Author Topic: Shadowing: General Q&A  (Read 122047 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

MatthewShiner

  • Forum Moderators
  • *****
  • Posts: 2478
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Affiliations: AEA, SMA
  • Current Gig: Freelance Stage Manager; Faculty for UMKC
  • Experience: Professional
Re: Shadowing: General Q&A
« Reply #90 on: Dec 21, 2012, 12:35 pm »
The best way is to reach out to the SMs directly.

But, do know, the holidays are insane, and you might want to wait until after the first of the year.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

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.

mbur94

  • Tourist
  • *
  • Posts: 2
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Affiliations: Rutgers University, Mason Gross School of the Arts
  • Experience: College/Graduate
Re: Shadowing: General Q&A
« Reply #91 on: Jan 03, 2013, 10:47 pm »
How exactly do you go about requesting what you would like to do during your shadowing experience? Having shadowed at 7 shows (3 Broadway, 4 tours) now, only twice have I been able to follow on the deck; most often I am shadowing the calling. Is there any (polite) way to request shadowing a SM on the deck during a performance instead of shadowing the SM calling the show?

BayAreaSM

  • Permanent Resident
  • *****
  • Posts: 410
  • Gender: Female
    • View Profile
    • Bay Area SM
  • Affiliations: AEA
  • Current Gig: VP, Operations in AV Events
  • Experience: Professional
Re: Shadowing: General Q&A
« Reply #92 on: Feb 12, 2013, 02:23 am »
Is there any (polite) way to request shadowing a SM on the deck during a performance instead of shadowing the SM calling the show?

I think it's best to just be straightforward and state in your request that you are very interested in learning more about working as the ASM backstage and you would like the opportunity to shadow backstage if at all possible. It has been discussed earlier in this thread that sometimes being backstage can make you a liability, and for the more technically complex shows, it may not be best to have an extra person backstage. Generally the booth is the safest and the easiest way to keep extra bodies out of the way.

When I have people shadow, I ask them directly what they are most interested in, and based on the shows I have coming up, I place them with the best person. I don't personally take offense if someone doesn't want to watch me call. I don't think anyone else would either - just be direct.

chadparkerla

  • New to Town
  • **
  • Posts: 12
  • Gender: Male
  • Creative Stage Manager
    • View Profile
  • Affiliations: SMA
  • Current Gig: Love Songs for Chromolume Theatre at The Attic, AEsopera at Hollywood Fringe Festival
  • Experience: Professional
Re: Shadowing: General Q&A
« Reply #93 on: Mar 12, 2013, 06:02 pm »
This is a fascinating thread. I'll have to check this out. We have all kinds of touring companies here in Los Angeles, it would be worth trying to get in touch. If electronic means fail me, I could simply drop a letter off and hope.

Thanks for the ideas!
​"The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it." - Michelangelo

chadparkerla

  • New to Town
  • **
  • Posts: 12
  • Gender: Male
  • Creative Stage Manager
    • View Profile
  • Affiliations: SMA
  • Current Gig: Love Songs for Chromolume Theatre at The Attic, AEsopera at Hollywood Fringe Festival
  • Experience: Professional
Re: Shadowing: General Q&A
« Reply #94 on: Mar 16, 2013, 11:04 pm »
I wasn't getting very far calling the box office, so I tried just dropping a letter off with the stage door security today. A simple letter, introducing myself to the PSM, telling a little about my goals for shadowing, and asking if it would be possible. Hoping I get a reply :)
​"The greater danger for most of us is not that our aim is too high and we miss it, but that it is too low and we reach it." - Michelangelo

RachaelBaciocco

  • New to Town
  • **
  • Posts: 9
  • Gender: Female
    • View Profile
  • Experience: Community Theatre
Re: Shadowing: General Q&A
« Reply #95 on: Apr 24, 2013, 11:04 am »
Hello!

I posted this on another place on the website with no responses, so I thought that if I posted this here I might have better luck.  I have some friends who are really into dance and they go to competitions several weekends every month.  I went with them a few times, and I have to say that I love the slightly chaotic, fast paced atmosphere.  I had the opportunity to talk to a stage manager for a few minutes about it, but I didn't get to ask many questions because the whole event is always so go-go-go.  Has anyone ever stage managed a dance competition before?  I thought I would look into it because it seems like it would be a good, different experience to add to my resume.  Is there anyone who stage manages for competitions that I could possibly shadow sometime?  Or does anyone know of someone who has had experience in this area?  Thanks for reading!

Rachael Baciocco
message me with any advice! =)

Maribeth

  • Superstar!
  • *****
  • Posts: 1056
  • Gender: Female
    • View Profile
  • Affiliations: AEA
  • Experience: Former SM
Re: Shadowing: General Q&A
« Reply #96 on: Apr 24, 2013, 11:37 am »
I don't know of anyone who does, but you might have better luck finding a dance competition in your area, and contacting them directly about shadowing. Good luck!

On_Headset

  • Permanent Resident
  • *****
  • Posts: 402
    • View Profile
  • Experience: College/Graduate
Re: Shadowing: General Q&A
« Reply #97 on: Apr 24, 2013, 12:40 pm »
While it's always worth asking (the worst answer you can get is a "no", and SMs are a helpful bunch who will often give you a "no, but": "No, but you can shadow me on another show"; "No, but maybe next season"; "No, but I have a friend at the Swan Theatre who could help you out"; etc.), I would encourage you not to get your hopes up.

Dance competitions, especially those with young contestants (13 or younger) are frantic and hectic and crazy and (IMO) an awful lot of fun to work, but in general the organizers don't want too too too many unknown people backstage because of good, old-fashioned stranger danger. It's usually hard enough talking them into letting us post male technicians backstage, and our guys are full-time staff who we've known for years. Posting complete strangers backstage would not go over well. (Mind you, they seem totally okay with women. It's the men dressed all in black who make people freak out.)
« Last Edit: Apr 24, 2013, 12:42 pm by On_Headset »

Bwoodbury

  • SM Expert
  • ****
  • Posts: 173
  • Gender: Female
    • View Profile
    • bridgetwoodbury.com
  • Affiliations: AEA, AGMA
  • Current Gig: Freelance SM
  • Experience: Professional
Re: Shadowing: General Q&A
« Reply #98 on: Apr 24, 2013, 06:52 pm »
Not to go too terribly off topic, but I doubt that a dance competition will let you shadow for the reasons outlined above, but a lot of them hire PAs with basic experience to do child-wrangling and to be runners. I just did the Youth America Grand Prix at Lincoln Center-- not a ton of money, but a cool experience. This particular gig seems to be a friend of a friend job, but I have seen a lot of postings on backstage jobs about it. Look closely at some of the kid-related and PAing jobs.

leastlikely

  • SM Expert
  • ****
  • Posts: 137
  • Gender: Female
    • View Profile
  • Affiliations: EMC
  • Current Gig: The White Snake - Constellation Theatre Company
  • Experience: Professional
Re: Shadowing: General Q&A
« Reply #99 on: Aug 26, 2013, 11:55 am »
Thanks for this thread, all. It's been super helpful - I have three weeks free between shows this fall and am currently writing a stack of letters requesting shadowing opportunities during that time frame.

If a show's website lists both a Production Stage Manager and a Stage Manager, who should I address the letter to? I'm leaning toward PSM but figured one of you might have some insight into this.

Jessie_K

  • Superstar!
  • *****
  • Posts: 528
  • Gender: Female
    • View Profile
    • International Stage Manager of Mystery
  • Affiliations: AEA, AGMA, SMA (on leave)
  • Current Gig: Queen of the Night
  • Experience: Professional
Re: Shadowing: General Q&A
« Reply #100 on: Aug 26, 2013, 12:18 pm »
Send it to the PSM, even if they aren't the one that will be with you during the show, they have the final approval power.

jfortunato

  • Tourist
  • *
  • Posts: 2
    • View Profile
  • Experience: High School
shadowing stage managers in rehearsal?
« Reply #101 on: Aug 29, 2013, 02:10 pm »
Has anyone shadowed a stage manager of a broadway show in rehearsal?  Is that possible?  If it is, how did you get in touch with the SM since there is not a stage door to send a letter to?  I have shadowed the SM's of several national tours and a show on broadway during performance, but I would really like to see how a rehearsal is ran in the real world.  I could learn a lot from this.
« Last Edit: Sep 11, 2013, 10:23 am by Maribeth »

MatthewShiner

  • Forum Moderators
  • *****
  • Posts: 2478
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Affiliations: AEA, SMA
  • Current Gig: Freelance Stage Manager; Faculty for UMKC
  • Experience: Professional
Re: shadowing stage managers in rehearsal?
« Reply #102 on: Aug 29, 2013, 11:57 pm »
Rehearsals are tricky.

You would be surprised how small most rehearsal halls are in New York, and how many people in the hall.  (my current musical I had 58 people in the rehearsal room today).  Also, rehearsal isn't typically the best place for outsiders . . .

Now, tech or preview rehearsals might be a different story.

(And to be honest, rehearsal is the one thing that is pretty much the same everywhere . . . )

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

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.

karas

  • Tourist
  • *
  • Posts: 4
    • View Profile
  • Experience: College/Graduate
Re: Shadowing: General Q&A
« Reply #103 on: Mar 26, 2014, 09:43 am »
Hello

I have moved from NYC to Seattle and was wondering if there are any Stage managers in the Washington area I could Shadow? I had to take a break from stage managing for a year and half and now that I am moving, was looking to shadow a Stage manager and explore opportunities in Seattle

Thanks

monikacru12

  • Tourist
  • *
  • Posts: 2
  • Gender: Female
    • View Profile
  • Experience: Community Theatre
Re: Shadowing: General Q&A
« Reply #104 on: Feb 28, 2015, 12:34 am »
I'm going to see the touring version of Peter & the Star Catcher in March. I want to shadow the SM but I can't seem to find out who it is. Any advice on finding out who the stage manager is.
Monika