166
Self-Promotion / Re: TITUS ANDRONICUS
« on: Nov 29, 2011, 10:05 am »
2 and a half hours post show clean up? God bless your crew!
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14 Jan 2021: Happy 21st birthday, SMNetwork! I replaced the old broken mobile theme. -K
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167
The Green Room / Re: Halloween 2011
« on: Oct 04, 2011, 10:24 pm »
I'm on the road with Theatreworks again, and we actually have that whole weekend before Halloween off. We're scheduled to be right outside of Chicago, so we are now looking in to Pricelining a hotel within the city itself, rather than the suburbs, for the days off.
168
Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Stage Manager as Disciplinarian
« on: Sep 16, 2011, 08:01 pm »
Not to throw another wrench into the cogs, but I suspect many members here are working just as much in the non-profit world as they are the commercial world, so don't forget that the artistic director is also another person who may need to be made aware of a problem situation that is coming up in rehearsal. Some directors may not respond to a production manager when it comes to what they feel is an "artistic" issue (as some directors view production managers as their technical go-to person)
169
Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Les Mis
« on: Sep 09, 2011, 05:49 pm »
Opera is just such a different beast in so many respects. Any of my discussion about counting is only dealing with musical theatre.
Yes, it's possible to count out an opera, but even the (very few) SMs I have seen who do this are still counting along with the score, as opposed to pages and pages and pages of number.
Yes, it's possible to count out an opera, but even the (very few) SMs I have seen who do this are still counting along with the score, as opposed to pages and pages and pages of number.
170
Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Les Mis
« on: Sep 08, 2011, 01:33 pm »
Very true about the LD in essence dictating the way the show is called, even if they don't actually say "use the score" or "count it out."
I have found that if I am counting I will try to put in road markers into the pages and pages of beats (not that I've actually gotten into pages and pages), either noting something specific that will happen on the stage in the midst of the beats or noting changes/identifiable spots in the music.
I have found that if I am counting I will try to put in road markers into the pages and pages of beats (not that I've actually gotten into pages and pages), either noting something specific that will happen on the stage in the midst of the beats or noting changes/identifiable spots in the music.
171
Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Les Mis
« on: Sep 08, 2011, 11:25 am »
I have found counting to be most useful for dance sections. Big choral and ensemble moments tend to be easier to use the score, as others have noted, especially when you get into a huge, multi-layered montage type moment such as "One Day More."
172
Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Les Mis
« on: Sep 07, 2011, 10:33 am »
According to MTI's website the school edition comes with 1 Director's script as part of the rental package (the full edition comes with 25 libretto/vocal books). I have not done Les Mis, so I can't speak with 100% certainty, but the other thru sung shows I have done have always come with a libretto as part of the rental package and I don't imagine Les Mis to be much different.
173
The Hardline / Re: Changing Economics of the Road
« on: Sep 01, 2011, 02:06 pm »
The SM minimum even on the lowest SETA tour is still above the ASM minimum for a LORT B+/non-rep, not much, but still above.
And, quite frankly, the PSMs who are still taking these tours out still seem to be at the level where they are not working for minimums.
And, to look at the bright side, at least it's being sent back out on a SETA contract. Before that was created there would have been a big giant non-Equity casting call going on right now to send it out, at the same prices, with a bunch of fresh from college kids getting paid $400 a week.
The other thing to remember is that the producers of the tour don't set ticket prices, that is each individual venue/presenter. The producers charge the presenters the guarantee (i.e. how much money the presenter has to pay up front to bring the show in, hoping that ticket sales ending up covering that cost, which they don't always), which is limited to a certain amount based on the tier they are using, which goes for all levels of touring under Production, Tiered Production, and SETA. So producers do make less money overall on these tours, and when they do make more then the cast also sees a reflection of that in the overage share.
It may seem like we are just letting the producers walk all over us, but they have shown in the past that they are pretty willing to just stop dealing with Equity and send out first national tours non-Equity if they think they can't get their money's worth. NETworks did it with the first national of the Trevor Nunn Oklahoma revival, the Cameron Mackintosh revival of Oliver, and The Wedding Singer, and Big League did with the Stroman revival of The Music Man, just to name a few.
Thanks to the SETA contract Equity was able to regain contracts of the tour of Chicago, as well as keep Mamma Mia under contract and send out a few others like Little House on the Prairie.
And, quite frankly, the PSMs who are still taking these tours out still seem to be at the level where they are not working for minimums.
And, to look at the bright side, at least it's being sent back out on a SETA contract. Before that was created there would have been a big giant non-Equity casting call going on right now to send it out, at the same prices, with a bunch of fresh from college kids getting paid $400 a week.
The other thing to remember is that the producers of the tour don't set ticket prices, that is each individual venue/presenter. The producers charge the presenters the guarantee (i.e. how much money the presenter has to pay up front to bring the show in, hoping that ticket sales ending up covering that cost, which they don't always), which is limited to a certain amount based on the tier they are using, which goes for all levels of touring under Production, Tiered Production, and SETA. So producers do make less money overall on these tours, and when they do make more then the cast also sees a reflection of that in the overage share.
It may seem like we are just letting the producers walk all over us, but they have shown in the past that they are pretty willing to just stop dealing with Equity and send out first national tours non-Equity if they think they can't get their money's worth. NETworks did it with the first national of the Trevor Nunn Oklahoma revival, the Cameron Mackintosh revival of Oliver, and The Wedding Singer, and Big League did with the Stroman revival of The Music Man, just to name a few.
Thanks to the SETA contract Equity was able to regain contracts of the tour of Chicago, as well as keep Mamma Mia under contract and send out a few others like Little House on the Prairie.
174
The Hardline / Re: Prompt Script Etiquette
« on: Sep 01, 2011, 01:50 am »
The key word I have taken from the Production Script rule is "additional." The prompt book belongs to the theatre and can be pretty much used in any way. The rule about additional compensation, as I have understood it, comes into effect if the theatre requests the SM to actually create a second prompt book or additional paperwork actually related to a transfer/subsequent production/remounting.
I did a show a few years back that was a remount from a different company. The original production (while a co-production between two theatres) was not originally intended to be remounted by the company I was working with. Included with the rental was the original prompt book and all of the paperwork, as the original company had kept it in their archives. As far as I know the original SM did not receive any additional payments for this as he was not asked to make any changes, updates, additions, etc to the book or paperwork before it was sent out.
The same goes for scripts being edited for publication. Many acting editions are created from the original prompt scripts. The SM would only receive payment for this if they were the ones asked to make the edits for publication, not just if their book is pulled from the archives to use as the reference for somebody else to do the work from.
I did a show a few years back that was a remount from a different company. The original production (while a co-production between two theatres) was not originally intended to be remounted by the company I was working with. Included with the rental was the original prompt book and all of the paperwork, as the original company had kept it in their archives. As far as I know the original SM did not receive any additional payments for this as he was not asked to make any changes, updates, additions, etc to the book or paperwork before it was sent out.
The same goes for scripts being edited for publication. Many acting editions are created from the original prompt scripts. The SM would only receive payment for this if they were the ones asked to make the edits for publication, not just if their book is pulled from the archives to use as the reference for somebody else to do the work from.
175
College and Graduate Studies / Re: MFA Stage Management - Musical Theatre
« on: Aug 29, 2011, 10:47 am »
This may have changed, but 7 years ago when I was applying for grad schools CCM was the only one that I looked at that required GRE scores. Since I was already a couple of years out of undergrad I crossed them off my list as I was not about to put out the additional cost of that test just for one school.
176
The Hardline / Re: Theatres That Have Closed--Can You Say "Emergency?"
« on: Aug 16, 2011, 07:30 pm »and Ballet San Jose is postponing their season (no ballet before the Nutcracker this year):
http://www.mercurynews.com/bay-area-news/ci_18618060
Ugh. Yes, it is official. We are opening with Nutcracker. Boy, I never thought I'd see my company on this thread.
Sorry to hear that. Just out of curiosity, is it still the same Nutcracker that they used to do when they were the Cleveland/San Jose Ballet, or did they ditch that one when they left Cleveland for good (back around 2001 or 2002 if I remember correctly). I grew up seeing that production, alternating years between Nutcracker and A Christmas Carol next door at Great Lakes (which I later went on to work on for four years straight).
177
Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Business Cards For Students
« on: Aug 15, 2011, 10:02 pm »- Do not print them yourself. The difference in cost between a "make-them-at-home" kit and a professional print run is smaller than you'd think, and the difference in quality is considerable.
Totally agreed. I would also add that if you use a service such as Vistaprint, please, please, please make the sacrifice and pay for the cards. It's harder to take somebody seriously who couldn't spring $10 to get the Vistaprint branding taken off of the back of their card.
178
Tools of the Trade / Re: Digital Show Binder
« on: Aug 15, 2011, 09:55 pm »
I will admit that in my younger days I was indeed one of those young SMs with the laptop open and ready to take down any note and instantly update paperwork. As I have grown older and moved out of the educational setting and the world of the short run I've moved more and more away from that. Yes, the laptop is there next to me, but it typically remains closed until a break (or when the director specifically asks to shoot off an email/question to costumes, props, or who ever), or when the time comes to start running rehearsal sound cues through Q Lab. I guess for me I have found the show a whole lot easier to maintain in the long run if I do become a much more active listener during the rehearsal process.
Maybe I'm approaching the "fuddy duddy" stage in my life/career?
Maybe I'm approaching the "fuddy duddy" stage in my life/career?
179
The Green Room / Re: You know you're in tech when....
« on: Aug 01, 2011, 11:13 pm »
I'm impressed that you have the time and/or energy to make and drink your coffee in mugs at home.
For me, I know I'm in tech when I earn my free drink on my Starbucks gold card in less than a week.
For me, I know I'm in tech when I earn my free drink on my Starbucks gold card in less than a week.
180
Self-Promotion / Re: Candide in Boston
« on: Jul 31, 2011, 07:59 pm »
Candide seems to be ending up with as many versions as Cabaret and Merrily We Roll Along.