Desperately Seeking Advice

[HouseToHalf]

hey everyone....so this is my first post so I'd really appreciate any advice.

ok so backstory: I'm going to be a senior in high school next fall, and I'm poised to take over the VERY poorly handled SM role for our fall musical. I've spent a lot of time at SM's and ASM's elbows but have never handled a show on my own yet. I do intend to major in Stage Management or something similar which is why i wanted to get this experience under my belt before my college applications go out.
The way it works in our company is that some unknown higher entity gives us some vague instructions and plans for what they want us to build and then any more information trickes through several adults before it gets to the student builders. The "Stage Managers" DO NOT attend rehearsals and consequently scramble to get a show off and running from a dead start during Tech Week.....I could go and on but it would only depress me. =]
So I decided enough was enough and I'm lobbing the director to let me handle the fall musical the way I've learned to. I've been talking to veteran cast members and have discovered that there is NO time set aside for blocking and basically "do whateve you feel is right and as long you're not doing hand stands, they're cool with that" and the choreographer is the only one who takes choreography notes.

So questions:
1) How much should I expect from the creative team, giving the conditions I've described?
2) I've never taken blocking notes and I'm wondering if I should bother to learn?
3) I'm not a dancer and Have NO idea how to handle choreogaphy...again, should bother?
4)Is there anything from your experience that you think is relevant to where I've found myself?

Anyways, I know this really long and I'd REALLY appreciate anything you have to say about it...I'm trying to make it, jsut like everyone else, so give a sister a hand? Thanks. =D

[bethanyb5]

I worked with a company for several years and more then 10 productions starting as and ASM and eventually being the PSM. As I learned things from working outside shows and reading SM books I would slowly implement new things. I met with some resistance because people don't like change.
My advice to you is to not try to go in and revamp the whole thing. You will hit a lot of walls and people who thinking that how it is done is working fine and it should be left that way. If you make small changes you can get further and you wouldn't get as frustrated or want to quit.

you should definitely learn to take blocking notes even if you don't use them for the show you will need to know how eventually.
Usually choreography notes are not the SM's job to take so you probably don't need to know how to take them.

hope that helps

[Norah Jane Scheinman]

Although that sounds like a pretty hellish situation - DON'T LOSE HOPE.

I stepped into a stage management position at my college my freshman year and had no real mentoring except for the stage management manuals that I found on Amazon. They had never had a stage manager who attended to anything more than making sure that people arrived and just barely covered the backstage with a stage hand or two. Now I'm doing summer stock at Santa Fe Opera and going to grad school at Rutgers in the fall.

Definitely learn your own blocking notation technique if you want to move towards a major. You don't have to change everything, but you should definitely create the culture at your school of the SM being at rehearsals (even if you get an ASM). Building should not be your problem - it should be your technical directors/carps problem. If you get notes about it, pass it off immediately, you clearly have bigger things to worry about.

You didn't go into many details so I don't know what else to say, but feel free to PM me and we can continue this conversation.