Messages

1

The Green Room / Re: Check your emergency procedures

« on: Jul 06, 2016, 07:03 pm »

Thanks PSMKay and megf. Your words of encouragement have helped me give myself permission to be sad and to make sure I'm taking care of myself.
It is a little hard at the moment, but I'm going to remember to have fun at the next rehearsal.
Bob

2

The Green Room / Re: Check your emergency procedures

« on: Jul 06, 2016, 01:34 am »

I survived the first rehearsal with just a few tears. Tomorrow night will get easier.

3

The Green Room / Check your emergency procedures

« on: Jul 05, 2016, 07:28 pm »

TLDR: Please, double check your emergency procedures. Know where the AED/first aid kit is located. Have emergency contact numbers written down.

Long version:
I volunteer at a small community theater as the stage manager. This weekend we had project days scheduled: working on light cues, painting the stage, working on the set.
The plan was all day Saturday and Sunday until we finished except I had to start painting the stage by 3pm for it to dry for our Monday rehearsal.
Late Sunday afternoon, it was down to the director, his partner (the stagecraft expert), and me (the novice stage manager) left at the theater.
With only a strip of six feet of stage left to paint, two women come running in through our back door reporting they saw someone laying by the dumpster.
After telling them to stop because the stage floor is wet paint, I run off to get the AED for them. The director is already running outside.
I then return to the phone to call 911 (without knowing anything specific about the victim or the emergency.)

The victim was our beloved handyman. The director did CPR until the ambulance arrived. Unfortunately, this wasn't a play with a happy ending.
Rehearsal was cancelled on Monday and replaced with a tearful gathering. Tonight we're going to try to see if we can move forward towards opening night at the end of the month.
 
I wish the outcome wasn't so grim. But we were prepared even though I didn't consider a serious emergency a remote possibility.
So, please... double check your emergency procedures. Take a CPR class. Know where the AED/first aid kit is located. Have a plan. Teach the cast/crew how to respond.
And, tell everyone on your crew how much you appreciate (and love them) next time you see them.

4

Introductions / Re: They're Coming to Take Me Away, and other stories from the catwalk

« on: Oct 13, 2014, 11:48 pm »

I'm still in show #1 so double digits seems a lofty goal.

With that as a first show, it could only get better.  I'm not ready for a cascade of mishaps and poor planning to happen to me. But it does sound like a fun idea to create a SM simulator (like the one for airplane pilots.) Make the chance of disasters more likely to occur than in the real world.

I started to think about worst case scenarios tonight when I asked if we had an emergency plan. Our auditorium is in a cellphone dead spot so dialing 911 from a cell phone won't work. And I now know where the landline phones are located. Ends up we have one EMT in the play too.

5

Introductions / Community Theater along the California Coast

« on: Oct 13, 2014, 02:45 am »

Thanks for being here. I've already gotten my money's worth. And someday, I hope to add to the knowledge base.

In June, I was at a community potluck when I mentioned I was interested in helping backstage on the next stage production to someone I knew helped out on many of the shows. [cue the spooky music.] The response, "we're looking for a stage manager." I was reluctant as I haven't been on or behind a stage since elementary school. And I know almost zero about any of the jobs/skills/tech required to put on a production. To my credit, I've been a good audience member for a couple of theaters for many years.

I ended up going to the first cast meeting which happened to be later that evening. Before committing to being the stage manager, I went home and searched online what I would be responsible for doing. My research seemed to indicate: organize and manage everything (without directing or acting). Despite some attempts at convincing me I would be great and people would help me learn everything, I offered that at most I was willing to assist whoever they convinced to be the stage manager.

Fast forward to today! I just finished my first week of rehearsals for Jekyll and Hyde at the Gualala Art Center for a mid-November opening. In addition to learning the script, taking notes on props and placement, tracking blocking changes, figuring out up stage from down stage and my left from my right, I've been a placeholder on the stage when someone on the cast has been unavailable (2 of 5 nights so far). After the first night I made it clear I'm happy to take good notes, pass them along to the actor, and even walk through for the rehearsal, but I definitely cannot sing, dance, act, speak in front of an audience, nor pretend to sing. Really. I suspect my organization skills and ability to make diagrams of the stage will make me more valuable behind the scenes than in the spotlight.

So far, it has been amazing and interesting, even though I know that chaos is so close. The cast is great. The director is very supportive. The production team has been very encouraging. The rest of the crew has been, ... , ok ... is still coming together. Anyone want to volunteer?

I already have a much deeper appreciation for what I've seen on the stage at previous performances. And I expect I'll gain the same heightened respect for all the technical aspects as they start being added to the production.

I have a lot to learn, and SMNetwork has helped a couple of times already. I'm definitely hoping no one actually breaks a leg.