Messages

1

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: REPORTS: Report/Notes Language

« on: Jan 11, 2016, 10:03 pm »

As a young stage manager (still in college) I find this to be an interesting thread. I recently changed from "No notes, thank you" to "No notes today". This change occurred after working at summer stock and seeing the Equity PSMs' reports. I do thank departments when we get several new items in rehearsals or things are fixed but not for every little thing they do.

The discussion of the excess use of please is an important topic to me. When I started stage managing I was told that almost all of my notes should be in the form of a question and I basically should walk on eggshells in my language in my reports. My reports were filled with "May we please get an extra plate for the dinner scene?" and "Is it possible for Sara to have a purse at her entrance, please?" "It would be great if..." etc. As I have grown as a stage manager I think this approach for all of my notes makes it seem as if they weren't priorities and made me look like I was afraid to say what the productions needs are. I still use please but not in every note. I feel that finding the balance in the amount of times I say please helps me be seen as an equal member of the production team but still a nice, respectful human being. 

2

Self-Promotion / Williamstown - "A Moon for the Misbegotten"

« on: Apr 17, 2015, 02:14 am »

I am finishing up my third year of college and this summer will be working at Williamstown Theatre Festival at a Stage Management Intern. We just got our show assignments and I am working on "A Moon for the Misbegotten" by Eugene O'Neill as my MainStage show. Audra McDonald and Will Swenson are starring in it so that is super exciting. Also the SM for it is currently working on Something Rotten on Broadway right now so I am so excited to have the chance to work with these amazing people and learn from them!
Whenever I think about how wonderful this summer will be I think that I'm dreaming, but I pinch myself and realize that its not all a dream, this is real life! Words cannot express how thrilled I am to have this opportunity to work at WTF and have the chance to pursue what I love!

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Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: USITT in Cincinnati 2015 - March 18-21

« on: Mar 09, 2015, 12:08 pm »

Thanks for this post! I am attending USITT for the first time and am glad to hear there are other SMs going! My peers made it seem like there wouldn't be many of us!

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The Green Room / The Joys of Office Supplies

« on: Feb 26, 2015, 02:08 pm »

Buzzfeed's lastest post about the joys of new office supplies is something we can all relate too...

http://www.buzzfeed.com/erikaturner/euphoric-experiences-for-people-who-love-office-supplies?bffb&utm_term=4ldqpgy#.fve9NRLNg

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Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: First Day of Rehearsal Question?

« on: Feb 05, 2015, 01:18 pm »

I agree with NomieRae, at the first rehearsal I have for my university shows I always make my whole cast take out their phones and program my cell phone number in it. I also make a point to tell them that if they are running late they need to text or call me and me only, not their friend in the cast. I also make a point to say not to text and drive, but thats a personal choice.
I would also highlight any department policies that people might need to be reminded of: no photos of costumes or set pieces on social media, you can't skip class because you are tired from rehearsal, don't cut/color your hair without talking to the costume designer, etc. Also I would recommend having everyone check their information on your contact list. If your cast has people from outside of your make sure they know where the costume shop is for fittings, where the restrooms are, etc. And double check that everyone has the show dates written down correctly. I can't tell you the number of times people have said "I didn't know we had a show that night" two days before the performance.
Good luck with your production!

6

Employment / Re: Career Oops'es

« on: Dec 21, 2014, 08:55 pm »

I sent out a rehearsal report and at the top of the report I put in a reminder that we would be having photo call that week on Wednesday Aug. 28, however I meant to type Wednesday Aug. 27. The next day I woke up to about a dozen emails from the head of the department, the publicity department, TD, and several others asking why the photo call changed and that they were annoyed that it was pushed back etc.
I immediately sent out a correction to everyone on the production team apologizing for any confusion that had come up because of my typo. Then I sent individual emails to the people that had privately messaged me about the change. Lastly, since I see most of those people around the department I made a point to stop by each person's office and apologize.

While I realize that I made a careless mistake that I shouldn't have made I was a little surprised that people thought that the date of the call had been changed. It was still on Wednesday I just typed the wrong date. Only one of my professors even realized that I had still typed the right day of the week (just the wrong date).

7

The Green Room / Re: Peter Pan Live

« on: Dec 05, 2014, 01:09 pm »

I only got to see part of it but I'm glad that NBC does this and I hope they continue to do so! Overall from what I saw I thought it was a good production. There were some choices I didn't particularly agree with but that's part of a creative product, different people have different ideas.
I haven't seen nearly as much of the hateful comments this year as last year but I think that the majority of the public won't understand that these productions are based off stage scripts and not movie versions for a least a few more years. I think its hard for many people to grasp that the movie version they know and love is not the only version of these stories. It would be interesting to see what would happen if NBC did a musical production that hasn't already been made into a movie and how people would react to that.
I think that part of the problem is also the stunt casting, people have a hard time seeing their favorite stars perform live in a different type of role than normal. I would love to see Hugh Jackman or someone else who has a stronger stage background and still enough of a name to draw a crowd.

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Tools of the Trade / Re: Books Books Books

« on: Oct 11, 2014, 09:00 pm »

I agree with "The Stage Management Handbook" by Ionazzi, a professor gave it to me before my first show at my university and I found it to be a helpful resource. "Technical Theatre for Non-Technical People" is also a good one, gives basics on all the technical areas that I have found useful when trying to better understand aspects of design areas I wasn't as familiar with. I also really enjoyed "The Stage Manager's Toolkit" by Laurie Kincman. It had lots of ideas for how to set up forms and some of the smaller details on paperwork among other things.

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Employment / Re: Cutting the Chord

« on: Feb 10, 2014, 12:40 am »

I kind of understand where you are in this. While my family seems a little more supportive they just don't seem to understand why a small credit at home is not as good as an out of state larger company credit.
I would try and remind your parents that this is a very different environment and job process then most business aimed career fields and that they need to trust that you are going to make the best decisions for yourself. Gently but firmly tell them this is the way things work and that in order for you to achieve your goals these are the typical steps. There have been several times when my parents say to me we want you to try this particular thing and know it is probably not the best option for my career path. I will look into what they want me to do to show that I respect their thoughts then come back and say while that is a fine idea this other option will be better for my career because of x reasons.
I have found with my dad (who is in charge of hiring at his company) that he will have his opinions on what I do and if I show I took that into consideration and compare something else and show why its better he is at least willing to listen. He doesn't always agree but then he still felt like he had a say.
Good luck and stay strong!

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The Green Room / Re: Your Paranoia/Obsession

« on: Dec 14, 2013, 12:12 am »

My paranoia is that my crew will be missing or not paying attention when I start the show. I always have to check with my crew on headset several times between the time they are asked to be on headset to the time we actually start the show. I am always afraid that someone will wander off to the bathroom really quick before curtain or something like that.
Granted the crew I work with is usually actors trying to fill a class credit so they don't really understand that they have to stay on headset the whole show. 

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The Green Room / Re: Thread to vent about / Actors behaving badly / As haiku only

« on: Oct 16, 2013, 09:08 pm »

You're supposed to lead
But you still don't know your lines
You hold the show back

Tech starts in two weeks
You can not call line next week
You will crash and burn

Cast is always late
They try to piss off SM
It's you that you hurt

With thirty of you
I can't memorize your call
For every night

It is in email
Please check it before you call
I have a life too

12

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Actors Talking to Designers

« on: Aug 29, 2013, 01:24 pm »

I'm a student stage manager who is also one of the props coordinators at my university. I'm currently working on props for a show with a professor who is acting in the show. This professor apparently doesn't think her character would be using props that have already been approved by the director and designer and is now contacting the props department herself to complain about some of the props. (Such as she doesn't think her character would use this type of notebook, etc.) From my work as a stage manager I know this isn't the right way to go about solving this problem but I don't know how to tell the professor this (because she should know that she should go through the stage manager). To make matters worse the stage manager for the show has never stage managed before and constantly forgets to send the prop shop notes so I don't know how long she has been upset for or if she has already tried to go through the stage manager. So how do I tell this professor (who I might work with in the future) that she needs to be going through the stage manager and director for stuff like this? And how do I help this new stage manager remember to send prop notes to me?

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Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Student Stage Manager Challenge #19: Labor of Love

« on: Aug 26, 2013, 10:57 am »

I have to agree that I would want to continue with the show. I would think that by tech the actors knew what they were doing style wise so the director's notes would be fine tuning anyways. Someone else can watch to ensure that once the tech is added that the actors aren't doing something that looks painfully awkward. I would probably ask if there were any local drama teachers in the area that might be able to come and observe a rehearsal and give their feedback (as long as it is fine with the current director.)
The idea of cancelling the whole run of a show after months of work for these students would be unbearable to me and I'm sure the students and their parents would be willing to make do with the odd circumstances to keep all of their hard work from going to waste.
Then I would profusely thank the English teacher for helping us in this time of need.

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Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Pride and Prejudice that can be editted

« on: Jul 12, 2013, 01:14 am »

The version I found is by Mrs. Steele Mackaye.

And thank you so much for your help Maribeth! I had been looking at the other threads on books but didn't want to email people about posts they made several years ago. But that picture really helped me understand.

15

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Pride and Prejudice that can be editted

« on: Jul 11, 2013, 11:36 pm »

I have found a copy of Pride and Prejudice from http://www.gutenberg.org/ but I would like a copy that I can edit. If someone has that and would be willing to share I will greatly appreciate it. Private message me for my email address please. Thank you so much!

Also if anyone has an e-copy of their prompt book that they have put cues I would be very interested in seeing how people set up their books. So if you wouldn't mind sharing that as well I would love to see it.

Thank you!