Messages

151

The Hardline / Re: Deputy on a One Man Show

« on: Apr 14, 2009, 09:49 pm »

I was once an Equity ASM on a show with about 10 people, none of whom wanted to be deputy.  The idea was brought up of me being deputy, but a call was made to Equity, and we were told that the deputy couldn’t be from stage management.  This was SPT, and a couple years ago, and maybe that position was taken because there were in fact other actors, however reluctant, to choose from.  It made sense to me that SMs not be deputy candidates, since the deputy is meant to work with stage management to resolve issues; we work with ourselves all the time, so an actor’s perspective can be really helpful.  It would also  be nice if your actor felt a responsibility to be deputy, so he could proudly do his part in making sure the rules of our union (a union which provides him with a minimum salary and a slew of other protections) are upheld.  But you already know that!  I’d be interested to hear what Equity does tell you about this situation.  Whatever the outcome, I hope it doesn’t create tension between you and the actor.

152

The Hardline / Re: Considering Going Equity

« on: Mar 06, 2009, 09:53 pm »

This is a big question, and the key to answering it is to do your homework on Equity and  figure out if it’s a good match with your personal goals.   Here are some specifies to consider:

-Earning points is only one way to join Equity.  The other is just to find a theater that wants to hire you on an Equity contract, sign that contract, pay a deposit toward your initiation fee, and you are “in”.  So this isn’t necessarily a long term project. 

-A big benefit of Equity is that it sets minimum salaries, limits weekly & daily work hours, and requires breaks and days off at regular, set, intervals.  But not all Equity jobs are created equal.   Requirements can vary wildly by the specific type of Agreement  your  theater is operating under.   You can find out how much or how little an agreement pays on the Equity website,  actorsequity.org.  Follow the links to Document Library, then click on Agreements, and you’ll see a long list of them.  On most of these agreements, look for the Salary listing in the Table of Contents and you can see a chart detailing pay and hours. 

-If you’re joining Equity for the Benefits, be sure to read the fine print.  How much health care, if any, you can qualify for is dependent on how many weeks you work, and then you’ll still have to pay quarterly premiums.  Many contracts don’t have 401Ks.  You might qualify for a pension from Equity, but it’s again based on how much you earn.

-Having an Equity card is no guarantee that you’ll get Equity work.  Look around your area at how many theaters are Equity, and what Agreement they use.  The pay difference may not be as great as you think.  If there aren’t many Equity theaters, it could be tough to find a job.
 
If being a  Stage Manager on an Equity show is a priority, maybe take that leap of faith, which a career in theater has always been, a little farther and join the union.  If not, make sure the numbers really do add up.   

153

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Calling Script

« on: Mar 03, 2009, 11:12 am »

Using footnotes for blocking  is an interesting idea I haven’t seen before.  It has the advantage of being very neat and legible.  I’m not sure I understand your plan for writing in Qs though.   Most SMs I’ve seen write Qs in the margins, typed or handwritten, but your margins look fairly narrow for this.  Maybe you can post an example.  I’ve never felt the need to color code my call book, but I know some SMs find it useful; maybe you can see if you really need the colors before you do the extra work.

I do sometimes include blocking in my call script.  I hole punch my calling pages on the right side of the page,  and put it on the left side of my book, and have a corresponding blocking page that is hole punched on the left side, and put that on the right side of my book.  Notes on my blocking page are numbered, and I’ll either hand write those numbers on my call book where the action happens, or type the number in at the appropriate spot (bold and grey highlight).  I am not a memorizer, so I find it useful to have all the info together during tech, to remind actors where they’re going if they forget in the midst of other changes, or if designers are asking me about a character’s blocking, and so I can update blocking information as it changes.  When I’m running understudy rehearsals, I can explain what’s happening technically at the same time I give blocking notes.  Plus I just don’t have to have two binders, or one really, really fat one. 

If your whole script is already typed up with blocking the way your example is, you might as well keep blocking in as you have it, and just shrink your text to keep the pagination when you add Qs, if that’s important.  Or just go with separate scripts so you don’t invest too much energy tweaking it.  In the end there are lots of ways to set up your books, and this is a great chance for you to learn what does (or doesn’t) work for you.  Since it sounds like this is your first show, I'd suggest finding a method that is the least labor intensive; you're going to have a lot to deal, and don't want to be spending too much time creating the perfect formatting.
       

154

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Drinks on the prop list?

« on: Feb 09, 2009, 11:05 am »

It’s great that you’re paying attention to these details;  making the prop list is not necessarily easy.  On initial props lists, I tend to include more, rather than less; anything that might be a prop goes on there.   Then, discuss with the director, set designer, and prop designer/master about what they are actually envisioning.  It’s better to cross extra items off of the list than to forget something you might need.   At many theaters and colleges, the prop person will already have a list, and you can just compare your ideas with theirs, so you may want to check on that if you haven’t already.

Something like a table cloth may or may not be what the designer wants aesthetically, so I’d put it on the list with a question mark or in red or something  if you think it might be needed, but definitely ask about it.  Also, even though lots of glasses and silverware may be realistic, the director might opt to use fewer pieces for the purposes of the play (not needing as much time for characters/crew to set and strike so many items).  Yes, food and drinks are considered props, and are usually listed separately from the glass, plate, or whatever other item holds them. 

Rather than listing a total number of glasses for the play, it might be clearer if you format your prop list with Act & Scene headings, and note page numbers on which props appear, and the characters who use them.  That way it will be easier to distinguish between items set on a table in one page, and those carried on later.  PM if you’d like me to send you an example of this format.

Remember the initial prop list is just a first draft.  Things can and will change as rehearsals move forward.  Keep the design/prop team informed through rehearsal reports, but glasses and silverware shouldn’t be too hard to come by if the numbers change later, so just give it your best shot and update from there. 

155

The Hardline / SPT Rules on Post-Opening Rehearsals

« on: Feb 05, 2009, 10:53 am »

I was recently looking at the SPT rules on rehearsals after the first week of public performance, and was a little surprised.  Rule 44-I-2 says the rehearsal can be no more than 1 hour, and must be held in the hour before half-hour; let's say it's an 8pm show, with 7:30 1/2 Hour, so rehearsal 6:30-7:30pm.  But Rule 44-I-2-e says no more than 5 hours can elapse between the start of rehearsal and curtain down, which could indicate more time is available; 5-7pm Rehearsal, 7:30 1/2 Hour, 8-10pm Performance.  It seems to me that these rules are incosistent with each other, and make it pretty tough to have a brush-up rehearsal of a 2 hour play.  Am I missing something here?  If you've scheduled a post-opening rehearsal of a longer play in SPT, what rules have you referenced to explain it to actors?

 

156

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: SO MUCH PAPERWORK

« on: Jan 29, 2009, 01:31 pm »

Since you’re still early in the rehearsal process, pay attention to priorities.  It’s possible that some of what’s on your plate doesn’t need to happen immediately, so just keep it on your radar for when you have more time.  If you have a laptop, and the director is spending a few days on table work, that may be a good time for you or an assistant to generate paperwork.  Also, if your finding that some of what you’re swamped with could have been created before rehearsals started (templates for reports or daily calls, for instance), make a note now, while it’s fresh in your mind, so you can try to accomplish more in prep for your next show.

157

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Artistic Integrity?

« on: Jan 25, 2009, 08:00 pm »

I don’t feel my professional integrity as a stage manager is necessarily tied to the artistic merits of the show.   It’s more about making sure my team and I are as prepared as possible for the demands of the show;  breaks happen on schedule, backstage is well organized, schedules are clear, coffee is made, etc.  My job is to support the artistic team, even if I don’t personally enjoy their creative choices.  If a show is poorly reviewed, I wouldn’t see it as a reflection on me (unless someone on the SM team was neglectful or incompetent enough to impact the whole run, and I’ve thankfully never been in that situation).   I also find that even when I don’t love the show as a whole, I’ll be able to appreciate some aspect of it, whether it’s the lighting, or an actor with a great sense of humor.

As for subject matter and boundaries, I’ll do anything.  The uglier the better, for me.  I love plays that are messy and unpredictable, that really challenge audiences to think when they leave the theater.  Bad language and a non-politically-correct approach are fine with me if it’s part of the play’s journey.  I worked one show that dealt with race in ways that made some people very uncomfortable, and one of the actors and I talked about what to do if someone from the audience got angry enough to get on stage and challenge him. 

158

Tools of the Trade / Re: Protecting your tools

« on: Jan 09, 2009, 10:01 pm »

I have a tiny pad lock on my SM kit to dissuade people from borrowing without my knowing it.  I expect things like pencils and post-its to walk away when I set them out in rehearsals, but don’t like the idea of people digging around in my kit.   If someone wanted to rob me, they could quite easily break the lock though.  It's more prevention than protection.  I take my chances bringing in my heavy-duty hole punch (doesn’t fit in the kit) and just leaving it with rehearsal props, etc.  My nick name is scrawled on it though, and kind of like the “stolen from” thing, most  people wouldn’t  get away with using “Rebbe’s” hole punch out of context.  The laptop is another matter.  I should probably be more paranoid about it.  It comes home with me everyday, but often I rehearse or run shows from unlocked rooms, and if I don't want to lug it with me during breaks, I'll with my jacket over the top and hope for the best.  But if an actor or director asks if it's safe to leave their valuables in the rehearsal room, I'll usually advise them that I can't make promises.  I'm curious whether any SMs out there have been blamed when other people's tools/possessions get stolen.

159

The Hardline / Re: Meal break and scheduling

« on: Jan 09, 2009, 09:11 pm »

My monthly schedules are just span of day with "subject to change" ALL OVER IT!!

Same here.   Tech week and Previews might be the exception, where the end of day is set and you can easily back time for half hour, etc, or if set construction needs to be firmly scheduled in advance for the meal breaks on long rehearsal days.  Other than that, the meal break is info I'd include only on the next-day's schedule.

160

The Hardline / Re: Hardline Meal Break Expansion Thread

« on: Jan 09, 2009, 09:03 pm »

I have never had a protest from an Actor or Deputy.  Most have always wanted to put closure on a scene or run a dance sequence once more before leaving it for lunch.  And generally speaking I am pushing things by 5 to 10 minutes not half hours or hours.

That’s generally been my experience, too.  If there is one actor who seems annoyed about pushing the break back, I’ll try to go up to them and quietly explain that I’m sorry we’ve gotten off schedule, but the rules do allow us to continue working until X time.  I also agree with others who have said that AEA rules don’t require us to specify the break time.  I have had directors who don’t want to get locked into a break, so I’ll advise actors that break will be “no later than” whatever the five hour mark is.  If an actor is scheduled to arrive after a break, I’ll try to call them if we are significantly behind.  Often I know where the actors are coming to the theater from,  and whether they are close enough that knowing we are 20 minutes behind means they can wait 15 minutes to leave their house, or if they have a long commute and will already be in transit by the time I know how far behind we are.

A complication to this would be if an actor currently rehearsing wasn’t needed in the second part of the day, and therefore made another commitment for after the scheduled break time.  I work mostly SPT contracts, where many actors have jobs in addition to acting.  In that case, if we got to the scheduled meal break and the director wanted to keep going but an actor stepped forward and said they had to leave on time, I think that would force us to stop there.  One might argue that, if I didn't put a release time for them on the schedule, all actors should plan to be at rehearsal for the entire span of day (unless there was a pre-existing conflict), even if the scenes listed for rehearsal are not ones they are in.  But in reality I don't know that I'd feel comfortable forcing that issue.  Does anyone have experience being the "bad cop" in that kind of situation?

161

The Hardline / Re: voting on AEA issues - unanimous vs majority

« on: Nov 16, 2008, 08:46 am »

One trick I use when I’m having trouble finding something in the rule book is to go to the AEA website document library and use CTR-F to search the PDF.  Can take some trial and error to get the right key word to bring you to the rule you’re looking for, but still faster than thumbing through the hard copy.

162

Tools of the Trade / Re: Road Cases for a kit?

« on: Nov 11, 2008, 09:45 pm »

Maybe you could get a few mid-size tool or tackle boxes, and a light weight hand truck, then stack your boxes on the truck (maybe strapped down) and use that.  There are also rolling tool boxes that are only a couple feet high and might work.  Maybe a rolling suitcase for the stuff you keep in bags?

163

The Hardline / Re: voting on AEA issues - unanimous vs majority

« on: Nov 11, 2008, 09:35 pm »

In SPT, the section on Breaks, 10 (B) (1) says you need unanimous consent to shorten the rehearsal meal break from 1.5 to 1 hour.  44-G-1-a has some language about a unanimous vote regarding span of day for the lower levels of SPT (I’ve never worked 1-4, so haven’t had to conduct a vote on this.  And  44-G-c-1 (Rehearsals) requires a unanimous vote to use the Straight 6.  Rule 65-C says all votes must be secret ballot.  I always prep ballots, but several times I’ve had shows with only a few actors, and we’ve ended up discussing it instead.  The deputy election form says you need a majority of the cast, and I’ve never done that by secret ballot, since we need to read the letter and see if anyone volunteers first (someone always comes forward eventually, if only out of guilt). 

I don’t think we have the 2 hour to 1/5 hour option for breaks in preview/performance in SPT, and I know there aren’t any voting options for rehearsals on two show days;  our rehearsal hours after Opening are very limited.

164

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Communication Issues

« on: Oct 29, 2008, 04:33 pm »

I think your examples are common issues that most of us run into at one time or another.  Like Centaura said, if everyone was good at communicating and following up and delegating, we’d live in a world of SMs.  So years of experience may not make the rest of the production team any better at those things. Overall, I’d try to focus on one issue at a time.  Rather than trying to talk to them about “elementary communication issues,” just  address each problem specifically, and suggest a way to avoid the same problem in the future.   

Your second and third examples are good notes for yourself for the future.   It’s a good idea to ask the producer during prep or sooner I if any one on the production team or cast has schedule conflicts, or time limitations based on their contract.  Ideally they will give you this info without you asking for it, but that just doesn’t always happen.  Or you ask and they still don’t give you the full story, but at least you can have it on your list to ask. 

With the director, since it sounds like he trusts you, maybe you can now agree that in this situation you will just make an executive decision if you can’t reach him and it’s less than X number of hours before rehearsal.  Keep in mind that with most Equity contracts there are rules about the notice needed to change a Call, so if you work Equity in the future you’ll have some guidelines to help you, rather than having to honor every last-minute change.   

165

The Hardline / Re: The Ever Scrutinized Straight Six

« on: Oct 19, 2008, 07:40 pm »

I agree that you cannot count on a straight six until after the vote, and I too have had casts vote against it.  Maybe the production manager should remind the director of AEA rules on this issue, so they don’t give you a hard time if straight six ends up not being an option.