Messages

1

Tools of the Trade / Re: Dressing Room Mirror Lights

« on: Dec 02, 2018, 06:40 pm »

We also have on/off and dimmer control right at the counter level for segments of mirror lighting, maybe 2-3 stations per segment. It's super easy to keep the overhead lights on all the time, and just turn up the mirror lights when it's time to put on makeup. Otherwise, the room gets too warm too quickly.

(Conversely, at nap time between shows, sometimes people will turn off the overheads and turn on the mirror lights at a very low level. Super cozy.)

2

The Hardline / Re: Collecting info on ASMs

« on: Oct 05, 2018, 04:42 pm »

I have been successful in adding an ASM for safety reasons, and when I find myself having to be in two places at the same time:

If I feel we need a set of eyes on a potentially unsafe situation - open traps, tracking/ flying scenery, really anywhere we have actors in a blind spot. The ASM can either call a hold to a move, or call a clear before we begin a move.

If an actor has to leave the stage/backstage area, for a rear of house entrance or any non-standard entrance. The ASM can keep the path clear, deal with any interference on the way, help with costume changes/ prop handoffs on the way, provide a flashlight in dark areas, carry a water bottle, page doors, cue the actor entrance, and report back to me if there are any problems en route.

If you have any pyro & no pyrotech on show call, then I want one person who has eyes on an open flame from when it's lit to when it's extinguished, and then they confirm it's really extinguished. Cigars, pipes, cigarettes, candles, etc.

I have also added an ASM if I find that stagehands are placed in a situation of having to make a judgement call. They should only have to take a cue from the SM or take a clear audio/visual cue. If they can't be on com or have a cue light, then an ASM should be there to signal them. So, a blackout is a good non-called cue. But, "whenever you feel the applause is starting to die down" is an SM/ASM call.

Lastly, any show which involves animals or children will likely need an ASM in addition to the handler/ wrangler because they often have different show call/ load-in & load-out times, sometimes during the show, and you'll want an assistant who can confirm they are in the building and assist as needed. Also, the handler/ wrangler has someone they can contact if they are delayed, and they have someone to talk to if they have questions or concerns in the moment.

Those are situations I have come across, and it's also how I can now list "duck wrangling" on my resume. Thank you, Lincoln Center Festival!

-Colleen

3

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Calling Cues to Stagehands

« on: Oct 12, 2017, 12:41 am »

KMC is right. It's really that simple. It's very specific to the space and the staff and the show. You'll know better than anyone how to call a shift in your theater.

I work in a house where I have direct communication via clear com. If you're relying on cue lights, then great paperwork containing all information delivered early is key. Cue lights can only say "standby" and "go."

If you picture yourself as that stagehand, you'll know, first, that you will want a good cue sheet for reference (you'll study it when you can, but it will live folded up in your back pocket and you may not be able to read it in the dark), and you will want quick recap before you're sent to do the thing.

As the SM, you'll want to help them do the thing well - by calling the position/job first, location second, action third, speed fourth, and lastly, if you need feedback from them.

Your first word is the position or the person's name. Flyrail, Stage Left Deck, Stage Right Deck, Sound, Lights, Followspot, etc.

Don't call actors by their real names or even their character names if there's a chance the stagehands won't know them. You can reference the tall blond man in the pinstriped suit on stage left in wing 2, but you can't call him Andrew unless you're sure everyone knows who the heck Andrew is.

In my current show, I'm calling, very simply: "Bob and Mike, on deck upstage center, stand by to strike tables. ... and table strike go."

If you're calling to a new crew for the first time, you need a lot more detail. "Bob and Mike, (or Deck 1 and Deck 2) stand by to strike upstage center tables to stage left, move trees to upstage center, and store tables. We have about 5 minutes for this shift. Please let me know when the shift is complete and the upstage doors are closed. ...and table strike go."

Other examples, "Stand by stage left wagon to move onstage to red spikes as quickly as you can. Wagon go." "Stand by deck on stage right to strike tea tray and shift coffee table to yellow spikes. Don't rush, but please move with purpose. Deck shift go."

I've used a generic to send several people into a rehearsed move: "Standby transition into storm scene." "Storm transition go." 

If they have a wait time between cues, I'll add a 5-minute warning before the move. "Bob and Mike, this is a 5 minute warning for the forest transition."

If your cues come very quickly, you can front load the instructions when you have time. "This is a warning for the tables to forest transition. I'll call sound, lights, and fog cues, followed by the onstage shift from tables to forest. Please let me know when the deck shift is complete. ... and LX & sound go, rail go, fog go, deck go." "Deck, we are waiting on your complete." On the deck complete (verbal or visual) signal, "Rail go. Sound and LX go." "Thank you, everyone."

Lastly, when you call a good shift, and they execute it well, thank them. If it's not perfect, thank them, and after the show ask them for honest advice on possible adjustments. Get creative. I've sometimes cued people by slapping their shoulder or pointing at them. We've also used flashlights. Sometimes all they need is strategically placed bits of glow tape. Whatever works!

Important note: If your shift could be in any way dangerous for cast or crew, build in a verbal or visual confirmation by a second person (usually an ASM, but it could be any second person who can confirm safety) before the scene continues. Do not allow an unsafe scene to continue without 2 confirmations. Double checks are always A Damn Good Idea. That's another thread entirely.

Give it a try and let is know what worked and what didn't work for you, and why....

4

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Is college necessary?

« on: Oct 09, 2017, 03:48 pm »

Yep. It is!

I think working on shows is 100% better than talking about shows. You learn a lot by doing. I believe the ideal college curriculum offers a combination of a broad-based liberal arts education and opportunities to learn hands-on.

I'll agree with other posters - many of us made career moves which required a degree. Why limit your job choices? And, even if you don't make a career shift, I believe a degree is not necessary to be a SM, and I also believe it's necessary to be a great SM.

There are so many skills in our work that you will need that you can study and practice at college which would not be easily available to you outside of it. I have relied heavily on my undergraduate classes in economics, business, philosophy, psychology, history, art, mathematics, physics, and literature.

As a freelance stage manager, I was the owner and sole employee of a business. Business and Economics classes were very helpful. You will have to manage your own personal budget and you will forever be dealing with how others are managing the show budget. Filing a tax return can be an adventure!

When I am sitting in a production meeting, and designers reference styles of art or specific artists or a color scheme, it's good to to know what they are referencing. These are actual references from past shows that I can recall: "This room feels Dickensian." "The color scheme is very Mondrian." "It's very Erte." "It's kind of like a Lascaux Cave." "It's Warhol, in Banksy stencil style." Hopper. Kandinsky. Pollock. Magic realism. Postmodern. Deconstructed.

You will find that lighting, set, and video designers speak in visual terms, Sound designers speak in aural terms. Directors speak in conceptual terms. A stage manager takes notes. A great stage manager will be able to translate, ask good questions to clarify for the team. "Happy" lighting in director-speak may mean brighter, or more pink, in designer-speak. "Louder" in director-speak may mean "more high end," or "brighter" in sound-speak, rather than more decibels. Forced perspective. Raked stage. Distressed. Sidelight. Practical. Study their worlds, and you will learn their languages.

You will work on period plays. It's great to have a basic knowledge set as you delve into that play's world. I have stage managed shows which have have been set in periods from 400 BC to present day. The Trojan War, Elizabethan England, 17th Century France, 19th Century Russia, 1950's America, and on and on and on. It's good to know about class systems, political climate, gender roles, life expectancy/health issues, skirt lengths, corset styles, shoes. A SM doesn't need to know all of this. A great SM can anticipate what a designer needs to know and speaks their language. If an actor has a prop and wants to put it in a pocket, that's one simple piece of information which impacts at least 5 people. 

You will live in the world of psychology. Really great stage management is observing how a group of people behave and how you can use that knowledge to make the path from first table read to closing night as smooth as possible. I have had to manage scheduling actors around AA/NA meetings, I have been privy to very personal medical conditions, and I have had to work with actors, directors, and designers who were undergoing upheaval in their personal lives. There are different motivating factors for people. Know them, and use them. (Use your powers for good, not evil, of course. First rule of Stage Managers' Club.)

I hated philosophy. I was a math major, so this was nonsense to me. Now, I find it invaluable. Our world is less about reality, more about perception, about framing information, and mostly about managing expectations, i.e. crafting reality. A SM distributes an accurate schedule. A great SM knows how their team internalizes information and distributes it accordingly.

As a stage manager, I don't need to have the math/physics skills to calculate a dynamic load of an actor in a harness swinging from a truss. But, it's good to have just enough knowledge to know that my rigger or TD is doing a good job, or has no idea what the hell they are doing and I need to raise a red flag for safety.

Outside of curriculum choices, you should have opportunities to work in a theater in non-SM roles. These experiences are crucial. While in college, I was a an actor, a director, an ME, a prop master, and a sound designer, with varying degrees of success. I would not have attempted these in the professional world. I am probably the worst actor ever, but I learned how it feels to be an actor, and it has made me a better and more sympathetic stage manager. I loved the mechanics of directing, but I'm not good at generating ideas. This made me a great at directing understudies. I liked being an ME, I hated propping, and I was meh at sound design, but all of those experiences made me a better at communicating with people in those roles.

You can't possibly learn everything you will need to know while you earn your degree. But, you will give yourself a solid base to build on, which is the purpose of getting that degree. Don't skip it!

I'll also echo what Maribeth said - internships/apprenticeships/mentorships are invaluable, and I also can trace my career path from my college TD to my first summer stock, to my internship in NYC, and so on.

You could absolutely do without college and work as a stage manager. But, if you can, I think you should get your degree and be a great stage manager.

Standard disclaimer: YMMV. This has been my experience, and everyone's path is different.

5

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: TOURING: Venue info/questions

« on: Nov 19, 2015, 08:19 pm »

My previous work was as an SM, and now I am a Production Coordinator in a venue with a union crew which hosts about 20 companies a year, and I'm the SM's primary contact.

This is all great advice. I wish all of my visiting companies came this prepared! If an SM emails me these kind of questions in advance of their arrival, it's a very good sign.

Often I find that the person who signed the contract with us didn't forward the schedule and labor information to the people who need it, so I start with comparing the SM's schedule & staffing info with mine. Next, we talk break schedules. After that, we get to pretty much exactly your list. After all the immediate stuff is handled, I find time before first performance to discuss emergency procedures.

Everyone, please feel free to contact me if I can answer questions from a host venue's perspective.

-Colleen

6

Stage Management: Other / Re: Roadhouse SM

« on: Apr 16, 2015, 05:06 pm »

I'm a Production Coordinator, and I supervise 12-13 shows over 9 months, plus a dance festival of 12-13 companies over three weeks. It sounds like we have a lot in common.

DeeCap has great suggestions - first is to figure out access & policies. Building hours, keys, contact info for other staff.  Building tour, tech specs, inventory, hiring & payroll info.

Next, info on your visting companies. You'll need (or need to make) a season schedule of each show, from load in to load out. For each show, you'll want a copy of their contract, their tech rider, contact info, and scripts and/or videos.

Ambrosialx is absolutely correct that you if you coordinate over the phone, back it up with a written summary via email.

After you have the outline of your season, you can start researching each company and breaking down their tech needs: scenery, lighting, projection, sound, wardrobe.  Red flag pyro and rigging for immediate followup. Red flag children and animals for when you'll need to stock your liquor cabinet. Joking! Well, kind of joking.

It would be good to know how who your staff is and how they are dividing labor. In my case, my production manager and tech director handle most of this. My duties are much more specific to rehearsal & performance. I would be happy to go into further detail if you find it helpful. I have a before-arrival list, an on-arrival list, and daily detail lists, but these would only be useful after you've gotten a handle on the big picture.

As a stage manager, you will love the challenge of organizing so much information! Dive in and let us know how it goes!

Pro tip: anytime you're getting overwhelmed with all the info, walk around your new building - get lost, find your way back, explore a new corner you hadn't seen before, meet someone and ask them two or three questions about themselves and their job, and ask them to help you with something - directions, advice on how best to settle in to your new job, or where to get lunch. Then, get back to info wrangling. You'll have it all under control faster than you think.

-Colleen

7

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Stage Manager say no?

« on: Mar 23, 2015, 01:38 pm »

If the theater has a no policy in regards to open flame (candles) and fog/haze can the Stage Manager say no if the director requests for it during rehearsal?

I've edited the question a bit. The first and most important question is, what are your state and city laws? In my venue, we must request & obtain an open flame permit from the city before lighting a match, a cigarette, a pipe, a candle, etc. 

After a quick inspection, the permit is approved, and we can use the effect with their stipulations, which are always reasonable. The theater can have no policy, but it can't override the local laws.

What are your local regulations?

8

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Am I Being Too demanding?

« on: Mar 23, 2015, 01:31 am »

I see where you're coming from, and I don't think you're being too demanding. As a matter of fact, this is all common practice in professional theater. However, your approach comes across as demanding, which will guarantee resistance. I suggest logical statements which make the quality of the performance the priority. 

This is a rule.
-During a performance, never distract the SM or technicians unless there is a safety issue.
Because:
-You are giving the current show your full attention. Notes given mid-performance may not be successfully recorded and may not be implemented in future shows.
-Distractions will cause further errors.

Directors with poor impulse control must be politely asked to write the note down, or ignored if absolutely necessary, then given your full attention in a postshow notes session. Avoid all mention of yelling or any kind of shaming. You may be right, but it will get you nowhere.

These are good:
-The show is "frozen" on opening, because actors & technicians do their best when they can fully focus on their performance without having to incorporate changes without additional rehearsal time. Many of your demands are duplicates of this core concept.
-Notes are best given through one person, the stage manager, because the SM has an eye on the "ripple effect" and will keep everyone in the loop who may be affected by the change. That's just efficient.
-Meetings are best arranged through one person for the same reason.

A corollary to the "frozen" issue - a director will resist freezing a show because rehearsal wasn't finished or because they can't let it go.
-an SM who develops a relationship with a director can help them pace themselves so that they accomplish as much as they can in the time they are given. You indicated this was not an issue.
-directors who can't let go just have to be managed. In time you may earn their trust, or you may not. The urge to make it better will never go away. And you know what? That's what makes them a director. Honor that. And then hit them with the logic.

-Tech rehearsal does not include sitzprobe or mic checks or sound checks for balancing. These are all separate calls.

This ain't happening:
-expecting the director to attend as a patron. The director's brain will never shut off director mode. Perhaps the director will learn efficient methods of information delivery. Perhaps they will learn to trust you. But they will never stop being a director. If you want them to respect you as a stage manager, then you must respect them as a director.

Bonus points if you have lunch with the director to discuss a "post-mortem" of the last show: what went well, and what to change the next time around, and how to achieve that.

It's your show, whether the director thinks of it as yours or not. Keep that thought, not as a sense of ownership, but a sense of stewardship.

Don't take it personally. Every issue is a problem to be identified, and then a problem to be solved. But it's not about you. Well, unless you make it about you.

The best thing that you can do to prepare for your future is to learn these valuable diplomatic skills. If you move on from this experience to AEA contracts, much of this will disappear, but the skills you learn now will serve you well in the future in even trickier situations!

Last, go with your gut. Do you want to work this director's next show?

9

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Marking Out Techniques: empty Stage, whole Set hanging from the Fly System.

« on: Jan 13, 2015, 10:04 am »

Will you have a completely empty stage, or will the lighting designer have booms for sidelight? If so, that's a great way for them to visually align themselves.

If you have a truly empty stage, colored cue/xmas tree lights on offstage walls can help them position themselves, if sightlines & design allow. Masked LED's on the downstage edge of the stage are great - center line is one color, quarter marks a different color. That gives you a visual grid that only the performers can see.

You can put small LED lights on the upstage sides of scenery for visibility & safety.

I like shape symbols over colors any day, for floor marking.

If you find you have one or two performers who are very good at hitting their marks, spike their mark, make them the "anchor" and others position themselves relative to him/her.

Most importantly, make sure your stage manager has enough deck assistants to watch scenery fly and can communicate with the rail to stop if a performer is in danger! If anyone wants to cut deck positions to save money, support your stage manager and argue to keep them! Your SM and your performers will thank you.

-Colleen

10

Introductions / Re: The Worst Questions

« on: Sep 25, 2014, 10:24 pm »

I just say that it's kind of like being the air traffic controller of the theater world. 

11

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: FINANCE: creating a system of accountability with a difficult director

« on: Sep 23, 2014, 06:36 pm »

I agree, Maribeth.

Everything you spend out of pocket is what you spend. If you can get reimbursed, great! If you can't, well, then you are out of pocket. This seems to be the director's problem, not yours.

If you are approving scenery and prop expenses, then you are acting as a Production Manager, and this whole conversation changes!

The only way to prevent him from spending money is for him to resist the urge to spend money. The only way for that to happen is if he is not reimbursed.

12

The Hardline / Re: Play nice with other unions, or don't get involved?

« on: Sep 15, 2014, 02:39 pm »

I feel you. Losing 4 hours of actor time hurts.

Also, being in a bad situation hurts. The phrase "riding it out until opening night" just hurts my soul. Having an Artistic Director act as Production Manager probably hurts him and the cast and the crew. And the Steward & crew are just stuck.

It's an unhealthy situation all around. Budget-wise and morale-wise.

As a stage manager, we want to fix it. It's a pathological urge, but it makes us good at what we do.

So, never give up that urge to FIX IT. It's what makes you great. You're also doing a great job at sorting out what you can fix and what you need to let go. That will serve you well, in my opinion. You're doing great. Keep it up.

13

The Hardline / Re: Play nice with other unions, or don't get involved?

« on: Sep 13, 2014, 05:11 pm »

The big question for me, here, is who is responsible for setting the crew's schedule? Not the SM, and not the Steward. Who approves their timesheets for payroll?

In my venue, Production Management sets the crew hours. The Steward tracks hours as well, and we file separate reports with IATSE, and those reports should match. 

From a manager's persepective, I much prefer if an SM goes through me, because I can keep an eye out for O/T hours, meal penalties, short turnarounds, 7th day fees, etc. If your crew has departments, that's another layer of complexity.

Now, in my venue, I don't mind if an SM distributes schedules (heck, they are posted on the callboards), because my crew understands that if there is a conflict, they are working the hours that I (or one of my coworkers/managers) set for them. In your venue, it sounds like management & labor are not playing nicely, but it's not your job to choose a side. And it is definitely not your job to spend the theater's money on stagehand labor. It's your job to coordinate schedules with the person who sets the crew's hours, and only that person. It's really that simple.

I'll extrapolate to my venue, here:
If a stage manager inadvertently changed my crew's schedule, I would have a problem, (a) with the stage manager who overrode my schedule, and (b) with the crew chief who didn't approve a change with me. And, then I would have to choose to either not pay the crew for hours that, as far as I am concerned, they worked voluntarily, or pay them and then find that money somewhere else in the budget. So I either anger the crew or my boss, and either way I am angry with the SM. And I will tell them not to distribute schedules to the crew.

Let's say for the sake of argument, that the working hours didn't change, but assignments did. So now, I was planning on putting two people on a lobby installation, but the SM has them running followspots. Now what do I do? Once again, I will find the best solution in the moment, and then I'm going to insist that all scheduling go through me.

Let's go even further and say that the schedule didn't change and assigments didn't change. Verbiage is also important. The words "dress rehearsal" cost more money in my venue, but you wouldn't know that. And you don't have to. That's my job. (Well, my current job; I am also an AEA SM, so I wear both hats.) 

Likewise, I would never tell your actors what their call time is.

IATSE and AEA have a great relationship, so you don't have to worry about our unions. No one will think less of you for doing your job properly. Management, however, may think twice about rehiring you if you cause cost overruns in the labor budget.

If this company and IATSE are having contract issues, you could make the situation worse even though you have good intentions.

That's my take, but I'm extrapolating the situation into my venue, and I'm imagining reasons why I would tell a SM not to give a schedule to my crew, so I may be missing a significant piece to this puzzle.

-Colleen

14

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: MEDICAL PRIVACY: When an Actor Gives You Private Medical Information, But...

« on: Aug 28, 2014, 11:19 am »

I think it's important to note that it's the performer's responsibility to keep themselves safe, and taking you into their confidence is good judgement on their part, but you are not responsible for anything other than accomodating to the best of your ability and keeping them informed. If you are concerned about liability, keep a diary that will show due diligence. You can ask to disclose information to a company manager.

If a performer cannot be around electromagnetic devices, I would assume that means they have a pacemaker. (If not, it would be good to have more specific info.) Then you can say, "In this venue, there is a microwave in the green room and there are 4 solenoid releases onstage, 30' over your head." (That's just an example - most solenoids may be perfectly safe, and certainly would be at that distance.) Asking the TD and/or crew chief about equipment is a great idea. You don't even have to disclose: "How is the balloon release triggered? Is that a magnetic device? Where is it located?" Take a tour of the venue. In ours, the dimmer rooms are very far away from the stage, but perhaps they are closer in yours. After you have informed the performer where the devices are (and ensuring they are not relocated without your knowledge), it is up to them to maintain their safety.

If a performer is prone to seizures, then having an ASM backstage who knows how to handle a seizure is ideal. Again, the performer can tell you how best to handle a seizure, but it will likely mean just sitting with them until it has passed, keeping them from injuring themselves on nearby objects, and assuring bystanders that all is well. Please don't put anything in their mouth!

I have had performers tell me they had heart issues, epilepsy, panic attacks, were undergoing chemo, and one asked not to be scheduled at certain times so they could attend N/A meetings. I have worked with wardrobe to accomodate a stomach feeding tube and a dialysis pump. I have worked with a diabetic who was still learning to control his levels, and we kept a sandwich nearby to put into his hand if he started to slow down or get brain fog. 

The Red Cross is a great resource for advice on how to handle any issues. I bet if you called your local chapter for advice, they would be happy to offer more qualified advice than mine. Whenever I recertify for CPR & First Aid, I come with a list of questions just like these!

The fact that you have been taken into their confidence is wonderful! And, you probably don't have to tiptoe around anything. If you can find a private place to talk, I bet they will give you more detail about how they manage their particular issue, once they know they are in a judgement-free and confidential zone. If it's something they don't want others to know about, they will feel relieved to have a confidant.

With permission, make a list of pertinent info: medical condition, medications, contact info for Dr, contact info for their partner or parent, etc, that you can keep in a sealed envelope (I keep it in their valuables bag, so it's with their wallet). If necessary, you have the envelope and their ID handy to give it to EMTs to ensure the quickest and best treatment in an emergency. If you don't need it, you hand it back to the performer to give to their next SM or shred it. (I ask everyone to fill out an in-case-of-emergency form, and everyone has sealed envelopes with either volunteered information or blank paper inside, so it's not unusual to have a sealed envelope in your valuables bag.)

The gentleman who I worked with who had heart issues did indeed have an episode, and after his Dr. was contacted, he was fast-tracked through the ER while his Dr. was en-route to the hospital. Information is the stage manager's superpower. A reputation for discretion gets you more information.

Lastly, break the confidence if you feel it's a matter of life & death. Most company managers understand discretion as well. They deal with as much of this stuff as you do.

-Colleen

15

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: PROPS: Non-Dairy Stage Dip?

« on: May 11, 2014, 10:35 pm »

Cool-whip? Non-dairy & could pass for a dip. It would be an odd taste sensation, but an easy visual substitution.