Messages

181

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Do you have a preferred type of show?

« on: Dec 05, 2007, 12:57 pm »

I love new plays.  There's something about being involved in the process of creating something that really clicks for me. 

Me too. I like taking the show full circle, from pre-production ideas to first-read-ever to closing curtain; that journey is even more interesting on a show that’s never been done before.  Besides, every classic play was once a brand new script that some theater took a chance on…I can always imagine that this new play has that potential, too.

Love SMing Opera, Musicals, and Dance best, but after several in a row, I long for a nice, easy, straight play.

   Just remember straight plays are not, by definition, easy plays.  They just have different kinds of challenges than musical theater.  Yes, this comes from someone who isn't a fan of musicals, but that’s just because they tend to have too much singing and dancing for my taste :-).

182

Stage Management: Other / Re: Wrangling the Childrens Chorus

« on: Nov 28, 2007, 04:47 pm »

You may find the suggestions in this thread helpful:

"How to keep kids *quietly* busy at rehearsal when they're not needed onstage?"
http://smnetwork.org/forum/index.php/topic,1452.0.html

183

The Hardline / Re: SPT 10 Question

« on: Oct 26, 2007, 12:59 am »

Perhaps Equity will make an allowance for you given the tough situation, but just going by the book, Rule 10 (C) seems to indicate that no actor can work more than 8 days without a break, period.  It looks like an exception is made for SMs, allowing us to pass on the Designated Day Off for a price, but this rule creates a problem for the 1 actor you’ve got who hasn’t missed any rehearsals.  I think you’re right that the sick days are just that, and not days off, and if that’s the case the sick actor is in the same situation as the other actor (but the book doesn’t spell that out).  If Equity does let the actors work anyway, I sure hope they get paid 2/6th! 

This rule also says you can’t change the Designated Day Off without unanimous consent of actors, and with not less than one week’s notice.  The week’s notice part would be the second problem here, if you’re talking about this coming Saturday.  We can’t decide retroactively that because Actor 1 was not called to rehearsal on a previous day, we can now tell them that a day which has already passed will now be considered the day off, even though we didn’t know that originally when we decided not to call them.  That would set a pretty crazy precedent.  If Equity makes an exception here, you’ll also have to look at all your future scheduled days off to make sure they’re at the right intervals.

You’ve probably already thought of this, but if the director is only trying to squeeze in three more hours of rehearsal, another possibility is to keep the Designated Day Off where it is, and then tack those three hours onto the first work day of the following week.  All 5 Equity folks would need O/T pay for it, but it might be worth it since it is a small cast.  Good luck...and happy birthday wherever you spend it.

184

The Hardline / Re: Stagehand Wages

« on: Oct 24, 2007, 04:18 pm »

Plenty of SPT theaters in the DC area pay weekly rather than hourly for non-union show run crew.  Anywhere from $160-$250 for 5-8 shows per week.  Sometimes they’ll pay a stipend instead, anywhere from $200-$1000 for a 4 or 5 week run.

I’d suspect the pay variations have more to do with a theater company’s size & budget than where it’s located, but it will be interesting to see what you find.

185

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Giving actor notes and "Maintaining the performance as directed."

« on: Oct 18, 2007, 06:21 pm »

Don’t take this personally.  If the director gave 30 minutes of notes to the actors, you are not the only one being “blamed,” if that’s the right word.  It’s possible that this isn’t about you or the actors anyway.  The director may be insecure about the choices he made when they set the show, or feel like they didn’t have enough time to get it just right, or he had a bad day or read a bad review.  It’s unfortunate that the director’s approach left you feeling guilty.  If the director had approached you differently, would you be beating yourself up, or just trying to keep doing the best you can?   

There is lots of good advice in the thread Sarah pointed you to.  I don’t come from the directorial side of things either, and the best advice I can give is to be specific.  It sounds like the director has a few moments that are very important to him.  Keep an eye on those moments.  Ask him for other specific moments, and pay attention to his vocabulary about them.  I wouldn’t give actor notes just for the sake of giving more notes, but I might be more likely to give a note on a smaller change if I know it’s a major deal for the director.   

Also remember that show maintenance is a responsibility you share with your actors, who are hopefully a team of professionals who honestly strive to do their best work each night, and respect the director’s vision.  You can remind them of their original direction, but in the end they’ll go on stage and make their own choices and mistakes. 

186

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Tech or Church?

« on: Oct 18, 2007, 12:17 am »

If your priority is your religion then good for you... but then don't do a show that will get in the way.

That sounds harsh to me. Those choices are complicated when you’re not in a majority religion, but still want to do exciting projects and need to pay your bills.  Few jobs don’t give you a day off for Christmas, while negotiating time off for Yom Kippur or Janam Ashtam or Bodhi Day often just isn’t possible.  But balancing religion and theater is a thread for another day. 

I think the issue here is what the Sound Designer was contracted for.  Many Equity contracts allow for the next day’s rehearsal call to be set with as little as 12 hours notice.  Even if a tech week schedule or full calendar is issued, it will probably say “subject to change” at the bottom to allow for this.  So I would hope that the Production Managers, when they hire design and production staff, would set up those contracts along the same lines, requiring everyone to be available, so if they want to change the actors’ span of day the rest of the team can accommodate.  If that’s not how the Sound Designer’s contract was set up, then I think it’s fair for the SD to say they can’t make an earlier call.  But if the contract was set up along those lines, it would have been more responsible for the SD to have covered their Sunday commitments in advance, just in case their call time changed.

187

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: PreProduction time

« on: Sep 11, 2007, 03:34 pm »

Can you give some examples of what the theater has asked of you?   

Could it be that they’re just communicating with you about tasks that need to be done by first rehearsal, and they don’t really expect you to do them immediately?  If the tasks they’re giving you have deadlines that fall before your official employment starts, I think you could negotiate compensation for doing them.  And if they’re asking you for enough things that you find yourself counting the hours your putting into the project ahead of time, that might be a sign right there that it’s too much.

I've worked on SPT shows where I’ve attended production meetings well before my official employment starts (without compensation, though I suppose I could have argued for it).  I’ve also met or talked with directors ahead of time to get their ideas about scheduling, and called actors to find out about their conflicts before Prep Week.  Often I’ll start paperwork, such as rehearsal report templates, sign-in sheets, and a preliminary prop list, before Prep Week.  But aside from the production meetings, which the theater has asked me to attend, the other things I do are for my own benefit, my “pre-prep.”  It helps me to have some extra time to wrap my head around the play, and starting a few things early makes it less likely I’ll get overwhelmed during Prep Week itself.  If the situation allows it, I also like to work 5 days rather than 6 during Prep, so I figure my time balances out.     

188

The Hardline / Re: Photo Call

« on: Aug 31, 2007, 10:55 pm »

No, at least not if you follow all the conditions of Rule 39.  It allows you a 1.5 hour Photo Call outside of regular rehearsal hours.  It's like outside-of-rehearsal costume fittings; it effectively increases the span of day, without taking anything extra out of your total weekly rehearsal hours.  You still have to pay attention to regular 5/10 minute breaks though, and the long break after 5 hours if it's that kind of day.

189

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: PSMing vs. ASMing

« on: Aug 30, 2007, 11:59 pm »

Because the PSM is ultimately responsible for the production, I’d say the role of PSM is at least slightly harder than ASM.  The ASM may seem to work harder because they tend to be seen on their feet more, but the PSM is often doing the less visible, but equally hard work of wrangling the cast and creative team.  That doesn't mean being an ASM is easy or stress free.  Particularly on large scale shows, where both the PSM & ASM are professionals, the PSM may delegate a huge amount to the ASM. 

I feel the hardest part of ASMing is sometimes what it teaches me about myself.  While I love learning how other stage managers work (which is hard to do when you’re long out of school and usually the lone SM on a show), it can be a challenge to adapt to their style when it’s different from my own.  I have to really focus on staying positive and keeping my perspective if their way of doing things frustrates me.  I have to use good judgement about when to offer up alternatives, and when to do it their way because it’s their show.  I have to support the PSM the way they need to be supported, which is not necessarily how I would want to be supported if our roles were reversed.  In some ways the ASM/PSM collaboration is very similar, and just as delicate, as the PSM/director collaboration. 

To be a good leader, I think you need to be a good follower first, so to me the PA-ASM-PSM ladder makes good sense. As a PSM, I like knowing that I’m not asking someone on my team to do anything I haven’t/couldn’t/wouldn’t do myself.  I feel that a PSM’s skill set should include the abilities of PA or ASM types, but not all PAs or ASMs have the ability to PSM. 

190

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Being realistic?

« on: Aug 03, 2007, 11:58 am »

I think it is feasible to balance a full-time career with SMing, if you choose your shows wisely, maybe taking on a limited number of shows per year, and only those with a light rehearsal/performance schedules.  Being realistic about how much you can, and want, to juggle, would be key.  You’d have to find it meaningful, rewarding, and fun to work on small projects that can work with your other commitments rather than, say, a LORT musical.  I think it would probably be easier to be corporate now and theater later than vice versa, but I’m sure either could be done.     

Getting your finances together before you make SM your bread and butter is also a reasonable plan.  Whether doing that is worth it to you is a question only you can answer.  Same with the money; it’s all about your individual priorities.  You can look at Equity salary tables online, right now, and do the math.  Is that enough money for you?  Are you even sure you want/will be able to join Equity?  Many SMs live off of their work in theater, but I think just as many have other jobs, too.  If marriage is in your near future, this whole issue is something you should probably work out together with your fiancé.

There are lots of ways to keep SM a part of your life.  Whatever path you choose right now, realize it is not the path you need to stay on forever.  One of the most wonderful traits among thespians is our ability to be flexible and adapt to changes.   

 

191

College and Graduate Studies / Re: Internships?

« on: Aug 03, 2007, 08:50 am »

I am actually going to be e-mail every LORT Theatre and asking about Internships and PA jobs. I really want to work in the regional theatre world, can ya tell?

   
Join us…join us…but also remember that working in the regions isn’t just about LORT.    You may want to start your search by thinking about where you do want to live, or look at the theaters which are doing work you enjoy, and then research what kind of contract they’re working under and what positions they offer.   

192

College and Graduate Studies / Re: Internships?

« on: Aug 02, 2007, 03:54 pm »

There are quite a few theater internships in the DC area.  I know the Shakespeare Theatre Company houses their interns, so does Olney Theatre Center, Center Stage (in Baltimore), and The Studio Theatre is planning to house interns, though I'm not sure if that starts this coming season or not.

If you dig around on the websites of other area theater's through the League of Washington Theatres website and you may find some others:
http://www.lowt.org/members/members.html

193

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: theatre romance

« on: Jul 26, 2007, 08:55 am »

is it "bad" for a stage manager and an actor currently working together to begin a romantic relationship?

I don’t think it’s a good idea.  I tend to agree with ScooterSM; if you’re having a truly meaningful love connection, you can wait a month or two to explore it fully.  If it’s just lust or a crush, definitely don’t go there at work.  One litmus test is to ask whether something would be appropriate behavior in a “normal” professional job.  If the answer is no (a supervisor dating a subordinate=lawsuit) then don’t do it unless you have an exceptionally good reason.  Yes, theater is special and different…but it is also a job, and we are paid to deal with lots of interpersonal dilemmas that require a certain level of objectivity that could easily be lost in the pleasant haze of romance.

Now, if you’re talking about dating in an educational setting, I’d see that differently.  There are still plenty of potential problems, but high school and college are good times to learn about relationships as well as job skills, so if you meet someone special, just proceed with caution.   
 
Here are some other threads that talk about relationships:
http://smnetwork.org/forum/index.php/topic,655.0.html
http://smnetwork.org/forum/index.php/topic,828.0.html
http://smnetwork.org/forum/index.php/topic,1037.0.html

194

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Questions to Ask a Venue

« on: Jul 25, 2007, 08:04 am »

I’d ask about what else is going on in the space the day or week of your tech and performance, and how that may affect you.  If other groups also use or have access to the venue, they might leave props or set pieces that will be in your way.  It could also limit the amount of time you have in the space.  Beware of other groups being booked right up until your scheduled start time; if that happens, they may still be cleaning up when you’re ready to get started, so you may want to call actors a bit later.  Whatever the venue tells you about space sharing, I’d check in a few times prior to tech to makes sure their answer, or the schedules of any other group, hasn’t change.  Other questions…
-Is there anywhere to store your props/costumes/set pieces?  Can you bring a lock and a box and leave that in the venue with your stuff?
-How is the house setup?  Are the chairs moveable?  Who decides on where the chairs are set, and who actually sets them up? 
-Who is your main point of contact for the days you will be at the venue?  Will that person be at the venue while you are working there (if not, get the name and number of the person who will be there, if anyone).   If your group is on its own in the space, what are the procedures for locking/unlocking the building?  Who do you call with technical problems?
-Ask specifically about house lights; they may be separate from the light board

195

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Headset Etiquette

« on: Jul 21, 2007, 07:10 am »

However, if walkies are used in the US, the FCC regulates profanity (strange but true).  Should profanity be overheard because you're being monitored or accidentally overheard or something, you can get fined. 

You're funny, the chances of that happening are about as good as you winning a small state lottery jackpot.

Actually, I work on an outdoor gig where we use radios, and the FCC did in fact beep in once and ask us to identify ourselves.  We didn't get fined, but I think we were reminded that we were using public airways. 
<running out to buy a lottery ticket now...how small does the state have to be for my odds to be good?>