Messages

136

Employment / Re: Going to NYC?

« on: Nov 25, 2007, 10:11 pm »

Personally,I find it creepy to be at the corner of Broadway and 49th Street at 9:30 P.M. in October in what appears to be broad daylight.
When you look up you see all the sodium lights that create an artificial day.

Geez, that's the part of NY that feels normal to me...but then again, I always find it creepy to be in cities where you can't get anything to eat after 9:00 pm and the bars close down before 4:00 a.m....so to each their own.

137

Employment / Re: Going to NYC?

« on: Nov 23, 2007, 11:46 am »

I don't know any young technicians, so I can't tell you tales of how they fare. 

As far as I can tell, there are more than enough professional stage managers in NYC right now to cover all the living wage stage management jobs for the next 20 years.

Young technicians, however, can do very well.  Especially video techs.

That's my $.02.

138

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Preshow (turn off your cellphone) announcements

« on: Nov 16, 2007, 06:40 pm »

  I can see the screens from the booth, and notify house management, but unlike the old days, when they would have an actual camera and could confiscate their film or tape, they just have a phone. 

Not an answer to your question -- but House Management does confiscate the phones, yes?

139

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Reports during technicals

« on: Nov 12, 2007, 02:29 pm »

I start technicals for Jitters Wednesday and I was wondering if you guys do some type of report during technicals? I have my rehearsal/performance reports. It seems like everyone will be there to see what needs to be fixed so doing a "technical report" would be redundant. Any thoughts?

If everyone will be there -- especially Production Manager and/or whomever needs to know cost of fixes -- I would probably agree that a detailed technical report would be redundant.

140

Tools of the Trade / Re: Line Note- POST ITS!

« on: Nov 12, 2007, 01:06 pm »

Old school here -- don't understand all the broo-ha-ha about finding methods of recording line notes.

Keep a pencil in your hand.  When a line error occurs, circle the line error.  Transpositions become more of an S shape, as in editing copy.

Everytime the same mistake happens, the circle gets darker.  As the line cleans up, erase the mark.

The darker, more frequently circled are then the line notes to give at any given point.

In my experience, it is not useful for actors to get a note every time there is a line error -- only to point out consistent errors.

In my experience, professional actors, especially stars, are not interested in defining what the error was -- it is more useful for memorization to just hear/see the correct line again as it is written.

(Twice as true for new works, where rewrites are likely.)

That's my $.02.

141

Stage Management: Other / Re: Finding ASMs

« on: Nov 07, 2007, 04:16 pm »

I did pretty well on the last posting I ran through the Stage Managers' Association -- had a response from one qualified -- for what we are looking for -- candidate within a few hours.

(I like BackstageJobs.com as well but haven't yet hired SMs from there.)

(Did Playbill Online always charge for postings?)

142

The Hardline / Re: A dance gig vs. Equity

« on: Nov 06, 2007, 10:05 pm »

Hmm....this is an interesting topic...please feel free to split this if you don't think it really jives with the OP.

so....if I were to, say, get a gig next summer that was an equity gig, and they wanted me badly enough to give me my card -- could i continue to do my full-time work at the ballet company during the season because it is dance (but NOT union), but still have that equity card, and in the off-season go do equity shows?? 

Yes.

143

The Hardline / Re: Stagehand Wages

« on: Nov 02, 2007, 11:50 am »

I’d suspect the pay variations have more to do with a theater company’s size & budget than where it’s located

A lot of it is based on local cost-of-living.  As far as non-union wages, I believe that you're correct that a lot depends on the theatre's size, but when you start dealing with union contracts, a lot depends on what the local economy will support.

Again, this is clearly different in regional theatre: non-union stagehands in New York general make the same rate I mentioned earlier in this thread whether the theatre is non-profit or not: whether the contract is Off Broadway or an Off Broadway LOA or even ANTC (the Off Broadway LOA bastard stepchild) -- odds are the stagehands are making rougly the same.

And most of the time -- it is quite more than the Stage Manager.

144

Tools of the Trade / Re: any suggestions for the "rain effect"?

« on: Nov 02, 2007, 11:43 am »

Have you though about using gobos with a slider/rotator on a cyc? 
But this may turn out more like an  underwater effect depending on how it is done.

I've also seen some decent rain effects using lighting -- I think movers likes on of the Martin's or Studio Spots as I recall...This would have been my suggestion also, though I was assuming using lighting for the effect, whcih would probably be the most effecient solution in terms of touring, had been considered and rejected (though p'raps not.)

145

Tools of the Trade / Re: SM Software

« on: Oct 31, 2007, 02:16 pm »

I think we've left out two thoughts in general to the idea of using computer software for all SM duties....

...Paper and pencil have been around for many many years without seeing extinction. I think it's for a reason.

Brilliant post from top to bottom.

146

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Calling attention

« on: Oct 29, 2007, 10:47 am »

This probably won't do you any good for your current production, but if you continue in this field and go on to college, I would highly reccomend taking voice production classes ("the speaking voice" or whatever is offered for actors) -- you'll (should be to)learn to make how to make you're voice loud enough to be heard in any venue without "screaming" or artificial amplification.

Will you have any assistants?  When I was directing a large cast in high school (approx. 100), I found that as long as my assistants (all strong personalities themselves) were on the same page as me we could work together to get the casts' attention.

Perhaps the A/V in your school could help you get a G-d mic setup for rehearsals.  Probably less grating than a whistle.

147

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Bad ASM's

« on: Oct 28, 2007, 12:47 pm »

I recently just closed a show with a bad ASM.  She was an ASM before but didn't know anything even the basics of word or excel.  I showed her some things and it helped a little. 

I like to general gist of your post, but i find it hilarious that you define a bad ASM as one who doesn't know the basics of Word or Excel...

I would rate those skill sets as probably the least important for an ASM, well under the ability to pay attention and follow book, take blocking, handle preset, take attendenace, organize props, shop for props, post signs using a magic marker and scrap paper, drive a car, handle and filter actor needs, move quietly backstage, use a glue gun, run a photocopier, collate, staple, etc., etc., etc.  Oh yes, did I mention pay attention in rehearsal to what is happening in rehearsal?

Since the primary purpose of Excel is a Spreadsheet (and all other uses of it are software abuse -- using a spreadsheet as a word processeor is like using a wrench as a hammer), I can imagine one might function nicely as an ASM for oh, say 50 or 60 years without knowing excel.

Give me someone who knows how to organize using a yellow legal pad and a pen and pencil set over any computer literacy anytime.

148

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Tech or Church?

« on: Oct 26, 2007, 02:22 pm »

In a democracy the majority rules.

Simply not true.

149

The Hardline / Re: Stagehand Wages

« on: Oct 23, 2007, 09:37 am »

Off Broadway, non-union stagehands currently generally make $20/hr, 4 hour min.

150

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Tech or Church?

« on: Oct 16, 2007, 02:52 pm »

So recently I worked with a sound designer who said he wouldn't come if we decided to adjust our previously stated Sunday tech hours to start and end earlier as he refuses to miss church.  The production manager said he felt that was ridiculous, and if he's going to be in theatre, he has to expect to work on Sunday mornings, especially in tech. 

I think your Production Manager is out of line if the schedule has been changed from what the designer was originally told.

How early are we talking here?  A change from a 2:00 pm start time to noon might be reasonable -- a change from noon to 10:00 am isn't.

(I also have attended few tech rehearsals that have come to a standstill because wasn't available/ready.  Much more tech time is spent dealing with lighting issues, in my experience.  You could always just tech lights for the start of rehearsal than have sound catch up when he is in.)