Messages

16

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Dressing For The Part?

« on: Jun 13, 2007, 09:48 pm »

I actually got the black scrubs for $9.95 a pair at Walmart...it's a bargain if you ask me.

17

Uploaded Forms / Re: Scene Shifts

« on: Jun 11, 2007, 11:48 am »

My master shift plot from A New Brain

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Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: College Interviews

« on: Jun 03, 2007, 01:20 pm »

when i interviewed for college i had almost no real theatre experience...a couple shows in high school, which like you, seems was nothing like real stage managing.  i'm pretty sure the college interviewers know what to expect when it comes to prospective's experience.  looking back the work i sent in was nothing close to anything you would actually ever see, but it was what i was taught in high school...in the end it was good enough to get me into a BFA sm program, and now i know the real way of doing things.  i wouldn't worry about it, if you're willing to learn it will come across in your interview, that's really all they need to know.

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Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Dressing For The Part?

« on: May 31, 2007, 11:45 pm »

The black scrubs i bought don't have pockets...not a shocker since they were only $10.00 but i do have a black waitress apron which has an abundance of pockets.  It's absolutely fabulous for asming, there's a place for the flashlight and the mic tape, anything the actors could possibly need!  It made my life so much easier backstage, I can't wait to use it again.

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Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Dressing For The Part?

« on: May 31, 2007, 05:55 pm »

random thought...i just bought a pair of black scrubs that i was thought would make comfortable asm attire...has anyone ever tried them?

21

Tools of the Trade / Re: I need help with a prop....please!!!

« on: May 07, 2007, 01:43 am »

Hey Guys!

Just wanted to follow up and tell you what happened with the martini glass.  I remembered hearing once that if you paint a couple layers of clear drying glue on glass it won't shatter into small pieces.  I happened to have a bottle of mosaic tile adhesive so we tried it.  We painted 2 thick layers of the glue on the outside and bottom of the glass and then dropped it when it was dry.  It worked perfectly!  The glass broke into 2 big pieces, you could see that it shattered but the glue held the tiny pieces together, pretty much amazing.  Definately a cheap way to do it, and it looked great.  Thanks for all your help.

22

Tools of the Trade / I need help with a prop....please!!!

« on: May 04, 2007, 05:34 pm »

Hi Guys!

So I'm doing this show where a martini glass breaks onstage.  I could use some advice with this if you have any.  The situation is...the actor comes on with a martini, drinks it and then drops the glass in the middle of the stage, then they comment on how it broke into pieces.  Any chance you know a tip for doing this or a website where I might be able to find a tip? 

Thanks in advance!
Lauren

23

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Eugene O'Neill Internship

« on: Apr 16, 2007, 11:59 pm »

I was just recently offered an sm internship at the Eugene O'Neill for the summer.  I was wondering if anyone has ever worked there.  I would love to hear some stories of what I might expect from my summer.

Thanks!
Lauren

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Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: I need some serious help!

« on: Apr 06, 2007, 12:02 pm »

just wanted to update you all.....so i didn't walk away(although i really wanted to, i never actually would).....i had a meeting with the teacher of the class and the directors and book writer.  it was decided that they would have one day to see a run and of the show as it now stands and then one day to rewrite whatever needed to be done.  the faculty member who was coming in to "help" saw the run and then decided to the show needed to be completely rewritten and therefore reblocked.  they gave the cast a night off to do all the work so it's ready for rehearsal on saturday.  i know a lot of you commented on how in the real world things change all the time, and i totally know and understand that, but that's not how it was established it was going to happen for this class project.  We had set a freeze date so the volunteer actor/students could learn their new characters.  It was more the idea of saying that the script was frozen and then unfreezing it and making a brand new show as opposed to just making changes that i feel was really wrong...not sure if that makes sense to anyone but me.  I just feel like it's a really unprofessional thing to do, to just change your mind b/c you feel like it at this point...the cast is literally learning an entirely different show 1 week before tech and 2 weeks before opening.  my goal at this point is to just go in and do my job being as positive as i can, all the actors are my friends and i know they would walk away if something else happens.  we just all want to get through it at this point.

25

Students and Novice Stage Managers / I need some serious help!

« on: Apr 04, 2007, 02:39 am »

so i need some serious help....tonight i had the rehearsal from hell.  just to set you up, here's the deal.  i'm a bfa sm student at the university of miami and i'm in producing class.  the class is taught by broadway producer, barry brown and the purpose of the one year long course is to produce a new musical and everyone in the class has a job.  so of course i'm the stage manager and a fellow stage manager (student) is the director.  so it's a brand new work and things change, i get that.  the book writer, composer, and lyricist wouldn't sit in  a room together to work things out so big serious things like entire scenes, songs, and even characters were being argued about and changed in rehearsal in front of the actors, we didn't have an ending till a week ago.  so i was out for a week because i was very ill and the director filled in for me bc she is an sm.  so i come back a week later to find the show in complete chaos.  the actors were getting new complete scripts every night and they were not happy.  did i mention they were volunteering all their free time for this show?  anyway, the equity deputy (we're not equity but we run by equity rules) came up to me the night i got back and said the cast was extremely unhappy and ready to walk away if something doesn't change, they wanted the script frozen.  at this point we tech in two weeks and they reblocked the show 3 times because of all the changes.  so we had many meetings with the book writer and composer and lyricist and finally finalized the script, it was completely frozen.  then tonight, the director got really frustrated and broke down hysterically crying in front of the cast.  She went on and on about how she was sorry she was doing such a bad job and how she didn't know what she was doing and she had no help and no choreographer, and she had to fill in for me, and on and on with excuses.  this put the actors in a really awkward position to say the least.  then a faculty member came in and took over the show and as of tomorrow is reblocking it again.  what happened to frozen you ask?  out the window the second the teacher came in...none of the actors are going to turn to the teacher and say no please don't reblock the whole show that we're teching in a week.  so i'm this close to walking away from the whole project b/c i don't believe in what the director has done and is doing.  I mean what do you think, the cast is about to walk away, we open in 2 weeks, the script and score are supposed to be frozen, and now the teacher is "helping" (completely redoing himself) the entire show.  I think it's just not right.  what do you think, am i being ridiculous for thinking this is wrong and unprofessional to keep changing after the freeze date when we open in 2 weeks and the actors are unhappy?

26

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Stage Management Observation

« on: Mar 26, 2007, 06:52 pm »

Thank you all soooo much for your help!
I was lucky enough to observe Les Mis on broadway while I was home for spring break so I got the observation finished.

Lauren

27

College and Graduate Studies / Re: BA or BFA

« on: Mar 15, 2007, 04:50 pm »

I'm in the BFA Stage Management Program at the University of Miami and it is absolutely perfect for me.  I'm not a huge fan of math classes and science classes that I know I'll never need again.  X=pie isn't really my favorite thing.  At UM we take many classes in stage management but are also required to take a moderate number of liberal arts classes.  We also are required to take theatre classes in all fields such as design, production, management, script analysis, directing, producing, and even acting.  The goal in the SM program which is a conservatory program is to take classes in everything so you are a well rounded stage manager.  The program is small so we have the opportunity to ASM, SM, or PSM mainstage every semester!  I think the BA/BFA decision is up to you and what kind of program you're looking for.  For me a small conservatory program where I could be extremely involved was exactly what I needed and wanted.

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Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Stage Management Observation

« on: Mar 04, 2007, 11:26 am »

the middle/end of april....(end of our semester)

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Tools of the Trade / Re: Condom reference??

« on: Mar 02, 2007, 11:21 am »

latex medical gloves also work...

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Students and Novice Stage Managers / NEWBIES: Tech Advice

« on: Feb 10, 2007, 12:53 am »

So I'm a student at the University of Miami where I'm PSMing Brighton Beach Memoirs in the round.  This will be my first time calling a show and I just found out I'll be calling from behind a scrim.  We go into tech on Tuesday and I'm really nervous about the whole process.  I've always been an ASM so being out in the front makes me a little nervous.  Any words of wisdom or advice for my first time teching and calling (especially in the round?!)

Thanks so much!!!
Lauren