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Messages - megf

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31
The Green Room / Re: Help, creepy assistant director
« on: Mar 02, 2016, 08:46 pm »
Go to your guidance counselor, homeroom teacher, assistant principal or another school staff member. Bring some cast members along -- there is strength in numbers. Tell the staff member in plain language that this AD's  behavior is making the cast uncomfortable. Here's some language I have used in the past, in comparable situations:

"We came to you for help. We love doing theater and we love our school, but this behavior makes us feel unsafe."

Then -- also important -- wait for the staff member to respond to your statement. You will be nervous and it will be awkward, but you have no obligation to fix the awkwardness.

About the director losing respect for you... you have a serious concern that is shared by several classmates. If noticing unprofessional or threatening behavior is grounds for dismissal... there are bigger problems. My humble opinion is that you have a responsibility to address the bigger problems. You might SM this show and forget all about it in one or two or ten years, but you will always remember this opportunity to stand up for your peers and your shared values.

Good luck and keep the SMNetwork posted.

32
Stage Management: Other / Re: Pregnant Actress
« on: Feb 06, 2016, 02:23 pm »
Ask her. She is the expert on what she needs, how she needs it and when she needs it.

Your desire to be cautious is smart, and it's wise to seek information sooner than later. But remember, she's an adult (I assume), and is ultimately responsible for her own safety and needs -- and she is also responsible for communicating those needs. While your concern for her safety clearly comes from a place of honesty and respect, I strongly urge you not to treat her like an invalid, or as if she doesn't know her own limits and needs.

33
SMMeade hits the nail on the head. During hang, focus, etc. it's all about the ME working with the LD. Once the show is running, though, coordinating electrics activity with the SM is critical.

If as the ME you are also the board operator, it doesn't hurt to look at the show once in a while. Although plenty of SMs have an eye for weird-looking cues (e.g., "hey, one of the side lights is out") we also have lots of other moving parts to keep track of. If the ME can spot and repair an issue before SM catches it, that's great.

If as the ME you are the de facto sub for the board op, or for a spot op, it's great to shadow these tracks before crunch time. Become familiar with any special parts of the show. Knowing that XYZ song is fast and jumpy with a bunch of false exits, or cues 101-137 come so fast you won't hear cue numbers, will be helpful to you and to the SM and cast.

34
Employment / Re: Worst Job Offers?
« on: Jan 12, 2016, 11:13 am »
In college, I had an opportunity to be a PA on a really big, splashy benefit. I knew the PSM/Production Coordinator, and really wanted to work with him - and he had more or less said that this gig, which was five days long, would put me at the top of his list for several larger and better-paid projects.

I do the benefit, anticipating a nice, if modest, windfall at the end of the process. What student doesn't love a $500 check, right? It's five days of running up and down stairs - the elevator is for freight only, and there are 5 stories of dressing rooms. Also, the costume department doesn't have a PA/runner, so I'm carrying evening gowns by the dozen up and down these stairs, too. Also, there is no designated hospitality person, so when I'm not carting gowns, I'm carrying cases of bottled water to each dressing room. Still, stairs aren't so bad, and I'm working hard for that check and the future opportunities. Woohoo!

The producer's personal assistant handed out checks on the loading dock, during load out.

All of the checks bounced.

Ultimately, we got 50 percent of our agreed-upon payments, and many lengthy apologies.

35
Tools of the Trade / Re: Prop cards
« on: Dec 23, 2015, 11:21 am »
Maribeth - I've also found using any soft, rollable table cover is good for this, with the added benefit that you can't lose a single card. Once the show is more or less set, you can use any table-sized material (cut up marley, yoga mat, sheet, sturdy plastic tarp) as your prop table map, and just lay it on whatever surface becomes the prop table in the venue of the day. Makes load-out easier, too - just roll or fold the cover, and stash it in the prop roadbox or case, instead of stripping multiple cards from a table.

If prop presets tend to change for each venue, I definitely see the value in cards or individual labels that can move - I always use spike tape labels, and just write them out on the back of my clipboard so I can stick them wherever the preset turns wants to be.

36
The Green Room / Re: Pet Peeve - Mobile Email Signatures
« on: Dec 04, 2015, 08:33 am »
I see it all the time - and I usually appreciate it!

KMC, I'd hazard a guess you don't often work with playwrights during the workshop process...  :o

37
Employment / Re: The importance of on line presence
« on: Dec 02, 2015, 11:48 pm »
Matthew - how do you balance security with search-ability?

My email is easy to find for people I know on social media, but I'm not a fan of strangers being able to get to me that easily. The likelihood that I'll get lots of spam is much higher than the likelihood I'll get work.

38
Employment / Re: Quotes for SMing Events
« on: Dec 01, 2015, 07:41 am »
Looking at your original post, here are some additional questions I'd ask:

-Who is responsible for the safe breakdown and load out? Will you be accountable for packing/supervising pack-out of gear, and for loading any trucks or other vehicles? If yes, bump your rate up.

-Is dinner catered? With 4 people supporting you, will you be able to have a meal break right before doors open?

-What do they consider "customary email and phone communication"? How deeply are you involved in the planning phase?


39
The Hardline / Re: 10 out of 12s Meal Break Question
« on: Nov 23, 2015, 07:26 am »
The 10 out of 11.5 absolutely exists, and is an option in the ANTC rulebook. I've worked at LORTs that use this option as well.

Yes, it sucks for the crew, especially if it's common practice to back their call up so it's a true hour before every actor call. But that's not the practice everywhere.

Personally, I'm a fan of the 10 out of 11.5 if the following are true:

-Preset/crew rally for continuing tech is under ~35 minutes.

-Director, designers, etc. agree to take a walkaway meal break, even if it's only 20-30 minutes to clear their heads and have a sandwich.

-The cast are on board with a shorter day, rather than a longer break. This is only really a factor if they are traveling from a long distance ("Yes, please, let us out in time to get the 11:41pm train!") or have some other personal need for a shorter span of day. The only time I've had an actor approach me requesting the longer break was when they had severe acid reflux that wasn't responding to treatment, and were worried about eating and then singing too soon.

40
The Hardline / Re: SM as Board Op -- What to Ask For
« on: Nov 17, 2015, 08:20 pm »
First, congratulations! That's an exciting milestone, and it sounds like you're already learning about and engaging with your new professional status. Woohoo!

I would recommend asking yourself, and then your producer, a few questions to determine the best solution for operating a board.

-Does the contract/code offer any guidance on additional duties?

-What did the last SM request for these duties? Is there a precedent at this company or with this General Manager?

-In the past, when I've been approached about operating a board, I ask for a 10 percent bump on top of my gross weekly salary, as well as paid rehearsal time with a qualified electrician, during tech and previews, to ensure I know how to do essential trouble shooting. The questions are: is there a qualified electrician in the building during performances? Are you just pushing a button, or are you jumping on a ladder and doing lamp replacements and repairing moving lights? Also - who runs the board during tech?

-When I've run Qlab, I ask for a 5 percent bump, and ask also that someone else do maintenance. If your skills in Qlab are excellent, do what works for you - but I'm just not that handy with the software, and it would be a) bad for the show and b) a burden for me, to take responsibility for troubleshooting the program for the duration of a show's run.

Keep us posted!

41
It's kind of like lowering the water instead of raising the bridge... But what about gaffing the soles of shoes? Even just the ball of the foot or under the heel might make a big difference, and a couple yard of gaff is way cheaper than painting the deck with anything.

42
Self-Promotion / Rothschild & Sons
« on: Oct 16, 2015, 02:25 pm »
My current project opens this Sunday, October 18, at the York Theatre Company in NYC. Details:

ROTHSCHILD & SONS, currently running through November 8, 2015.

Music: Jerry Bock
Lyrics: Sheldon Harnick
Book: Sherman Yellen
Director: Jeffrey B. Moss
Choreographer: Denis Jones
MD: Jeffrey Klitz
Scenic Design: James Morgan
Lighting Design: Kirk Bookman
Costume Design: Carrie Robbins
Wig Design: Paul Huntley
PSM: Meg Friedman
ASM: David Beller
Cast: Peter Cormican, Glory Crampton, Robert Cuccioli, Jonathan Hadley, David Bryant Johnson, Christine LaDuca, Jamie LaVerdiere, Nicholas Mongiardo-Cooper, Mark Pinter, Curtis Wiley, Christopher M. Williams

Additional information and tickets here: http://www.yorktheatre.org/rothschild--sons.html

43
The Lilly Awards findings on gender parity among theatre professionals are really striking, and I see the League of Professional Theatre women cited the SM survey in their report on Women Hired Off-Broadway, 2010-2014. (Link: http://theatrewomen.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/lptw-women-hired-off-broadway-august-2014-2014-8-6.pdf)

I'd love to see more data collected in the SM survey that helps us understand gender/wage realities for female and male stage managers, especially those at different life stages. Particularly in regional theatre, which is such an economic driver for the theatre business as a whole, this data could inform decision makers at LORT companies, colleges, and elsewhere.

44
The Green Room / Re: SMNetwork Member Spotlight Interviews
« on: Aug 27, 2015, 03:47 pm »
Very nice!!

45
The landscape page orientation sounds like a great solution!

Some additional ideas:

-Can you video portions of rehearsal, and cull necessary details from the footage?

-Can you get a legal-size clipboard (keep using letter size paper, though), and slap a big post-it pad on the far edge of the board? Seems like fast and messy notes will be your friend, here :)

Sounds like fun!

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