Author Topic: SM: WORST THINGS  (Read 25286 times)

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LCSM

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Re: SM: WORST THINGS
« Reply #15 on: Apr 20, 2012, 05:03 am »
Trying to erase notes but not being able to get it totally clean. OR when the eraser leaves a pink smudge instead!

OR when all the eraser does is smudge the graphite around, without taking any off the page.

iamchristuffin

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Re: SM: WORST THINGS
« Reply #16 on: Apr 20, 2012, 05:45 am »
When post-its fall off your book.
When the cast accidentally use your jumper to mop their sweaty body during a dance call.
When the director is later to rehearsals than the cast.

dallas10086

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Re: SM: WORST THINGS
« Reply #17 on: Apr 20, 2012, 07:43 am »
When the director is later to rehearsals than the cast.

Ugh, this is the thorn in my side right now.

loebtmc

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Re: SM: WORST THINGS
« Reply #18 on: Apr 20, 2012, 09:44 am »
my "rule of thumb" - If cast is late, clock starts when the cast is here. If the director is late, clock starts when the cast is here.

amagelssen

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Re: SM: WORST THINGS
« Reply #19 on: Apr 22, 2012, 03:09 am »
How about when the director is late when he insisted on calling everyone an hour early at five hours' notice?

loebtmc

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Re: SM: WORST THINGS
« Reply #20 on: Apr 22, 2012, 09:36 am »
We need to give actors time to alter things in a schedule shift - on some contracts, schedule shifts require voting or are not allowed after a certain number, and most require a notice by end of day along with the required turnaround intact. It gets frustrating when the director forgets to include the actors and SMs in the decision. And most of my recent directors have insisted they have a good sense of time but really have none when it comes to breaks - and to honoring them - and I can only do so much if the actors make themselves available to work during their down time.

But again, if the director's late, clock starts on time for breaks.

amagelssen

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Re: SM: WORST THINGS
« Reply #21 on: Apr 22, 2012, 05:24 pm »
@ Loebmtc: I discussed this with the director afterwards and he said it was within  his rights during previews, made rude comments to me and insisted he'd been respecting actors' time throughout this rehearsal process.  I don't particularly agree with him on that last one.  It's things like this which are slowly but surely making me come to the conclusion that as much as I love the work done in non-equity scrappy storefronts, for my own sanity I might need to go equity if only so there are consequences set up for this kind of thing.

But to return the discussion to worst things ever:

-- I'm working on a show where the band is exposed to the audience. The bassist replaced his clip light with one that did not have the right kind of gel. As a result, a bright light was shining at his crotch for most of one of our performances in a show where most of the stage lighting is fairly dim creating both spill light and again, essentially a spot light at his crotch.

loebtmc

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Re: SM: WORST THINGS
« Reply #22 on: Apr 22, 2012, 06:31 pm »
Quote
The bassist replaced his clip light with one that did not have the right kind of gel.

not uncommon, they need to see. Black wrap is your friend....


and - if your director says it is his right, then he is following some form of rules. AEA rules indicate when a rehearsal schedule can be changed, how many hours during previews may be used and when they have to stop to give actors a break before 1/2 hr. You can always use those as ammunition if it becomes abusive - and if the director is late to an added/rescheduled call, then I would say that time is not eligible to be made up on the actors' backs! But the best way to counter this is always if the actors (especially the leads) can't change their schedules to accommodate him.

babens

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Re: SM: WORST THINGS
« Reply #23 on: Apr 22, 2012, 10:23 pm »

and - if your director says it is his right, then he is following some form of rules.

Not necessarily. A lot of directors, especially ones who work in a lot of non-union settings, seem to get the idea that their word is law and nothing else matters. One of the last non-Eq jobs I did, years ago, the director worked primarily non-Eq with an occasional show with one of the small SPT theatres in the area and often complained about having to follow so many "pointless" rules about schedules and breaks when she worked there.

Amie

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Re: SM: WORST THINGS
« Reply #24 on: Apr 23, 2012, 12:07 am »
Trying to erase notes but not being able to get it totally clean. OR when the eraser leaves a pink smudge instead!

Oh, man. How about trying to erase something in your script and in the erasing frenzy, crinkle the page! No matter how neatly I re-write whatever note it is I need,...it is just never the same...
~ Amie ~

“This whole creation is essentially subjective, and the dream is the theater where the dreamer is at once: scene, actor, prompter, stage manager, author, audience, and critic.”

EFMcMullen

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Re: SM: WORST THINGS
« Reply #25 on: Apr 23, 2012, 09:29 am »
The last quarter inch of lead in a mechanical pencil that keeps spinning so you can't get a good point...

catalinacisne

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Re: SM: WORST THINGS
« Reply #26 on: Apr 23, 2012, 11:27 am »
Reaching the end of a roll of spike tape when you only have 10 more inches of wall to tape out.

BARussell

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Re: SM: WORST THINGS
« Reply #27 on: Apr 23, 2012, 09:10 pm »
Thinking you are going to need to write a lot of notes for a meeting and setting up an entire page, only to write one thing on it the entire time...
"We don't negotiate with weirdos!"

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Re: SM: WORST THINGS
« Reply #28 on: Apr 24, 2012, 01:56 pm »
Looking at that is physically painful!

In case it has not already been confirmed, I think we were those kids who went missing from their parents in the store and, instead of being found in the toy aisle, were located in the paper aisle with arms full of supplies crying because they discontinued our favorite writing utensil... or maybe that was just me...  :)


At the age of 10, my favorite game to play was making paperwork for my imaginary business. The Office Max or whatever it was called back then was my favorite place to go.


One of my worst things is when I am erasing blocking notes in my script and I tear one of the holes on the page. The stickers used to mend said torn page are a constant reminder of what happened, I usually end up replacing the entire page.
Lindsay M. Stringfellow

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Re: SM: WORST THINGS
« Reply #29 on: May 05, 2012, 07:31 pm »
Meetings which don't need to be meetings.

Full-company meetings which could have been handled with just 5 people there.

E-mails which should have been meetings, and will require meetings to untangle them anyway.

 

riotous