Topics

1

Students and Novice Stage Managers / ASM Calling the Show

« on: Feb 01, 2011, 06:43 pm »

I'm helping teach the SM and ASM for our winter production of A Midsummer Nights Dream and recently hit a question I did not know how to answer. Both the Director and the Tech Director want the ASM to call the show because they do not feel that the SM is on top of the show enough to do so. The ASM is unsure of what to do. She would love the opportunity to call the show but know that it is the SM's job to do so and does not know how to respond.

I believe that either person could effectively call the show. The show has been a bit more work than planned for both of them due to a lack of communication from the director. From what I have seen, both the SM and the ASM have been working hard to keep things on track. I'm not sure where the Director got the notion that the SM was not on top of things, but she has passed it on to the Tech Director who agrees.

Has anyone run across this before? Any suggestions on what to do about it?

2

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Blocking Script vs Calling Script

« on: Oct 27, 2010, 12:15 pm »

I'm currently working a production where I will be working with a calling script for the first time. Normally I just put my cues into the same script as my blocking because I didn't know that there are sometimes separate scripts between blocking and calling the show. Knowing this, I am going to try it with my production that goes up in a few weeks. I was wondering, other than the cues, is there anything else that goes into the calling script? I wasn't sure if copying over blocking to keep track of everything was something that was done or not. I know every script and prompt book is different, but I'm wondering what other people do. Thanks guys!

3

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Co-SMing

« on: Aug 31, 2010, 01:51 pm »

I'm currently one of two Stage Managers for a college production of All My Sons. This is my first time being one of two Stage Managers and I'm little nervous about it. The other Stage Manager and I have talked about it but I still feel like I'm not as in the loop as I would be if I were the only Stage Manager or even if I was the ASM instead. It's just the two of us with no ASM. We figured that because both of us are at the same level in Stage Management it would be weird to have one of us as the SM and one of us as the ASM. I was wondering if anyone had a suggestions on how things tend to work with more than one SM.

Thanks guys!