Author Topic: PEOPLE: Difficult Producer  (Read 4076 times)

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ddsherrer

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PEOPLE: Difficult Producer
« on: Nov 17, 2005, 10:42 am »
What do you do if you have worked at a theatre for years and the Producer says, "We here at the ______________ (it's a historic theatre that is ranked as one of the best in the south) think of stage management as a kind of night and weekend job." Therefore, he wants my contract to reflect what he thinks a stage manager does, as opposed to what I really do. I had to fight to get about $6/hr on my current production. I had rehearsals from 10-10 and he still thinks of stage management as a night and weekend thing.
Do I leave after four years of stage managing here and hope they find someone who can teach my sm students? Do I stay and barely pay the bills? If I move, where is there to go?
There aren't a lot of stage managers in my area so I'm looking to all of you for some help.
« Last Edit: Jun 08, 2009, 10:51 pm by PSMKay »
If all the world's a stage, where's my stage manager?

linka

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Difficult Producer
« Reply #1 on: Nov 17, 2005, 01:42 pm »
Is your theater affiliated with a school? Is that why you speak of students?

ddsherrer

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Difficult Producer
« Reply #2 on: Nov 17, 2005, 03:05 pm »
No, I teach a stage management class through the young actor training program here. Before I brought it up, everyone seemed to think that the kids in the area were only interested in acting.  Come to find out, some of my best ASMs have been high schoolers. I'm sure that they can replace me when I'm gone, everyone is replaceable, but I think that the people who will suffer will be the students who will have no one to take the time to teach them. It took me a while, but I can seem to SM shows AND teach something in the process.
If all the world's a stage, where's my stage manager?

hbelden

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just a thought
« Reply #3 on: Nov 17, 2005, 03:59 pm »
You could try working just nights and weekends for a show - log your hours for the benefit of the producer - and see if the producer actually likes what the result is...  Take a second job at a Starbuck's or something (which actually provides benefits to part-time workers) and explain that you need that income to make ends meet.

If the theatre is still happy with the end product, then it's probably best (for you) that you move on.
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Heath Belden

"I'm not good, I'm not nice, I'm just right." - Sondheim
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