Messages

166

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Prompt Books...

« on: Jul 22, 2009, 09:04 am »

Hello and welcome to SMNetwork!!  You will find lots of info on these boards that will help you in putting together a prompt book.  I would suggest heading over to the Stage Management: Plays & Musicals Board, click on "subject" to search the board by subject, and head to page 12, which is where the topics on "Prompt Books" start.  There are several threads regarding what goes in a production book, how to setup a call script, styles of blocking notation, etc.  You may also want to head over to Uploaded Forms which has lots of examples of the various paperwork that we use. 

Also, please take a moment to head over to the Introductions Board and tell us a little bit about yourself.  Best of luck to you, and please feel free to ask questions throughout your production.

167

The Green Room / Best reason from an actor for being late

« on: Jul 09, 2009, 01:48 am »

An actor in my show who also happens to be a very dear friend called me today hysterically laughing/crying.  Once I calmed him down enough to find out what was going on, he explained that a bird had flown into his open car window after first hitting his driver side mirror.  It bounced off the mirror onto the door level with the seat belt then flew over his head and hit the passenger window which was up.  I then proceeded to talk him through getting the bird out of the car and then calmed him down again so that he could drive.  He's fine and his car is fine, but I unfortunately can't say the same for the bird.  He made it to the theatre by the five minute call.  It is by far the craziest reason that I've ever received for why an actor was going to be late.  I heard/helped him retell the story several times today and I'm still shocked each time I hear it. 

So what is the best excuse you've ever gotten from an actor for why they are late to a rehearsal or performance? 

168

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / COMMUNICATION: What to include in a report vs when to send a private email

« on: Jul 02, 2009, 04:09 pm »

When writing your rehearsal and performance reports, where do you draw the line between what goes in the show report, which is commonly distributed to anywhere from 20-40 people, including the producer, director, designers, production staff, etc, and when to send a private note regarding the show to the technical director or production manager or applicable party?  Do you find it best to include everything in your report?  Do you feel you are editing your report or creating more work for yourself if you send a private note? 

169

The Green Room / Re: How do you keep in shape?

« on: May 31, 2009, 11:01 am »

During rehearsals, I'm usually not able to make it to the gym, but I do my best to eat healthy meals and snacks.  I cook my own meals and prepare healthy snacks like carrots with hummus or apples with peanut butter.  I also keep a bottle of water on my SM table and try to drink the whole thing by the end of the day.  And since I'm not going to the gym, I do try to do small things like taking the stairs instead of the elevator or taking a short walk over dinner break to do something active.  I've also stopped having candy on my tech table and have started having pita chips, veggies, and hummus.  After my last show, my TD and I talked about how much better we felt and how much more energy we actually had not having all of that sugar. 

Once I'm in performance, I go to the gym 3-4 times a week (I'm lucky-my apartment has a free gym for residents that is actually pretty well equipped).  If the weather is nice, I'll go for a jog.  And summertime is my favorite because I'll swim 4-5 days a week. 

170

Employment / Re: Moving for a Career

« on: May 26, 2009, 11:25 pm »

During the time I spent as a company manager, I would arrange the actors' housing and travel and the theatre's policy was that they could arrive no earlier than the day before rehearsals began (typically a Monday).  Departures had to be by the day following closing, though most preferred to leave the night of closing if possible.  My favorite was the actor who paid to upgrade his train ticket to Acela to be on the first possible train I could get him to.  He was showered and in the car 10 minutes after curtain; I had him at the station 5 minutes before departure.

But to answer the original question, I was offered and accepted an internship at a theatre in Maryland 4 days after graduating from college and moved there 10 days later.  It seemed like a really great opportunity, so I jumped at it.  Housing was provided, but I didn't think I would be staying in the area after the year was over, so I brought two suitcases and shipped myself a few boxes.  I didn't even bring my car.  Towards the end of my internship when I was deciding what my next step should be, it became clear that staying in the DC metro area would be the best option for me.  I accepted a full-time position as company manager with the theatre that I did my internship with.  I went home to Texas before starting the new job and brought back my car with a load of all the stuff my family had been storing for me.  I ultimately ended up going back to stage management, but I'm still in the DC area and do a lot of work with the theatre I did my internship at.  My impulsive move to the DC area ended up being one of the best decisions that I ever made, though I do have to say it was a sad day when I changed my Texas license and plates over to Maryland.  I've been here almost six years now and have no plans to leave anytime soon.       

171

Tools of the Trade / Re: Making prop red wine

« on: Apr 18, 2009, 07:50 am »

Here is the thread that Ruth is referring to: Prop Recipe Exchange.  I did not see any mention of the degree of staining power of the recipes.  Shows I've worked on in the past have used grape juice, flat birch beer, or a grape/fruit punch gatorade concoction (it sounds awful, but the color was great and the actors chose it in a blind taste test).  However, all of these are prone to staining.  Let us know what you end up going with and your stain fighting technique as well.

172

SMNetwork Archives / Re: AEA and Facebook

« on: Apr 02, 2009, 10:27 pm »

Which contract are you citing in your post?

173

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Working with animals?

« on: Mar 17, 2009, 09:20 am »

Also, has your director/drama teacher cleared this with the school's principal and/or the school board?  The school/school district may have rules in place regarding animals in the school.  You may also need parent release forms for all of the students involved in the show.  I would broach the subject with the director.  If the answer is no, he/she hasn't spoken with the school's administration, they have got to be made aware of the situation.  Ideally the director should go do it, but if he/she doesn't understand what the big deal is, you should talk to them.  If you don't feel comfortable talking to the principal, consider speaking with another trusted teacher, your guidance counselor or a vice principal.  Best of luck as you navigate your way through this situation.

174

The Hardline / Re: Contract help

« on: Mar 13, 2009, 08:50 am »

Here is a link to two sample contracts in our Forms forum: http://smnetwork.org/forum/index.php/topic,1106.0.html.

175

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Post Mortem

« on: Mar 10, 2009, 03:43 pm »

I agree with the above.  I would add that if you are moderating the post-mortem, ask someone else to take detailed notes of the discussion.  This will free you up and allow you to keep focused on the discussion and keep things moving.  I also find that when the room is setup where everyone can see each other (ie with chairs in a circle or four tables in a square, etc) it can feel more collaborative/easier to talk as opposed to the moderator standing in front of the group (classroom style). 

I love post-mortems.  It's a great way for me to get feedback on how I am doing my job and also a way for me to learn more about parts of the process I wasn't directly involved in. 

176

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: has anyone worked "is he dead"

« on: Mar 06, 2009, 09:14 pm »

Yes, OTC's production of Is He Dead runs through this Sunday, March 8.  I can't offer first-hand advice as I wasn't the SM for the show, but I consider Olney to be my home theatre and I just saw their production.  My friends in the show/on the production staff tell me that the trickiest part was figuring out the scene change from Act 1 to Act 2 since you're going from a poor artist's studio to an upscale hotel room.  Other than all of the paintings, their production wasn't particularly prop heavy.  PM me if you would be interested in me putting you in touch with a member of the SM staff for their production. 

177

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Calling Script

« on: Mar 02, 2009, 10:27 pm »

The only blocking I have notated in my call script is blocking associated with a visual cue (i.e. call when Actor X slams door).  Otherwise I maintain my blocking notes in separate script.  However, I do find it helpful when doing a musical to have some basic dance notation in the dance breaks.  I call off the music, but if I have to deal with a problem or get behind for some reason I know they do the box step in measure 99. 

I wish you the best on calling your first show!

178

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Blending a libretto with a score

« on: Feb 18, 2009, 03:57 pm »

When I work on a musical, I scan in sections of the score (usually as a pdf) and then cut and paste it into the libretto (a Word document).  I set the page breaks so that they are identical to the script that the cast is using and will create section breaks so that I can paginate the sections with the score using letters (ie page 16 of the libretto becomes pages 16a-16e with libretto plus score).  I find that for me it is easier to use the libretto and only add in the sections of the score that are dance breaks, long intros, entre acts, etc.  I typically setup this script during prep week to use as my blocking script and will update it through the rehearsal process and print a new script when tech starts to use as my prompt script.  If I have trouble calling a particular musical sequence, then I'll add additional sections of the score as necessary (I keep a copy of the complete score handy for this occasion). 

179

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / PRE-PRODUCTION: Reading a play for the first time

« on: Jan 17, 2009, 07:43 pm »

I had some free time today so I decided that I would read one of the plays that I'm going to be stage managing later this season.  I sat down with the intention of merely reading for enjoyment and to get a sense of the show since it is a play that I'm not familiar with.  However, I wasn't even half-way through the stage directions on the first page of dialogue when my mind switched into SM mode.  I started taking mental notes of props, entrances and exits, even how I thought we would need to schedule scenes for costume fittings.  I'm doing this show four months from now and yet I couldn't stop thinking of the play from a stage management point of view.  

Has anyone else had this experience?  When do you usually do a first read of the plays you will be working on?   What is your typical approach to a first read?  

180

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Long Runs

« on: Dec 19, 2008, 06:43 pm »

I love doing the Christmas musical for the theatre I work at the most because it is a 7-11 week run, pending extensions.  Tonight is performance #36 of 64 (and possibly more...).  I tend to find that casts really tend to bond more during the holiday season than any other time of the year.  There is hardly a day that our green room isn't filled with candy and other holiday goodies that various members of the cast and crew bring in. Spirits are usually high which translates to lots of energy on the stage. 

Eight shows a week (plus understudy rehearsals, put-ins, brush-ups, etc) can be taxing.  If you're lucky enough to have this be your only job, then the hours tend to be manageable and one can keep up with your sleep and have enough energy.  If you have another job, you just have to pace yourself and turn down some social engagements to make sure you take care of yourself.  But make sure you save some time for yourself and blow off steam.  Try to shop for your groceries and do errands on a day when you have to work anyway so you can have a true day off when you have a day off.  Try not to answer your phone or check your email on your day off (to this end, have a separate email address for SM related work so that you can still check personal email).

I think we all have those days where we don't want to go to the theatre and do the show.  When I have those days I take my iPod with me and listen to music to pump myself up, which tends to get me in the mood to do the show.  Try to leave your personal life at the door and put on a smile (or at least a pleasant attitude) when you are around the cast. 

In terms of keeping the material fresh for the actors, I find that they will inevitably discover new things and you just have to keep an eye as the show grows to make sure that the new bits are within the world of the show that the director created.  Long runs do tend to promote lots of backstage antics, so watch that the games don't end up making their way onstage.  Try to be specific in your notes because often when giving a general note actors will assume you are talking about someone else and not them. 

I wish you the best with the rest of your run!!