Messages

1171

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Light Walkers

« on: Jan 27, 2007, 06:42 pm »

xpost

yes, I think you mean the folks who help the lighting designer rough out light cues by marking the basic actor blocking - usually at dry tech - 

when possible they wear colors in the costume palate, and we often use a splayed hand to note height (taller or shorter) for focusing the lamps

1172

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: LX Plotting structure

« on: Jan 07, 2007, 02:26 pm »

(side note) - your "light walkers" -  the bodies on stage are invaluable for dry tech - and I always ask them (and the ASM, who by then will usually know the show and be on stage with them) to wear colors in the show palate - that's their last day before blacks so it's a lovely break anyway.

(several theater companies have special names for these folks - obscure one-word references that are fun but no one else knows what they stand for - if I can remember any of the more interesting ones I will post)

1173

SMNetwork Archives / Re: Printers

« on: Jan 04, 2007, 01:24 am »

I've had great luck w Brother and Okidata - and I prefer laser printers (which are much cheaper in the long run - esp if you don't do color)

1174

College and Graduate Studies / Re: Little help please... (Seeking College Recommendations)

« on: Dec 28, 2006, 07:17 pm »

Isha - sent you a PM with my sister and BIL's info - they said feel free to contact them directly with any qqs -

1175

The Hardline / Re: [SMA Scholarship] Who are your gifted young stage managers?

« on: Dec 28, 2006, 12:49 pm »

no offense, but that was clear from the prior post -

1176

SMNetwork Archives / Re: Digging Out in Denver

« on: Dec 28, 2006, 12:45 pm »

...and that sounds like a story worth retelling - do share please!

1177

Uploaded Forms / Re: Show report

« on: Dec 28, 2006, 12:43 pm »

a whole bunch of folks just posted their versions of show reports in another folder (one of our fearless leaders please direct...!)

you can prob figure it out w a little research (I think the hedder might include the words performance reports or rehearsal reports or something like that)

1178

College and Graduate Studies / Re: Little help please... (Seeking College Recommendations)

« on: Dec 26, 2006, 05:00 pm »

my BIL teaches at St Olaf's - and altho he is not in the theater dept (he teaches sociology) he knows abt theater and loves it - will get back to you when I hear from him

1179

SMNetwork Archives / Re: Christmas Wish List

« on: Dec 16, 2006, 06:16 pm »

and one of those great scale rulers -

1180

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Interesting request for performance reports...

« on: Dec 12, 2006, 04:12 pm »

Similar to above

I do
preshow announce/top of show start time
act 1 (stopwatch)
intermission (stopwatch) (clock time in/time out)
Act 2 (stopwatch)
end (clock time)

don't add the whole show run time unless it's asked for

with HAT contract and others that base on ticket sales, I also include
total audience count
full price
discount
comps

it gets to be habit to note time and duration for the show's pieces - I have had to time scenes on occasion (and that helps for those rare moments when you have to dash for something in the middle of a show)

1181

Tools of the Trade / Re: latest toyes...

« on: Nov 30, 2006, 12:33 pm »

not sure where you live, but stationery stores have them - and in the LA area I find them all the time at the 99centsonly stores - you just need to get fresh batteries after a week or so

1182

SMNetwork Archives / Re: Who makes the best SM's?

« on: Nov 10, 2006, 03:36 pm »

I loved Mr Shiner's list - cracked me up

I think reasons include not just attention to detail and anticipating problems and their solutions, but an attitude. Women are generally more able to say "sorry, my mistake, won't happen again" (esp when it's NOT my fault) and take responsibilty in that way, understanding that during reh/tech there sometimes needs to be a scapegoat as much as a pin, and we just let stuff roll and keep moving.

I've always been taught a great attitude for SMs is a cross between benevolent dictator and mom. Makes sense to me...(and Radar is a great analogy - we have to know everything before it happens, anticipate the problems, and take the flack when someone else drops the ball.)

1183

Employment / Re: Political Campaigns/touring

« on: Nov 07, 2006, 06:52 pm »

I would assume no political candidate travels w a SM, rather that they work w the PM/SM wherever they go - seems to me this is more likely a case of the venue rather than the people.

Otherwise, it is probably like all convention/industrial work, so you need to get into that circuit. If you have a convention center near you, contact them for their resident TD/production manager and start talking to the SMs who come thru w the various conventions and events.

1184

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Website for the show

« on: Nov 07, 2006, 02:21 am »

Many of the small theaters I work with have a multiple mailbox phone. If you press, say, #2 you get the box office, while if you press #4 you get the rehearsal schedule. But it does take a minute to set up. Usually, the SM line becomes the rehearsal check-in so messages can be left. And for at least a couple of places where the only line was my cell, the cell message became the rehearsal sched line. Yup, every nite I redid the message for the next day's work, and the company paid my cell bill so everyone could call in and pick up the schedule along w leaving messages etc. Weird.

1185

The Hardline / Re: [SMA Scholarship] Who are your gifted young stage managers?

« on: Oct 28, 2006, 03:36 pm »

Based on these boards alone, considering how many SMs these days are either returning to theater or coming from other arenas, I'd love to see a scholarship added for "over 35".....