Messages

16

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: ESCRIPTS Archive June 09-Dec. 10

« on: Dec 26, 2010, 08:37 pm »

My summer season...   I would love copies of any/all of these...


Neil Simon's "Rumors"
"Chicago"
"Joseph... Dreamcoat"
Agatha Cristie's "A Murder is Announced"
"The Smell of the Kill"
"Souvenir"


Please email to ' ejbehnke AT yahoo.com '

Thanks in advance
Eric

17

Tools of the Trade / Re: Android Phone Apps

« on: Dec 04, 2010, 11:32 pm »

Surely the biggest problem with using a mobile (cell) phone is that if the DMX cable's aren't protected properly any calls, message or other cell communication could trigger that awful sound through your house speakers. (of course that's what flight mode is for I guess)

Just to clarify so no one gets confused about inaccurate information.   DMX is a control cable for lighting.    The sound cables that I believe you are mentioning are XLR.   You make a good point though, cell phones can definitely affect sound systems and also the clearcom systems in most theatres.

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The Green Room / Re: Funnest Tech Run Ever

« on: Dec 03, 2010, 10:17 pm »

I'm not sure about funniest moment... but while in college, we did Macbeth.   (its actually the only show that I have ever acted in... very poorly I might add...)    Anyway... it was one of longest tech days ever (especially for my school), we started around 1pm and ended up staying until past midnight.  Somewhere around dinner time, we are at the banquet scene and paused for lighting issues.  So we are all sitting around the banquet table when suddenly the guy playing MacDuff pokes his head through a trap door in the set and says "I'm ordering pizza, you guys want anything?".  It gave us all a great laugh and relieved some of the stress.      The unfortunate thing is that we were still in that scene when the Pizza arrived a little later.....

19

Tools of the Trade / Re: Android Phone Apps

« on: Nov 27, 2010, 11:52 pm »

I switched from Blackberry to the Verizon Droid X at the end of the summer.   I have been waiting for the iphone to come to Verizon for a long time, but like BalletPSM, I got sick of waiting.   

The droid marketplace has a large number of apps that are available, both for free and for small fees.   Some are useful for SM, others are just plain fun to have.  (I have fallen in love with "Useless Facts" just for the fun worthless info that it provides   )     At any rate, I already have gmail and so it was easy to make all of my email and such work well together.    The app Marketplace grows everyday and so I suspect that within a few years, it will probably come very close to rivaling the iphone app store.

All of that being said, ultimately, it comes down to what you like.  While there are a lot of similarities between the Android phones and the iphone, there are also a lot of differences so you just need to play with both and figure out what you like.  There other thing to keep in mind is that there is only 1 iphone (okay... 4...  the original, the 3g, the 3gs and now the 4 - but they are all basically the same software, just with more advanced features, and all made/distributed by Apple) however, Android is just an operating system and there are  A LOT of different manufacturers making phones that use that operating systems and some of them work much better than others.

My suggestion is do your research and then try it out!
Good luck!

20

Tools of the Trade / Re: Your own headset

« on: Jul 23, 2010, 11:25 pm »

I am personally partial to the Telex PH-88.  Its an older ultra-light, but it still works great.  I seem to remember paying around $150 for it, but that was about 8 years ago.  I have no idea what they cost now.

21

Tools of the Trade / Re: Paperless World

« on: Jul 04, 2010, 12:27 am »

I have to agree with Matthew and Kay and others about the Virtual Callboard (or at least only using a virtual callboard).  However, for sharing other information, I have recently started using Dropbox (see Planetmike's post).   Its great because it stores the file on the server and everyone just accesses it.  You don't actually download the file or anything, it updates online.     Oh.. and its free!

22

Tools of the Trade / Re: [FAQ] Electronic Prompt Copies

« on: Jun 17, 2010, 07:40 pm »

I fall somewhere in the middle of the discussion.  I scan all of my scripts using the simple OCR program that came with my scanner software.  Depending on the quality of the script I am working from, I probably get somewhere between 60-95% accuracy.     I then go through the electronic version to correct errors and reformat it to resemble the script.  I don't get really picky, but I like it to be close enough that at a glance, it looks the same as the original.  I ALWAYS make sure that pages line up with the original.  I then print out the script and use it the old fashioned way with paper/pencil.   The reason I like to start from electronic is so that I know I am always starting from a completely clean script.  (none of the photo-copy lines or smudges, etc).   I also like to set up my book with the script on the left side and blocking notes on the right, so the cues end up on the left hand margin of the script.  Using word, I can also adjust the margins to give me extra space.  Its time consuming, but I don't think it takes too much longer than standing at a copy machine for a few hours.  Plus, if I ever do the show again, the major part of the work is already done!

23

The Green Room / Re: Tony Awards

« on: Jun 14, 2010, 01:45 pm »

There were a lot of stage managers listed for the Tony's... but its also important to remember, that in this case the stage managers will function more as a "TV/ Movie" stage manager than a traditional theatre SM.  Although I do not know for sure, I would bet that there is no stage manager calling cues for the Tony awards.  (at at least not 1 single person).      The majority of the audience is viewers at home, so the jobs are broken down following the TV protocols.  There were 10 stage managers listed, but they were really acting more as deck managers... trying to wrangle everyone into their correct places.  The lighting cues are all being called by the lighting director in the production truck, the video cues by the video, etc, etc. 

24

The Green Room / Re: Tony Awards

« on: Jun 14, 2010, 12:06 am »

The Tony's are supposed to be the biggest night to show off the best of the best for the American theatre industry.   Unfortunately, the last two years in particular were awful from the production side of things.  (personally, I was also unimpressed by many of the people as well... but that way off topic).  I know people that have worked on the Tonys in the past and they always say that everything is crazy, but it seems pretty simple to do a sound check, make sure people have the right mic, etc... and then to make sure that everyone know the running order.  A lot of this just seems like Theatre 101 type stuff...

Congrats to all the winners, and hopefully things will go better next year.

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Stage Management: Other / Re: Re: Risk Assessment

« on: Jun 13, 2010, 01:56 pm »

Wow!  I have never heard of this, but its interesting that they require that on every show.   As part of our job, we are all safety conscious, but this seems a little ridiculous.   Is this a "lawyer thing" or does it actually have basis in reality?

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Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Saving Old Scripts

« on: Jun 13, 2010, 11:47 am »

I used to keep all of my old promptbooks (re-using the binders of course) in a box in either my storage unit or my room.  However, over the past year, I realized that it is kind of absurd to hang onto them all.   Especially because the majority of them come from Children's Theatre and/ or Summer Stock, I know the shows will never do a complete remount.  So, in the past year or so, I have started recycling them all.   I still keep one or two prompt scripts so that I have a portfolio piece incase someone ever asks to see one of my books.  (That has only happened to me once.)

Of course, all personal information gets removed from the book as soon as the show closes.

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Tools of the Trade / Re: What gloves do you use when you're pulling ropes?

« on: Jun 12, 2010, 09:34 pm »

I almost always use fingerless gloves... currently, I am using regular fingerless work gloves (Home Depot).  I have also used weight lifting gloves which work okay. I tried bicycling gloves once, but I tore them up too fast.  I am really intrigued by the sailing gloves that everyone is recommending.  Can someone point me to a good website and/or store for them.

On the occasion that I am doing something where I want full fingered gloves... they are almost always mechanics.

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Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: REHEARSALS: Giving line notes

« on: Jun 05, 2010, 10:52 pm »

Assuming that I am able to keep up with pace of the actors... I usually try to do line notes for any missed line.  Even if it is the first time.  I know that actors sometimes have off days or a bad portion, but if we don't mention it to them, they may never realize that they had a problem with that section and subsequently, they re-memorize it incorrectly.      In cases where they are exceptionally bad, I have also been known to simply say "all of page 15", etc.

I should also say, that while, I have never emailed out line notes, I have heard of other companies that do that... 

good lucl

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The Green Room / Re: Should SMNetwork ban all classroom assignments?

« on: May 12, 2010, 04:37 pm »

While I usually agree with Mac on most topics, in this case, I share a different view.   

I am a relatively new member to the forum and while I do not respond often, I do read through posts frequently.   A couple of you have suggested requiring a certain number of posts before being able to start a new thread.    I need to disagree with this philosophy.  The reason I joined SMNetwork in the first place was because I had a question and needed a place to ask it.  I ended up not needing to create a brand new thread, but that ability brought me into the community and got me started. 

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Tools of the Trade / Re: Set Changes Software

« on: May 02, 2010, 12:26 am »

I don't know of any software specifically for this purpose.    I have always created this type of form in Excel (or choose or spreadsheet program).    Its a relatively simple form to create.   If you get really into the formulas, then you could even get it to break the form down for you.   The other "easy" option is to create a database (ie... Microsoft Access or similar).   If the database is set up correctly, then it will do all of the breakdowns automatically.

Good luck!