Messages

136

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Stage Manager gone Actor? Bad idea?

« on: Jul 24, 2013, 12:44 am »

You should go audition. The worst that could happen is that you don't get the role and you end up working on the show anyway. And if you're the perfect fit for the role, the company will figure out some way, in the city that you live in, to find another person to act as the rehearsal SM/backstage ASM. There's always someone out there to do the job.

I auditioned for a show many years ago along with a carpenter. I heard the director say to the carpenter, "What are YOU doing here?" His passion was acting, and he ending up getting a role in the show while I ended up on the deck crew. Anything is possible. And it's not going to hurt you to audition. Go do it!

137

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Double casting

« on: Jul 24, 2013, 12:37 am »

I was in a double-cast show when I was in 8th grade. If someone from the other cast was absent, we stepped in, and when everyone was present, the opposite cast sat in the house and watched. The director tried to alternate daily for us, though I think my cast got less rehearsal, since we were the "B" cast.

I think it's a matter of keeping the second cast together and paying attention during rehearsals. We do this quite often in ballet - and at one point I did a ballet with about 40 kids, all double cast, so 80 total. We rehearsed scenes with one cast shadowing the cast on the floor, then we'd switch casts when the scene was complete. Come tech time, we ran the show twice, though one cast didn't get the costumes. Granted, in my situation, since this was through our ballet school, I had to be kept constantly up-to-date with who was dropping out and who would either be replaced, or if the role would be become a single-person role. 8 per cast sounds a lot more manageable.

138

The Green Room / Re: VENT: The trouble with spouses, pets and couches

« on: Jul 23, 2013, 04:21 pm »

Married 11 years with a 13 month old and a dog...

We made the decision to stay grounded back in 2008, when we bought a house. We picked a location that allowed me to drive (at most) 60-90 minutes to any decent AEA SM gig in the SF Bay Area. It's also close to my husband's university for his PhD and about 60 minutes from his work.

Since we bought our home I've done small gigs that have taken me to China, D.C. and Cleveland, with the longest gig at 5 weeks. My husband (and parents) flew out to see me, but since having a child my priorities have shifted. In the beginning, it was just my husband, the dog and I. We'd have to make sure my husband didn't have to travel for work when I was in tech/performances, because of the dog. Otherwise, we had to figure out boarding. Now with a son, if I have tech/performances, a set of parents flies out to CA from Indiana to watch him, and keep my husband company.

Just last weekend I did my first run out to Napa, where I was put up in a hotel for 4 nights. It was the first time being away from my son since he was born, and my parents flew out to watch him. While I was in the moment in the theater, when I was in my hotel room I was yearning for my son. And just yesterday I was asked if I would consider returning to the freelance SM lifestyle because management at my resident PSM gig has yet to give me my return date for the Fall. I had to think about it - my husband, my son, my dog - and I said at this time I couldn't. Even though my regular PSM job is being a pain, I needed to be Monday-Friday 9am-5pm, so that I could definitely have evenings and weekends with my son.

To me, touring (or relocating) doesn't even seem like an option now. Perhaps when my son is older I'll return to freelance work, but I don't think I could ever take a job that would require relocation unless my husband had a job offer in the same area.

139

Introductions / Re: High School Student

« on: Jul 07, 2013, 01:16 pm »

Welcome, emmiac!

Be sure to check out the "internship reviews" in the upper right corner of the site to give you an insight on where you may want to apply.

Best of luck!

140

The Hardline / Re: Actors/Directors: Taking Photos in Rehearsal-A Disturbing Trend...or Not...?

« on: Jul 06, 2013, 03:40 pm »

I've had this same issue with my dancers. They are AGMA and per our cba, just like AEA, notices have to be posted 24 hours in advance of any photography. Also, our photographers have to sign a contract/waiver with our company before shooting.

We have a very talented photographer who is a dancer in our company - and it is difficult to get a good shot of dancers in motion without knowing a thing or two about dance. At times we have signed him on our photographer contract, then posted a notice about photos when we want him to shoot. Unfortunately, when we don't post a notice, he will hide in the house during tech and take photos and post them on Facebook - which is not allowed. He will also shoot studio rehearsals with his phone and post it, without notice or permission. The dancers love his photos and tag themselves, because he only posts shots that look good and are technically correct. But the dancers don't seem to see that the photography rules apply to them as individuals.

This has been a big problem with our company, because if we try to post a notice less than 24 hours in advance (and I'm talking 30 minutes late) the dancer reps are all over us, but if a company dancer has a camera in the wings during a performance, none of the dancers seem to care.

This is a problem I've been trying to work on with Company Management for years, and it seems impossible to fix for our company. We can have as many as 5 rehearsals at the same time, with extra dancers in any studio snapping away. The only way I catch them is when I check Facebook. I also have the same resident company of 40 dancers all season long, and while I can make mention of that during our Company Meeting on the first day of the season, that, along with several other important items, is quickly forgotten by Friday.

141

The Green Room / Re: Book Club?

« on: Jul 01, 2013, 06:25 pm »

Wow. I went to the link for Fools Paradise - there's a snippet available there if you click to "read inside."

Horrible.

I can't get past "Chapter 1" which appears to be all of 1.5 pages.

And the story starts with Spot 2 cutting out in the middle of an opera during his cue...

142

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Communication with the House Manager?

« on: Jul 01, 2013, 02:21 am »

It definitely varies by venue and House Manager. At my main theater, I give the house over and my House Managers want me to call 15, 10 and 5 over the walkie talkie to them when I call it for the company. I check in shortly before places to ask if I can start at our agreed on time (8:05pm), and we negotiate back and forth from there.

In a smaller house, I have to go through the IA Steward who talks to the House Manager, as that's just how they do it. The Steward even gives the house over to the house manager and I wait to hear back from him when the House is ready for us to start. Not my ideal situation, but that's how that venue works.

143

Stage Management: Other / Re: Professional Ballet or Dance Company Shadow

« on: Jul 01, 2013, 01:50 am »

Are you looking to travel to observe someone? Narrowing down an area can help us give you a better answer.

144

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: PROFESSIONALISM: Personal reasons NOT to do a show?

« on: May 09, 2013, 05:01 pm »

While I have not personally experienced this, I did have an actress back out of a play in college, before the first read through. It was a new student-written one act about a woman coming to grips with the fact that she was gay and it took place in a gay bar. It only had 1 kiss in it for the lead role, but the girl who as cast as the lead slid her script under the professor's door the day of rehearsal, citing she couldn't do it.

I never found out why she didn't take the role, and can only assume 12 years later as we reconnect on facebook, that she wasn't ready herself to come to grips with the fact that she was gay. She is now happily married to another woman.

I think while people may have religious issues with scripts, some people also have issues with a script hitting too close to home - and not being ready to deal with it. My grandfather died during rehearsals for Richard III, and I was a pall bearer. I flew home for a 24 hour turn around, and another AEA SM covered my rehearsal for the day. It was a bit rough as when I returned, they were staging the scene where Lady Anne cries over the coffin/corpse.

145

Tools of the Trade / Re: Online Callboards

« on: May 05, 2013, 09:20 pm »

I've PM'd you a link, id and password which will work for the next 2 days.

146

Tools of the Trade / Re: Online Callboards

« on: May 05, 2013, 08:44 pm »

Recently I built my own "virtual callboard" using Wordpress as a base. I encouraged my dancers to create their own logins, but I also made a generic account for any dancer to use.

My main page explains what each link contains, with links along the top to items like
Daily Schedules
Monthly Calendars
Casting
Contact Sheets
Union Info

Because it's Wordpress, I just turn my documents into Jpegs and post the images for easy viewing. I also have links for PDF downloads of information when needed. If you're interested, I can give you a dummy login with limited viewing (that blocks contact info, union contract and casting) but you can at least see other options for downloading and viewing of schedules. I use my site for my company dancers as well as school students (and their parents) when they are involved in productions.

Let me know. It was free, and relatively fast to set up.

147

Stage Management: Other / Re: Dance First Aid

« on: Apr 17, 2013, 01:17 pm »

I will say that open PB or a jar (or even a squeeze bottle) of honey may be a bit dangerous (and sticky) for costumes. Our ballet company has always provided a candy drawer in my console. While they are individually wrapped, which helps with the community open jar issue, candy can still stain and be sticky.

I do remember during Swan Lake my swan ladies requesting sour gummies to help them get through the 4th act, which we provided. The other downside to providing candy is sometimes the dancers make it their meal - coming to my console prior to warm up grabbing handfuls of candy, leaving just hard candies behind.

I would recommend having it handy, as it is necessary to have a quick pick me up during a fast paced show or rep program, but dancers have to be responsible to not get it on their costumes and not treat the candy as their main source of nourishment.

148

Employment / Re: Tricky Interview

« on: Apr 16, 2013, 11:54 pm »

I will say that I, too, have mentioned cost of living expenses as an issue to applicants. I tend to post intern and PA work on backstagejobs.com and I get Stage Managers applying from all over the US. I have yet to bring it up over the phone, but I do tell those that live out of state via email, as stated in my job posting, housing is not provided and with their compensation, they would not be able to afford rental housing in the area.

I then ask them to email me back if they are serious and are able to secure their own housing (generally with family/friends), then I will schedule an interview.  It's not meant to sound harsh, but just realistic. I would hate for someone to come out here and not be able to feed themselves, or sleep in their car.

149

Job Postings / Re: Bay Area, CA URGENT SM need

« on: Apr 08, 2013, 07:23 pm »

Lisa,

Thank you for that update. I have sent you two private emails, but I haven't heard back from you. The question from those that use my job posting group is:

Where will rehearsals take place?

Your performances are in two widely different locations, so please let me know that and I will pass that info on.

Thanks

150

Job Postings / Re: Bay Area, CA URGENT SM need

« on: Apr 05, 2013, 01:02 am »

I manage a job postings facebook page for the SF Bay Area. I'll repost your job there for you.

However - if you are "considering AEA" - what contract type would your project fall under?