Author Topic: PROFESSIONALISM: What to do when you're sick?  (Read 15702 times)

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malewen

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Re: PROFESSIONALISM: What to do when you're sick?
« Reply #15 on: Oct 20, 2010, 06:54 pm »
I basically agree with Matthew. By all means tough it out if you're feeling a little off but if you are really, really sick, you should stay home.  We should plan in advance about how to cover the SM tracks if someone is out.  We are lucky at Steppenwolf in that we have the resources to have 2 Equity SMs on all the subscription productions and we always set it up so the SM and the ASM alternate calling the show after press opening.  Teaching your ASM to call the show should happen as soon as possible into the run - I often start during previews if the show is simple enough.  Stage Managers should have the right to be able to get sick like everyone else.

Having said that, there may be times that it is impossible for an SM to be adequately covered (no ASM, tons of cues, dangerous scenery like traps or elevators, etc.).  In these cases you need to make it plain to the producers in advance that if you are out sick the performance will have to be canceled.  Think outside the box about ways to get coverage - in a community theatre maybe ask one of your ASMs to train a sub for their track and then teach them to call the show or have the board ops run it with a clean script as loebtmc suggests.  In an Equity production maybe the producer will realize the risk and take advantage of the 'Short Term Stage Manager' rule that is finding its' way into more rule books.  The big thing is that we need to think ahead.

Don't undervalue your real life just because of the 'show must go on' mentality.  When my father died a couple of years ago, I missed nearly the whole first week of rehearsal but my ASM did a brilliant job of covering for me.  I had to go - it was important to me and my family, for me to be with my dad in his last days.  Don't spend the rest of your life regretting a decision like this - if you need to go, you should go.  If you are to sick to stand up, go to your doctor or to the hospital, not to the theatre.

Rebbe

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Re: PROFESSIONALISM: What to do when you're sick?
« Reply #16 on: Oct 20, 2010, 07:57 pm »
In a community theater setting, I think you could consider calling the director, or other members of the production team if there are any, to call in place of the SM in case of an illness.  Having board ops  take there own cues is also a reasonable solution.  I don’t think it’s a bad idea to leave the ASMs backstage, because I tend to think it’s better to have one person in a new role (in this case the SM), rather than several people in new roles at the same time. 

In terms of preparation beyond the prompt book, I think a pre-show check list is important.  I’ve met SMs who keep this in their heads, but a fill-in really needs a step by step list on everything they need to do and when they should do it, from turning on the heat to adjusting their booth set-up.  If planning ahead before a crisis, I’d also want to think about how to tell the cast and crew that the SM is out, whether it would just be signs in the dressing room, or an email early in the day. 
"...allow me to explain about the theatre business. The natural condition is one of insurmountable obstacles on the road to imminent disaster."  (Philip Henslowe, Shakespeare In Love)

KMC

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Re: PROFESSIONALISM: What to do when you're sick?
« Reply #17 on: Oct 21, 2010, 09:29 am »
In terms of preparation beyond the prompt book, I think a pre-show check list is important.  I’ve met SMs who keep this in their heads, but a fill-in really needs a step by step list on everything they need to do and when they should do it, from turning on the heat to adjusting their booth set-up.

I agree with this as well.  Even if there is not a lot to do there should still be a preshow run sheet that leads you into calling your first cue for the show.  Take the guess work out of it for your potential replacement, they will already be stressed enough having to step in and call the show!
Get action. Do things; be sane; don’t fritter away your time; create, act, take a place wherever you are and be somebody; get action. -T. Roosevelt

NomieRae

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Re: PROFESSIONALISM: What to do when you're sick?
« Reply #18 on: Oct 23, 2010, 07:55 pm »
I have do admit I used to be in the camp of "the show must go on" but have since come to the other side....

On a project I just finished up, we know we are going to be touring for several dates next year and as the ASM it was very important to me to keep up with the PSM's prompt book, understand everything that goes into calling the show, and even shadowing him in the booth for several performances/rehearsals. It's a rather cue heavy show, but my track is much simpler as the ASM.

While our PM or producers never asked me to do this I just never want to be in the situation while on the road that if something happens and our PSM is out for a performance that we have to struggle to put the show up. The peace of mind knowing the show can and would go on without you there is (I think) a mark of a very good stage manager.
--Naomi
"First, I honor life, and with it my life in theatre." -- Jacques Burdick

MatthewShiner

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Re: PROFESSIONALISM: What to do when you're sick?
« Reply #19 on: Oct 25, 2010, 08:08 am »
Funny how these topics can be VERY topical.

I have been sick for two days . . . on Saturday, we just did not have a sub (one out of the country, one unavailable), so I mustered through the Saturday.  Sunday we had a sub available, so I took the sick day, slept for 24 hours, and now back in at work Monday.

You know, sometimes you need the time to make yourself better.
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Anything posted here as in my own personal opinion, and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of my employer - whomever they be at a given moment in time.

loebtmc

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Re: PROFESSIONALISM: What to do when you're sick?
« Reply #20 on: Oct 25, 2010, 12:03 pm »
BUT - you HAD subs, and the day you didn't, you came in and ran the show, sick as you were.

MatthewShiner

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Re: PROFESSIONALISM: What to do when you're sick?
« Reply #21 on: Oct 25, 2010, 02:04 pm »
Yes, I did come in on the day without subs . . . that is the understanding I have my my GM . . . I could have stayed home and run the show with just one SM - we have figured out how to do that, we just want to reserve that for a true emergency . . . I felt myself coming down with the cold on Saturday - the day I came in.  I then arranged for my sub to come in on Sunday, knowing that the cold was coming down the way.  I know myself and what my body needed was 24 hours of sleep and a lot a nyquil.

« Last Edit: Oct 25, 2010, 02:05 pm by MatthewShiner »
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Anything posted here as in my own personal opinion, and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of my employer - whomever they be at a given moment in time.

SageReimer

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Re: PROFESSIONALISM: What to do when you're sick?
« Reply #22 on: Nov 09, 2010, 11:58 pm »
I was working out of town as the Stage Manager on a musical.  Opening Night I started feeling funny, I didn't stay that night for the party.  It was an awful night, a somewhat delirious day where I was unable to keep anything down.  In the afternoon I called the director and left a message saying that I may need him to call the show but I was going to try to get to the theatre for the show that night.  He came to pick me up to take me to the doctor.  We went to the ER, thankfully it was a small prairie city and I was able to get in without a long wait.  They gave me an IV to get my fluids up.  I kept my eye on the clock the whole time and the guilt was killing me, I imagined the audience coming in, the curtain going up, and I wasn't there!  I let them give me one bag of fluids and asked the doctor if I could please go now, I really wanted to call Act 2.  He asked me "the show will go on?"  I managed to get out of the Hospital and get back to the theatre.  I called Act 2. 

I am glad the director was still in town to call the show.  I am really glad that I keep my prompt book in "what if I get hit my a bus" condition. 

I feel silly for not taking the second bag of fluids and not taking my health more seriously.  It's just a show.  Maybe the show wouldn't have looked as good, but my health is more important than the look of the show. 

Bottom line.  Call the director, call the TD, call the PM, call the Lighting Designer, call the ASM.  The show will go on. 

nick_tochelli

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Re: PROFESSIONALISM: What to do when you're sick?
« Reply #23 on: Nov 10, 2010, 02:40 am »
I tend to believe in the "Do what you can do get to the show and get it done no matter what" camp. I work through head colds, sore throats, minor infections.

The only time I have been close to calling out for a show was 3 years ago when I got food poisoning. And honestly, I should have. I was a wreck, everyone knew I was a wreck. The stupidest thing? I was Co-Stage Manager and I had another SM calling the show with me who could have ran the whole thing. It was a weird set up, she was running the lights and calling her own cues, I was running sound and calling my own cues, but for one sequence, she called the cues for both because the lights and sound had to go together. Yet, I struggled through it, and made some theatrical magic....Hell, I even dragged my ass to a job interview earlier that day. Again, all very very stupid things I wish I had not done in hindsight.

The only reason I have missed time was in college when I got pink eye during a rehearsal process. I didn't want anyone else to catch it and I was responsible for touching lots of props and since it's so infectious, I stayed home for three days until it went away.

bex

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Re: PROFESSIONALISM: What to do when you're sick?
« Reply #24 on: Nov 10, 2010, 11:26 am »
I am a firm believer in staying out when you're sick.  Granted, I have worked through head colds, sore throats, etc. The only time I've ever not been in rehearsal was during my senior project- I had strep throat and the flu at the same time and was told by the doctor that I had to stay in bed for 5 days at the minimum.  It was torture, but I had 2 ASMs who did an excellent job, kept me updated on everything, called to ask me questions during rehearsal, etc.  (Of course the first day I was out one of our leads shut her hand in her car door in the parking lot of the theatre, broke her finger, and had to go to the ER!)

My biggest fear when I get the slightest bit sick is that I'm going to get one of my actors sick, and then once one of them is sick, the rest are sure to follow.  If I've just got the sniffles, I'll just keep a bottle of hand sanitizer in my pocket and warn everyone to stay away, but if I think I'm contagious? I'm not doing anybody any good in rehearsal if I'm not resting/recuperating AND I'm running the risk of getting the rest of the company sick.
You will have to sing for your supper & your mortgage, your dental coverage & your children's shoes, over & over again while people in desk jobs roll their eyes the minute you start to complain. So it's a good thing you like to sing.

cschott

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Re: PROFESSIONALISM: What to do when you're sick?
« Reply #25 on: Nov 10, 2010, 11:32 am »
OK, so here's a dirty secret.  Sometimes if it's early in the rehearsal process and I feel like I'm getting sick (virus/common cold type thing), I'll go to rehearsal anyway and think "well, it's better to get the whole cast sick now than 2 days before opening."  Not that I go around trying to spread germs in those instances, but if something's going around, it's certainly less of a headache if we all pass it around during rehearsals than if they start going down in performances!

carebear3885q

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Re: PROFESSIONALISM: What to do when you're sick?
« Reply #26 on: Jan 09, 2011, 11:24 am »
Your prompt script should always be kept neat, organized and straight forward. I learnt this lesson well last year when I had the swine flu pretty bad going into tech, and decided to make my prompt script have clear instructions and legends just in case I couldn't call a show. Even though I ended up calling all the shows myself with the flu, It was a valuable lesson to manage my prompt script in a way that anyone on the show could pick it up and understand everything.
Carrie

jrbucci

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Re: PROFESSIONALISM: What to do when you're sick?
« Reply #27 on: Jan 27, 2011, 04:10 pm »
Im in this situation right now actually. I am ASMing "The Time Of Your Life" at the Pittsburgh Playhouse. Tonight is our first paid preview and tomorrow is opening night. The other day my SM looked at me and said that his grandma was going to die in the next two weeks. He said I may have to call the show for a day or two. He said it really casually and told me he knew I would be fine. All through the process I have been good about being familiar with his Book and checklists. One thing I always do as an ASM is train one of my deck crew to ASM that wing or the backstage in my absence. If I got sick then she can do it or if I have to step in for my SM she could take care of the backstage. Granted this is a theatre where we have an AEA SM for a PM and two other AEA SMs that often work with us. Plus we have about 15 SM students across the levels and plenty of Tech Students to take step in if we need help here and there. However I always strive to be able to deal with the issues internally because when I work outside of the school over the summer or between assignments I don't get the luxury of having all those backups. I think that planning for our absence is just part of our job. I often like to stick it out and will suffer through a lot for the show; however, sometimes one has to know when to step out.

I was taught by the man who first introduced me to working in theatre something I will always remember:
"My first loyalty is to the show. My first responsibility is the success of the show. My actions should always be for the good of the show."

Sometimes stepping back IS for the good of the show. We cant let self importance ever creep in and cloud our judgement. (Not saying anyone here is acting self important, but I have seen it happen before. I imagine you all have. Its not pretty.)

Kait-e

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Re: PROFESSIONALISM: What to do when you're sick?
« Reply #28 on: Feb 11, 2011, 02:03 am »
From day one for me the mantra has been "If you get hit by a bus..." (the show must go on). Which is why all LX/Sound/Video cues are hard-copy saved and stored at the theatre, and my book lives at the theatre as of tech week unless I absolutely need to work on it elsewhere.
And for most cue operation the plan is to make it idiot proof so anyone can just sit and listen and hit the Go button, or to run it with a very brief explanation.
ASMs are told to make detailed check lists for setup and lists of their own cues and leave copies at the theatre, and they are also our spare bodies lest something happens to someone - having been on headset, lived through the rehearsal process, attended meetings, etc they are most likely to be able to jump in and run the show for anybody (including actors). Meanwhile their jobs are often necessary but easy to take over by anyone.

Now if the theatre burned down all our lovely backups would be ruined. But I think it would be cause for cancelling/delaying the show anyway.

Last weekend the director was very ill and he left the rehearsal in my hands to continue as scheduled, with his ADs pitching in here and there. I was touched that he trusted me, but it also made me reflect - after a few weeks I get to know my colleagues and have faith that they could keep the ship going without me (at least... for a little while. In an emergency. If they were that good all the time I'd be out of a job)

 

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