additional hours for each Equity actor and stage manager.

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For me, it really depends on the theatre.  At a smaller theatre, I provide a shift plot and entrance/exit plot for the dresser, with costume changes included on the shift plot.  At these venues, typically it's a very small crew backstage, so the dresser may help me page curtains occasionally and therefore needs a shift plot.  I've worked at some larger regional theatres with an established wardrobe department and sometimes the dressers love the shift plot and sometimes they absolutely refuse it.  I always offer it, but it's their decision whether or not to use it.

In any case, I always put costume changes on the shift plot for myself so I can be sure to be present for difficult quick changes.

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I would wait until the offer is made.  That way you know they're serious and it gives both parties room to negotiate the contract fairly.

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