JOB DESCRIPTION: Transitioning from opera to theatre

[juliec]

Oops - so, I've gone done my life the wrong way by getting into opera before anything else.  But now I have a lovely opportunity to work on a non-opera!  I'm learning new stuff every single day... like what a mic pack is (I hate to admit that whole condom-and-socks-for-a-sweaty-actor thread went totally over my head).  And there are some really weird things - like this whole script business.  It's an original work and we write entrances and exits into the script directly as we go, so we don't add it by hand, whereas in an opera I would write all my entrances into the score.  Usually I also put tons of post-its and stickers in my score - but in a script, it just doesn't feel very linear and things seem very squished together.  Plus, how do you know how long anything takes?  I find it hard to resist the desire to write in timing marks throughout the script (I think I may do that anyway).  And the rubber chicken?  I don't think I will ever work an opera that will use a rubber chicken...  If you don't keep a WWW, what paperwork do you do?  There are an awful lot of rehearsals, and an awful lot of shows - how do you keep up your stamina?  Do you ever do any cuing for the cast/chorus?  Sometimes there's silence/dialogue onstage - how loud can one be during that?

I imagine some things are new because I'm new to the world of theater, some things are new because every show is different, every SM team is different, and some things are new because it's not opera - and it can be difficult to figure out which is which.  There are several threads about what one needs to know going into opera from straight plays and musicals, but I am wondering if anyone has advice for doing it the other way around: a) has anyone else found themselves in this boat?  b) what are the basic essential things that a new-comer should expect when working on straight plays/musicals that are different from opera?

Edit to subject and added topic tag. -Maribeth

[iamchristuffin]

There's a lot of questions there.... What's your role for this play?

Usually I also put tons of post-its and stickers in my score - but in a script, it just doesn't feel very linear and things seem very squished together.
I use colour-coded page markers, and, if necessary, write on those in very small writing.

Plus, how do you know how long anything takes?  I find it hard to resist the desire to write in timing marks throughout the script (I think I may do that anyway).
I still do timings, but at 3 or 5 minutes rather than 30 seconds. It's still accurate enough that you can estimate anything in between, and I find that any speed changes usually self-correct in this timeframe (to a point).

And the rubber chicken?  I don't think I will ever work an opera that will use a rubber chicken...
I have no idea what you mean...I've never used a rubber chicken for any show!

If you don't keep a WWW, what paperwork do you do?
For a decent number of cast, I still do a WWW for plays. Other than that, just cue sheets, costume plot, and blocking pages (when they're requested)

There are an awful lot of rehearsals, and an awful lot of shows - how do you keep up your stamina?
Find something you really, really love about the script, spend more time with the cast, buy chocolates.....

Do you ever do any cuing for the cast/chorus?
Rarely- they can mainly be relied on to take their own cue. There have been some occasions where, for example, cast members had to enter from five entrances, in silence, simultaneously. This was cued, so we could get the look the director wanted.

Sometimes there's silence/dialogue onstage - how loud can one be during that?
I think that depends on the theatre, audience, director - I don't go above a stage whisper if I can help it...

There are several threads about what one needs to know going into opera from straight plays and musicals, but I am wondering if anyone has advice for doing it the other way around:
a) has anyone else found themselves in this boat?
To a certain extent - I have done much more opera than plays, I prefer opera, and I always find it a bit of a shock....

b) what are the basic essential things that a new-comer should expect when working on straight plays/musicals that are different from opera?
Things move much slower - there is quite a bit of 'what's my motivation?', 'how do you feel when you enter?', and questions the cast ask the director, and vice versa.
There a *often* less staff on plays - singers have a much better deal than actors (in general), and are looked after by more people.


*DISCLAIMER* - I am UK based, so others from across the pond may have different views.

Hope this helps,

C

[Maribeth]

There's a lot that you can take from opera and apply to theatre. It can make you a more well-rounded SM. Are you an ASM or SM on your show?

Regarding some of your questions:
Post-its- it depends on what you need. If they get in the way, find a way to write your info in that works for you. I'm guessing you normally put in post-its for entrances/exits, cues to do things backstage like cue prop-handoffs, etc. If you're an ASM, I think you'll find that when backstage, ASMs in theatre don't typically run their show off of their script like you would run an opera off the score. (Speaking from my own experience). If I'm an ASM on a play, I will typically run the show off of a "run list"- and my run list looks pretty similar to a WWW.

When I am an SM, I write 1-min timings into my script. I usually wait until previews to do it, once the play has settled a bit, and then I use those timings to get a sense of whether or not a scene is running long or short. If we are running 3 min longer in the first act than usual, I can tell where it happened. Just know that a play may run long or short every night and you can't use your timings as exactly as you would in opera- they will definitely vary, and probably won't settle into a regular rhythm until after a few performances.

If you know that you need a specific timing (like how long a quickchange will take) time it out with a stopwatch when you run it in rehearsal. I like to take a stopwatch to the run list the first time we run the show all the way through and clock each entry. It gives me good sense of where everything happens in the show - but times will change with the addition of scene changes, sound cues, etc so know that it's just a jumping off point. Can be helpful to update the timings after tech.

The rubber chicken is not a standard thing in every theatre. (I'm guessing you're referring to a cast joke of sneaking a rubber chicken onstage during the show.) I've never worked on a show where this happens.

Paperwork- make what you need to run the show. A run list, a character/scene breakdown, prop preset, costume preset. Browse the Uploaded Forms page to get a sense of what paperwork others use. If you find that you need a particular thing, then make it. Not every show needs every piece of paperwork.

Stamina- I second what Chris said about finding something you love about the show. And enjoy the people- on my current show, we're doing Secret Santas, and potluck dinners on 2-show days. Just a couple of little ways to make the experience better for everyone.

Cueing- Sometimes. Actors are generally responsible for making their own entrances. But, sometimes they will need a cue for one reason or another. This can be done with a cue light, or by an ASM.

Quiet- as quiet as you need to be. You (obviously) don't want the audience to hear you, or to be so loud that it distracts the other actors onstage. Depends on the theatre really.


Opera usually happens in a much shorter timespan and often on a bigger scale (with larger groups of performers like chorus), which necessitates a lot of pre-planning and often results in rehearsals where the director moves people around like chess pieces. In theatre, depending on the director, the process can be a lot more organic, and may change a lot more during the rehearsal process. Don't let it frustrate you. It's not uncommon to do a scene one way on Tuesday and on Thursday change it completely.

Find the ways you can take the skills you already have from opera and make them work for you in theatre. It's different in a lot of ways but most of them you'll pick up naturally as you go. Ask questions! Talk to your SM. Use your opera experience to make you a better theatre stage manager.

[planetmike]

For timings, I write the time stamp on the top right corner of the page of the script once we hit full runs during tech week. This gives me a sense of how the show is going. The catch is always starting my stopwatch at the same point at each performance.

[leastlikely]

Oh, is sneaking a rubber chicken onstage something people do? I thought you were talking about it being an actual prop. I'm ashamed to admit I've done a show with an actual rubber chicken... and a different show with a human dressed as a chicken... I do some very silly plays.

For cuing actors' entrances... they'll often be left to figure it out on their own, assuming that they can hear and/or see the action onstage that they take as their cue. If there are points in time where the actors backstage cannot be aware of what's happening onstage, then you'll want to have a cue light system, or else have an ASM who can cue them based on your call over headset. I work with a lot of Deaf actors so I actually do a LOT of cuing actors for entrances... probably more than is common in most theatres. But outside of that, if there are moments where you want the entrance to be based on a visual cue but the entering actor can't see it, then they will need a cue. For instance in my current show, J has to pop her head out of a door right as P approaches the door, but she's behind it and can't actually tell when he's approaching a) because she can't see it and b) she's Deaf so even if it were on a line she still wouldn't know, so we take that one off a cue light.

For paperwork, if WWW is what works for you, then run with that format. I think that makes a lot more sense than trying to teach yourself a whole new system of paperwork. You may find that you don't need quite as much information as is usually in a WWW... but you'll figure that out as it comes up.

For timing, I've only ever worked by timing complete scenes, but I'm seeing people here say they either time each individual page or they mark out in the script each time a minute passes... These are both excellent ideas and I may have to try them! Since my next show is a radio drama and is VERY time-sensitive

Things ARE often squished together in a script. I take my notes in the initial copy, but when I'm turning it into my calling script, if there's one moment that needs a lot of cues, I'll put lots of space in the text of the calling script, so that it doesn't look like I'm running my cues over into the next segment.

[MatthewShiner]

For timings, I write the time stamp on the top right corner of the page of the script once we hit full runs during tech week. This gives me a sense of how the show is going. The catch is always starting my stopwatch at the same point at each performance.

I find putting the stopwatch start and stop in the calling script like it was a cue makes sure I am timing it the saw way every time.

[LCSM]

I time each page during the first read-through of a script. I've been told - and have found it to be true - that the final product often works out to about the same timing as to first read-through. Then, once we begin running in the space (with scene changes, etc.), I'll re-time. For quick-changes, I time them individually in rehearsal.

[Jessie_K]

For timings, I write the time stamp on the top right corner of the page of the script once we hit full runs during tech week. This gives me a sense of how the show is going. The catch is always starting my stopwatch at the same point at each performance.

I find putting the stopwatch start and stop in the calling script like it was a cue makes sure I am timing it the saw way every time.

I do this too.  Even if I'm doing a performance without a script - I include a cue for myself to start and stop my stopwatch.

[juliec]

Thanks all, for your responses.  I kept meaning to come back and post some "learnings" for anyone else in the same boat.  I wrote up a post and then my computer crashed or something and I lost it and then never got the time again to go back.

Anyway, it was very helpful.  I was an ASM on the show.  I did write timings in about every two minutes.  We had clowns who were very good at improvising, so the timings would frequently change because they altered their delivery depending on the audience.  I found it more useful to know I had to track a prop after a certain number had started.  We didn't create very much paperwork in the end (at least compared to opera) - hardly anything, really.  The SM wasn't very into creating paperwork - but things went on just fine.  I had a props preset list and a bunch of things to check.  In the script I kept notes written directly on the page of what needed to happen when.  I found that the execution didn't need to be as precise as with opera, so I didn't often need to change cues or move them between pages.

It was a ton of fun actually, but I don't love it as much as opera.

re: rubber chicken.  I am back in opera and the first day of the show I am working on now, I saw a rubber chicken on the SM's desk...