Messages

1

Tools of the Trade / Bubbles!!!

« on: Mar 22, 2011, 01:42 pm »

Hi!!

We are doing a musical and the director really wants a bubble machine. The problem that I have is that I am worried about slippage. Now I heard tale of a recipe for bubbles that is non-slip or less slipperly than soap and water.  Might anyone know this mythical recipe? If so, are you willing to reveal your secrets.

Thank you!!!

2

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: First time with Equity

« on: Aug 20, 2010, 02:18 pm »

What about sign-in sheets? The cast is really only 6 people.
Post Merge: Aug 20, 2010, 02:18 pmThank you by the way! I am slowly feeling better about this.

3

Students and Novice Stage Managers / First time with Equity

« on: Aug 20, 2010, 10:43 am »

HI,

I just graduated from school and got a job with a Small Professional Theatre Company under an Equity contract. I'm a little nervous that I don't want to be too obvious that I've never worked in the "professional" (loose quotes) theatre.

I have a production manager who is helping me but she just started her job and is a little busy and nervous herself.

The major question I have is do I still give line notes? Is this too collegiate theatre? The playwright is in the show and I don't know if he wants it to be natural.

Also I've never done the whole dinner break thing and I'm nervous about the breaks. I just don't want to screw up on my first show.

Thanks for reading my rambling thoughts and Thank you for your help!

4

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / COSTUMES: Ideas Sword Sheath

« on: Feb 09, 2008, 04:38 pm »

Hi Guys,

We are currently working on Giulio Cesare and we have to create about ten sword sheaths. Does anyone know a quick and easy way to make durable sword sheaths?

Thanks for the help!

5

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / PROFESSIONALISM: Absences (SM who doesn't care anymore)

« on: Nov 28, 2007, 03:11 am »

I work at an opera company at an university. I don't really have support from the teachers or faculity. They cast the show, give me a crappy director and then leave. The good part is I get paid.

The actors are total divas. If I am the bad guy they go to the director of the college and complain. He then lets me know that this will work. For the show, I am doing now the lead actress only showed up to a week and a half of rehearsal. Is it bad that I am already so jaded that I don't care about absences. I tell them that it is unaceptable, but they do so anyway. I have developed an attitude of "it's there show, they can screw it up." Is that a bad attitude to have?

6

Tools of the Trade / Fire but without Fire

« on: Jul 05, 2007, 07:37 pm »

Hello,

I have been doing a show for two weeks and the director just figured out that we could go to jail if we have fire on stage. And guess what...We DO! So, everyone is scrambling to make torches for Romeo & Juliet without actual fire.

It's now about 4:30 and go is 8:00!! Does anyone have tips or diagrams or something to help us make a torch? It needs to be as realistic as possible and last for a bit and not be too noisy and we need it now.

Thanks for help in advance!!!! 

7

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Trouble ASM

« on: Apr 26, 2007, 02:57 am »

Thanks you guys were so helpful. Sorry I didn't let you know sooner but we were in the middle of tech. Tonight is the first time, I've had the strength to type anything other than a report or an essay.

We patched things up for a little bit. Tonight he fell and broke a set piece. He didn't even apologize. He was rushing around backstage and fell. I am talkng with the creative team tomorrow about just putting him on fly rail.

Thanks for all your help! It worked for a little bit. 

8

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Trouble ASM

« on: Apr 16, 2007, 01:22 pm »

I am involved in my college's lyric opera theatre. We are pushed away from the theatre staff and underfunded and overworked. I am a student and have stage managed all their shows.

My ASM has been a big help, until tech week. He runs around backstage like a maniac and instead of getting my keys we scaled the cage to get to the fly rail. While scaling the cage, he accidently kicked an actor iin the head. He sprints backstage and won't accept help from the wardrobe crew.

The headsets are always on, they aren't the best kind. Whenever he puts it on, it sounds like he is banging it against a brick wall. The show is filled with light cues, I can barely breathe during it. It's 2-hours long and I have 200 cues. The first run-thru, he gets on headset and totally throws me off the show because the noise is deafening. When the spot ops and light board operators told him to be careful, he started cursing at the spot op. I told him to get off the headset and not get on again.

He doesn't let me know what is going on backstage. During intermission, he takes me aside and complains how he doesn't get enough respect from me. In my eyes, he doesn't deserve the respect. I am embarassed to be associated with him, the entire tech staff is sick of him. Then he proceeds to tell me that he has more experience than me and the lighting director never speaks to an ASM during the show.

It is to late to hire someone new, even though that is what I want to do. I have been thinking about this all day and I don't know what to do. I am meeting with the entire crew and trying to give him, some help backstage. I think the actors should do more work, but since he is an actor, he refuses to ask them to help. I am fed up with all the drama he is causing.

Does this happen in the proffessional world? What should I have done and what should I do now?