Messages

196

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Bows

« on: Jul 20, 2007, 12:56 pm »

Since “customary” varies so widely depending on environment, I think it’s helpful when we clarify where our opinions are coming from.  In my experience working in (and watching) equity productions at the SPT level, it is not customary to give a bow to the SM or crew.  The curtain call is usually choreographed by the director, and we wouldn’t change that anymore than the rest of the show.  That said, I have seen casts add gestures to the booth and/or backstage on the final performance of a show.  When I’ve been on the receiving end of this gesture, I appreciate their thoughtfulness, but I’m not sure the audience gets that the cast is acknowledging me and the crew, and not the audience itself.  I do see a difference in adding something special for the last show, and doing it every night of the run.  In theaters that do a pre-show speech, I’ve heard them add a special thank you to the SM and crew on the last night, and get applause for them then, which I think is nice.   As a mater of taste, I hate seeing a good show capped by a sloppy curtain call, and brining crew onto the stage, let alone the SM who one would think should be calling the show at that time, feels awkward to me, but in some situations I could see it working.

197

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Sexist Scenic Designer... HELP!

« on: Jul 16, 2007, 08:55 am »

If a designer is being highly unresponsive, for any reason, I would talk to my Production Manager (if you have one-you mention your director hired this designer).  It shouldn’t be just your job to be the bad guy; the designer works for the theater, not for you, so the Producer/Production Manager/Artistic Director is in a better position to insist that the designer provide the rest of the production team with the info they need.  Depending on your director as the go-between can be tricky, since the director/designer relationship can be complicated on it’s own without that additional burden, plus you never know how they’re coloring the situation, even if they  have the best intentions.     

Assuming there is someone beyond your director who you can talk to about this, I’d leave out the accusations of sexism, and focus on the specific problems ie:  I sent emails on these dates, and called on this date, and have not received an answer as to when we’ll have a groundplan. 

Tech might be your friend in this situation, since it will be harder for him to simply ignore you face to face, and you’ll have the support of other designers and production staff looking for the same info you need.  I hope things get easier for you.

198

The Hardline / Re: SPT Additional Duties / Additional Pay

« on: Jul 11, 2007, 08:02 am »

It doesn't specifically say they have to pay her or require her but it does read as though they can ask, and it certainly would then sound like it's up to the parties to negotiate.   

I agree.  I'd tell your friend to check out rules 49 (H) and 54 (j)8(a) in her SPT book.   

199

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Executing both light and sound cues?

« on: Jul 06, 2007, 05:59 pm »

I'd suggest going to live with the soundboard for a bit after hours and run the sound cues with the light cues in a pitch black room.  What's going to count is the muscle memory and with only a week to go you won't have time to acquire it without practicing.  Set up the boards in a manner so that one hand works the sound deck and the other works the LX board, with your script in the middle directly below your view to the stage.  Move around in the dark room or with a blindfold on until you can turn and hit any button in any order.  Spend some extra time on fading with both hands at different paces if such at thing is required.  Once you've gotten that down, spike your chair, including the height if it's adjustable.

I’d spike your equipment, too; sometimes it helps to have different colored  spike tape on or around buttons you need to hit often so they are easy to find quickly.  If you’re switching CD or minidisks or something, make sure they’re all clearly labeled, stack them in a helpful order before the show, and have a place to stick them when you’re done using them so they’re out of the way.  Also idiot-proof your space by blocking off dials or buttons that you don’t want to mess with but could easily hit by accident.   I’ve often seen half an altoids box used to cover the C/D master faders on a light board when we’re using only the A/B.  Or you could tape a big X over portions of the board you’re not using.  Make sure you have a good pre-show checklist for sound so you don’t have any mid-show surprises (check monitors, headsets, and speakers if your board op was doing that before they left). 

200

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Creating Paperwork

« on: Jun 29, 2007, 12:50 pm »

.....as a stage manager I have never been expected to do that paperwork.......as an ASM those materials were always my sole responsibility to create, and almost always done without consulting my SM at every step of the way.

I wouldn’t worry too much about who is doing the paperwork, as long as it gets done without one person being overburdened.  Everyone will have different expectations on how to divide the workload, so I don’t think it can be set in stone that the ASM does X,Y,Z and the SM does A,B,C.  In the end, I do think it’s the SMs job to make sure that all of the paperwork needed to run the show is produced, and I wouldn’t describe that as giving the ASM “sole responsibility,” even for tasks I delegate to them.    Even when working with the “areas-of-responsibility” system JMullane mentioned, I’ll often find that while one person is in charge of typing up a document, information gathering is a collaborative effort (two people watching the stage will see twice as much).   

I’m usually working with just-out-of-college non-eq ASMs, so I look at mentoring and teaching as part of the job.  I’m pleasantly surprised when I get an ASM who doesn’t need a huge amount of attention and training.  I encourage my novice ASMs to take ownership of runsheets and prop lists, but after being burned a couple times, I do make regular checks on their progress.  For some ASMs, yes, I need to consult with them every step of the way.  Sometimes I’ll give the ASM a template and ask them to make it show specific and keep it up-to-date.  Other times we’ll discuss the info I need to have on the documents, then I’ll let them take a stab at putting it all on paper, then if I think their format works we’ll go with it. 

201

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: set changes

« on: Jun 06, 2007, 01:34 pm »

I wouldn’t create an artificial time limit within which the shift must take place.  The idea is to keep the show moving forward, and not disrupt the flow any more than necessary, but fast doesn’t always accomplish that.     

Ideally, the director and design team will have some kind of concept for what they do or don’t want to see happening onstage during the shift, so it can be integrated into the rest of the show.  Sound design can be particularly helpful; there have been plenty of times when we have sound to underscore a shift, and try to get the crew action to fit with the length of that sound Q.  That helps the crew keep the same pace each night and the audience stays engaged.  I’ve often had directors get involved in  “choreographing” the scene change so that it looks good to them, either by telling me what they’d like to see, or working directly with the non-union crew/ASMs.   

In your situation, I wouldn’t tell the crew about the length of the scene shift at all.  I would worry that would make them nervous, and lead to people rushing about and checking their watches.  As you find out exactly what needs to move in each shift, and how many bodies you’ll have to make it happen, start drafting your plan for organizing the shifts.  When your crew arrives, give them Run Sheets detailing what they need to do, and keep them focused on completing their individual moves efficiently and consistently.  Then you can watch them do the shift, concentrating on the big picture, and shave off seconds with specific instructions to each crew members on how they can do their jobs better (such as, “carry on the vase when you go to strike the chair, instead of making two trips”).  I’d think that strategy would be more effective than a general “lets make this happen faster everyone!”

202

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Headset Etiquette

« on: May 24, 2007, 01:49 pm »

Cursing out actors, ever, is a no-no in my book; doing it over headset doesn’t make it OK.  Headset can create a false sense of intimacy, but as others have mentioned, it’s often possible for more people to be listening in that you think.  If anyone on deck takes of their headset for a transition without turning it off or the volume down, an actor walking backstage could hear your conversation…it might even leek onto the stage or into the house if the show is quiet enough. 

At its best, light headset conversation can actually build crew morale, and keep anyone from dying of
boredom during a long run.  But first everyone needs to be comfortable with the type of humor and language being used  (that can be hard to determine over headset), and it needs to be clear that the work comes first; to that end, the SM's voice should trump all conversation, at any time.  I might say “let’s talk about this off-headset” if a conversation gets too animated.  I’ve also been known to call a STBY a bit early to get the focus back on the show.

203

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Do you call from house or backstage?

« on: Apr 27, 2007, 10:57 am »

If you have a choice as to where to call a show, consider how well you’ll be able to hear it, as well as the visibility and other issues. 

The only professional production I called from backstage was for a one-shot special event performance, with a few hours of rehearsal during the afternoon, during which I worked at a tech table in the house.  At the show that evening, I discovered that while the visual monitors were adequate, there weren’t any monitors for sound, and the heavy masking and curtain meant the speeches between performances (which I needed to Q off of) were barely audible from my position, even though the hosts were mic’ed and maybe 10 feet away from me.

You can have problems the other way, too.  I began an opening night performance without booth monitors working, and had to dash across the booth with my book to call the Q-heavy first scene leaning over the board op.’s shoulder, straining to hear the actors through an open window to the house.

Overall I prefer to call from the booth, where I can take in the big picture, but I’ve only had a choice about it on one occasion.

204

The Hardline / Re: Searching for EMC positions...

« on: Apr 19, 2007, 09:58 am »

I second the idea of looking at SPT theaters.  Many offer EMC points, and have only one Equity SM, so there’s a good chance you’ll function as the ASM (that was my experience gaining points, although I ultimately joined AEA through signing a contract, rather than the EMC program). 

Here is another thread about EMC that you may find helpful:
http://smnetwork.org/forum/index.php/topic,923.msg5337/topicseen.html#msg5337

205

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: What's my job again?

« on: Apr 16, 2007, 09:49 pm »

Your frustration is completely understandable, and I know it’s easier said than done, but try to keep the situation in perspective. 

The Stage Manager’s job is to give the actors, director, and designers the support they need to be their creative best...even when their best is not as good as we might hope.  Support sometimes takes the form of doing nit-picky things the way the director wants them done, even if you think your way is better (as long as their way isn’t dangerous or illegal).       

If the director is correct that your ASM is having trouble giving lines and taking notes at the same time, it is your job to address that situation, regardless of how you feel about the director’s general attitude.  Others here have given you some great suggestions for dealing with line notes/on-book issue.  But in the spirit of choosing your battles, consider just giving the director’s idea a try.   I think it’s Tom Kelly’s SM book that says “not all things are of equal importance.”  Well, if an issue is clearly important to your director, than it needs to be a priority for you, too.  If the director sees you taking her advice on this, it could build some good will, and make it easier to reach a compromise in your favor on another issue.  But if you never try her method, and she still perceives a problem, that will almost certainly cause more bad feelings.

and most of the cast hates me because of HER scheduling fiascoes…..
I'm trying to make sure……that the cast knows I can handle things……

I’m sure it sometimes feels like they hate you, but they probably don’t.  Besides, you can’t control how they feel about you; all you can really control is how you behave, and how you feel about yourself (knowing you can and will run  tech in an organized fashion).  Try to stay positive, treat everyone with respect, and keep the lines of communication open.  And have lot of chocolate on hand during tech week.   

206

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: How to Spike Stage for Focus?

« on: Apr 13, 2007, 03:52 pm »

If you’re currently rehearsing in an alternate space, you’ll presumably need to move your furniture/set spikes to the stage eventually.  Focus can force you to make that transfer earlier than you otherwise might, but sometimes that's a good thing! 

Let the LD know whether you spike US or DS legs (or something else).  Also, if you have a color-code for your spikes, that's good info to pass along.  They might also want to know where your major furniture pieces are stored so they have the option of putting them onstage themselves.  If the layout is complicated, you could even give the LD a mini-ground plan and draw/mark on it which spikes corespond to which pieces.

207

Tools of the Trade / Re: Do you prefer Word or Excel?

« on: Apr 09, 2007, 09:22 pm »

Tables and formatting are SO much easier in Excel.  Anything you can do in a table in word, you can do in XL faster and easier - and you can reformat with less trauma.

I agree.  Checklists, runsheets, cutlists, almost any kind of tracking document...all of them are basically tables, and I'd rather make them with Excel.  I also love having different worksheets within the same workbook; keeps a lot of show info together, yet separate, so I have fewer files to transfer about.  Word is still my friend for some things, including rehearsal and performance reports, but if I had to choose only one to work with, it would be Excel.

208

The Hardline / Re: The Equity Hour at first Rehearsal

« on: Apr 08, 2007, 08:11 pm »

I haven't heard of “Equity Hour,” but in SPT, you need at least 30 minutes of the first rehearsal to be set aside for Equity Business.  I believe there is something similar in TYA and LORT.  Is this what you mean? 

The Equity business usually includes electing the deputy, and voting on optional items such as reducing the meal break or span of day, and use of the 6-hour rehearsal block.  The SM will usually explain each item that needs to be voted on, answer any questions, then distribute secret ballots (prepared in advance).  Then the SM will tally the ballots and report the outcome.  The SM also reads a letter from Equity about the role of the deputy, and after the election, the cast signs a form confirming the deputy election.  The SM makes sure the form gets sent to Equity.

209

Stage Management: Other / Re: Tips - Music Festival

« on: Mar 18, 2007, 10:11 pm »

Find out if bands are scheduled to start at specific times, and if so, how much of a priority it is for you to keep them running on time.  Part of that is asking the producers how long each band is supposed to play, and figuring out how to carve out some turn-around time to set up the stage for the next group.  I was SM during an outdoor festival where a lot of groups (small ones, thankfully) were performing, and the producers had told them they’d have an hour each.  But there was no time built in between groups, so we were destined to run behind schedule (if the noon group ended exactly at 1pm, and we needed 5-10 minutes to reset the stage, the 1pm group couldn't start until 1:10pm, and if they played for an hour…you get the picture).  When we realized what was happening, we talked to the upcoming performers before they went onstage, and told them they'd need to reduce their set by a few minutes to keep us running on time. 

Another important aspect is coordination with the crew.  I’m used to being hands-on, helping to move chairs and microphones, whatever else might need doing.  But at one festival, it turned out that the two sound guys were much happier doing that on their own; all they wanted me to do was get the performers off the stage ASAP, and send the next group on when the stage was set for them.  At another festival, we had an IATSE crew, so I wasn't allowed to move anything, and was again mainly needed to welcome and usher out the performers.  So definitely talk with sound and other crew about what they need from you; they’re probably not festival rookies, so if they tell you they don't need another body on the stage between groups, take their word for it and stay out from under foot. 

If you'll be outdoors, know ahead of time what the rain plan is; how to keep equipment and people protected, and who will call off the show if needed (you're call?  The bands'?  The producer?). 

210

The Hardline / Re: Who can I stage manage for?

« on: Mar 11, 2007, 07:55 pm »

Here is another thread that covered AEA PAs: http://smnetwork.org/forum/index.php/topic,923.msg5323.html#msg5323