British DSM checking in!

[Plabebob]

Hi Everyone,

I'm  a stage manager from England, mostly specialising in DSMing. It seems to be mostly American SMs here so if anyone wants a rundown on British designations drop me a PM!

I mostly work on  drama with a smattering of musicals & some new writing thrown in. I also do a bunch of corporate charity balls & outdoor events & suchlike, as well as a yearly panto.

The guidance for intro threads tell me to tell you a story so I'll just leave this here.... this year on panto one of my dwarfs broke his leg 10 minutes in to Act I (in the dressing room, not on stage luckily!) so I had a 6' dwarf for 3 performances. I have seriously not laughed so much during a show for a long time, especially when Snow White changed her lines to say.

"And I must know your names. You must be Brainy, you are Moody, you are Goopy, and you must be Understudy!"

I came here looking for some opinion on prompt books and have so far discovered that US prompt copies are very different from the UK kind. I will definitely be stealing a lot of your ideas!

Thanks everyone, and see you around

[loebtmc]

welcome! There are several UK SMs on this site - check in the regionals - and some specifically opera folks too you will meet as you wander around and check out the topics.

Your double-page system is interesting. Since I like my scripts on the right, with blocking on the left, not sure it'd work for me but like all that blank space to write in. FWIW I box the actual cues vs underline or just jot down standbys, since many of my shows involve tight calls and I need to keep space to a minimum. Makes identifying clear and easy.

[Maribeth]

Hi and welcome! Always interesting to have perspectives from other regions. Looking forward to your posts!

[SMMeade]

Hello and welcome! Working at the NYC Fringe I've met a few international SMs and I'm always really thrilled to learn about different ways of going about things. I've heard British DSMs do a lot more work with props, sometimes building them. Is that true? I might have to immigrate if it is. 

[Plabebob]

Not quite, the ASM & SM do a lot of props that are found or easy makes such as paper props. The DSM pretty much stays in rehearsals, makes the book & calls the show. They also make a whole lot of paperwork likes scene change plots & props tracking so the SM & ASM can be ahead of the game when tech starts.

[iamchristuffin]

Hi, and welcome!

Another Brit here - how's Leeds going?

C

PS - I'm one of those who have the script/score on the right!

[Plabebob]

Hi, and welcome!

Another Brit here - how's Leeds going?

C

PS - I'm one of those who have the script/score on the right!

Not there till April, but my digs are all booked up...

Script on the right?! Pffft, next you'll be telling me you cue upside down