Messages

1471

The Hardline / Re: John Connelly resigns as AEA exec director

« on: Dec 01, 2009, 01:09 pm »

I think this smacks of a leak somewhere, given the holiday and so-forth, I am sure the union was planning on making it public in a timely manner.

** It is on the AEA website now; it could also have been a delay to get the Webmaster to get it up on the website.

1472

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Performance Reports Excerpted or Made Public

« on: Nov 23, 2009, 02:08 pm »

I think any document that I e-mail out is a public document, and could easily be forwarded.  (Look at all of us quoting one-liners from performance reports in other threads).  Ultimately, yes, it would be nice to think that which is report is considered confidential, and kept in house - but the reality is once you send it out, you have no control over the information.

I think it is important to check with your production manager on how the organization views the document.  At my organization, we have a fairly large distribution list for both rehearsal/production reports and performance reports.  I have to be very careful in what information I put in the report. 

If there is confidential information - I will note - there is a HR issue to be discussed, but then keep that information out.  With the new medical laws, I have been very conscious to note things like "personal health concern" or "work health concern" in the report, rather then go into details of someone's medical condition.

Given my position at the theatre, I do remind the staff of the theatre that the information in the report is considered in house and confidential.  (For example, I had someone from marketing joke with an actor about a missed entrance that was noted in the report . . . bad form, bad form.) 

If you have major concerns, putting something in the header of the report - this information considered confidential, and is for internal use only maybe a nice reminder to those reading, this is not to be made public.

1473

Employment / Re: how long do you wait for a response?

« on: Nov 22, 2009, 06:32 pm »

I know that is frustrating . . . but sometimes, the first person to answer the phone is the person who gets the job.

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Employment / Re: Post College Employment

« on: Nov 10, 2009, 09:45 pm »

I am the PSM for Shakespeare Theatre Company and do all the SM hiring.  Let me know if you have questions.

1475

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Sharing Paperwork or Copying Paperwork, where is the line?

« on: Nov 07, 2009, 09:31 pm »

I always take the work I do for the theater is property of the theater, unless I some how arrange ahead of time for it not to be so.

1476

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Producer told me I had to me be nicer in rehearsal!

« on: Nov 05, 2009, 12:05 pm »

denisezeiler, what level do you work at?

Note that at certain levels, a daily schedule is generated only 12 hours ahead of time . . . and is pretty much the norm.

1477

Employment / Re: Interview Questions

« on: Nov 05, 2009, 12:03 pm »

1) Why are you a stage manager?  How did you get into it?
2) How would I know you are a having a bad day?
3) How would you describe your stage management style?
4) How do you work in a team?
5) What is your communication style?
6) How do you deal with conflicts with in the artistic team?  Within the cast?
7) How do you like to note performances?
8) How do you deal with stress?
9) What makes you an ideal candidate for this show/position?
10) What makes you NOT the ideal candidate for this show/position?
11) Favorite show that you have worked on?
12) What do you like about stage management?
13) What do you not like about stage management?
14) Favorite part of the process?

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Tools of the Trade / Re: online portfolios

« on: Nov 03, 2009, 10:34 pm »

I would take a look at other stage manager's websites.  I am not sure a portfolio is the right term for what professional stage managers - those who take the time of putting together a web site.

Not that mine is the end all be all, but I will off mine up.  

stagemanager.net

mine is done with iweb.  pretty basic.

1479

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Plotting out scene shifts

« on: Nov 02, 2009, 07:37 am »

I think it depends on the situation.

On my current production of AYLI, where cast and crew will be doing the changes to music, in plain sight of the audience.  Of course the director is going to want to have some say in it - and she is.  If he happens behind a curtain or backstage, then it's stage management responsibility.  If it happens onstage, the I will come up with a plan, but be completely flexible in change as needed per the director's notes.

NOW, I do hope by the time the show and the set has become my responsibility, a TD and scenic designer (And possible whomever the lead crew is) have already figured out it can be done, they just may not be able to figure out the most stylish and polish away, but if a production manager, technical director and scenic designer design, build and okay a set to be built that doesn't fit in the theater, or can not be changed in a reasonable amount of time . . . (Since where I work now, the set is usually underway before rehearsals begin) . . . then there is very little I can do during the rehearsal process of tech to make it happen.

1480

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: CALLING: Grouping Standbys

« on: Oct 30, 2009, 08:18 am »

I find giving standbys in groups is fine.

Standby
LX 123 - 456
Sound 84 - 93
Rail
Standby LX 134 operator take when actor blows out the candle
Standby scene shift

In the era of computer boards, the stand by tends to be just a wake up call for the operator to pay attention.

I personally only give standbys to difficult sections, huge shifts and cues after long periods of in activity, other wise my style is to give a five second wind up.  "Lx 26 (beat beat beat beat) go!".

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Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: PRE-PRODUCTION: What is your prep week style?

« on: Oct 23, 2009, 10:00 pm »

I tend to work exclusively from the theater.  Besides the basic prep stuff, I tend to do a lot of meetings (Production Management, Scene Shop, Costume Shop, Props, Sound, etc), but also, since I tend to work on bigger shows, I have a larger staff.  And I think the prep week is extremely important part of the team building process.  I want to learn how the team works before the stress of rehearsal begins.  Also, I like to keep work at work and home at home.

The best thing about being a resident PSM, is that I can quickly go through the basic prep stuff (I have all the paperwork and change names, add new people, etc . . .), so I tend to try to make prep week a 5 day, 40 hour thing, so I can take an extra day off . . . I often find the only "down time" I have away from 60 hour rehearsal weeks is prep week when I am in control of my own hours.  If I am working at a new theatre, I would say I average about 50 hours for pre-production.  BUT, the thing is since I am a resident PSM at a theatre,  tend to start prep for shows up to a year in advance . . .

I do have a pretty comprehensive pre-production list.

I e-mail actors, but always follow up with a phone call.  One, to make a personal contact, but also follow, answer any questions, and just start that personal relationship.

 

1482

Tools of the Trade / Re: Google Websites

« on: Oct 22, 2009, 10:14 am »

Again, I think that any passive form of communication is not a easy as "pushing" out information with a call on e-mail.

I think this would be a good solution for those on a college campus who are computer centric, but as actors travel, and move away from college internet access may not be as easy to get to.  I find only about half of my actors in the LORT world have a computer on them when they travel, so doing a hotline and pushing out the daily call via e-mail is pretty much the tried and true method of communicating.

1483

Tools of the Trade / Re: Google Websites

« on: Oct 21, 2009, 10:51 pm »

This would be illegal, unless you have specific permission from the copyright holder.

The only way you can digitally hand out copies of a script, music or sound track would be if you bought (and then destroyed) a legit physical copy for every digital copy you hand out.  

Listen, we work with artists, let us not steal from artists.   And considering that I know people who put that show together, wrote that show, and would be getting royalties on this information, I hope you don't mind that I point them (and their lawyers) toward your website, and they can determine the the legality of this page.  

Thank you for putting up your e-mail address and phone number which should make it easy for them to contact you.  I am sure Adam, his lawyers and the lawyers from Rogers and Hammerstein will be contacting you in the near future, and perhaps those in your department at Emerson.  Come on, with all the news stories about piracy of songs,  didn't you think this might be at the very least, illegal?

1484

SMNetwork Archives / Re: Too many sick days on Broadway.....

« on: Oct 19, 2009, 10:49 pm »

Interesting article from a great blog

http://www.theproducersperspective.com/my_weblog/2009/10/executive--summary----overall-response-------in--general-respondents-are-consumers-of-live-entertainment-who-picked-up-the.html

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College and Graduate Studies / Re: Compilation of grad schools

« on: Oct 19, 2009, 03:38 pm »

9 years after I stage managed my first show professionaly I made the decision to go back to grad school, so I was still early career, but far enough down I was getting jobs.  It was nice to make a break in my professional career.