Author Topic: NEW WORKS: They're making this job so difficult! (Script changes)  (Read 3949 times)

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SM19

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Omg...I really dont know what to do here.

I'm currently SMing for a non-profit production in a small town. Everyone is volunteer and yet, there is a board of directors who make final decisions. The show is running this year from Feb 25-28 with our Tech's on 23 and 24th. NOW the problem. I've been asking since september for a final script. It is now February (A MONTH AWAY) and i have yet to receive a final script. The keep telling me the current one is final but they keep changing things, moving songs, DELETING songs (without telling me) and messing around with it. I'm trying to make my own copy of the script with all the cues on it (which is a very difficult and time consuming thing when its a 2 1/2 hour show). My prompt book is up to date, and everything is in order on my end...but they keep changing everything! And the worst part is, when they do change stuff (such as lines or moving things around) they dont even tell me about it. when I confronted them about it, they said that it wasn't that important that I know about it anyways. I honestly wanted to ask them what they thought a stage manager does and...if i'm calling the show...why they think it's not important for me know that a whole section of the script was removed. I dont know what to do here. HELP!
« Last Edit: Jun 09, 2009, 02:37 am by PSMKay »
Second Place in a Stage Managers Competition = Half of an Award Winning Stage Manager! :P

Amie

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Re: They're making this job so difficult!
« Reply #1 on: Feb 01, 2009, 09:20 pm »
They really said it wasn't important for you to know the changes?!

THIS BLOWS MY MIND!!!

Shock aside, who exactly are you approaching and has this been in person or via email/phone?

If it would me, I'd make a formal request via email and explain in clear terms what you use the script for and why it is imperative that you have the most current revision.  This may be extreme, but it sounds like from your post that they really don't understand what you job entails. 

Is the director on your side about this?  Is the director one of the folks denying you the current script revisions?

Regardless of what they THINK about it being important or not, I'd still insist upon it.  How can you maintain the integrity and continuity of the show without the proper information? I'm sorry you are frustrated.  I hope this helps?....
~ Amie ~

“This whole creation is essentially subjective, and the dream is the theater where the dreamer is at once: scene, actor, prompter, stage manager, author, audience, and critic.”

loebtmc

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Re: They're making this job so difficult!
« Reply #2 on: Feb 01, 2009, 09:27 pm »
FWIW, I do a huge star-studded benefit every year, and we never get a close-to-real script until abt a week out, and it is always different on the night. It's good practice for rolling with it and instance break-downs. You need to sit down w the director and producer and find out what can change and what won't. Set yourself up for the basics with plenty of room to make changes, and then hang tight for a rollercoaster ride. It is really kinda fun to call on the fly, and great training if you want to do concerts or one-person memory shows.

SM19

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Re: They're making this job so difficult!
« Reply #3 on: Feb 02, 2009, 01:30 am »
I'm approaching the directors/writers (who just happen to be the same two people). I have made many formal requests to them throughout the past 6 months. I understand that it's diffiult for them to give me a final script, but at least let me know what the changes are, because apparently that's not important. That's my big thing. The last incident that they didn't tell me about what the deletion of a complete song out of the program and the switching of songs around. From my point of view, if I get messed up during the show, that show is going down as I am calling the cues. Sometimes I feel like they really dont need me and I'm doing all this for nothing. Ioono...then again, it's not only them, its also the board. Because of all the changes that are being made, they have to pass all of them by the board first. if they dont like it, they have to fix it. And that's pretty much what's been happenign for the past 6 months. the show is either not long enough, or somethings wrong, or the skit doesn't make sense...it's amazing how many things they find wrong. This is a small town production that is by no means professional...I dont see why they need to make it perfect without any flaws.

But, I think what will happen is exactly what loebtmc stated. I'm not going to get a final script until somewhere between the week before and the day before. It'll be a hard week trying to get my script up to par, as well as the rest of the stuff for the show as they are making rediculous demands right now. I've never called a show on the fly and I dont think they want that either because the  show is changing so much I honestly have no idea what the show even entails anymore lol. Last year it was different. We had a finalized script by the beginning of Jan with little or no changes added to it so I knew exactly what the show was by the back of my hand and I called some of it by memory...but never all of it. I'm very dependent on my prompt book (which could either be good or bad) I dont know. But thanks so much for all the suggestions...i might just take this to the board. :S

Thanks :)
Second Place in a Stage Managers Competition = Half of an Award Winning Stage Manager! :P

Amie

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Re: They're making this job so difficult!
« Reply #4 on: Feb 02, 2009, 01:53 am »
Wow. Good luck. That would drive me bonkers too, but at the same time: it's a good experience in endurance and how to deal with challenging and frustrating situations. That's important as a stage manager. And also, possibly, how to call a show more on the fly than you would normally.

Just know that not all stage management experiences or theatre companies (community or otherwise) function this way.  Sounds unique to me.

Best.
Amie
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“This whole creation is essentially subjective, and the dream is the theater where the dreamer is at once: scene, actor, prompter, stage manager, author, audience, and critic.”

SM19

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Re: They're making this job so difficult!
« Reply #5 on: Feb 02, 2009, 02:33 am »
Very much a learning experience lol (too long of a learning experience if you ask me lol)...thanks a bunch :)
Second Place in a Stage Managers Competition = Half of an Award Winning Stage Manager! :P