Messages

1

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Beauty and The Beast Transformation Scene

« on: Nov 25, 2011, 01:43 pm »

We did it with blinders along the front edge of the stage. Blinders on - actor dives under backcloth and different actor comes out the same way - blinders off. Needs good timing, swift movement and a couple of stagehands to lift the cloth, but worked a treat.

2

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: House is Open or Closed?

« on: May 06, 2011, 04:01 pm »

Our announcement is "Ladies and gentlemen the house is now open, please do not cross the stage."

3

Tools of the Trade / Re: What gloves do you use when you're pulling ropes?

« on: Aug 18, 2010, 08:33 am »

Petzl belaying gloves. Thin, light and comfortable but very tough.

4

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: MUSICALS: NO-SCENE PROBLEM

« on: Aug 16, 2010, 07:36 am »

I do a lot of Gilbert and Sullivan and it's all like that. I just use the name of the song and where there's dialogue, I just put lib.

e.g. for The Mikado:-

If You Want to Know Who We Are.

A Wand'ring Minstrel.

Lib.

Our Great Mikado.

and so on.

5

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: MUSICALS: Currently working on my first musical

« on: Jul 22, 2010, 07:34 am »

I have only ever called musicals (Gilbert and Sullivan) and concerts; never done a straight play, and I call from the script as I can't read music. Works fine for me.
On the one occasion so far that I had to call a cue at a specific point in an overture, I just listened to it over and over and counted beats from a certain point.

If you can read music, I think a combination of the lib and sections of the vocal score where necessary as suggested above would be very good.

6

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Blocking using a score

« on: Feb 23, 2010, 07:55 am »

I am SM for an amateur Gilbert and Sullivan society and I can't read music, so I suppose I'm living proof that it is possible to call musical shows from a libretto or script.

On the very rare occasions I have had to cue from a beat in the music, rather than a word or action, I've just listened to the piece over and over until it's ingrained. I've also been known to write 'tiddley bom, bom bom' in the book to help remember the exact spot!

7

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Are your shows safe from busses?

« on: Nov 11, 2009, 07:25 am »

I regard 'bus-proofing' shows as very important.

My prompt books are as clear as I can make them, so that anyone could pick them up and call the show. Well, anyone who understands what 'LX Q4 Go' means, for instance. 

8

The Green Room / Re: Best reason from an actor for being late

« on: Jul 10, 2009, 08:11 am »

"Sorry I'm late, someone stole the wheels off my car."
No answer to that really.

9

Tools of the Trade / Re: Protecting your tools

« on: Jan 03, 2009, 05:20 pm »

My backstage toolkit contains only cheap tools I've bought from discount outlets. That way if anything goes missing or gets broken, it's no big deal. Despite being cheap, they've lasted really well, but then they are not in use all day, every day.

My expensive tools/equipment like my Fenix torch I don't lend out, full stop.

Andy