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Messages - BLee

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31
Employment / Re: Consulting - A Hypothetical Situation
« on: Aug 25, 2011, 03:55 am »
My advice is not look at this as consulting. Unless you have moderate experience surveying theaters to rent chances are you will not have the type of information they need to attract customers. Sure, as stage managers we know what we like to see when we arrive in a space. You can advise him some of the basic equipment he should keep in stock, but why specifically he can't seem to attract customers to rent out his theater? That is some in depth consulting that you may not have the experience level to provide.

If he really needs something looked over, it may not be the space itself but the rider that needs fixing. How well organized is the information about his theater and how available is it to the public? Another issue could be marketing. Does he have an updated website with current information regarding the venue and availability? Since he is attached to a high school he should take that into consideration. What kind of deal does he have with the school? Is he marketing to surrounding colleges to bring educational programs to the high school? Is he in contact with the local community theatre? This is the kind of advice he most likely needs and someone experienced in this area would be extremely useful to him. If that is you, then I would most definitely talk with him about consulting fees before going into specific details on these topics.

Since the theatre is already built, chances are there is little he can do to fundamentally change the space itself. And the best person to give him advice on equipment is someone with more than a working knowledge of the technical fields. He needs a theatre electrician or lighting designer to tell him what types of lighting equipment to invest in and a sound designer to inspect the acoustics of his space to determine where speakers should be installed and kept on hand and what type of board is necessary to run the system. A technical designer could advise on stage structure, removable aprons, traps and shop organization. As a stage manager you can tell him what non-technical equipment is necessary for the running of a show (prop tables and storage, costume quick change booths and storage, dressing rooms, booth set-up, plus general needs of monitors and intercoms, audio-visual equipment and clear-com.

Essentially, it doesn't sound like he wants a full consultant or he would be advised to get in touch with another rental house and ask for recommendations of who to call for the job. And as informed as we may be of the basics of a successful performance, without the extensive experience in those other fields I would be cautious in expecting money for what basic advice we can provide. This sounds more like a good deed. Tour the space and point out reasons why you personally would hesitate to rent the space. And if nothing seems too out of sorts, perhaps casually ask if he has had a professional look over his marketing tools and rider.

32
My personal preference is to make sure the spot ops have cue sheets with their needed information (cue #, size, person, area on stage/entrance) usually generated by the LD, ALD or ME. I then transfer only the key information into my standby. So I'm not calling every detail, but I'm reminding them just before a cue happens so they have time to hit their mark.

For my current show here is how I've called it:

"Stand by light cue 193, Spot 1 on Hamlet Spot 2 on Horatio, both downstage left...lights go."

I have found this system to work well both for student operators and non-union crews. I give enough information without muddying up what I'm saying. Both spots have their paperwork to prepare the next spotlight after their previous cue, so I am simply getting them alert in time for their lights to pop on.

33
Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Efficient Fight Call
« on: Jul 23, 2011, 11:02 pm »
That is great if your actors can be in costume before the scheduled fight call time, but may not be entirely necessary. For the two shows I am running now, we had similar concerns. Both shows have extensive fighting. Honestly, as long as you schedule carefully and work with your fight captain to keep things running very tightly, I doubt you will have too much trouble (assuming your cast really knows their choreography).

An added suggestion: If there is another room (like a studio or even some lawn outside) somewhere available to you, I recommend using every inch of space possible. The more often they run the fight the easier it is to run them in any space in any order at any time (important in a show with so many variations). For my current productions' fight calls, we just run the call in show shoes (with jackets and hats for those who want them). If you are able to do the technique part of the fight call in an alternate space before getting into costume, then your stage time becomes a quick refresher with set rather than a work through of movement and safety. With only 15 minutes and 8+ fights to run, this may be the most efficient way to work.

34
I really like that last section discussing the "career change". We often discuss as stage managers how well our job skills transfer to various other fields and this article points out how important it is to know how to market ourselves when our resumes may not immediately scream "I'm right for this non-SM job!".

Case in point: I'm currently trying to broaden my career choices by exploring the field of broadcasting and am soon applying for an internship. Although there is a "stage manager" position at many local news stations, it is hard to find the words to prove that being a stage manager for live theatre directly relates to success at directing the local news program, especially when you don't have the journalism, broadcasting or communications degrees traditionally expected. (And any advice on that topic in my mailbox would be greatly appreciated!)

35
Tools of the Trade / Re: Laptop help
« on: May 22, 2011, 03:57 pm »
My advice is to make sure to get a device that has other devices that work well with it. Not to spark the Mac/PC, but one of the big reasons I love Mac is because all my devices speak well together seamlessly and I know what works on one will work on the other. You can do that with PC as well, but make sure that there is variety in the brand you choose.

For instance, a bigger screen has advantages for organizing information and transferring data from one file to another (side-by-side, like mentioned above), plus ease of document creation, wider variety of software and ability to upgrade in the future. On the other hand, it is great to have a portable version of your laptop to use in rehearsals so you don't have a screen in your way. And it will only make your life easier if your phone can speak to both of those devices.

My combo happens to be macbook, ipad2, iphone, but I know windows has made leaps and bounds in improving their technology at a more affordable price. Just be careful to make sure that whatever you choose has the ability to grow with you in the future. You may only want a laptop to get started, but in a year you'll want a smaller netbook or tablet and soon you'll want your phone to sync up as well. More flexibility now will mean a cheaper and happier future!

36
The Green Room / Re: The Stage Manager's Nightmare
« on: May 16, 2011, 06:14 pm »
I had a SM nightmare a couple nights ago...

I am sitting in a very exposed booth on opening night of the big musical (Spelling Bee I think...). I sit down and call house to half, then call house out. I look down and realize that I never got a cue sheet and have no cues anywhere in my book...and for some reason I feel like I've only heard the music once (which is true in my case since I've only seen that show once).

The nightmare proceeded for a bit more with me randomly calling "go" at moments when I think a lighting effect might take place and then calling "go" "go" "go" until a look that lights the correct part of stage appears. The performers were primarily in the dark and it was awful.

37
Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: PROPS: Edible dessert
« on: May 08, 2011, 03:04 am »
The shortcakes are a great idea for a mini-dessert since they keep at any temperatures and aren't at all heat sensitive. A dollop of whipped cream just before going on stage will look fancy and period enough to pass. You can also put vanilla pudding in two small fancy dishes with a dollop of whipped cream for another dessert that doesn't need to maintain temperature. I know snack pacs are very cheap at the grocery store.

As for large sheet cakes, The best solution, if the whole cake isn't eaten every night, is to make at least half of the cake styrofoam and then use a cheap baking mix to make how every much you need per night. That saves a lot of money, and Pillsbury now carries low sugar versions if that is a serious concern. Each box is only $1 if you catch a sale and can be mixed as a whole and then baked in smaller portions depending on the nightly needs. Just make sure your actors and clear on which portion of the cake is edible. :-)

38
The Green Room / Re: Achieving a Professional Understanding
« on: May 05, 2011, 03:42 am »
I learned the magic of the stage manager voice. When your voice has a certain level of authority people tend to listen and respect that at a more professional level. That voice should be firm, loud and in a slightly deeper register than your normal voice. It won't fix everything,  but when you are trying to maintain control in a large group, having the ability to command an entire room with one powerful sentence will save you many headaches.

As for friends taking advantage of your position, the easiest way to solve that problem is to avoid letting them think it in the first place. My friends know me as a rule follower and when I worked among peers who were my close friends it was a matter of calling them out on it. I had friends who thought I wouldn't mark them down for being late. When they showed up late I gave them bathroom duty just like I did for everyone else. Just explain you have to follow the same rules for everyone. If they get mad they will either quickly get over it and understand your position (thus not putting you in an unfair position again) or you lose a friend who was more worried about the perks of the friendship than the friendship itself.

39
Employment / Re: To Break or Not to Break
« on: Apr 08, 2011, 08:30 pm »
I've wondered about this concern, especially since companies have such different timelines of hiring. I personally like to schedule gigs at least 3 months in advance, but many companies don't start job offering until 4-6 weeks before the contract begins. Since I never know, I always take a good paying position if no other better offer is presented within a couple weeks.

As for breaking that first contract if another is presented, I don't know if I could ever burn that bridge. Sometimes the contracted company understands, especially if they expect you to move on to bigger and better jobs with time. If they automatically include a breaking clause in the contract I take that as a sign that they know some contracts will need to be broken. My biggest concern is obviously making myself unemployable by the contracted company. We have such a small world that breaking a contract could leave a bad taste that precedes you if you return to that region for work.

I guess  you have to consider what the consequences are of breaking the contract versus turning down the second offer. For instance, if this new position is a big opportunity that means widening your future opportunities (and your current contract is just your status quo) then it might be a good idea to explain the opportunity to your contracted company and bow out gracefully. For instance, someone who has been trying to get into an equity contract should seriously consider breaking a contract if the new offer gets them their card. As long as you handle the break with humility and grace good companies will probably understand the boost to your career.

Another factor I would consider is how long the notice is when you make the decision. If you are breaking your contract a month or more before your start date then you are leaving time for a replacement to be found. Less than a month may leave them in a bind and make the company resent the situation you have put them in last minute. If you have already started the contract then it would be irresponsible to break the contract (unless you are able to stay to train your own replacement).

40
Tools of the Trade / Re: iPads
« on: Apr 02, 2011, 08:53 pm »
I use GContact Lite which basically allow you to create groups within your contacts app (included with ipad). It acts as a king of contact sheet on the go. I just realized I don't know how to mass text or email within these groups, although I know there are contacts programs that have that feature making it work as a distribution list.

As for a program I would love to see created, thus far when you create a prompt script you have to develop it on another computer and then download it to the ipad with a pdf reader. I would love to just download a pdf of the script and have a basic program that allow me to highlight a word, draw a line to the side and type in the cue information. I haven't heard of a good pdf editor like that, but if anyone knows of a good one please let me know!

Other tools I use:
iBooks (I download all of my paperwork as pdf files to keep on hand; works great with general schedules and contact sheets),
PaperPhobic (a receipt tracker which is great for independent contractors to keep handy proof of purchase both for reimbursement and tax purposes),
DrawCast (comes in handy when you need to sketch out an idea like the layout of a prop table or set-up of a room),
First Aid Lite (always nice to have the basics on hand in case of an emergency),
Anxiety Free (a relaxation app that is good to put on in the background when someone is extremely stressed; I use it before rehearsals and people join me in getting relaxed; tons of apps like these exist),
Pages/Numbers ($10 ea, but best for word processing; I take my rehearsal notes and fill in my daily schedule on these and then email them to myself within the program to print them off on another computer),
AutoCAD WS (mainly since I'm learning autoCAD, but if a designer uses it you can keep the groundplan on hand for taping or general inquires),
PDFReaderLite (a basic free pdf reader program, although you should be able to keep them in iBooks, having a dedicated program may come in handy)

41
The Green Room / Re: thoughts on sharing
« on: Feb 07, 2011, 01:11 am »
Quote
Would I have offered advice about running staged readings at the time, or beforehand? Absolutely.  Would I have told other SMs why I was so interested in pursuing a low-paying reading, turning down other jobs in order to secure it?  Although it never came up, honestly, I don't think I would have.  And certainly not with someone as or more qualified than I to do the reading.  I was focused on growing my career, thinking several jobs ahead, and feeling competitive in that respect.  I don't think there's anything wrong with that, because getting the job is completely separate from doing the job.

There is nothing wrong with keeping your job strategies to yourself. Theatre is a networkers business. We all know how much this is a who-you-know and who-can-you-meet kind of job. Yes, you have to be good at your job to get the references you need, but the quality of your work will only keep you working, not get you work.

As was said above, we are collaborators. Sharing a form you use or how you organize your prompt book is not going to lose you a job and you are improving the business by making more of a demand for our product. If we don't help each other prove that we are completely necessary to the theatrical process, we risk companies using fewer of us on a production, creating even more demand for fewer jobs. If one stage manager looks bad we risk giving others in our industry a poor idea of what we can do to improve the creative process.

Trust me, we all have our business strategies and only an educator gives out their best secrets. We aren't here to steal each others jobs, we are here to use our collective knowledge to improve our position as a group. Collectively we are more powerful than going it alone.

42
Here is my take:

Option 1: Keep her on. Obviously this wouldn't be necessary if she has an understudy, but bringing in someone fresh this late in the game (unless they are amazing and have a lot of free time) is not likely to improve the situation and in fact dropping her is likely to create a horrible vibe around the production. Unless her staying on is making the rest of the cast unhappy and disgruntled it could be your best bet to stick it through.

Also, I can see why the ultimatum didn't work. They rarely do in high school settings, especially when academics and health interfere. Priorities need to be kept in order, and on this level both of those are legitimate excuses. This play will end soon, her college career is just beginning. If you decide to keep her on, my recommendation is to ask her when she is available rather than telling her when she has to make herself available. If you can't be there when she has time, perhaps another student could work with her.

Option 2: Bring a new face on. Again, I don't recommend this option unless you have an actress who has proven herself to be a quick learner, awesome with lines and blocking, and just happens to have no projects going on until the production closes.

Option 3: Promote from within. This option I have seen be successful in the past on the high school level. Are there other actresses in the cast in smaller roles? That actress would already know the show and was probably at most of the rehearsals, therefore familiar with the role of the problem actress. She would likely be thrilled with the promotion to a larger role. Bring in another actress to fill the smaller (and likely easier role) and voila you have a workable solution.

If there is concern of dropping this girl from her final production, you may try offering her this smaller role. If her ego isn't too bruised (some personalities take these situations harder than others) she might be grateful to stay with the production. Or she may get pissed and pout the rest of her senior year. Her choice, not your responsibility, and at least you tried (which is more than most people would do for her in this situation). Remember, this isn't meant to be punishment, you are just doing what needs to be done to keep this show running.

Conclusion: No matter what you choose, it is a lot of time you will be dedicating to this. Option 1 will require you being extremely flexible coming in whenever the actress is available, even if it means early morning, lunch meetings, study hour sessions or post-rehearsal work. Option 2 may work easier into your schedule, but will require 2-3x the time and effort to catch someone up on 2+ weeks of missed rehearsal. Option 3 may be easier on the production, but now you have 2 people who will likely need your help to learn their roles.

My advice is to recruit an assistant or two (perhaps your drama teacher could offer extra credit to her classes) who can work with whichever option you choose to get everyone caught up and performance ready. Your time will be less demanded (all you need to do is catch them up on blocking, then have your assistant(s) run lines and rehearse blocking) and they can do their job mid-rehearsal while your are working with the rest of the cast.

43
The Green Room / Re: An interesting read
« on: Feb 05, 2011, 12:53 am »
Thank you for the recommendation! This looks like a perfect resource for my thesis on safety procedures in show business. :-)

44
Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Wandelprobe
« on: Jan 31, 2011, 02:55 pm »
The last wandelprobe I was involved in we made the determination that it would be the performers singing from the area they would singing from. Ours was important for the maestro and singers to check they could easily see eachother. Although we would have liked to have had the crew on break during that time, some of the singing positions were on moving scaffolds that they crew moved. No set pieces, props, furniture, etc. Just singers singing from their spots. Hugely beneficial.

Although directors like to involve themselves on the Wandelprobes, it should be a rehearsal for the maestro. The biggest concern when a sitzprobe suddenly becomes a wandelprobe is that it will suddenly become a run and no longer focused on the music. I would highly advise avoiding any additional elements than the singers and the maestro checking visibility and sound. Of course that isn't to say the designers can't use the time to work on sound and light, as long as it does not distract the singers from the goal of the rehearsal.

45
The Green Room / Re: Just a reminder . . .
« on: Jan 17, 2011, 11:52 pm »
Bex, my family does the word mix up all the time. My grandma still can't get past asking "But when someone offers you a part your going to be an actress, right?" My parents then usually quip "She is just waiting to become the next Spielberg." Both of those remarks just cause me to get the stage-manager-is-a-real-job-not-a-stepping-stone scowl that reminds them I actually like my job as is (hence going to graduate school for it!).

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