181
Self-Promotion / Re: The 39 Steps
« on: Apr 17, 2012, 12:33 am »
I'm coming to see it on the 29th! Fred got me a comp. I'm so excited to see it, I love that show! I'd love to catch up if you have a chance to chat after the show.
News:
14 Jan 2021: Happy 21st birthday, SMNetwork! I replaced the old broken mobile theme. -K
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182
The Green Room / Re: SMASH - the TV series
« on: Apr 13, 2012, 03:38 pm »I've been watching on and off since it started, but I believe a few weeks ago the SM let Karen leave rehearsal early for the day, no reason given? REALLY?
Yeah that happened... woof.
Also last week's episode where Ivy pouted through an entire performance because she WANTS TO BE A STAR and is TOO GOOD TO BE BACK IN THE CHORUS NOW? So ridiculous. Norbert Leo Butz was fabulous in his cameo though.
183
Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Short Form ans Symbols
« on: Apr 11, 2012, 12:01 am »I use EN for enter and EX for exit.
When in opera, I use NT and XT but that never really stuck with me.
I use nt and xt, lowercase.
184
Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Short Form ans Symbols
« on: Apr 07, 2012, 12:16 pm »
I tend to draw a lot of pictures of furniture & set pieces. I typically make a key and keep it in the front of my script in case someone else needs to look at my blocking notes.
A tall skinny rectangle with no bottom is my symbol for a door- if there's more than one door on the set I give each door a 1-letter abbreviation like K for Kitchen or U for Upstage and write that letter inside the rectangle.
I do the same thing with chairs- a stick drawing of a chair and then I label the bottom part (under the seat, if you will) with a letter or a number- Chair 1 & Chair 2 or R for Red Chair, etc.
A tall skinny rectangle with no bottom is my symbol for a door- if there's more than one door on the set I give each door a 1-letter abbreviation like K for Kitchen or U for Upstage and write that letter inside the rectangle.
I do the same thing with chairs- a stick drawing of a chair and then I label the bottom part (under the seat, if you will) with a letter or a number- Chair 1 & Chair 2 or R for Red Chair, etc.
185
Tools of the Trade / Re: Running sound cues in rehearsal
« on: Apr 06, 2012, 12:41 am »
I have run sound cues in QLab in rehearsal for a few shows, but have never edited any cues. I got that job as the "on-book" ASM and our in-house sound engineer programmed everything for us. Any changes requested by the director would be sent to the designer and then the engineer would come in and load the new cues for us. I would be hesitant to give the go-ahead for complicated sound cues in rehearsal if I was the only SM in the room- I've been there and it's no fun, but when you're a team of 2 or 3 it's much easier to have someone running the sound cues and not end up with blank pages in the prompt book.
I think that a working knowledge of QLab is helpful and a valuable skill for SMs to have- QLab seems to be more and more the new CD player in the rehearsal room- but there's a fine line between the director saying "Can you fade that out after 20 seconds" and "Can you loop that and add more drums." It's SO easy to move from being helpful and efficient in the rehearsal room to "not my job" and "stepping on toes."
I think that a working knowledge of QLab is helpful and a valuable skill for SMs to have- QLab seems to be more and more the new CD player in the rehearsal room- but there's a fine line between the director saying "Can you fade that out after 20 seconds" and "Can you loop that and add more drums." It's SO easy to move from being helpful and efficient in the rehearsal room to "not my job" and "stepping on toes."
186
Tools of the Trade / Re: Clipboard that holds your iPad?
« on: Mar 31, 2012, 02:01 pm »
I agree with kmc307 about the clunky-factor. If it opened from the side, like a book, or if it somehow folded over itself, it might be less difficult to use standing up. I'm just imagining opening the clipboard to use the ipad and having a sheaf of papers fall out all over the deck.
187
Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Packing for a Summerstock
« on: Mar 27, 2012, 11:41 am »
A portable laundry basket/hamper (one that is easily carried up & down stairs, across the street, etc.)
I absolutely second Maribeth's kitchen items suggestion- whether you don't have a kitchen or you have a "fully stocked and supplied" kitchen, bring your favorite coffee mug, a couple of cups, that bowl that's the perfect height where the water doesn't boil over the side when you make oatmeal in the microwave, anything like that. Also a good idea- a few pieces of tupperware. You'd be surprised how quickly that stuff disappears. And LABEL all of your stuff!
If you're a big movie-watcher, I'd get a cd sleeve, one of those zip-up things with the plastic sleeves, to put any dvds in that you want to bring. That way you don't have to deal with cases that take up way more space than is necessary. Also, label your dvds or at least make a list of what you're bringing so that nothing disappears.
I also take a couple of pictures with me for a nice homey touch.
A power strip and an extension cord! You never know where or how many outlets you'll have in your housing. Label those too.
Labeling your things seems to be a common thread for me...
I absolutely second Maribeth's kitchen items suggestion- whether you don't have a kitchen or you have a "fully stocked and supplied" kitchen, bring your favorite coffee mug, a couple of cups, that bowl that's the perfect height where the water doesn't boil over the side when you make oatmeal in the microwave, anything like that. Also a good idea- a few pieces of tupperware. You'd be surprised how quickly that stuff disappears. And LABEL all of your stuff!
If you're a big movie-watcher, I'd get a cd sleeve, one of those zip-up things with the plastic sleeves, to put any dvds in that you want to bring. That way you don't have to deal with cases that take up way more space than is necessary. Also, label your dvds or at least make a list of what you're bringing so that nothing disappears.
I also take a couple of pictures with me for a nice homey touch.
A power strip and an extension cord! You never know where or how many outlets you'll have in your housing. Label those too.
Labeling your things seems to be a common thread for me...
188
Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Orchestras moving out of the pit
« on: Mar 25, 2012, 12:37 pm »
The last musical I did had an orchestra that we ended up moving 3 times before we ended up putting them in another room entirely. The usual "pit" (not technically a pit, but a hallway backstage with view of the stage for the conductor & conductor cam on balcony rail for cast) had some water damage & was not usable. We tried the band in the moat- WAY too loud. We tried the band in the balcony (old movie theatre, there aren't actually any seats in the balcony for patrons) because they'd done it before... only after we had a disastrous dress rehearsal where nobody could hear anybody except the drums did the producer remember that the last time they put the band in the balcony, all of the musicians were playing electric instruments and produced no sound that did not come out of the speakers.
Final solution was to put the band in the paint shop, which is connected to backstage but technically separate. We ran video for the conductor & the actors and a comm for the conductor, and everything ended up working out really well. The band liked it because they didn't have to dress up- no audience saw them. The sound guy liked it, the actors liked it, it wasn't any farther for my rounds pre-show because the way to get backstage from the booth was to go through the paint shop anyway.
We did add something to the preshow speech about the music being live, though.
Final solution was to put the band in the paint shop, which is connected to backstage but technically separate. We ran video for the conductor & the actors and a comm for the conductor, and everything ended up working out really well. The band liked it because they didn't have to dress up- no audience saw them. The sound guy liked it, the actors liked it, it wasn't any farther for my rounds pre-show because the way to get backstage from the booth was to go through the paint shop anyway.
We did add something to the preshow speech about the music being live, though.
189
Employment / Re: Health insurance
« on: Mar 23, 2012, 09:39 am »
I buy it from an insurance company myself. I'm still an intern, but I'm not on my parents' insurance any more, and it's not provided by the company I work for.
190
The Green Room / Re: "You get paid to do that?" - What's your oddest story?
« on: Mar 21, 2012, 08:17 pm »
Sometimes I like to think about what I'm doing in terms of literally what I am doing as a non-theatre person would see it- I'm not helping an actor with a quickchange during a blackout, I'm standing in a dark stairwell helping a man I barely know change his clothes. It really puts my job in a whole new perspective...
191
The Green Room / Re: Hell in a Handbag (A Game for Stage Managers)
« on: Mar 10, 2012, 09:49 pm »
(Great idea!!)
Are the garments from the theoretical wardrobe of the Debutante, or are they someone else's (another character's) clothes? Are the clothes new- pricetags? Can we pull suitable clothes from the existing costume stock, or will these garments need to be purchased or built? If we do not have anything in stock, will this come from the prop or costume budget? Are the clothes on hangers? If they are on hangers, does she leave them on the hangers or take them off before exiting? If she takes them off the hangers, where does she leave the hangers? Is there a potential trip hazard as she runs down the stairs/ramp offstage? Do we need to light her exit through the house? Do we have individual control of the existing house lights, or do we need to hang a special? Do we need to dim the lobby lights when she exits the house to prevent spill? How much time does the Debutante have to get backstage again before her next entrance? What is the quickest route from the lobby to backstage? Do we need a crew person in the lobby to catch the clothes from her? Does House Management need to add a description of this event to the usher orientation?
New note: Mother's reaction to hearing the gunshot at the end of I.ii will be to drop the plate of food on the floor.
Are the garments from the theoretical wardrobe of the Debutante, or are they someone else's (another character's) clothes? Are the clothes new- pricetags? Can we pull suitable clothes from the existing costume stock, or will these garments need to be purchased or built? If we do not have anything in stock, will this come from the prop or costume budget? Are the clothes on hangers? If they are on hangers, does she leave them on the hangers or take them off before exiting? If she takes them off the hangers, where does she leave the hangers? Is there a potential trip hazard as she runs down the stairs/ramp offstage? Do we need to light her exit through the house? Do we have individual control of the existing house lights, or do we need to hang a special? Do we need to dim the lobby lights when she exits the house to prevent spill? How much time does the Debutante have to get backstage again before her next entrance? What is the quickest route from the lobby to backstage? Do we need a crew person in the lobby to catch the clothes from her? Does House Management need to add a description of this event to the usher orientation?
New note: Mother's reaction to hearing the gunshot at the end of I.ii will be to drop the plate of food on the floor.
192
The Green Room / Re: Favorite Playwright
« on: Mar 07, 2012, 06:46 pm »
I'm a fan of Tom Stoppard (Arcadia is my absolute favorite play ever) and also David Ives- his absurd sense of humor lines up with mine pretty nicely.
193
Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: PEOPLE: Walk-Ons; How do you handle them?
« on: Mar 07, 2012, 02:07 am »
Here's my walk-on horror story... not exactly what you were asking, but I feel the need to share-
In college, we were doing a production of Deadwood Dick, a Wild West melodrama. The founder of Yellawood Lumber, which is based near where I went to school, donated a massive amount of money to the College of Liberal Arts, and our opening night party was also a gala in his honor, and so the university had the bright idea of giving him a walk-on role.
Now if you live in the Southeast US, you may have seen him in a commercial or on a billboard in his BRIGHT YELLOW cowboy outfit. If you haven't, just imagine a pudgy, middle-aged man in a ridiculous yellow cowboy suit.
This walk-on role consisted of him, in his yellow suit, walking onto the stage and announcing "The stagecoach is coming!" and then walking off again- a line normally said by one of the ensemble cowboys. In this case, the ensemble cowboy got the line "Who was that Yella Fella?" Absurd, ridiculous, cheesy, and the audience full of donors loved it.
But here's the best part- the man rode to the party afterward on a horse, in his yellow suit, and promptly fell off the horse in front of the entire crowd of bigwigs.
In college, we were doing a production of Deadwood Dick, a Wild West melodrama. The founder of Yellawood Lumber, which is based near where I went to school, donated a massive amount of money to the College of Liberal Arts, and our opening night party was also a gala in his honor, and so the university had the bright idea of giving him a walk-on role.
Now if you live in the Southeast US, you may have seen him in a commercial or on a billboard in his BRIGHT YELLOW cowboy outfit. If you haven't, just imagine a pudgy, middle-aged man in a ridiculous yellow cowboy suit.
This walk-on role consisted of him, in his yellow suit, walking onto the stage and announcing "The stagecoach is coming!" and then walking off again- a line normally said by one of the ensemble cowboys. In this case, the ensemble cowboy got the line "Who was that Yella Fella?" Absurd, ridiculous, cheesy, and the audience full of donors loved it.
But here's the best part- the man rode to the party afterward on a horse, in his yellow suit, and promptly fell off the horse in front of the entire crowd of bigwigs.
194
Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Dealing with rude emails
« on: Mar 04, 2012, 07:17 pm »
Another piece of advice- if you feel that this is a widespread issue (as in, students in your department are consistently being mistreated/disrespected/whatever in the same manner) it would be helpful to either have a group of you approach the dean together or have everyone write individual statements detailing their concerns. It's very easy for an administrator to dismiss one dissenting student as a troublemaker or overly sensitive, but if there is a group of you it becomes harder to ignore.
195
Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Dealing with rude emails
« on: Mar 04, 2012, 01:42 am »
I fought this battle A LOT while I was in school, and I would have to say that from my personal experience, I would recommend a combined approach- Kay's solution is professional and stands a chance of making the peace in the here-and-now, but I cannot suggest highly enough that you take this up the food chain- obviously your department head was cc'ed on the email, but a private meeting would not be amiss, and keep going up to higher administration if you have to. You are a student, and the bottom line in this situation is that your faculty is not teaching you- they are neither setting a good example nor offering you constructive criticism to improve upon your mistakes.