Messages

16

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Cast Gifts/Thank Yous?

« on: Apr 02, 2008, 11:07 am »

This is a dangerous precedent... a nice note next to the sign in sheet to everyone, plenty. No one would appreciate it if I baked, and I do not have the time or money to do something for everyone. On the road, I sometimes get funny postcards from wherever we are and give them, but some cities just aren't funny (Red Bank, NJ pops to mind).

Not to be corny, but your best gift is a smooth run show.

I do like the idea of a "platter" as long as there is a place to put it that does not end up being a mess backstage or getting all over the frocks.

17

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Set Modifications the SM's responsibility?!?!?

« on: Apr 02, 2008, 11:01 am »

If it has to do with safety of the actors, then it is indeed your responsibility, not to do the actual work, although it will get someone's attention if you start doing it. Here at the Opera, I insisted it be in the contractual language of both IA and AGMA that the PSM can delay rehearsal or performance until any technical, scenic or lighting problem that could cause injury to a performer is fixed. I only use this when ALL else fails. Verbal communication of your concern directly to the TD or Master Carpenter is always a better step than mass distribution through notes... then, you have the position of "I have asked to have the wobbly steps fixed but to no avail, and we cannot rehearse on them again until fixed" type note in your next report.

Educational theater is a bitch, especially when it comes to faculty TDs who think every actor or stage manager is a fool and a scaredy cat and a pain, but rise above their level and ask nicely and if that doesn't work, go over his/her head to department heads, etc. I have worked with theater depts for years and have never figured out what their particular problem is... territory, laziness, posturing pedanticness, or just plain a-- hole, they come in so many shapes and types and sizes... good luck, and just know we have all faced this same stone wall; you, too, will figure out a way to cope, and then share it with us.

18

College and Graduate Studies / Re: Stage Management Colleges

« on: Mar 22, 2008, 12:27 pm »

Good idea! Undergrad is only good if you arrive with some experience; you will spend two yesr on running crews and then get some SM qassignments.. so, yes, go to BA in Drama and then graduate program at Rutgers.. you will get more out of both.

Tom

19

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Peter Pan

« on: Mar 20, 2008, 09:55 am »

FOY!

20

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: sound cue debate - letters or numbers

« on: Mar 20, 2008, 09:53 am »

Put sound on a cue light. This avoids them having to wear headsets and you the aggravation of confusing meshing of numbers. You are right, but..... like the director, the light designer and the actor... the customer is always right. What you gain in fighting will be lost in the bruhaha. Another thing you might do in your book to alleviate confusion is use red or green pencil for sound and black or blue for light cues. Whatever, stop fighting... enjoy....

Tom Kelly

21

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Meeting Minutes [part venting]

« on: Feb 22, 2008, 11:32 am »

You are all aware of course that a camel is a race horse as designed and defined in a production meeting.

Tom

22

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Meeting Minutes [part venting]

« on: Feb 20, 2008, 05:04 pm »

Minutes should be kept when management asks for them.

Otherwise, keep accurate notes in your book to refer back on if there is a dispute.

Also, the tech notes on daily reports can be used to diseminate anything that is going to "affect everyone".

The worst thing a stage manager can do is start quoting and sending out minutes of creative discussions that will lead participants to stop having the stage manager present or holding back in their discussions.

Common sense is a good guide, and if management doesn't ask, don't print and diseminate anytthing.

Just my opinion

23

The Green Room / Re: SMs in media?

« on: Feb 18, 2008, 11:26 am »

Bob Fosse's actual stage manager, Phil Freidman, is the stage manager in All That Jazz, where Roy Scheider plays Fosse, and many "real" Broadway people play themselves in an exact replica of the old Broadway Arts Rehearsal studios... indeed, anyone who wants to see what it was like on Broadway in the 60s/70s, just rent this fine film and see. But Phil is fabulous in the movie just being himself; he was a great guy, and I had the fun of working with him on two occasions.

Tom Kelly

24

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Your Prompt Book - Left or Right?

« on: Feb 15, 2008, 01:05 pm »

I have always kept two books, a "directing" book and a calling book with minimal blocking, only as it applies to cues.... as such, it has always seemed best to put the pages on the right and use the left for quick notes, etc. When taking blocking, I usually have one quickly annotated book, sometimes messy and besmudged with eraseures and then a "neat" book after opening with stage direction on the left side, stage diagrams for large crown or chorus numbers, etc.

Here at the Opera, we use the same books over and over, so the format and style must be the same so that any SM in any season can pick up the book and run the desk or deck SL and SR. Our "rep" shows often only have one stage rehearsal before opening, so accuracy and clarity and non-personalization is very important... no one should have to ever figure out what the various symbols, etc mean, or whole measures and pages can go by in a trice!!!!

25

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Do you call from house or backstage?

« on: Feb 15, 2008, 12:57 pm »

Well, maybe... I called Fortune and Men's Eyes backstage at Actor's Playhouse (and ran lights)... it was fine. Also ran show backstage at the Provincetown, Jan Hus, etc. The fist time I wasn't backstage was in tent musicals, as there is no backstage. Then, I go a job at the Beaumont, and the deck sms were backstage (duh), but we called rfom the booth, both upstairs and downstairs. It was weird at first, but... it did allow one to do acting notes and call the show. Another place I used a booth was Cirle in the square downtown, as there was no place to call other than the little crow's nest.

Anyway, I am happier backstage when calling and of course out front if taking director notes on a run. On Broadway shows during the run, I would usually call the show 2-3 times a week and watch from the front 4-5 times a week...

The thing is, all new theaters seem to be directed towards the booth calling, and as many of these are in university or large arts complexes, many SMs only understand how to call from a booth, and that is a shame.

26

College and Graduate Studies / Re: Did/Do you attend Rutgers?

« on: Feb 13, 2008, 04:29 pm »

BFA's take class and work alongside the MFAs, often having their own shows by Junior year and definitely senior year, and they assist and run props and costumes, etc etc.....

27

College and Graduate Studies / Re: Did/Do you attend Rutgers?

« on: Feb 13, 2008, 12:18 pm »

I posted elsewhere that I taught there and helped shape the progam a little... what I know is you work there; you do not sit on your butt while some self important dweeb or dweebette waxes on about the real world of stage management when they themselves have never been there. The staff there is very professional, the productions you get to stage manage are on a medium LORT size level, and it is about the work, not philosophies... you get to be hands on very quickly, from running crew to asm to sm....

TAK

28

College and Graduate Studies / Re: Stage Management Colleges

« on: Feb 13, 2008, 12:10 pm »

I taught at Rutgers for thirteen yeas, and the best thing about it is that you GET TO STAGE MANAGE. So many colleges do not do full productions, and you get stuck with some student thesis or overly self important faculty directors, etc. At Rutgers, it is basically olike a LORT C theater, a variety of spaces.. thrust, proscenium, black box, etc. They do productions fully supported with sets, lights and costumes designed either by MFA students or NYC Professionals... it is a lot more stimulating than most places I have taught, spoken or visited.

It is also close to NYC which gives you the advantage of dropping in on the real world often.. they also sometimes help out with the Opera program, work at George Street Playhouse, etc.

You get a VERY well rounded experience with tech and running crew assignments and classes leading to ASM and SM assignments.

The other colleges I would recommend are University of Missouri which works hand and hand with Missouri Rep (or did), North Carolina School of the Arts and Emerson.

I believe we all learn by doing, so be sure you go someplace where you get to do it, not just talk about it....

TAK

29

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Do you call from house or backstage?

« on: Feb 12, 2008, 02:26 pm »

If God meant SMs to call from a booth, he would have installed them in theaters before the late sixties.... backstage is where the person running a show needs to be, out font is where the person responsible for watching the show and taking performance notes should be. If you are in a situation where as PSM or Calling SM, you are esponsible for both, well, then maybe the booth is ok, but if you are cueing a show and running it from the front, the quality of one aspect or the other is going to slip...

Just my opinion...

30

Tools of the Trade / Re: Spike corners

« on: Feb 07, 2008, 03:33 pm »

If the Stage Management God meant all spike corners to be the same size, it would have made all furniture protruberences the same size... ridiculous waste of money.

TAK