16
Employment / Re: Dubai Opera Job Postings
« on: Mar 16, 2016, 06:15 pm »
KMC, which job roles in particular are you looking at? All the roles I can see are Stage Staff, not SM roles.
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17
Tools of the Trade / Re: Purchasing Gaff and Spike Tape
« on: Mar 06, 2016, 01:45 pm »
Not going to help you in the slightest Ruth, but a good portion of us in the UK will order from Flints, an independent theatrical and sailing suppliers. A large quantity is best ordered directly from Le Mark or Pro Tapes.
C
C
18
Tools of the Trade / Re: Hummus That Won't Stain?
« on: Mar 06, 2016, 01:43 pm »
TIL that hummus stains! I had no idea...
19
Introductions / Re: Preshow Announcement
« on: Mar 06, 2016, 07:56 am »
I wouldn't for non-firing. If there's shots, I'd put signs up in FoH, or in the programme (or both!). Pre-show Announcement (presumably you mean along with 'please turn off phones', etc?) seems like a strange place to do this for me.
20
Tools of the Trade / Re: PROPS: Putting out lit cigarettes placed in clear ashtrays
« on: Feb 29, 2016, 07:15 pm »
Don't know about with you, but lube is a bit more expensive here!
21
Tools of the Trade / Re: PROPS: Putting out lit cigarettes placed in clear ashtrays
« on: Feb 29, 2016, 12:11 pm »
Hi Jonas,
I've used vaseline before as well - you need to heat it a little to make the vaseline more pliable, and then pour it into the ashtray. It gets pretty disghusting after a while, and would need scraping out regularly.
My go-to is a clear shower gel (Sanex and Simple are good options here in the UK), which may make a noise. My first thought is jiust using a small amount, getting the cast to stub out the cigarette in a dry portion of the tray, then into the gel. This would get rid of most of the sizzle that might exist.
C
I've used vaseline before as well - you need to heat it a little to make the vaseline more pliable, and then pour it into the ashtray. It gets pretty disghusting after a while, and would need scraping out regularly.
My go-to is a clear shower gel (Sanex and Simple are good options here in the UK), which may make a noise. My first thought is jiust using a small amount, getting the cast to stub out the cigarette in a dry portion of the tray, then into the gel. This would get rid of most of the sizzle that might exist.
C
22
Stage Management: Other / Re: Opera tips
« on: Feb 16, 2016, 11:05 am »
Hi, just finding all your posts!
I do a WWW for every opera I do, and started when working with a US SM! I find it really useful when making Wardrobe Run sheets, and working out how long changes are, where they are, etc. I also find it useful when we're restarting during stage sessions, to work out who's onstage. In the mass of blocking, I find it an easier way to find the pertinent information quickly. Happy to send you a copy if you like?
I also do timings for all the reasons MitchieSM mentioned above! I write the time in a square underneath the system.
C
I do a WWW for every opera I do, and started when working with a US SM! I find it really useful when making Wardrobe Run sheets, and working out how long changes are, where they are, etc. I also find it useful when we're restarting during stage sessions, to work out who's onstage. In the mass of blocking, I find it an easier way to find the pertinent information quickly. Happy to send you a copy if you like?
I also do timings for all the reasons MitchieSM mentioned above! I write the time in a square underneath the system.
C
23
Introductions / Re: British DSM checking in!
« on: Feb 16, 2016, 10:49 am »
Hi, and welcome!
Another Brit here - how's Leeds going?
C
PS - I'm one of those who have the script/score on the right!
Another Brit here - how's Leeds going?
C
PS - I'm one of those who have the script/score on the right!
24
Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: COSTUMES: How involved do you get with costumes and wardrobe?
« on: Jan 25, 2016, 12:29 pm »
I will always produce a run sheet, usually prior to tech. I'll go through it with Designer, Costume Supervisor and Head of Wardrobe as well, change anything they request, and then hand it off. It gives them a very strong head start, and I've never had any bad reactions (that I know of) to doing this for them.
25
Employment / Re: Worst Job Offers?
« on: Jan 15, 2016, 06:06 am »
Ha! Sorry, fit up is a another word for get-in/load-in/bump....usually used in a static-show environment, as opposed to a touring one. Must be a UK thing, I didn't realise!
26
Employment / Re: Worst Job Offers?
« on: Jan 07, 2016, 07:53 pm »
Oh god so many!
My second job after leaving uni was for a 'friend' who was 'producing' a 'play' in a fringe theatre. It was a two-hander, and there was me as SM, the director, the producer, and an LD.
Four weeks of propping, rehearsals, sourcing and fitting costumes, re-writing the script, designing sound, and a week of performances for the grand total of....(Drum Roll please).....£250($365). On the other side of one of the most expensive cities in the world.
WHAT I LEARNED ON THIS GIG - There are occasions that it's better to be unemployed, and working for a loss is a real possibility.
Shortly after this, I had an interview for a touring dance company as Head of Stage (or so I thought). I was offered the gig, and I accepted. Well, it was a relatively decent salary (although it was a buyout - I don't really remember knowing that there were other options out there), it would be my first tour, it went to some good venues, and it was something different.
Fast forward to the fit up, and I'm told the video truck had arrived, and could I unload it and set it all up. What on earth, I hear you ask? It turns out that the HoS for this company has 'always' also been the Video Tech. When they asked me at the interview what my experience with video was, I answered 'I've done a little plugging and playing with a desktop projector, but nothing bigger than that.' And we're talking about a ton of equipment, servers, multiple projectors playing the various media, long Ethernet runs.... The rest of that day involved a LOT of Googling and ringing friends for help.
Fast forward two weeks, and I'm on the edge of collapse. 90 hour weeks, daily travel between venues, a different fit up, venue, and strike each day, and a horrible environment from the other technician, the dancers, the directors of the company certainly didn't help, but the video really was the straw that broke the camel's back. When the rig worked, great - I could do what had worked in one venue in the next. However, when something changed, or something didn't work, I was screwed - and I had ZERO knowledge on video troubleshooting.
Anyway, I got fired (They didn't think I was the right fit), and it's probably been one of the better things to happen at the statt of my career.
WHAT I LEARNED ON THIS GIG: It's OK to admit you are out of your depth, and it's OK to not be amazing at everything. It's also OK not to be best friends with the whole company.
That's the first two that spring to mind, though it's not the best writing I've ever done.....
C
My second job after leaving uni was for a 'friend' who was 'producing' a 'play' in a fringe theatre. It was a two-hander, and there was me as SM, the director, the producer, and an LD.
Four weeks of propping, rehearsals, sourcing and fitting costumes, re-writing the script, designing sound, and a week of performances for the grand total of....(Drum Roll please).....£250($365). On the other side of one of the most expensive cities in the world.
WHAT I LEARNED ON THIS GIG - There are occasions that it's better to be unemployed, and working for a loss is a real possibility.
Shortly after this, I had an interview for a touring dance company as Head of Stage (or so I thought). I was offered the gig, and I accepted. Well, it was a relatively decent salary (although it was a buyout - I don't really remember knowing that there were other options out there), it would be my first tour, it went to some good venues, and it was something different.
Fast forward to the fit up, and I'm told the video truck had arrived, and could I unload it and set it all up. What on earth, I hear you ask? It turns out that the HoS for this company has 'always' also been the Video Tech. When they asked me at the interview what my experience with video was, I answered 'I've done a little plugging and playing with a desktop projector, but nothing bigger than that.' And we're talking about a ton of equipment, servers, multiple projectors playing the various media, long Ethernet runs.... The rest of that day involved a LOT of Googling and ringing friends for help.
Fast forward two weeks, and I'm on the edge of collapse. 90 hour weeks, daily travel between venues, a different fit up, venue, and strike each day, and a horrible environment from the other technician, the dancers, the directors of the company certainly didn't help, but the video really was the straw that broke the camel's back. When the rig worked, great - I could do what had worked in one venue in the next. However, when something changed, or something didn't work, I was screwed - and I had ZERO knowledge on video troubleshooting.
Anyway, I got fired (They didn't think I was the right fit), and it's probably been one of the better things to happen at the statt of my career.
WHAT I LEARNED ON THIS GIG: It's OK to admit you are out of your depth, and it's OK to not be amazing at everything. It's also OK not to be best friends with the whole company.
That's the first two that spring to mind, though it's not the best writing I've ever done.....
C
27
Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Writing the Show in Rehearsals
« on: Jan 07, 2016, 07:38 pm »
Make sure you are NOT responsible for typing the script up, or keeping it updated!
However, I would suggest making some flash cards of each scene on a binder ring or a treasury tag, and the general picture of each scene, who's onstage, what's needed, etc. Than you can use these to keep it in front of you while still in development, and will make it easy to swap the order around if necessary.
C
However, I would suggest making some flash cards of each scene on a binder ring or a treasury tag, and the general picture of each scene, who's onstage, what's needed, etc. Than you can use these to keep it in front of you while still in development, and will make it easy to swap the order around if necessary.
C
28
Stage Management: Other / Re: What to do if the music won't play?
« on: Dec 28, 2015, 08:12 am »If you can get it resolved in 10-12 minutes at the most, it's better than giving refunds.
And then there's my last press night with a show stop of 75 minutes.....
29
The Green Room / Re: Can anyone name the SM & Production in this photo?
« on: Dec 15, 2015, 07:54 am »
This blog (http://www.onstageblog.com/columns/2015/7/25/and-the-tony-for-best-stage-manaer-goes-to) states that it's Joanna Fookes, the Education Programme Co-ordinator at McCallum Theatre, in Palm Desert CA.
C
C
30
Employment / Re: Stage Management Salary
« on: Dec 05, 2015, 08:43 pm »
I had to do a bit of adding up, and then converting into USD. I'm on an average of about $750 a week, freelancing on non-Equity in the UK. But this year has been filled with very commercial contracts, and less artsy stuff than I am normally doing.