Messages

16

Employment / Re: Changing lanes.....

« on: Oct 20, 2007, 01:55 am »

Professional placement ... headhunter ... all pretty much the same thing.  There are agencies that take you through every step of the process, from helping with the wording of your resume to finding the companies where you'd best fit.  There may even be folks with special experience in handling people transitioning from the arts.  It may be worth your while to spend a few hours on the phone calling different placement agencies to see which one can best serve your needs.

17

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Looking for Stage Management workshop ideas

« on: Oct 17, 2007, 03:18 pm »

How experienced are your participants?  You can set out a selection of commonly used equipment, from gaff tape to lighting instruments, and see who knows the most correct names.  When I worked with beginners I'd have some people read passages from a script while someone practiced calling Qs.  Have someone play director and move someone around the stage while your SMs write blocking.  Then there's always taping out a stage.  These things can get frustrating (especially first time), of course, so they also provide experience in remaining calm and maintaining a positive environment.  I used to do this stuff with classes and we ended up laughing a lot and having a lot of fun.

18

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: In Dire Need of Help (History of stage management)

« on: Oct 16, 2007, 11:21 pm »

I wrote the text from which I taught my tech operations class and it included a brief section on theatre history.  During my research I didn't find a date given for the date the first person was called a stage manager though I think good arguments could be made for the theoretical creation of the position.  Was it the guy who pointed the Greek chorus toward the stage?  Maybe it was the guild member who made sure the FX were set up for Medieval church playlets.  We know that the prompter whistled to cue drop changes during the Italian Renaissance and the Restoration - we still don't whistle in theaters thanks to that - but does that constitute the beginning of stage management?  I wonder if you're being asked for a historical quote or to think about what you know and to give an opinion along with your reasoning.

19

Employment / Re: Changing lanes.....

« on: Oct 16, 2007, 10:57 pm »

Hi!

I find that theatre is a lot like the Marine Corps - regardless of where you go in life you never really leave it behind.  The skills you've gained will prove of great benefit to you!  Think about the literary skill you've developed, your ability to multi-task, problem-solving and crisis management, basic repairs ... You can apply those skills into all sorts of professions.

Middle management is a definite possibility and I'd recommend taking advantage of a professional placement service.  I've used my skills to find management positions in radio and commercial real estate.  I've also done event planning, though if you're looking to reduce your hours you may want to steer away from that.  You might also want to look into teaching - you can work at many programs or in the private school system without a credential.  I was paid quite well to work at a private K-12.  You might also want to help high school kids putting together their portfolios for college apps as a consultant.  Now I'm building my own travel business, planning retreats, and I can tell you that the people skills, planning and organizational chops and all of the other abilities I honed during my years in theatre give me a huge advantage in the "real" world.

Best of luck in whatever you choose.  Your SM experience will give you an edge.

LiLz

20

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Stage Manager having to DIRECT!

« on: Oct 15, 2007, 02:47 pm »

This is one of those weird, gray areas ... We're there to protect the vision of the director, but now there's a different director, even if for a week or so.  The most important thing you can do now is support a positive environment.  The confusion and frustration you're feeling is probably being felt by your cast as well.  One of the best things you can do to protect the show overall is to not sweat the change and keep a positive attitude.  Maybe a couple fabulous discoveries will be made and incorporated when the other director comes back ... maybe they won't come back ... maybe everything will go back to exactly how is was ... Our job isn't to predict or control next week, it's to make today go as smoothly and professionally as possible.  This is a great opportunity for you to make a really positive impact on the atmosphere at rehearsal and, therefore, the production in general.

21

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Being "Written Up"

« on: Oct 15, 2007, 02:36 pm »

Hi!  I ditto all of the above.  Documenting the incident is one of those things the PSM should just do as part of the record.

Cheers! LiLz

22

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Giving actor notes and "Maintaining the performance as directed."

« on: Oct 15, 2007, 12:38 am »

I think this is the hardest part of the PSM's balancing act.  We have all of our daily responsibilities plus we need to protect the director's vision.  Some directors expect us to be "vision nazis," which can create bad situations because, as you pointed out, the joy of theatre is having the opportunity to allow a character to grow and evolve over the run of a show.  I know I've finessed the calling of cues to make them more affective, what can't an actor finesse a moment as well?  This is one of those situations where you need to know, before techs begin, which are the director's favorite moments and work hardest to protect those.  You won't always be the cast's best friend for doing it, but it's what you're there to do, right?  Pick the places you can let them slide carefully because your backside will be in the sling if the director doesn't like any adjustments and growth that take place.  What we do for art ...

23

Stage Management: Other / Re: Working with Stunt Coordinators

« on: Sep 25, 2007, 09:48 pm »

Hi, Meg!

That sounds like fun!  Of course, there's going to be a lot of equipment vocab and I'm sure that the stunt folks have a verbal shorthand.  One of the biggest things I remember is learning patience.  I don't know what kind of stunts you'll be doing, exactly, but as soon as many of then end everything needs to freeze until the stunt coordinator and/or paramedic make sure the talent is okay.  Sometimes they'd move in so quickly that I'd feel sure something must have gone wrong, but they were just being efficient.  I can't wait to hear more about what you'll be doing!

LiLz

24

Articles from the Old Site / Re: So...do ya think you're theatre is haunted?

« on: Sep 25, 2007, 03:51 pm »

Sure, I've worked in 2 spaces I would consider "haunted."  Most of us saw the spirit I called Basil at a small space in the Silverlake area of Los Angeles.  He would come into the theater and stand near the door, arms crossed, and watch rehearsals and performances.  The woman who owned the building said that, when the building was dark for too long, he'd go home with her ans mess with her TV.

Another theater was in West Hollywood ... There was definitely something weird going on in the women's dressing rooms.  We never saw anything, but no one would go in them alone, either.  Unfortunately, that's where the power for the theater lights were, so we had to go in there to take the space to black before locking up every night.  Creepy!

LiLz

25

Articles from the Old Site / Re: Drunk Actor

« on: Sep 25, 2007, 03:46 pm »

I have to share a story, too.  When I SM'd for a small company many years ago, we had a wonderful, established actor I'll call Bill (He's now gone on to the great rehearsal hall in the sky) who had a drinking problem.  For some reason, halfway through the run of each show in which he was cast, Bill would decide to go on the wagon and would come to the theater with a full case of DTs.  The director would nurse him through, telling me to go get Bill a little "medicine," which meant 1/4 of a beer.  It was always so special, not knowing which scene Bill would decide we were doing when the lights came up, etc. 

During my first performance dealing with this issue, as we went into a blackout, the director popped his head into the booth and said, "Hold the blackout; we have to take Bill to his chair."  The problem is I heard, "Hold the blackout; we have to TIE Bill to his chair."  Needless to say, the audience sat in the dark a very long time as I tried to envision ropes going around a shaking actor's waist!

Ah, the good old days!

26

Articles from the Old Site / Re: She can fly!

« on: Sep 25, 2007, 03:37 pm »

ROFL!!!!!

27

Articles from the Old Site / Re: the other SM is behaving badly!

« on: Sep 25, 2007, 03:32 pm »

I'm so sorry that you're having this experience but happy to see that you're not devaluing yourself.  As much as possible, I hope you'll continue to create a fun workplace and to make those around you happy.  Perhaps you can have some discussion with the other person to let him know you're going to work how you work and to ask him to respect the difference, promising you'll do the same.  The thing is, SMs who create a good workplace build good reputations very quickly, so I'm sure you'll have other opportunities before you know it.  Hang in there!

LiLz

28

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: The Most Qs Ever

« on: Sep 25, 2007, 03:25 pm »

I ran a wild Equity Waiver production of "Dandelion Wine" on which I called 479 cues that included LX, follow spots and sound, plus I had to run Q-Lights for actors and orchestra, a movie projector and a Mopic.  During a 'fever dream' sequence that lasted about 2 minutes, I had 45 called Qs and had to run all of my different manuals - all were taken off of visuals, so I had to memorize the sequence.  It ended up being really fun, but the first few runthroughs, I was terrified someone would see me shaking!

LiLz

29

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Is there a right and worng way to call cues????

« on: Sep 14, 2007, 04:58 pm »

Mac's right, of course.  I guess I was assuming that the basics are a  given and the question had more to do with choosing warns or stand-bys and things like that.  Sorry if my answer led you astray!  Thank goodness this forum allows for multiple answers!

LiLz

30

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Stopwatch Use

« on: Sep 14, 2007, 02:33 am »

I still use the Stopwatch I used in the 80's - go ahead and laugh ... yes, I'm old.  It's a beautiful Heuer Trackstar and it's analog.  If I remember correctly, digital was fairly new and unreliable in the 80's.  I remember having a Dick Tracy wristwatch with an alarm that went off whenever it felt like it.  Old people ramble.

LiLz