Messages

1

Stage Management: Other / Re: How to break into Music?

« on: Jan 10, 2009, 02:20 pm »

Also, in response to the pay question....any of the SM's that i talked to who came with a THEATRICAL show (not concerts or expositions) got anywhere from $200 to $700 per show.

I have no idea what the tour managers of tours I did made. We rarely talk to them much. Once they get to a town, they are usually working a show or two ahead....they already did the work for the show they are presently getting ready for.

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SMNetwork Archives / Re: I could have kissed them!

« on: Jan 10, 2009, 11:13 am »

I could have Kissed my entire cast of Miracle on 34th Street when right before Christmas at our cast party the entire cast waited over an hour and a half for me to show up so they could give me a gift. I was very late as it was my first strike in that venue and I wanted to make sure everything was in tip-top shape and empty for the next show that was moving on the stage the next day.

I walk in the door and all I hear is "Chris is here....Chris is here!" and everyone gathers around and one of the stage mom's (there were 14 kids under 10 in the show) gave me a card and made a speech. I, for once, was speechless.

Another stage mom also told me I was the best stage manager she had ever seen because I knew all the kids by name. She said she has never seen that before... I told her it was a shame....

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Tools of the Trade / Re: Protecting your tools

« on: Jan 09, 2009, 12:54 pm »

With anything of decent size, I would write "stolen from", and then put my name or the name of an organization, written in black sharpie. If someone has possession of something that says stolen, it gets attention, especially when its not their name on it.

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Stage Management: Other / Re: How to break into Music?

« on: Jan 09, 2009, 11:54 am »

Centaura is perfectly right.

I used to work for a friends concert production company out of Little Rock and the ONLY time i ever saw a tour with an SM was a theatrical show. Concert tours are made up of different "groups" that perform certain funtions. A lot of the equipment for productions for lighting, sound, band instruments, and the like are found locally and usually bring their own crew.

For example, when we did backline services for puddle of mudd, we brought OUR equipment and used OUR people (and a few people supplied by the venue) to set everything up on our end. Another company provided the lighting trusses while the conventional lighting (mostly source 4's) were already in the venue. Each group gets plots, diagrams, and schematics on where everything goes weeks or months in advance so a stage manager is never needed. Most stage plots will even show where the cables should be run and where they should be covered with a rug, gaff tape, or glow tape.

There are a few "roadies" (the most I have seen travel with the tour is about 6-8, but there is more on REALLY BIG SHOWS) who do travel ahead of the bands and assist with any equipment that does travel with the band, but these guys have done this same show 20 times before and know what to do. Most of the time there is a Tour Manager who arrives and makes sure everyone is getting their breaks, getting paid and makes sure everything is in order for the show, but they dont show up until hours after the load-in and, like the band, leave as soon as the show is over, and sometime before.

The closest thing you will find to being a stage manager in a touring act is for 1) it to be a play or musical, 2)become a tour manager, 3)be on the payroll of a company that offers services to tours or venues and be in charge of a certain function, or 4)be a Technical Director for a well-toured venue.

There just isnt the cohesion between the different facets of a production that would require a stage manager because each part of the show knows their job and goes in and gets it done without any supervision because they are all getting paid mucho $$$.

The best idea is to sign up to be on a load-in crew at a venue or production company to see if you would like it.

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Tools of the Trade / Re: Herbal cigars?

« on: Jan 09, 2009, 11:32 am »

Ha! That is so funny those are sold at Target!

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Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: cookies

« on: Jan 06, 2009, 11:36 am »

yeah, if its a big piece of food and its is red or blue, it could color the mouth or fingers a bit. This depends on how dry it is when being used, how long it is used (opposed to being gobbled up quickly), etc. But using little balls of cotton candy for things like grapes or just "food" on a plate to give the actors something to work with is easy to just put in the mouth without a mess, and even easier if using an eating utensil.

One thing I didnt mention was that you may have to play with it to get it right. Depending on your altitude, humidity, and temperature it may take longer or shorter to dry out properly and get the desired result.

I saw someone do this for a christmas carol and they used it for the goose legs. They used some plastic bones and covered it with the white cotton candy and let it harden and then gave it a light misting with some brown food coloring spray (not too much though, or it will dissolve the sugar. I think it got quite hard before they did this.) They then set one up on each side of the goose and the actor would grab one and take a bite and it would be brown on the outside and white on the inside. I was also told its very delicious goose!

I also heard they used to used this a lot in the 50's and 60's for movies. Even in Hello, Dolly, I think.

One thing to check before serving it to actors is to be sure that no one is diabetic or is allergic to artificial food coloring.

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Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: cookies

« on: Jan 05, 2009, 06:14 pm »

I can honestly tell you the best thing to offer in a fast-to-eat, quickly dissolving food is the oldest trick in the book...cotton candy.

you can press cotton candy into shapes as is dries out. Using different colors and shades of cotton candy yields different colors depending on the lights.

The best part is that it really does melt in the mouth and is easy to consume. It takes some time, but its really good for scenes where someone has to eat the entire scene or for a long time. They can actually eat the entire time and not get full no matter how many times you have to do the scene.

Just watch out for sugar rush! haha!

For your cookies, use the yellow-ish colored cotton candy and press it into cookie size pieces and let dry the day before they are used.

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Employment / Re: Websites

« on: Jan 02, 2009, 03:47 pm »

This is a good discussion. I will let you guys know when I am done with my website. Still working on it.

It will have a separate log on for each show that I SM including schedules, contact lists, updated messages, and places to contact the heads and designers for each productions departments. I gather all the information from designers and such so that there is access to prop lists, scene breakdowns, cue lists, etc for the entire production team to access.

I wish i was done already..hopefully before the first production meeting for my next show on Monday.

If anyone has any ideas that they have done like this and tips they may have..please let me know!

Chris  =^)

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Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: What is a ASM suppose to do??

« on: Dec 30, 2008, 04:22 pm »

I agree 100% with LCSM....

Just make sure that you give your ASM something they would do they way you want it done. The last thing you want to do is give an ASM something to do because you hate doing it and they end up hating it too and it shows..then you might have to go back and do it again.

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Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: A matter of procedure

« on: Dec 30, 2008, 04:15 pm »

Definitely wait for the rehearsal, regardless of confirmation with the Director.

Make the announcement in person and answer any questions right away. Otherwise you send out an email and whether it has reasoning for the changes or not...rumors will get started and it may worry the current cast and crew until they have time to ask questions. No need for that!

Good luck!

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Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Is it necessary to get a degree in Stage Management?

« on: Dec 30, 2008, 04:11 pm »

I agree that having a degree is not high on the list of qualifications for being an SM and it definitely is not a requirement.

In my opinion, having a vast amount of theatre experience and knowledge makes the best SM's. My tip would be to do everything. do lights, sound, props, box office stuff, house stuff, design, act, direct, build scenery, etc. Doing a little bit of everything will give you the best experience available for you will get to see how an SM interacts with each person and then take your own personal experiences, separate the good from bad, and figure out how to be the best stage manager you can be. That is how I got started.

I had no intention of being a stage manager, especially being very good at it and liking it. I had done everything in the theatre except stage management through high school, college, and doing community theatre. I never graduated college, but i was asked to come help at a community theatre that I had never volunteered at, with a cast I had never worked with, in a city I had never done theatre in. I had to become the stage manager two weeks before tech rehearsals for a cast of 45 because the director and stage manager was removed from the show for being WAY behind schedule. (it was bad)

Anyways, I took all my knowledge of theatre and I remember the good and bad SM's I had worked with and employed their techniques. (having run successful businesses as my day job helped out some here also). I was told by several people that I was the best stage manager that they had ever had and was immediately asked to do the next show, too.

However, be careful that you completely understand what your director expects of a stage manager before accepting the position. I knew I could do it because I had worked with stage managers in all aspects of theatre and have several good friends that are stage managers.

I do recommend you finish your degree if that is your goal. But do not be afraid that it is required if you decide to focus on another major.

Good Luck!

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Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Student Stage Manager's Challenge #4: When being an SM and a friend collide

« on: Dec 30, 2008, 03:57 pm »

Establishing the fact that you are a professional and that the success of the production is your main goal is a very important step when the rehearsal process begins. I always explain what my role is with every new cast and crew at the first rehearsal and what they can expect from me and what I can expect from them. My wife does props at the large theater where I usually SM and even she knows that during rehearsal she doesn't get to play by "wife rules" and gets the same treatment as everyone else.

When a situation like those mentioned get to those points, they are very hard to fix without ruining a relationship or losing a cast/crew member. So it is very important to talk with those you may have a relationship with before you start working together so it can hopefully be avoided. I have found that it takes a few productions of doing this until the people that may already know you don't need to have it explained to them before hand. Now my wife knows that there are times when I am in SM/theatre mode and there are times when I am my normal self.

Also, since every SM has different methods and duties depending on the organization and the production, this pep-talk at the first rehearsal also helps calm nerves for new cast/crew who may have never worked with you or any professional stage manager before and may be nervous or afraid to come to you with problems.