Messages

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Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Just graduated and need advice terribly

« on: Jul 02, 2009, 02:52 pm »

Currently, the economy sucks...we all know that - so the job market is a little slow...but that's old news. Apply everywhere, regardless if you think you would actually take the job or if they would actually hire you - leave the hiring decision to them. You also have to be willing to go where the job is, especially now. I haven't been to grad school but, I do know that some people in this economy have gone straight into grad school after college because the hope is that once they get out of grad school the economy will be better.

And it's ok to be lost and not know exactly where you are going. That is actually quite common in this industry. Eventually, that feeling will subside and then it will return, and then you will feel lost again. It is a cycle of constantly re-figuring it out. My first year out of college was the hardest - I can't speak for everyone else. It was hard because I learned that a lot of things that I learned in school really wasn't true after all and I had to relearn certain aspects of the industry. It was also hard because I too felt lost and completely adrift. That's ok. Just keep pushing yourself and you'll figure it out. I know everyone says you'll figure it out and that's really annoying, but it's the truth. While you are finding out exactly where you want to be and so on, don't pigeon hole yourself and remember to allow yourself to switch plans. As SM's we LOVE to know what's happening months from now in our lives and unfortunately that's not always possible. And sometimes when you make plans and finally get there, you realize this is the wrong plan and so you come up with a new one. Flexibility and amazing friends who will bolster you up when you are having the hardest times are key.

You'll find your way - we all did.

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Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: What I did over my summer vacation...

« on: Jun 23, 2009, 12:34 pm »

I am currently running an outdoor production of 12th Night, once that closes I am teaching some theatre summer camps, and in August my company is remounting Hamlet for a festival. In between I am going to take a trip up to Vermont to see the Bread and Puppet theatre (possibly more than once) and I am going to make my first trip to Boston ever.

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Tools of the Trade / Re: Digital Prompt Books (Do you use them?)

« on: Jun 23, 2009, 11:02 am »

I've never used an electronic version of the script when calling my cues. Sometime I'd like to try it. The other thing is that I'm really weird and there is something very de-stressing to me about actually writing in my book....I don't know why. I totally get though that it would make it easier to make adjustments to the whole cueing system, like if a sound q gets cut or moved. copy and paste i can imagine are lovely things. I would like to try the digital thing though....maybe on my next show.

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Employment / Re: Crossroads in Life - where to live?

« on: Jun 23, 2009, 10:26 am »

Milwaukee is actually pretty cool...although in the winters it's REALLY COLD. Chicago is also nice, it has that small town feel to it, but it's Chicago (and i mean that in a good way). Sanfran is LOVELY. I really wish I could afford to live there, there are a lot of really good theatres and places to work. But that's the thing - there are great theatres everywhere. So it's really, what kind of weather climate do you want to live in and how much do you think you can afford? Personally, I've never felt like I had to live in a specific place, I live by the motto regarding jobs, go where the job is. That may change eventually.....but living the life of a gypsy isn't so bad. 

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SMNetwork Archives / Re: SM: the musical

« on: Jun 01, 2009, 02:11 pm »

Hahah, i love the take on AIW, but that is mostly because I just ended an 8 month tour of Alice and I totally see that.

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Tools of the Trade / Re: Twitter.

« on: Jun 01, 2009, 01:58 pm »

Twittering was brought up last month at a production meeting. Honestly, I am one of those who don't see the point in it. It is essentially the exact same thing as text messaging. Is it free or do you pay for it? If you have to pay for it (which I assume you do, but maybe not) I just don't think I could justify it. I do think it is funny though - I went on their website awhile ago because I didn't understand it, and in the explanation (and trying to get you to use the service) it said that it cuts down on information overload - it seems to me you are actually getting MORE information.

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Employment / Re: How do you work your network?

« on: May 06, 2009, 11:07 am »

We all know the following, but sometimes we forget how it influences networking abilities - and that is talking badly about other people you have worked with. This is a small world and it is proven every day to me. Not two months ago I met someone who I had heard about
(not necessarily good things) but in conversation, we realized we knew A LOT of the same people. This person can help me get a job because of their current position. So i guess what i'm trying to say is: be careful what you say to who because you never know who they know personally.

that's my 2 cents.

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Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Barrell-Through Tech

« on: Apr 06, 2009, 09:33 pm »

I agree, I don't see the point in barrelling through tech. I have done that, but only on VERY simple shows where its very basic set of washes and its just inputing which wash into which cue. Depending on how complicated the show is, barreling through will just create more problems in the end, as others have previously mentioned: such as your crew playing catch up several runs after opening, costume changes never really being addressed, and so on. And yes, Tech is for the Techies. It is not actor time. They had their actor time before that. And I totally live by the saying "if you don't do it right the first time, you'd better have time to go back and fix it." and really who has that time.

Obviously, you will have to feel out this situation and go from there. But from personal experience - I have found it is a waste of time for everyone involved.

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Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: The Ultimate Decision

« on: Apr 06, 2009, 09:18 pm »

I started acting very young. I continued in that path until college. I auditioned for a show, I was cast, but I was also asked if I wanted to be the ASM. I had a small part that only required me be in the 'in between' scenes. I said sure because I just wanted to be involved. BTW, i was not a theatre major in college. I was definately NOT pursuing it as a career. I wanted to be involved because I had ALWAYS been involved in theatre since I was 5 years old and so it was just normal. Of course, anybody could have looked at that and seen it coming - Soooo. I worked a few crew calls, did a couple more shows onstage, and then my junior year, one of my favorite profs was going to direct a play with only women in it and I REALLY wanted to be in it but I knew what the likely hood of actually being cast was...so I approached him and asked to SM for him because I wanted to work with him. He accepted and that is pretty much how it happened. I fell in love with what it was during that production and realized I was meant to be backstage not on stage. Of course the final culmination was deciding that I wanted to pursue it as a career. Man did that go over well with my parents. But, it has turned out great, so thus far, they still have not been able to tell me "I told you so."

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SMNetwork Archives / Re: 1880s Prompt Books Online

« on: Mar 28, 2009, 01:14 am »

I cannot get over these! It is absolutely amazing! We are so lucky someone kept these, it is definatly a rare piece of history.

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The Hardline / Re: Actor Notes - After opening

« on: Mar 26, 2009, 07:40 am »

I give acting notes all the time (and by all the time, when it is needed) once the shows are up at my company. I do talk with the director at the last run, in fact, she knows it's coming by now, so she usually is very prepared at this point to tell me what I need to know regarding that. But anyway, we do work in all the worlds of theatre. It is important to be careful how you word things to the actors. Just the other day I told one of my actors that 2 of his characters in a show now had the same voice - he replied to me, yeah I thought that might be happening. Usually, they know something was off, and you are just confirming it and possibly giving a solution. Sometimes - sometimes, they argue with you about it. Notes are important on all ends - we are supposed to maintain the artistic quality of the show, and that does mean acting notes. I do give my notes one on one unless of course it's something the whole cast needs to hear - but I just walk around and talk to everyone briefly afterward and give notes to those people who need the notes.

When I first started giving acting notes I was very nervous about it, but you will get over that. Once the show is up, you are not overstepping your bounds.

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Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: How to explain what we do...

« on: Mar 26, 2009, 07:23 am »

I loved your presentation! I think the next time my Uncle asks me for the 20th time, "can you please explain to me what you do again" I might draw the bubble diagram about who I am responsible to/work with. Oh, and I loved the bit about, and then everyone leaves me. that made me laugh.

Thank you so much for sharing it with all of us. 

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Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Question about Production Meeting Reports - How much do you put in it?

« on: Mar 23, 2009, 12:24 pm »

I write down everything I possibly can that is relevant when I am at a meeting, design or otherwise. The reason I say this and continue to do it, is my minutes/agendas actually confirmed for my company that we did not screw something up one time and we were able to prove it through my minutes. So in that sense, I see them not only as a way to keep everybody apprised of the same information, but it can also save your butt.

As for format, I tend to keep it simple and just use roman numerals and letters and numbers below that.

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Employment / Re: Where do I begin?

« on: Mar 20, 2009, 06:26 pm »

I love your enthusiasm! Nice start! You should apply anywhere and everywhere regardless if you think they will reply to your or not. You never know what they are looking for really, so just apply. I think the first summer I started work after college I applied to 25 places and had 3 responses - i did get a job btw. But anyway, the point is apply. It's not going to be easy and you will probably get rejected a lot more than not - especially at first, but that's just how it is. Your questions are not stupid - I wish I had asked more.

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SMNetwork Archives / Re: I could have kissed them!

« on: Mar 20, 2009, 11:53 am »

I was just reading through some of these because I needed a pick me up and realized most of these particular posts are when people acknowledge us for 5 seconds or thank us for our work. How sad is that that we don't expect that from people? We just sort of accepted that no one will recognize the hard work we do and continued on our way doing what we do. But that says a lot about us as people too. Kudos to Stage Managers! We hold the torch high when no one else will or thinks to!