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Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: The Clean House - any traps?
« on: Aug 04, 2010, 10:16 am »
Never SM'ed it but saw a great production of it (twice) a few years ago. Hope you have fun! it's a great show.
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887
Employment / Re: Local and not so local job resource websites
« on: Jul 24, 2010, 06:59 pm »
DC area- Cultural Alliance of Greater Washington http://www.cultural-alliance.org/cgi-bin/jbsearch.cgi
National- Opera America http://www.operaamerica.org/applications/jobs
National- Opera America http://www.operaamerica.org/applications/jobs
888
Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Accidentally Set Off Building Alarm: What would you do?
« on: Jul 14, 2010, 08:21 pm »
Done it. I think I did it in high school once, in a similar situation to yours, and I don't remember how I handled it. Definitely done it at a professional theatre (with a key)- I called the county, who controls the alarm system, and told them the situation, and called the 2 people at the theatre who are on the county's "to call" list if the alarm goes off.
It's no one's ideal situation, but it's no one's fault- it happens. Explain the situation, and everything should be fine. Things happen- the best thing you can do is remain calm. You called the people you can call. That's all you can do.
It's no one's ideal situation, but it's no one's fault- it happens. Explain the situation, and everything should be fine. Things happen- the best thing you can do is remain calm. You called the people you can call. That's all you can do.
889
Stage Management: Other / Re: Operations Manager job...need answers fast!
« on: Jul 11, 2010, 11:56 am »
Does the opera company use an AGMA contract? If so, if you look on the AGMA website (www.muscialartists.org), on the left hand side, click "Agreements", then "Opera", and then the individual agreements will appear as pdfs. It's slightly different than the AEA website- the agreements are specific to the company.
Good luck!
Good luck!
890
Stage Management: Other / Re: Possible interview ?s for opera ASM
« on: Jul 02, 2010, 10:18 pm »
Here's a thread on what a WWW is- http://smnetwork.org/forum/index.php/topic,1003.msg5830.html#msg5830
Examples that members have posted: http://smnetwork.org/forum/index.php/topic,2495.msg15392.html#msg15392
And I think there was a discussion that included it in this thread as well: http://smnetwork.org/forum/index.php/topic,1249.15.html
Examples that members have posted: http://smnetwork.org/forum/index.php/topic,2495.msg15392.html#msg15392
And I think there was a discussion that included it in this thread as well: http://smnetwork.org/forum/index.php/topic,1249.15.html
891
Stage Management: Other / Re: Possible interview ?s for opera ASM
« on: Jul 02, 2010, 10:07 am »
Do you have experience with large cast shows? (with the principal singers, chorus, supers, etc the cast of an opera can be enormous).
Can you call cues from a score?
Do you know any foreign languages? (even a little bit of foreign language can be useful)
(Depending on the venue) Do you have experience working with a union crew?
(Depending on the opera) Do you have any experience with dance?
Are you familiar with opera paperwork, particularly a WWW?
Can you call cues from a score?
Do you know any foreign languages? (even a little bit of foreign language can be useful)
(Depending on the venue) Do you have experience working with a union crew?
(Depending on the opera) Do you have any experience with dance?
Are you familiar with opera paperwork, particularly a WWW?
892
Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: What's the most controversial show you've ever worked on?
« on: Feb 26, 2010, 06:44 pm »
I did a production of a play about Israeli settlers in the Gaza strip, produced by a theatre company at a Jewish Community Center- it provoked a lot of controversy within the audience base of the theatre. We had a lot of talkbacks for the production, and there were usually at least a few people in the audience who were really upset by the show, and the theatre got some really horrible letters about it. One of the characters in the show was a rabbi who committed suicide, and the actor who played that character was approached by a patron (not at the theatre) who was really angry about the portrayal.
It was a really thought-provoking play, and the production was well-attended.
It was a really thought-provoking play, and the production was well-attended.
893
Stage Management: Other / Re: New to SM'ing Opera
« on: Feb 08, 2010, 01:11 am »
There's a good thread on timings already on the boards: http://smnetwork.org/forum/index.php/topic,4620.0.html
They are marked from the beginning of the score through the end- not marked from the cue itself. They can be used to help place lighting cues, paged warnings for entrances, prop handoffs, costume changes, etc. Basically, they let you know how much time a given section of music takes and you can use that information in whatever manner is most useful for you.
If you're creating a document like a WWW (who what where), the timings are crucial in placing all of that information accurately on the page. The music will take the same amount of time to play each night (with very little variation) and these timings can fairly accurately tell you where you are in the music.
Does that help? There's a lot more that can be said about timings but I think the above thread covers some of them. Lots more opera info on this thread: http://smnetwork.org/forum/index.php/topic,1249.0.html
They are marked from the beginning of the score through the end- not marked from the cue itself. They can be used to help place lighting cues, paged warnings for entrances, prop handoffs, costume changes, etc. Basically, they let you know how much time a given section of music takes and you can use that information in whatever manner is most useful for you.
If you're creating a document like a WWW (who what where), the timings are crucial in placing all of that information accurately on the page. The music will take the same amount of time to play each night (with very little variation) and these timings can fairly accurately tell you where you are in the music.
Does that help? There's a lot more that can be said about timings but I think the above thread covers some of them. Lots more opera info on this thread: http://smnetwork.org/forum/index.php/topic,1249.0.html
894
Tools of the Trade / Re: Google Sketchup
« on: Jan 05, 2010, 12:44 pm »
Never used it for any theatrical purposes, but when I moved to a new apartment I did a little mockup of the new place and used it to figure out where to put my furniture. 
It took me a few hours of practice and some online research but once I got the hang of it, it worked well for me. Can't say I have a lot of use for it most of the time, but good to have.
It took me a few hours of practice and some online research but once I got the hang of it, it worked well for me. Can't say I have a lot of use for it most of the time, but good to have.
895
Stage Management: Other / Re: Cheat Sheet of Dance Terms for SMs
« on: Dec 28, 2009, 06:17 pm »
I am in no way a dance expert. All of this is what I have picked up in my own experience- SMing dance and taking dance classes (which I highly recommend, in terms of improving dance vocabulary).
There are some good articles on Wikipedia relating to dance terms:
Ballet Glossary: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_ballet
In case you're not only doing ballet: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_dance_moves
A "Video Dictionary" of ballet terms: http://www.abt.org/education/dictionary/index.html
Depending on what kind of dance you're working on, some companies/styles of dance may have a vocabulary of their own. Modern dance has slightly different positions of the feet than ballet. Oftentimes I will ask someone in the company what a particular move or step is called.
The different ways that dancers describe movement are incredibly useful - in ballet, a turn can be described as "en dedans" or "en dehors"- basically inside and outside turns, and sometimes dancers will talk about "homolateral movement" vs "contralateral movement"- homolateral has you using the same arm as leg (e.g. right arm with right leg), while contralateral uses opposite arm and leg (right arm with left leg).
I will also write things down in a hurry and make up descriptions for things I don't know, and fix them later. Or draw a picture. What kind of dance were you doing?
There are some good articles on Wikipedia relating to dance terms:
Ballet Glossary: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_ballet
In case you're not only doing ballet: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_dance_moves
A "Video Dictionary" of ballet terms: http://www.abt.org/education/dictionary/index.html
Depending on what kind of dance you're working on, some companies/styles of dance may have a vocabulary of their own. Modern dance has slightly different positions of the feet than ballet. Oftentimes I will ask someone in the company what a particular move or step is called.
The different ways that dancers describe movement are incredibly useful - in ballet, a turn can be described as "en dedans" or "en dehors"- basically inside and outside turns, and sometimes dancers will talk about "homolateral movement" vs "contralateral movement"- homolateral has you using the same arm as leg (e.g. right arm with right leg), while contralateral uses opposite arm and leg (right arm with left leg).
I will also write things down in a hurry and make up descriptions for things I don't know, and fix them later. Or draw a picture.
What kind of dance were you doing?
896
Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Resume questions
« on: Dec 19, 2009, 02:47 am »
Personally, I think most people only need a one-page resume. It's tough to cut things out, but I think it's better to leave off credits and have it fit on one page- keep the most relevant information, the shows that best represent you, and leave the rest off. It makes it easier on the person hiring- the same reason I put my references on the same page. One less thing for someone hiring to have to do.
I think it's less important to have a 'comprehensive' resume that includes all of your experience, and more important to have a resume that best highlights your experience and shows why you are the right person for the job.
I think it's less important to have a 'comprehensive' resume that includes all of your experience, and more important to have a resume that best highlights your experience and shows why you are the right person for the job.
897
Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: CALLING: Musical number where I can't hear....countdown software?
« on: Nov 30, 2009, 06:10 pm »
Have you thought of writing the beats of the drums you can hear into your score? My instinct is to see if there is a way to either use visual cues or count the music based on the drums. (or a combination)
I do know of a stopwatch program that has a countdown option: http://www.shodor.org/interactivate/activities/Stopwatch/?version=1.6.0-oem&browser=Mozilla&vendor=Sun_Microsystems_Inc. You can make the timer fairly large on the screen as well, which is nice. You can also "record" timings on this one- click the "record" button and it marks out what times your record in a box below. So in theory you could start it when the band started, click any "landmark times" that help you find where you are in the music, and then write them into your book. Multitrack stopwatch is also good.
Hope this helps- let us know what you end up doing.
I'm thinking that I'll just stopwatch the timing for "approximate" placement and then use visual (dance moves or conductor motions) to get back on track. I guess I could even mark every 5-10 measures with a time.
I do know of a stopwatch program that has a countdown option: http://www.shodor.org/interactivate/activities/Stopwatch/?version=1.6.0-oem&browser=Mozilla&vendor=Sun_Microsystems_Inc. You can make the timer fairly large on the screen as well, which is nice. You can also "record" timings on this one- click the "record" button and it marks out what times your record in a box below. So in theory you could start it when the band started, click any "landmark times" that help you find where you are in the music, and then write them into your book. Multitrack stopwatch is also good.
Hope this helps- let us know what you end up doing.
898
Employment / Re: What else can you do to get the job?
« on: Nov 30, 2009, 07:32 am »A few months later I heard of a job going that I thought I would like but wasn't sure I would be qualified for. I contacted two or three people who might know the employer and asked what they thought of my chances. One of them happened to be meeting with the employer later that day so I asked him to bring my name into the conversation (which he did). Turned out the employer was actively seeking applicants, not just relying on the advertisements, and she later called me and asked me to apply - the rest is history as it is my current job! I did also make big efforts to do everything you are supposed to do including calling all my referees and telling them about the job and why I thought I would be good for it (turned out one of them had also already suggested me to the employer, oh yes it is a small industry / world) See I have improved!
I've been thinking a lot about this kind of thing lately- I recently talked to a friend/fellow SM about a company I learned they work with, and mentioned that I have always wanted to work there. He sent my name along and told me to send them a resume. I'm really hoping it will open the door and help me get future jobs there.
I have also applied several times to the same theatre, and only gotten an interview after changing my references to include someone who had worked there before. And I definitely get a lot of work by letting friends and coworkers know that I am looking.
I have no real advice to contribute right now, I just wanted to agree and keep this topic open for discussion- it's something I think about too.
899
Employment / Re: Where should I put it all???
« on: Nov 30, 2009, 12:35 am »
Hi Dee-
Sorry it's taken so long to reply. Why don't you post your resume? I think it might help us see what you're thinking about. You could list your educational shows as a separate category, or integrate them with your other shows, or put an asterisk next to them and explain below. How is your resume broken down?
Sorry it's taken so long to reply. Why don't you post your resume? I think it might help us see what you're thinking about. You could list your educational shows as a separate category, or integrate them with your other shows, or put an asterisk next to them and explain below. How is your resume broken down?
900
Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Performance Reports Excerpted or Made Public
« on: Nov 24, 2009, 04:31 pm »
I had an artistic director quote my performance report in the theatre's blog. It upset me- I don't write anything that I would be embarrassed about having been made public, but I think that performance reports should be in-house documents and not for public consumption, and I also think it would have been appropriate to ask me before including me in the blog. What was quoted wasn't gossip but it was being used to market the show in a way that misrepresented the audience response. (The show wasn't very successful, but he quoted my "audience response summary" which, for one performance, was very positive). Ultimately, I think I let it go, though I spoke with the production manager about it.
After it happened, my audience response notes became more matter of fact- he can do what he wants with the blog, there's no rule against putting report info on it. The only thing I decided I can do is to limit what "descriptive" information I put in it- this theatre views the nature of the reports in a much different way than I do, and doesn't seem to consider them internal documents.
After it happened, my audience response notes became more matter of fact- he can do what he wants with the blog, there's no rule against putting report info on it. The only thing I decided I can do is to limit what "descriptive" information I put in it- this theatre views the nature of the reports in a much different way than I do, and doesn't seem to consider them internal documents.