Messages

106

The Hardline / Re: HELP! MY CAST IS NUDE!!

« on: Mar 19, 2008, 09:20 am »

Here is a good thread http://smnetwork.org/forum/index.php/topic,1216.0.html about the personal issues with actors and nudity, though I don't remember there being a discussion touching on LORT rules.

-Centaura

107

The Hardline / Re: Stagehand Wages

« on: Mar 13, 2008, 01:25 pm »

What about the general wages for a Stage Manager Position?

Stage managers aren't covered by IATSE wages - their proper union affiliation is Equity.  There can sometimes be exemptions to this, but they're more language technicalities than exemptions.  In my house, when we have the symphony in rehearsal, the one stage hand that's here to babysit is often called the 'stage manager', but he's not really doing much traditional 'stage management' work.  He's the hand that the contract says must be on the call for the symphony to be onstage.

-Centaura

108

Stage Management: Other / Re: New to Opera questions

« on: Feb 29, 2008, 12:01 pm »

I split this into a new thread since it seemed to be asking specific questions.  Hopefully it will get some more attention on its own.

-Centaura

109

Stage Management: Other / Re: Il Trittico

« on: Feb 06, 2008, 09:34 am »

I've not done much opera, but hopefully someone who's done that one will stop by and offer tidbits of advice!

-Centaura

110

The Hardline / Re: Who Locks Your Doors?

« on: Feb 01, 2008, 04:38 pm »

I'm in a wierd position, as the stage manager at a road house, my job is to be here for the tours for as long as they're in the building.  So I end up opening up and unalarming the building at the top of the day prior to their arrival, and am here until the last bus or truck leaves the dock at the end of the night.  I will lock the backstage door, but the cleaning company actually sets the alarm after they're done.

So, on one hand I exist for the tour, so it goes hand in hand that I'm the one opening up for them and locking after them.  In normal day to day operations, the first office worker arriving in the morning unalarms, though the doors stay locked.   Well, my doors stay lock, their doors up front get unlocked for the 8-5 business day.  The Box Office sets the alarm at the end of the day and locks their doors, since they're open an hour after the rest of our days' end.

-Centaura

111

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: New Questions

« on: Jan 25, 2008, 01:50 pm »

Stagemanaging is a job you do because you love it, not because you're looking for bigger and bigger paychecks to take home.  Yes, finances come into it - and there is the potential for some good money out there.  I spent several years on low-paying tours because they were really darn fun, the challenge was a very big 'high'.  I know that I'm not showing up at work, punching a clock, and hating every minute of it.  Or sitting in cubicle land wasting away.  There are long weeks, but my current job rewards me with a lot of time off to compensate.

It boils down to whether you can spend your days doing something you don't love, just for they pay, or whether you want to do something that you love, and deal with whatever you end up getting paid for it.

-Centaura

112

Stage Management: Other / Re: Circus

« on: Jan 09, 2008, 09:18 am »

While most of the worth in this thread is via its links, I think that's enough reason to keep it near the top of the Other forum.  So its getting stickied up there.

-Centaura

113

Stage Management: Other / Re: Circus

« on: Jan 03, 2008, 01:48 pm »

Here's one thread I found about circuses - http://smnetwork.org/forum/index.php/topic,1318.0.html

Its more of a how do I get employed thread, though.  I know there's someone who works for Cirque running around the board.  Hopefully they will see this thread and reply.

-Centaura

114

Employment / Re: Summer Internships For Fashion/Concert Tours/Industrials/Cruises...?

« on: Jan 01, 2008, 06:01 pm »

Places like tours and cruise ships, I don't know of any internships available.  Since crews are limited, they are generally only hiring experienced folk - people who can who can wear several hats at the same time.  There is a huge expense in housing and travel that it would not be worth their time to pay it for training purposes.

If you're interested in the concert tour scene, see if you can get on the call list of your local IATSE.  Or ask about at some of the concert venues, though the venues themselves probably won't have internships, they can get you in touch with where they get their crews from.  I don't want to sound negative, but there's no place on a tour for someone in an internship type position.  That's not from a being mean perspective, that's from a 'we have so many bunks available on the bus, they all need to be filled with bodies that have vital crew functions'. 

Most show tours only carry department heads with them, and already depend a lot on locals to be their extra bodies.  They spend each day training in new people to do the day to day work of the tour, since its impossible to carry all with them all the hands a show needs. 

Fashion shows I could see being in a position to accept interns, though I don't have any links to offer for you.  Anything that is stationary and doesn't  have to deal with travel and housing is going to be your best bet.  Try for work with a local IA - that will get you experience in different types of events, and might be a foot in the door for a job on a tour.  Try to find an event or decor company - I worked at a decor company as my summer job and it was good experience in creative trouble-shooting.  Talk with the local convention center and see if they do internships - that would be a foot into industrials.

-Centaura

115

Stage Management: Other / Re: Opera Greenie

« on: Dec 31, 2007, 09:15 am »

Kay took the words right out of my mouth.  Opera is asked about so much I stickied one of the main threads, you'll see it as the first thread in the 'other' forum, and linked the rest through there.  Some reading, and maybe PMing the folks who say they are opera SM's would be your best bet.

-Centaura

116

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Study Abroad

« on: Dec 28, 2007, 06:37 pm »

I did 6 months at Mountview in London, but found that while I grew as a person from the experience of living in another culture, most of the specific stage management information didn't translate back into US theatre.  While I don't regret my experience going, I could have gotten the same experience studying almost any topic.  I met folks over there taking other types of courses at different universities, not geared towards their degrees, but just for the experience of being overseas.

Mountview's program for apprenticeships is basically a trade - they let you work on the shows in exchange for you being there with no tuition.  But you're on a student visa, must be able support yourself without a job, and be able to prove to immigration that you are able to support yourself without recourse to a local job for the entirety of your stay.  At the time I went, to get a local job (with a student visa) the employer would have had to prove that there was no one else who was a citizen who would be able to do the same job.

While I reccoment highly the experience of going overseas, my personal experience says it almost doesn't matter what courses you're taking - its the experience of the culture that's going to be the most benefit.

-Centaura

117

Stage Management: Other / Re: The annual nutcracker 7th inning stretch....

« on: Dec 21, 2007, 11:25 pm »

I heard a great quote at the stage door.  There was this older gentleman - maybe late 40's, early 50's, and he blandly states "I'm here to pick up a party girl".  Then he thought about what he had said, and added:  "That didn't come out sounding too good".

But my nutcracker was over two weeks ago, we had a week of symphony rehearsal and followed by a week of nutcracker rehearsal.  I'm glad that part of the month is over with!

-Centaura

118

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: A tricky situation

« on: Dec 07, 2007, 08:39 am »

It's just the predatory nature of this one that has me worried.

You'll discover as you get older that its sometimes hard to watch young folks do stupid things.  Your experience tells you that its not going to end up good, but there's not much that you can say to a younger person to get them to see.  In this case - she's young, naive, and probably a bit insecure, to get herself involved with a married man.  As a human being, you want to just shout at her "Can't you see that that's not a good idea?", but as her supervisor, you can't.

-Centaura

119

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: A tricky situation

« on: Dec 06, 2007, 09:41 am »

It seems harsh, but there's nothing that you can do.  And its hard to watch, knowing that it will come to a bad end.  I had to watch a friend of mine marry a guy over three times her age, who had been interested in her since she was 13, and she divorced him 6 months later.  We spent from her being 13 to her being 21 telling her that there were better fish in the sea, that it wasn't a good relationship for her to be in, and the more we said to her the more she clung to him.  'Adversity will keep us together'.  If your actress can't see the fact that he's married as a big STAY AWAY, there's not much you can do.

The only thing I can think of is if you bought the book 'He's Just Not That Into You' and left it lying around the green room or dropped it off annonymously in the dressing room.  Don't say that you put it there, and you have no garauntee that she'll read it or listen to it, but it would be a big help to her if she'd be willing to read what it said.

-Centaura

120

Employment / Re: Going to NYC?

« on: Nov 28, 2007, 09:59 pm »

Thanks to everyone for their input!  I suppose the desire to go to NYC is just one of those crazy young people things.  It's a confusing time right now, trying to decide between doing something I love and doing something more practical (that I like but not love).  Thanks again!

The trick is to figure out what you're really in love with, and then pursue it.  If you're really in love with theatre, then where you pursue it really comes in second.  If you're really in love with NYC, then pursue it - but be prepared that your first job will probably be non-theatre related.  You have to weigh which one appeals to you more - working in theatre or living in NYC.  Now, the combo is possible, but difficult to obtain.

-Centaura