Messages

16

College and Graduate Studies / Re: Theatre program disbanded in a matter of minutes

« on: Jul 26, 2006, 01:24 pm »

I'm just out of college, and I started by doing festival work, and I've found that people in the 'real world" even here in NYC are very understanding. You may get yelled at a few times (I did!) but if you can stand your ground and at the same time roll with the punches, you will find the help or info you need, or you'll figure it out. I just finished my first show out of college and I was told at load in that we'd have to strike the set after every performance and rebuild it, and we only had 25 minutes before each perf in the theatre (festivals can be crazy)..and I had no crew, so I had to come up with a plan on the fly, also on that day I was told that i'd be running lights or sound, whcihever I preferred, when until that day I thought we had ops for that..and it was a cast of 19. It was a LOT to deal with, but I did it. I found that as busy as people are and as impatient as they can be when they're under a deadlikne, as we all are, if you really want to do it right and you ask  questions, people will answer them. I only SMed ONE show in college... so don't be too afraid of the less forgiving world after college. My motto has been "you've got to fake it to make it." If I don't know how to do something I ask or I figure it out..and it worked out. Best of Luck

17

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Extra Info In Script

« on: Jul 26, 2006, 01:20 pm »

During rehearsals I want to have the exact same script that my actors have, so I would be verbatim. A lot of the time actors will come up to me with a question, and it makes it so much easier if we both have the exact same page to look at.

I've also seen SMs buy two copies of the script and then just paste the pages onto larger sheets of paper.

What I did in college what I'd use one Samuel French type script for rehearsals and blocking and save a fresh one as a call script.

18

Tools of the Trade / Re: Kit Container

« on: Jul 26, 2006, 01:13 pm »

I'm planning t get an "art bin" I need something small that I can carry on the subway, and these things have a lot of small compartments. It's the same ideas as the tackle box. I want to find wheels to put it on though

19

Tools of the Trade / Re: Favorite Deck Flashlight?

« on: Jul 20, 2006, 08:58 am »

I have a purple rubberpcoated minimag.

It' not the brightest thing ever, but so far it's served my purposes, it fits in my bacl pocket, it's purple, so it's an unusual color and easy to identify and the rubber is the best. If I drop it, it doesn't make a loud crash noise and it doesn't break.

20

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Calling shows: Calling sound cues

« on: Jul 20, 2006, 08:52 am »

I'm used to calling a show physicallyt and completely non-verbally because of the set up at my college. How do you verbally call a sound cue that is supposed to be the end of music..for example if you're playing a song and it has to fade out or get cut off at a specific place...do you just call it as a sound cue

Music on : Sound B GO
Music off : Sound C GO

I just feel like calling it vebally would be hard to get it to cut off in the right place and to hear me and the music?

21

The Hardline / Re: Changing professions

« on: Jul 15, 2006, 10:03 am »

Thanks so much.

22

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: script analysis

« on: Jul 15, 2006, 10:02 am »

I was a drama major and I focused in Directing, so if you have anything specific, feel free to ask.

I think it can help a great deal as a SM, because as someone said you can "feel" the show better. I think it will mostly help in the professional worlf on longer runs when you are required to maintain the integrity of the director's vision. Something so simple as reminding an actor that there is a beat change at a certain point can be really helpful in terms of the acting and playability and reality.

I just realized this is an old thread. How did the class go?

23

The Hardline / Changing professions

« on: Jul 12, 2006, 12:40 am »

I'm just starting out as a SM, but what I really want to do is direct (I sound like a broken record). I'm looking at soem ASM gigs which could lead to an AEA card. My question is, say I decide to do some acting and I am in AEA as an SM, am I an Equity actor (as in restricted from doing community stuff, etc)? Also, more importantly, if I join AEA, and then move to directing, will provisions in my equity membership prevent me from directing non-union shows? There's some proviso about respecting other unions (totally my paraphrase) and I don't know if that would mean I'd have to do only SSDC shows, or only equity shows, or what? If that's true, I really should NOT join AEA, because then my Directing career would be DOA. I'd have to somehow join SSDC and only do union shows, but who would hire a novice on only union shows?

I'm really new to this so I'm trying to figure out all of the implications

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Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Giving line notes - a real novice question

« on: Jul 06, 2006, 12:40 pm »

I've never given or received a written line note in my life!

I have so much to learn.

So it would be a sheet or a post it that says something like

Matt p.23 : "harmless, yes a fibroma NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT"

with the highlighted, underlined, circled part being the thing that was messed up?

25

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Rehearsals: Giving line notes - a real novice question

« on: Jul 05, 2006, 11:47 am »

How are line notes usually given?

In college we always gave line notes verbally after the director's notes.

On this site I've seen paper forms for giving line notes. Is that the norm?

With the show I've just started working on now, the director walks aroudn the room and gives individual notes, so I've been sort of doing the same with line notes simultaneously to not take up too much time.

What is usually done?

26

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Working with nudity

« on: Jul 05, 2006, 11:29 am »

The times I've worked with nudity or near nudity I was directing, not SMing, but a few things that became very important are, PLEASE make sure that the actors' underclothes do not get lost. Make someone totally responsible, whether it's a dresser, a prop person, yourself, for knowing where the clothes end up and getting them back to the actor when s/he needs them, whether it's at intermission, after the show, as soon as they get offstage, etc. I had a few instances where I went backstage at intermission to have actors calling me, I peek my head in the dressing room and someone can't find his boxers. It's an embarassing and uncomfortable situation for the actors, and everyone involved. Also, if the actors does strip onstage, or on the stage area as opposed to in a dressing room, I'd suggest that they bring in extra pairs of socks, underwear, etc, just in case something does go missing.

27

College and Graduate Studies / Re: grad schools

« on: Jul 05, 2006, 12:40 am »

I'm looking into MFA programs as well, and my top choice as of right now is Sarah Lawrence College. In their program you don't completely specialize, but you still participate in many aspects of theatre while pursuing your main focus. I also like that it seems to have a more organic approach than some of the other schools I've been looking at (namely NYU and Columbia). I've been looking for Directing, so I don't know which schools have an SM program, but the requirements are drasticallty different. For NYU and COlumbia, they choose students in order in limited number for each concentration (playwrights first, then directors, then actors and SMs), At Sarah Lawrence, I don't believe they break it down in this way. For Yale School of Drama, you need to have 2-3 years post collegiate professional experience in your field to be considered. So the requirements vary from one school to another and it really depends on what you're looking for. For me, with my concentration in directing, I find that it is infinitely helpful to understand all of the other aspects of theatre (this is true for an SM too) and I had a very organix experience in undergrad, and so that's what appeals to me rather than a more highly focused program.

You also have to ask yourself why you are going to grad school and what you hope to accomplish and get out of it. That will help you find the right place for you to reach your own particular goals.

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College and Graduate Studies / Re: Theatre program disbanded in a matter of minutes

« on: Jul 05, 2006, 12:34 am »

They actually did the same thing at my college. We were a smaller theatre program, and they had another alrger department, which was kept, but we were shut down for being "miniscule" (that's a direct quote from our provost as told to the Ny Times). I learned so much in this program and got an amazing education I could not have gotten in the larger program. it was really heartbreaking for all involved, so I feel your pain *hugs*

29

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Board ops doing other things during a show?

« on: Jul 05, 2006, 12:13 am »

I have limited experience actually SMing, but I've directed and opped and been around a lot of shows. When I SMed, our booth was not only not soundproof, but it was basically a megaphone into the theatre, so we had to be careful of verbal cues. When I was SM, I have very good responsible technicians, and they did do crossword puzzles, etc, which concerned me, but I always had them confirm a standby even with a nod or eye contact. I don't think it has anything to do with a power trip. If you're SM, the responsibility is totally yours and it's on your behind if a cue is incorrect, so you have every right to have a conformation on a standby. I had a time or two when I was distracted and didn't look for the confirmation because I was dealing with another tech (we had a crazy show with turntables that had to be manually turned and different crews every night. It was so hectic), and on those two occasions my sound tech was late with the cue because she hadn't set it up on time.

I explained after the first tech that I wasn't asking for confirmation because I felt they were stupid or because I was on a power trip but because I just have to be sure and it's a system of checks and balances. It worked out well for me, but that wasn't in the real world, it was in the happy college world, where the cast and crew were told at the first tech "Jenn is your stage manager. From now on she is the Queen. Whatever she tells you to do, even if it;s to stand on your head, you do it without question"

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College and Graduate Studies / Re: Summer Festivals/Unpaid work

« on: Jul 03, 2006, 11:00 pm »

I'm a native NYer. I've never wanted to live or work outside of NY.

I can't imagine being a native NYer theatre professional and moving OUT of NY.

I know NYC is expensive, but I love it here, my family is here, etc.
My fiance works in finance and his job is here as well.