Messages

106

The Green Room / Re: New tagging feature

« on: May 10, 2010, 08:53 am »

I don't know how the programming end of the new system works, but it is frustrating to see the "Add Tag" button at the bottom of a thread but when clicking it gives an error message (You are not allowed to add tags to that topic.). Instead of showing Add Tag can that not appear if the user doesn't have enough permissions yet?

I like the new feature, it'll be much more useful than the subject line prefixes previously used.

107

The Green Room / Interview with Jo Miles, Stage Manager for Love Never Dies

« on: Apr 29, 2010, 01:58 pm »

From Broadway World: In the first of a two-part interview with Jo Miles – who, as Stage Manager for Love Never Dies, knows everything there is to know about the show -  she talked us through what an 'average' day is like onstage and which actor she'd most like to see in a musical.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKWd_1UAuS8

108

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Injured actor

« on: Apr 28, 2010, 08:37 am »

What did the actor's doctors say about the actor's ability to work? Brain injuries are funny, sometimes you won't see results of a brain injury immediately. Have you talked with the AD about what his intentions were? Is the actor in pain from the cracked vertebrae? Can he still physically do the the physical stunts in the show?

109

Stage Management: Other / Re: Transitioning from theatre to opera

« on: Apr 18, 2010, 10:45 pm »

Wow, that is very helpful, and interesting. Thanks for sharing. Break a leg!

110

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: In need of spike tape

« on: Apr 18, 2010, 10:42 pm »

I buy my supplies from http://www.barbizon.com/ in Alexandria, VA, just outside of Washington DC. Zack is the sales guy I deal with, but I don't know if he is still there, it's been a while since I needed anything myself.

111

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: ANNOUNCEMENT: Title formatting for this board

« on: Mar 23, 2010, 04:12 pm »

It's really not a big deal. I tried to find earlier topics on one I recently posted. I tried to find if anyone else had raised a similar question, but didn't have any luck. Maybe if a "topic" gets a certain number of posts, it could be a child discussion group of "Plays and Musicals?"

Thanks very much for the SMNetwork web site. It's been a very helpful resource.

112

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: FORMS: Your own format or director's?

« on: Mar 23, 2010, 12:16 am »

The contact form is the only one right now. So, not a huge deal, but doing the work twice is a little annoying. As we get closer to opening, it would be a big deal if for some reason the director wanted info in some other format. I'm just wondering if anyone has ever had this happen before.

113

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: ANNOUNCEMENT: Title formatting for this board

« on: Mar 23, 2010, 12:13 am »

Hi Rebbe, Thanks for the tip about sorting by clicking on the Subject header. I didn't know about that option. It's not too helpful though as you then have to page through up to 22 screens of posts looking for the topic you're interested in.

Using the Search box wasn't useful, as it brings up everywhere that the search term (the tag in this case) appears. The Advanced search at http://smnetwork.org/forum/index.php?action=search;advanced was a bit more helpful, after choosing only the "Stage Management: Plays & Musicals" discussion area, and checking the option "Search in topic subjects only." 

114

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: ANNOUNCEMENT: Title formatting for this board

« on: Mar 22, 2010, 12:25 pm »

Is it possible to search for articles in each topic? It would be nice to be able to see all the posts "tagged" with a topic.

115

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / FORMS: Your own format or director's?

« on: Mar 22, 2010, 12:21 pm »

I'm sure everyone has developed their own style and format for the forms they generate for shows. Has anyone had a director mandate/request strongly the stage manager use the director's format and style for a form? It's not a big deal, but it was a surprise for me when this happened to me recently.

116

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: COSTUMES: Wardrobe Malfunction - Hold the show?

« on: Mar 15, 2010, 03:58 pm »

This was a community theater production, so no union issues to worry about. The costumer had already left for the day, she left after the show started and everyone was in good shape. I was in contact with the SM via walkie talkie. He is in the booth at the back of the house, dressing rooms are backstage up a flight of stairs. I had the rest of the cast holding backstage, near places, waiting for me, the other ASM and the actor. The walkie talkies we're using aren't the best, understanding clearly what is being said when everything is working is chancy, so at that time, it was really difficult to hear him. But yes, you're right of course, I would have deferred to him ordering "start the act, fix it when he's off stage in 15."

117

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / COSTUMES: Wardrobe Malfunction - Hold the show?

« on: Mar 15, 2010, 02:04 pm »

Hi all,

I am ASMing a show and had a situation this weekend that I was told I handled incorrectly.

An actor split his pants open, a giant rip through the entire seam along his backside. I found out about it just before the places call at the end of intermission. His character is in a dress (impersonating a female) for the act's first 15 minutes, then is offstage for 2-3 minutes, then is on stage the rest of the show as a male. I held the show while we were trying to find pants for him to wear. We ended up stealing the pants of the other ASM. The hold ended up being about 8 minutes.

Afterwards the SM told me I should have started the scene, and found replacement pants during the 15 minutes the actor was on stage. The actor had 2-3 minutes to put the "new" pants on in the middle of the act. So everyone would have been fine. My fear was finding appropriate pants that would fit, as if they didn't fit, we'd be stuck in the middle of the act. So I felt it was safer to hold to be sure we'd be able to find pants.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on this. Mike

118

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Actors wanting more info, but can't process what they already have?

« on: Mar 11, 2010, 09:13 am »

Can you post a notice on the Callboard by the end of the currently performing show? Although it sounds like you may not have the needed info by that time.

119

Employment / Re: What if you can't find a stage management job?

« on: Mar 07, 2010, 11:25 am »

4)   Look at how you are marketing yourself? 
a.   Is resume to generic?  I find a lot of young stage managers throw every single theatre thing they have ever done on their resumes (painted a set, observe a show, worked box office).  In this age of computers, your should be able to customize your resume for the job your applying.  And, at some point in your career you are going to want a “stage management” only resume.  When I am looking for an AEA stage manager, when I see too much “other experience” it reads to me like they don’t have faith in their skills as a stage manager, or, that they professionally lack focus.

Is the "other experience" (sound, lights, acting, directing, etc...) a positive thing for a stage manager to have experience in? We have to deal with those fields as stage managers. I'd think showing concrete examples of those specialties is better than having a stage management resume that is half empty. Or should the typeface simply be made larger or the resume style edited to compensate? What is the point in a career that we only list stage management experience?

120

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: New Stage Manager

« on: Feb 07, 2010, 01:27 pm »

I've had good results at a few theaters having a "used prop" table on both sides backstage. The actors get trained pretty quickly that it's ok to leave props on those tables when they come offstage. Then the ASM/propmaster has fewer places to check for props.