Messages

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Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Too many ASM’s… (who’d have ever thought!)

« on: Dec 14, 2006, 11:00 am »

I was about the suggest working out a job share, where they get to ASM different performance nights... but that triggered some nightmare situations where one of them would be told something and it didn't get to the other one... or lack of consistancy, quality of the work, etc.... so that could work, but it leaves the door open for a big mess.

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Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: No Smoking in Denver

« on: Dec 12, 2006, 09:32 am »

Yup... we have the same problem here in Seattle - no smoking. Period.

I did Seven year Itch a couple months ago, and the script calls for a lot of smoking but we were able to cut out some of it... We couldn't cut all of it, though, since there are some references to smoking in the show. The fake cigarettes looked so tacky and... fake. 

Fake cigarettes . . . not to mention, most actors hate the taste and feel of fake cigarettes and can accidentally inhale that nasty "puff" powder instead of puffing it out.

Make 'em suffer for their art 

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Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / COMMUNICATION: Thanks for coming out and auditioning, but....

« on: Dec 06, 2006, 06:37 pm »

For some reason I have a hard time making the phone calls after auditions to the actors who didn't get cast. I don't know why it makes me so uncomfortable. I cringe every time a director hands me the "no" pile of resumes and headshots.

I like to try to do it during the day to get answering machines.. or sometimes after a couple drinks... but its a painful chore for me to do... and there's only so many times I can get laryngitis each year... (haha).

Any comments? Suggestions? Words of encouragement? Psychoanalysis?

 

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Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: No Smoking in Denver

« on: Dec 06, 2006, 06:31 pm »

Yup... we have the same problem here in Seattle - no smoking. Period.

I did Seven year Itch a couple months ago, and the script calls for a lot of smoking but we were able to cut out some of it... We couldn't cut all of it, though, since there are some references to smoking in the show. The fake cigarettes looked so tacky and... fake. 

5

SMNetwork Archives / Re: Happy Stage Management Memories?

« on: Aug 27, 2006, 08:17 pm »

Last winter I was having a reallyh hard time with a show... none of the designers, producers, TD, etc. were communicating, the set was a disaster, it felt like nothing was going right. It was a nightmare! My cast, however, was a huge support to me... they would take me out for drinks after the show and gave wonderful words of encouragement.

One horrid weekend in particular, it was hard to keep my cast motivated and enthusiastic since I wasn't motivated or enthusiastic and I was too tired from everything to fake it. So we started "Move Of The Night"... every show the actors would come up with a move... something discreet that they would have to try to work into a scene at least once while staying in character...  It made me laugh and kept me focused on the show... watching for the Move Of The Night... it wasn't too hard to sneak it in, since it was a musical... but they helped to make the show fun again.

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Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Auditions

« on: Aug 02, 2006, 09:35 pm »

It really depends what your director/producer wants you doing. In my experience, I have been expected to sit in on all of the auditions and sometimes I'm just outside ushering people in and out and doing a lot of crowd control.

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Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / musicals

« on: Nov 04, 2005, 09:39 am »

We open in 2 weeks... AAAHHH I'm going crazy... I don't think SM'ing musicals is my cup of tea.

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Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / musicals

« on: Aug 26, 2005, 03:09 am »

We're doing "Oliver" which I am really looking forward to since I enjoy working with kids... and my ASM is one I have workjed with in the past and she is amazing and experieinced and knows whats up and we work well together so I am thankful for her support.[/i]

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Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / MUSICALS: musicals

« on: Aug 26, 2005, 01:24 am »

I'm stage managing my first musical soon... initial auditions are in a couple weeks... any tips for SM'ing musicals?