Messages

16

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / PEOPLE: Cures for bad habits of board ops?

« on: Dec 06, 2004, 01:00 am »

OK, I'm going through a strange (or maybe not so strange) problem. I have two sound board ops who are sharing the run of an extremely sound critical show. They each have a different terrible reaction when things go wrong. One of them will immediately rip off his headset and try desperately to fix the problem, of course not able to listen to me instruct him on what I want to do next, nor tell me the status of the problem; the other starts talking nonstop about what is going on and what he is doing, so that I have to shut him up to call other cues or try to tell him what I want him to do. Each of these ops (good ops, on every other show I've had them on) has caused what could have been a well-managed hiccup to turn into a show-damaging disaster on this run. I have spoken rationally to them, I have tried humor to ease their pressure while reminding them of the need for perfect sound on this show, I have asked them if they'd rather be replaced if this show is too stressful for them, I have tried fining them for these habits, nothing has worked. The smallest thing doesn't go as planned and they instinctively cut themselves off from me. And I'm not even scary! Does anyone have any other suggestions, stories?

17

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / warnings verses stanbys . . another poll

« on: Dec 01, 2004, 10:14 pm »

I don't really like the warning either, but my board ops really do, so I give it to them. On the slow shows that require it, it's at least something to do besides watching the show. Again.

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Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Lights? Electrics? Elex? What do you say?

« on: Dec 01, 2004, 10:12 pm »

I was actually just going over standby procedures with a new SM at my company. I do tend to call a collective standby if there are several cues within a page or sequence- I'll call "standby lights 14 through 22, sound Dx through G and fog." and then just call each one by name to go as we get there. It keeps my board ops quiet, and I can get all the cues out of my mouth in time. Some folks have called that lazy, but I think of it as efficient.
Sound board ops, if they are running a show off a computer, like Audition, do need a warning to have time to load up the correct cue. Same with a minidisk, those take a few seconds to be ready if they weren't cued up after the last cue.
My favorite was calling "My Fair Lady" in dinner theatre in 1984, before CDs or minidisk or anything fancy. Higgins is running around turning on all the dictaphone things, and each one was a seperate tape deck, 5 in all including a reel-to-reel, and they are all going to have to stop at once. The "standby" was the sound man with both hands on the power strip plug, and the "go" was for him to rip the whole power supply out of the wall. Ah, the good old days...

19

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / cumbersome scene shifts

« on: Dec 01, 2004, 10:00 pm »

I think my favorite wasn't really a shift, but a mass cleanup after a cream pie fight in the round, 15 pies thrown total, and it all had to be cleaned up (including the front row of the audience all the way around) in 6 lines, just before the tap number. 4 acting interns in jumpsuits with towels and mops scurrying to get every drop of cream off the floor so that none of the 12 tappers would slip. It's a wonder anyone survived any part of that show....

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Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / warnings verses stanbys . . another poll

« on: Nov 16, 2004, 09:12 pm »

Usually, just standby and go, but if there is a gap of more than 3 minutes between one cue and the next, I give a "1-minute warning" about a page before the next cue so that operator can wake up, put away his Gameboy, whatever, and be actually ready for a standby when it comes.

21

The Hardline / To Go Union or Not to Go Union

« on: Nov 09, 2004, 08:17 pm »

I totally agree, that you need to weigh all these cost/benefit comparisons. I would also add, that being non-union for as long as you can widens your network and makes you available for more work, period, even if it doesn't pay as much as an AEA contract might. The economy is not great, and theatre economies are even worse right now. You would be competing with out-of-work AEA SMs with much more experience and contacts than you have, and that will make it very diffcult to find a job, especially in a saturated market like NYC.
I am a huge advocate for the union, and at the same time I wouldn't have had the full-time PSM job that I've had for the last three years if I'd taken my card for a short-term gig when it was offered.
Just my two cents.

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Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Lights? Electrics? Elex? What do you say?

« on: Oct 18, 2004, 03:57 pm »

I usually say "lights" and "sound", and currently I have cue lights for the rail and fog and turntable. As for lettering sound cues, I do like it on the shows that I have only a handful, but it does get weird when there are too many or when you have to add one in between. During a particularly long tech, when we were all a bit punchy, we had to add a sound cue between two letters. The board op asked me what I wanted to call it, and I called it "Bob." So it was "Sound Bob, Go." Later in the run we added a SQ Joe....

23

SMNetwork Archives / Moving to NYC- any job advice?

« on: Oct 06, 2004, 09:27 pm »

I am non-union right now, though I have plenty of experience in union houses and with guest contracts. I would be very grateful for any leads. I know I am coming in a little off-season, and I will probably temp for a bit if I can't get SM work. I will be in the city the last week of October to talk to some people, so anything you have I'd be thrilled. Thank you so much!

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SMNetwork Archives / Moving to NYC- any job advice?

« on: Aug 27, 2004, 04:53 pm »

A family tragedy has necessitated a quick move to NYC this December. I have some connections, and a few leads, but kind of anemic. Does anyone know the best group to which to send mass communication unsolicited? Of casting offices, agents, or directly to the companies, which is the most direct route to work?

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Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Gunmaster -- any experience?

« on: Aug 27, 2004, 04:49 pm »

It's a good investment of time and resources for a set of weapons lockboxes to be built for the theatre, one that can house swords, one guns, and one larger things like axes and shields.
My theatre goes so far as to require anyone handling a firearm to initial and sign a set of safety and handling rules, so if anything happens and Equity wants to know if the actor/crew member was properly instructed, we have the paperwork.
And one more thing we do when handing off a gun: as you hand off the weapon, we say, "live weapon." This can remind an actor a they go into a charged-up scene what it is they have in their hand. I don't know how truly useful it is, but I have had actors mention often that they appreciate hearing it, it grounds them in their responsibility.