Messages

16

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: hey, need a bit of help

« on: Oct 04, 2006, 02:23 pm »

yeah alot of people have been mentioning taking notes down in relation to the script, what is it i need to note?

During rehearsal, as the director directs, you note down when & where actors and props are to enter and exit, and where actors move on stage and what they do.  Later you'll write in light and sound cues that you'll use to call the show.

I agree with what ChaCha and others have said about finding a book on stage management. It really will be your shortest route to figuring out what your job is.  Mac's suggestions of Stern's book and Carissa Dollar's webpage are excellent.  My favourite intro level book is THE STAGE MANAGEMENT HANDBOOK by Daniel A. Ionazzi. It lays *everything* out in an easy-to-understand way.  If your school library doesn't have anything, your public library will.  And once you've done some reading up about it, then ask ask ask your director (who, by the way, will be mighty impressed that you've come to him/her having already made an effort to find things out on your own...you'll score big points and the director will likely be even more forthcoming and mentor-like as a result).  We're always here if you have specific questions.

Good luck, O'Brien!  Grease is a fun show.

 

17

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: How to keep kids *quietly* busy at rehearsal when they're not needed onstage?

« on: Sep 19, 2006, 03:01 pm »

Thanks for sharing your ideas and experiences.  It sounds like I'm on the right track, but you've given me a few new avenues to explore.  If anyone else has a brillliant idea that hasn't already been mentioned, I'm all ears.

18

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / PEOPLE: How to keep kids *quietly* busy at rehearsal?

« on: Sep 18, 2006, 02:17 pm »

I'm SM-ing a community theatre production where all but one of the 14 actors are kids (age 11-17 yrs, with most around 12-13 yrs).  We've done the best we can to call specific actors *only* when they'll be needed, but by necessity this still means we often have actors waiting off stage during rehearsal.  Keeping them occupied but quiet has been a challenge, especially since our rehearsal space has horrible acoustics, so echoes are a big issue.  Does anyone have ideas for quiet activities to engage kids while they wait...preferrably something they could easily leave and rejoin.  I've heard of one children's group teaching all the actors to knit, but this was a much younger group and I'm not sure my teens would go for it.  Ideas anyone?  Pleeeeease. : ^)