Messages

151

Tools of the Trade / Re: HELP: Static Electricity?

« on: Nov 23, 2012, 03:04 pm »

Thanks guys!

So far, I have gone with extra moisturizer, a smoothing spray for my hair, and dryer sheets in my pockets, and that helped a little. Then I happened to be at Old Navy and saw their cold weather workout gear was on sale, so I picked up a black hooded jacket that really does trap the heat and has replaced the fleece pullover, arm warmers, hat, and neck wrap, which DEFINITELY cut down on the static.  I also took my headset pack off my belt and put it on my table when I was sitting down, which helped too.

I love the idea of an  anti-static mat or bracelet, but I don't think I can justify purchasing one right now, since I am only infrequently SMing at this point. I can't be tethered to one place when I'm running all over backstage as the ASM, which is what I'm mostly doing now (which I love!)

152

The Green Room / Re: SMs as depicted on stage & in the movies

« on: Nov 19, 2012, 11:36 pm »

Anyone else remember Kevin, the Stage Manager for the Nickelodeon show All That? The cold open for every episode was the cast doing something zany in the green room, and then Kevin would come in with his headset and clipboard and say "Fiiive Minutes. Fiiiive Minutes. Show starts in fiiiiive minutes." and then they'd either go start the show, or occasionally some disaster would strike (like Danny Tamberelli can't find his pants or something) that they would have to fix before the show could start. That was literally all the character ever said- "Fiiive minutes. Fiiiive minutes. Show starts in fiiiiiiiiiiiive minutes."

153

Tools of the Trade / HELP: Static Electricity?

« on: Nov 15, 2012, 01:08 am »

I have a weird/ridiculous situation right now, hoping you guys have a solution...

I am basically a static electricity magnet- I have long hair and I am CONSTANTLY cold, which results in layering for backstage: I have black leg warmers, fingerless gloves, hats, neck wraps, fleece pullovers, the list goes on and on. All of those things cause me to constantly have an excess of static electricity, and coming in to the winter dry season, it's only going to get worse.

This is a concern because I have twice (TWICE! on two separate shows) shorted out a headset with a visible static charge from my finger to the talk button, and I really would like to not ever do that again. My current headset sounds fuzzy when I touch it sometimes, and I think that might be due to the static electricity, too.

So, first of all, does anyone else have this problem, or am I an electricity-conducting freak of nature? 

And secondly, how do I fix this?! I'm going to try stuffing dryer sheets in my pockets tomorrow, so I'll see if that helps. I always keep my hair braided or up in a ponytail when I'm backstage, which helps minimize that static source. Short of shelling out big bucks for some of that UnderArmor fancy cold weather gear, does anyone have any suggestions? I know my layers of knitwear are causing the problem, but I'm just so dang cold backstage!

154

The Green Room / Re: Catchphrases

« on: Nov 07, 2012, 08:50 pm »

"I can make that happen."

155

Self-Promotion / Re: Our Class at Theater J in DC

« on: Nov 02, 2012, 12:17 am »

I'm starting rehearsal for Apples from the Desert in 3 weeks! I cannot be more excited to be back at the J.

That's a really interesting article- I don't know that I would have drawn the parallel between the Polish ambassador coming to the opening of Our Class and the Chinese government ignoring Ai Weiwei's exhibition at the Hirshhorn myself, but it's very thought provoking.

Happy closing!

156

Tools of the Trade / Re: Herbal Cigarettes and other tobacco substitutes

« on: Oct 17, 2012, 06:04 pm »

I second the e-cig option.  The one we used we could charge via USB (the future is now!) so we actually charged it using the cube for my iPhone charger, and because it's plastic we wiped it down with an alcohol wipe during our preshow every day- more sanitary than re-using a puff-puff. No smoke smell, no real fire needed (although you can "light" it with a lighter or match for extra realism), and you smoke it like a real cigarette. A little pricey, but infinitely re-usable. Just make sure that if you buy one, you check to make sure that the LED in the "ash" is the red kind and not some other color!

157

Tools of the Trade / Re: Backstage pants

« on: Oct 04, 2012, 12:40 am »

My favorite go-to pair of black pants are actually just a pair of basic black slacks from Kohl's. They have them in khaki and several other colors too, and always seem to be out of the way against a back wall. They can take a lot of abuse, but they don't have an excess of pockets.

My favorite pair of cargo pants are female EMT pants. They cost a little more but the pockets on them are unbelievable. You can find them all over the internet if you just google women's or female EMT pants.

My favorite backstage pants are also from Kohl's! They're the Kohl's Junior's  department store brand, so they're pretty cheap, too. I have a difficult time buying pants that fit in the first place, so add to that the struggle of finding women's black pants that are made of a durable fabric and aren't bedazzled and you've got yourself a dilemma. I bought my first pair of them a few years ago and despaired of finding them again when they got worn & faded, but I finally found them again and bought 3 pairs!

158

Employment / Re: Resume Format

« on: Sep 27, 2012, 04:53 pm »

I did have one more question you guys might be able to help with. I have heard some people say to put my references at the bottom but others have told me just to put "References available upon request." Which one do you do and why? If I put my references at the bottom, what is the format? Name, title, email?

If I am sending my resume to someone, I include references (Name, Title, Company, work phone #, and email). If I was to post my resume on a public forum like a job website, I would remove the references and put "References available upon request" instead. I think we've talked about this in a different thread, but when sending a resume to someone, having the references right there on your resume cuts out one step and makes it that much easier for the person doing the hiring.

I second what Maribeth said- I want to make sure to respect the privacy & time of the people who have volunteered to be my references. If I don't know who is going to be looking at my resume (not who individually at a company, but who as in posted on a public website or something similar) I don't want to include people's contact information.

159

Tools of the Trade / Re: stopwatches?

« on: Sep 18, 2012, 01:58 pm »

Alright, folks- reviving the stopwatch thread.

Every stopwatch I've ever had has managed to set an alarm on itself while knocking around in my bag/kit. They beep at inopportune times, and the clock is really difficult to set.  Maybe I'm just buying the wrong type of stopwatch?

My last one finally died, and I'm in the market for a new one and am just stumped. The HUGE sporting goods store I went to had 3 different stopwatches (in the shoe department, on an endcap labeled "Insoles") and all of them had a million different functions and cost about $25.

Has anyone found a reliable stopwatch that is JUST a stopwatch? I'm looking online now and everything I find has either a bunch of functions I don't need (frankly I'd rather something without a date/time setting, without an alarm setting, that JUST keeps time) or has really awful reviews on Amazon.

I also despise using the stopwatch on my iphone, for various reasons. And I don't have a Walmart near me, so the no-brand awesome cheap one mentioned in the thread from 2008 is not an option, if it even still exists.

Any suggestions?

160

The Green Room / Re: The Ring Cycle on PBS this week

« on: Sep 17, 2012, 10:38 pm »

I loved Sing Faster!

I did wish though, that it was a little bit more of what the stagehands were actually doing and little bit less of them trying to explain the plot, as hilarious as that was. I was far more interested in what it's like to be the guy controlling the head of the dragon than hearing a bunch of crew members try to figure out Brunhilde's motivation.

161

The Green Room / Re: Gifts and thankyou cards

« on: Sep 03, 2012, 01:26 am »

The show I'm working on now has a bunch of promo postcards left over that never got passed out- I'm planning on using them to write notes to all the cast & crew members at closing. I figure it's more memorable than a generic "thank you" card, and bonus- free!

162

Tools of the Trade / Re: Radio mics - are performers too reliant on them?

« on: Aug 25, 2012, 06:26 pm »

Also, don't forget . . . they graying of audience as well . . .

YES!  I think it's as much a product of the audiences as it is the performers (although I agree with the "cinematic" directors & bad sound design making it obvious as well).  I can't tell you how many shows I've been working when an old biddy comes up to me at intermission to tell me I need to "turn up the volume" when the actors aren't mic'ed at all. It's never young or middle-aged people who complain, only people whose hearing is probably going already (and never mind that every time I'm asked, I'm on stage doing intermission shift, obviously busy and with no control over the sound at all...).

163

The Green Room / Re: Show me your mugs! (Or water bottles)

« on: Aug 20, 2012, 11:33 pm »

I have the pink one. I used to have a nicer, double-walled one, but it walked away and I replaced it with a cheaper model.  I don't drink a lot of hot beverages, and I prefer to drink out of a straw 100% of the time, so it suits my needs pretty well!

164

The Green Room / Re: SOCIAL MEDIA - Dos and Donts

« on: Jul 28, 2012, 03:22 pm »

With regards specifically to what Morgan James tweeted... Of course she is entitled to her own opinion & free speech & blah blah blah. However, I do think she could have shown a little tact-

"HOW can you f*** up Into the Woods?? I fear musicianship is dead in musical theatre. And acting, for that matter. #horrified"

Really? Hashtag horrified? Really? There's a difference between disliking a production and just being rude, and I think that's where she crossed the line & why people got so upset about it.  Especially being someone at that level of the industry, obviously people listen to what she has to say (whether what she's saying is of any value or not).
The fact that this was the first preview, and being someone in the industry, I feel like she could have been a bit more forgiving of any difficulties in the production and that should have colored her opinion a bit, moreso than your average Joe who goes to a first preview and expects a finished product.

165

Homework Help / Re: Deadline June 2013: Safety and the Stage Manager

« on: Jul 16, 2012, 01:53 am »

Preparedness- Evacuation plan, knowing where fire extinguishers are, etc., as was previously mentioned, but also does your theater have an accident report form? Where are they? Who does it go to once it's been filled out? If there isn't one already, what information should you include to make your own? (Why should you make your own in the first place?) Who is responsible for escorting injured performers or crew to the doctor or ER? Does your theater even have worker's comp?