Messages

181

The Green Room / Re: Introducing the Unicorn Rainbow Sparkly Theatre Company!

« on: May 22, 2012, 06:25 pm »

The company will be exactly the same for every show - thereby eliminating the 'I'm not available then, I have an audition' statement.....

182

The Green Room / Re: eReaders!

« on: May 21, 2012, 07:16 pm »

I'm currently working my way through Charles Dickens' Collection - 30-odd novels for 50p! Also reading the 'Babylon' series - a sort of whistleblower guide to hotels, holiday resorts, hospitals, etc....

C

183

The Green Room / Re: SMASH - the TV series

« on: May 17, 2012, 05:54 am »

I 'get' the value of the SM seeing / calling the show from the front (albeit often in sealed room as far from the stage as humanly possible), but I often miss the connectivity of being on the deck.

(And jeez, if I think about it, I even recall the British terminology PS and OPS - though thankfully, I never had to use it)

But I digress...

PS and OP (as far as I've found) are really only used in large-scale opera/dance houses over here.

Just tossing my 2 cents in here as well - I always call Ballet from backstage. I've only called from out front once and I absolutely hated it. (I had to call from the front as there was no room for my console due to the number of wagon set pieces.) When I go work in "regular" theater and call from the back of the house (or in the middle of the balcony in one really weird theater) I feel totally detached from the actors. As long as I have my stage monitor, maestro monitor and cue lights, I'm a happy camper backstage.

I'm currently calling from out front for a play in the round.....and I'm really not a fan! I want to talk to my SM, but she's doing cues, and wireless comms are sadly not an option at this venue!

184

The Green Room / Re: SM: WORST THINGS

« on: Apr 20, 2012, 05:45 am »

When post-its fall off your book.
When the cast accidentally use your jumper to mop their sweaty body during a dance call.
When the director is later to rehearsals than the cast.

185

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Short Form ans Symbols

« on: Apr 04, 2012, 07:48 pm »

Do you mean for blocking?

↑ for stands (or ↑J for jumps),
↓ for sits (or ↓C for crouch),
X for crosses the stage...

Is that the sort of thing you mean?
C

186

The Green Room / Re: The Greatest Show Never Made

« on: Apr 04, 2012, 02:29 am »

Since they're making an Angry Birds movie, the stage adaptation of it can't be that far behind 

Seriously?!

Air Force One - the Musical
Tracy Emin's Bed - the one woman show....

187

The Green Room / Re: The Greatest Show Never Made

« on: Apr 03, 2012, 05:05 pm »

September 11th - in any form of entertainment.

188

The Green Room / Re: Picture Wars!

« on: Mar 25, 2012, 02:17 pm »

Jedward's back with a brand new invention....

189

Employment / Re: Health insurance

« on: Mar 24, 2012, 08:54 am »

I'm not going to vote - because I'm lucky enough to have the NHS!
C

190

Stage Management: Other / Re: My first ballet gig!

« on: Mar 22, 2012, 03:22 pm »

In the end, I had very little responsibility! There were two other ASMs who are full-time with the company, so they were each in charge of a wing, and I flitted between areas at needed.

Act One was manic, and Act Two was very quiet - 52 minutes with one cue. I did a lot of paging and props work.

The biggest difficulty I had was not doing things that were the responsibility of another department. This side of the water, unless you are with the largest companies, the lines can get quite blurred.

With this company (one of the aforementioned large ones!), everything was very segmented (much like I imagine America to be), and the hierarchy was very clearly outlined to me on day one.

On the whole, I loved my time there - spending Christmas Day setting up dressing rooms was a definite low-light though.

The highlights? Finally working on a ballet, good pay (after the food, taxis and Bank Holiday pay), meeting some lovely dancers, and finding that I already knew the majority of the dressers!

I have been hooked on ballet for a long time, and this experience hasn't changed that. At this point in time, I don't know if I could do it for 50 weeks a year, but every so often is a nice change from opera, theatre or musicals!

Thank you everyone for your help, particularly BayAreaSM! (sorry, I don't know your name!)

Chris
x

191

Stage Management: Other / Re: Opera tips

« on: Mar 20, 2012, 08:36 pm »

Possibly going to prove myself a fool, but why do you need to find cough drops?
Over here, if singers need a VocalZone or Soother, they buy them!

C

192

The Green Room / Re: Things Stage Managers Say

« on: Mar 20, 2012, 07:20 pm »

"Can you please take your shirt off so I can check your mic?" 

"The goal here is to get you out of your clothes as fast as possible without injuring ourselves or the costumes"

Oh so many from my days as a radio runner.....

193

The Green Room / Re: Hell in a Handbag (A Game for Stage Managers)

« on: Mar 11, 2012, 06:36 pm »

Do the coins need to be metal - or could she drop paper money instead? Where is the play set (country and date), or is Brenda coming from another country? Would only angular coins (i.e. British 50p) be acceptable? Can the stage be slatted, so coins fall through the gaps? Or could it have a batten running somewhere near the bottom?

A young girl (Frieda) will be needed onstage in the finale.

194

The Green Room / Re: Hell in a Handbag (A Game for Stage Managers)

« on: Mar 10, 2012, 08:12 pm »

Great idea!

Should be bagel be seeded? Does the bagel need filling? Does the actress playing Amy have any allergies? Does she enter with the bagel, or is it preset onstage? Will the bagel need to be in any packaging? Should the bagel be new, or part-eaten?

New note: Sam will be shot in the final scene.

195

Tools of the Trade / Re: Portable printers

« on: Mar 09, 2012, 05:38 am »

HP Deskjet H470. Costs about £120 over here, bluetooth compatible, relatively fast printing. Cartridges are pricey though - about half the price of a new printer!

On longer jobs - ones with a truck to carry all my stuff for me, I take a Kodak Hero 5.1. Bigger and heavier, but WiFi compatible, very cheap cartridges, and copies and scans as well.