106
Self-Promotion / Re: Coraline
« on: Oct 10, 2015, 11:07 am »
I agree: hope there's some photography or video we can see. Looks fun.
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107
Self-Promotion / Re: Flowers Stink!
« on: Oct 03, 2015, 02:35 pm »
The joys of outdoor drama: glad you guys didn't have to keep out in all the rain. Hope next week is much better.
108
Self-Promotion / Re: Flowers Stink!
« on: Oct 03, 2015, 11:57 am »
Hope you guys are staying dry with all the Joaquin madness.
109
The Green Room / Re: Odd legal stuff you've learned
« on: Sep 09, 2015, 09:21 am »
@Maggie: let us know your findings. I think we all know quite a few theatres where interns are definitely "vital."
110
Introductions / Re: First Time SM, Hello World!
« on: Aug 01, 2015, 10:26 am »
#4 is really important and not immediately obvious when you first get started. Make sure you're kept in the loop in regards to what's being built, painted, etc, especially if/when it changes from what was originally discussed. That kind of thing happens and can through a real crimp in the staging if something changes too much. Find out if there is a production meeting planned, and if there's not, make sure you have a meeting or at least a conversation with everyone prior to tech. Remember a good maxim when it comes to crews: "trust, but verify."
111
The Green Room / Re: Got my first post-college job!
« on: Jul 26, 2015, 07:52 pm »
Awesome: hope you enjoy the show and the DC area. Keep us posted
112
The Green Room / Re: Patrons behaving badly
« on: Jul 14, 2015, 08:00 pm »
@Samantha: Thanks for the link, I quite agree with many of his thoughts. I don't know that I'd go so far as to say "tear it all down," but we have to realize that much of what we consider the norm is a relatively recent invention. Finding balance is something I think is the key (as is so often the case).
@PSMKay: As for precautions, I'd say having good instructions for front-of-house staff and ushers is important. Sometimes we work in theatres that have that, sometimes we don't. In my earliest community days we often performed in a music school, setting up thurst staging in the largest room with chairs on risers. It was very, very intimate. We often stationed an usher on the "stage" just to help direct audience members to the correct "aisle" and keep them from touching set pieces.
I like the suggestion you made of putting things out for audience members to do. Often intermission is purely about waiting for everyone to get back from the bathroom, so that those who left are simply waiting around. Perhaps instead of just ads and bios, the program could have something interactive in it (depending on the show, of course)? Like: see how many things you can spot in the theatre, with explanations of what they are? I don't know, if you've got a website or mobile app at the theatre, it could be truly interactive as well. Something for the noobs to learn and that the vets can ignore if they like.
@PSMKay: As for precautions, I'd say having good instructions for front-of-house staff and ushers is important. Sometimes we work in theatres that have that, sometimes we don't. In my earliest community days we often performed in a music school, setting up thurst staging in the largest room with chairs on risers. It was very, very intimate. We often stationed an usher on the "stage" just to help direct audience members to the correct "aisle" and keep them from touching set pieces.
I like the suggestion you made of putting things out for audience members to do. Often intermission is purely about waiting for everyone to get back from the bathroom, so that those who left are simply waiting around. Perhaps instead of just ads and bios, the program could have something interactive in it (depending on the show, of course)? Like: see how many things you can spot in the theatre, with explanations of what they are? I don't know, if you've got a website or mobile app at the theatre, it could be truly interactive as well. Something for the noobs to learn and that the vets can ignore if they like.
113
The Green Room / Re: Patrons behaving badly
« on: Jul 13, 2015, 09:17 pm »
bex: You bring up a good point. Inconvience and annoyance are one thing, but patron/cast/crew safety is another. Regardless of how upset someone gets, keeping that person and others from harm should be a high priority.
114
The Green Room / Re: Patrons behaving badly
« on: Jul 13, 2015, 04:03 pm »
I tend to agree with Matthew on this one. Yes, people shouldn't do these things, but if it is a person's first time at a theatre (maybe a friend invited him/her, maybe it's a "let's try this out) we can't make any assumptions. Moreover, modern theatre conventions are just that: conventions we've established over time to adapt to the way we currently perform live theatre. They are not set in stone nor that historic. I don't like the fact that many theatres allow drinks inside the space, and yet I recognize it's a change made by these places to be more accomodating to changing audiences and certainly not an entirely new phenomena in the grand history of the stage.
I think this blog post really sums up what we show do as theatre professionals (found on Twitter): "Plan Rocker Show Stopper" by Travis Bedard, especially this part:
I think this blog post really sums up what we show do as theatre professionals (found on Twitter): "Plan Rocker Show Stopper" by Travis Bedard, especially this part:
Quote
But mostly? We need stop crushing folks who break one of the unwritten rules. Should you know better than hopping on stage? Of course. But this guy is an international laughing stock, Google bombed for the rest of his life because he showed up too drunk to a possessed puppet show and disrespected the altar. Maybe we could treat him as though he were a person.
115
The Green Room / Re: Has anyone else ever noticed....
« on: Jun 11, 2015, 09:28 am »
I tend to think we're mostly just more aware of problems; unless it's something blatantly obvious, most average audience members aren't aware anything's happened. On the other hand, we're also the ones who most appreciate when a hard set of cues goes off right.
116
The Green Room / Re: 10 out of 12 - new play off-bway
« on: Jun 11, 2015, 09:23 am »
I've been wishing for a show like this for years (first fantasized about it in college). Thanks for the tip.
117
Employment / Re: Prospect letter
« on: Apr 20, 2015, 09:16 am »
I don't know about ballet specifically (never worked one), but when I was looking for work in a new area I preparred a resume and cover letter that outlined my past experience, skills, and goals for employment. It's good to create a base template you can quickly tweak for sending out to different companies.
118
Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: SAFETY: Real weapons on stage?
« on: Apr 06, 2015, 10:01 am »
Coupled with what was said before, a good resource to find someone who would know about making these weapons safer/adjustments would be a local university theatre program, if you have one nearby.
119
Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: What to say when they're late...
« on: Mar 06, 2015, 09:16 am »
I'd agree regarding nervous laughter: people often use laughter as an escape valve when they don't know how else to respond politely (audiences anyone?) I usually just thank the person for calling, get an ETA, and say something like "Drive safely." Usually the person is nervous/upset/frantic, so I find calming them down is important.
Of course, if it's a repeat offender, then there are probably words after the show or in a later phone call.
Of course, if it's a repeat offender, then there are probably words after the show or in a later phone call.
120
Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: CALLING: How to politely tell people things.
« on: Feb 18, 2015, 01:17 pm »Quote
If it's a late cue, it might help to move your "wind-up" back a few seconds, and make sure that they are paying attention during the standby, and not using their cell phone or doing the crossword.
I second this one: especially with a show with lots of time between cues it's good to be aware of how "occupied" your board ops may have become during those long breaks. I'll give a "Standby" a bit early if I think it's warranted, or sometimes just a heads up to remind them we're approaching a cue heavy part of the scene.