Messages

16

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Do you call from house or backstage?

« on: Feb 16, 2008, 08:07 pm »

Blimey Baz! This could be a topic all of it's own, it might even be the material of a future book for someone?
It never fails to suprise me amount the of theatres that have been cream crackered, with some of the worst design 'Blue' & general cock ups. By so called Archy-teks' &/or thier flunkies. Who are as thick as two short planks & just as dense.
I believe the only prerequisite to to be left alone to design a theatre, is to have actualy seen a show at least once. [Mainly because they snaffled a comp, once upon a time!]
But that may be best left to another 'Scops Moot' on that subject!

17

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Do you call from house or backstage?

« on: Feb 13, 2008, 08:59 pm »

PS & OP are a usefull mainly with calling Dome [limes] pick ups off the cuff & with sets during a Bump in/out. Otherwise the SL & SR directions, are prevail in normal show circumstances.
I feel a disconection with calling from anywhere other than on the PS deck, even from the bastard prompt [OP].
Although I have noticed a gravitation to utalising the lighting techie to call the show, usualy with disaster pending results, even in Pro & Ameatre.
Here in Oz [Here in Perth West Australia] it didn't happen in the quite the same way as with the Pohmy theatres, although it was heavily influanced by pohmy theatre cultre. So PS & OP is still predominant with techies only.
To that end I have even called an Opera Gala performance from the theatre carpark, which is almost another Novel length story!

18

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Do you call from house or backstage?

« on: Feb 13, 2008, 04:03 am »

Actualy from memory, being a POHM (British).
The bio box [booth] started to creep in about the late 50's. This was caused in Britain, primarily because a lot of live theatres had been adapted as picture houses. With the advent of TV & a spreading coverage by the BBC through out the regional areas. Forcing theatres to look to films as way of staying in the black, rather than closing thier doors.
The bio boxes were for the most part a partitioned room, gaffed together to house the projector & film gear.
Later in the 60's when rock 'n roll shows needed venues to perform for the teeny boppers. Picture [theatre] Houses were the obvious chioce, as the film screen could be flown out & quickly converted back to a live theatre, to acomodate the shows, then reverted to a picture house once more.
For the most part it was easier to establish a purpose built bio box & control booth, in the FOH, as lighting technoligy had gone ahead in leaps & bonds. Thus retiring the old Sunset Row & other types of large dimmer controls from backstage. this was how it came about in Pohmyland [Britain] & I'm sure it was much the same there.
However the SM remained on the PS [Devils Side] as in most cases this was the side of the stage that large dimmer controls were located. Leaving the OP area for the Fly system.
With better communications being installed it was a natural progression for the SM [DSM] to be drawn to calling the show from the bio box.
I doubt it was just a traditional Pohmy thing, but more purely one of logistics, as the Promter, lighting control gas table & later the electrical lighting dimmers & Light Operators.
Well that's how I remember it happened with theatres in Britain, It certainly happened this way with my Great Uncles Theatre [Tyne Theatre & Opera house] in Newcastle On Tyne NE England. Which became the Stoll Picture House in the 50's, then converted back to the Tyne Theatre in the 90's, after being used as a Bingo Hall for a number of years.
{So I believe, there is still reminants of the gas pipe lighting system there,  used in the early 1900's & even relics of the first electric lighting system [water dimmers (P*ss pots)] that was installed later on in that time.}
I don't know if this helps, but it may clarify some of the transitions in theatre operations. 

19

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Ideas for knife throwing board needed -- Annie Get Your Gun - Opan mid April 08

« on: Feb 08, 2008, 08:54 am »

Here is an answer on knife throwing, for 'Pajama Game', from the Greenroom Community site;-Knife throwing trick
http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2944&PID=14649#14649
 

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Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: I'm not a stage manager but I play one on stage :: suggestions please

« on: Feb 07, 2008, 11:39 pm »

With Divas, especialy the male ones!
I normaly just kill them with kindness & being super polite.
This always takes the wind out of thier sails & they evaporate - like a deflating baloon!

21

Tools of the Trade / Re: Herbal Cigarettes and other tobacco substitutes

« on: Feb 06, 2008, 10:00 am »

Our legislation simply prohibates the smoking of any substance. Being that Tobacco which is counted as a herb, along with wacky weed & other substitute puff 'n stuff!

22

Tools of the Trade / Re: i discovered the best SM/backstage shoes ever

« on: Feb 06, 2008, 09:47 am »

I like the g'd 'ol Aussie safety boots;-
http://www.istockphoto.com/file_closeup/locations/natural_areas/beaches/2775593_aussie_thongs_on_a_beach.php?id=2775593
Not practical but far better than bare feet!

23

Articles from the Old Site / Re: How to Make Good Panto Slop?

« on: Feb 04, 2008, 04:36 pm »

This reply is a wee bit late, but may still be of value, for any others who may do panto?
Back in the 50's, working backstage making up the cream pies & slop. we used the old Shaving Styx, which are till available today.
The styx were cut into shavings & put into buckets of hot water. Then mixed by hand , using a Poss Stick [Washing agitator wooden pole]. Which was a task I got used to & it was flaming hard yakka, being only about 7 years old at the time. These days you can used a blender or an electric drill with a paint mixer attachment.
Many years later I tried the can foam spray, but found it did not hold it's peaks for long & because of the perfumes & chemicals they use to flog it, it was an iratant to the eyes & even can effect certain skin types.
Where the old shaving styx were pure natural products, without the fancy palaver added.
However the generic brands of foam, have little or any perfumes & additives, which is  much better. So it realy is a case of the cheapest is the best!

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Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Cheap Rigging-ish

« on: Feb 01, 2008, 03:06 am »

Do you have stock Flats?
Either [hard] TV or [soft] french ones.
If so chose out 3 of the same width, makes it easier, especial when using multiple periaktio  [medici] units.
It is easier at this piont to work out what type of base you want & how it is to revolve.
Place the 3 flats side stiles edge to edge [the side wooden frame uprights are known as 'stiles' [spelt 'styles' in some locations]. This will form a triangular unit, Place the & centre the unit on the revolving base, you can either mark out the base, on the outside edge of the base rails ['rails' are wooden frame battens at the top (head) or base (tail)] board & cut to fit the base board either flush on the outer or insde of the unit. Or just place & fix the unit in the centre of a round base board. Over all the simplest still is to precut the revolve base board & mount the castors & revolve gear underneath. Then screw the flats individualy to the base board edge of the revolve truck base. Leave the flats off the floor slightly, to allow for any bumps or lumps on the stage deck, when revolving.
You can use hindges [split loose pin flap (butt) hindges are better
http://www.doughty-engineering.co.uk/cgi-bin/trolleyed_public.cgi?action=showprod_T61700
] jioning the flats together [as 'Booked' Flats] , sash & cleat or just screwed [not nailed!]. Finishing the jionts on the outside with a strip of masking material or tape to hide, flush up & tidy the jions {['Dutchman'] masking tape or torn strips of calico (muslin) even newspaper}.
Of course you can produce a cube, 4 sided unit or a single double sided unit. [2 flats back to back, is easier than applying a skin on both sides of one flat]
after all that waffle there is heaps of ways, dependant upon your ideas & grande plan. {5 P's [Preplanning prevents piss poor production] which is actualy 6?}

Hope this helps?
   

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Tools of the Trade / Re: Fire extinguishers on the catwalks

« on: Jan 31, 2008, 09:10 am »

That's true but the only hicup was the belief in being able to set each dim chanel at 50%, that in doing so, he would halve the output voltage [normally 254VAC ] on each channel.  Thus he could increase the wattage loading, without any effect on the amperage?
Not being privy to the aftermath of the actual fire, I'm unsure the units had not been bodgied &/or circuit breakers by passed, which would mot have suprised me!
15 hours/day for 5 days [T,F,S,S & M], while the venue was open to the public, may in fact have been upto 120 hours, straight through the long weekend. Aparently this was took up with the products Service Agent. Upon thier investigation of the situation. It was aledgedly found that the fault, was leaving the units in duty for an extended period of time under load, causing heat damage.
I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall!

26

Tools of the Trade / Re: Fire extinguishers on the catwalks

« on: Jan 31, 2008, 02:37 am »

It never fails to amaze me what some of these yoyo's get up to & thier electrix. They cobviously cobbled the fuses & /or Mains Breakers, in order to overload the current rate of the mains conductors. I guess the techie got his electrical licence out of a Wheet Bix packet.
I predict they won't need to upgrade the mains curent capacity & the wiring any time soon, after the venue burns down.
I came across something similar, at a Regional Venue a few years ago. They rigged up a heap of parcans on the stage, as lighting for a about a 10 table cafe set up. This was for thier annual centre open weekend celagration event, where they invite the public to view the centre & run a type of community fair ther.
The head Tech had these parcans working thru the dimmers for about 15 hours per day. He believed having the dimmers running them on about 50%, that  he could twice the amount of lights on one dimmer rack.
So realising the pack was starting to over heat & smoking a bit, he did the same CO2 quick fix. Even set up a number of portable fans in the patch bay, to keep the racks cool.
He was amazed when the dimmer racks sprung a major leak & all the smoke came pouring out of the dimmer packs & the 3 phase mains cables, started to burn back & leak smoke in the same manner.
Before he apparently used up the 4th CO2 extinguisher, The trusty Fire Brigade arrived to finish the dimmer racks off completely,
It wasn't his fault, because it must have been a fault with the dimmers that caused it!
Not being qualified or under standing the principles of Ohms Law, he was at a complete disadvantaged, in understanding that the dimmers are designed for short & variable duty. Not continuios at 50% of it's load capacity, which creates overheating & smoke starts a leaking.
If he had have been a licenced electrician, he would have understood the principle theory of Spectral Manifestation Of Known Emf [volts] or S.M.O.KE. for short.
Electricity is just that, it is generated with smoke
This was proved out by 'Bell Labs & can be checked easily when smoke is leaking out of equipment, it will eventualy run out of smoke - thus the equipment stops working!
Further Q&A can be found in articles on this site, which will help with understanding this theory;-
http://www.peizhang.com/forfun/forfun_writings_smoke.htm

27

Tools of the Trade / Re: Fire extinguishers on the catwalks

« on: Jan 30, 2008, 04:07 pm »

 [/quote]

  so they squeezed the extinguisher between their legs and used their hands to operate the hose and trigger.[/quote]
That makes ones eyes perspire! 
A blast of CO2 will also help! When an aloy metal exspandable watch band, is melted on to the wrist. This was after the band came in contact with a Live Buzz  Bar. The freezing saved molting metal burning the skin & it was relativly easy to pick out all the segments, using needle nose plyers. There was hardly a blumish & only a frozen wrist which hurt a lot more!
However I'm sure this does not help Chops one little bit - back on topic.
It may be best to find out from your local Fire Marshal as the Model Fire Code in your area. Also if the extinguishers are indeed the correct type, requirement &/or they have been installed in the correct location.   

28

Tools of the Trade / Re: Fire extinguishers on the catwalks

« on: Jan 30, 2008, 12:28 pm »

A Dome operator droped a ball piont pen, from a Limes pulpit over the audiance

What's a Dome operator (assuming not the person who operates the dome on an enclosed stadium such as the Superdome) and what's a Limes pulpit (assuming not where margarita devotees go to preach)?

;DThat's a bewdy ScoTT!
I forgot to put the terms your use in brackets to clarify.
Followspot = 'Dome', 'Lime' or 'Drummond'. The pulpit is a platform usually swung off the Gods or the Balcony. Where the followspot is operated from, especialy in the Ewardain style theatres. Although when I did 'Disney on Parade' in a Big Top. The Limes were operated from the same arangements, of a Pulpit slung off the main poles. With a net under the spot, only to catch large falling objects, not the opertator.

29

Tools of the Trade / Re: Fire extinguishers on the catwalks

« on: Jan 30, 2008, 12:07 pm »

Fire extinguishers on catwalks would be as ussless as boobs on a bull anyway & have the potential to cause more problems, than they could ever solve. I have never ever seen any installed here on catwalks. Only at the entrance of acess ways or enclosed areas, as they are only purely a first aid appliance of limited application.

How do you figure?  CO2 extinguishers are perfect for this type of application where you're likely to encounter an electrical fire if anything.  Be careful when using CO2 extinguishers though as they put out the fire by suffocating it of oxygen; as such they take the oxygen away from you as well. 

I agrea KMC with electrical switch gear especialy in enclosed areas.
However it is not very effective in large open areas, unless you can use it directly over a short distance, to evelope the seat of the fire. Such as fires in switchboards, ducting & the like. On catwalks in most regards, after the CO2 unit is spent. It is also handy to crash thru any obstructions restricting you, as you take long strides to the neatest exit.
Copping a gob full of it, wiil leave you crook [ill] for some time.
Dry Powder units will knacker any switch gear & equipment. The old BCF was very effective in that regard, even for small oil fires, but it was withdrawn a few years ago. 

30

Tools of the Trade / Re: Fire extinguishers on the catwalks

« on: Jan 30, 2008, 06:04 am »

Fire extinguishers on catwalks would be as ussless as boobs on a bull anyway & have the potential to cause more problems, than they could ever solve. I have never ever seen any installed here on catwalks. Only at the entrance of acess ways or enclosed areas, as they are only purely a first aid appliance of limited application.
However in saying that I have seen them mounted in the weirdest of places in my time. Where by if they were ever needed to be used, the operator would surely would be over come by smoke, attempting to go into a fire to grab one.
So much so there is a fire policy here in school class rooms, of no extingushers. Because teachers are not fire fighters & thier first priority is to follow fire drill procedures. Ensuring that everyone is evacuted to designated muster areas.
In our game these days, it is a safe bet that the cause of smoke is perpetued by electricty, shuting off the power & containg it will curtail more fires, than any gungho techie armed with  an extingusher ever will.
Personaly I ensure that all catwalks are kept clear of any objects that can likely become a missile aimed at one below, including pencils & especial ball piont pens.
Which reminds me of an incident many eaons ago at a theatre here.  A Dome operator droped a ball piont pen, from a Limes pulpit over the audiance, The pen ended up stuck in the soft spot of a punters head. It was a show stopper at the time & luckly enough he was restrained by a quick thinking punter behind, stopping him from attempting to remove it. He was aparently not badly hurt & I believe he had the pen mounted in a picture frame, after it was removed in hospital later. Which for him added another meaning to having a 'hole in the head'. I can't remember what the outcome was, but I would imagine that a quite a few Quid changed hands because of it.
The practice of Domes being operated over the audiance ceased after that!