Messages

196

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Response to "calling a show by feel" from "things you would never hear..."

« on: Jan 18, 2007, 07:27 pm »

I've had a lot of 'calling by feel' experiences.  I remember once in tech when I had a cue that we'd been playing around with the exact calling point of it, and during one of the runs I put it where it 'felt' right, instead of that day's trial word.  When we were done, the LD came to me and said 'That was perfect - keep it there'.

My first few years of touring was with small scale productions, were we hit the road without much tech-direction, because we knew that what we'd be getting tech-wise at each venue would vary wildly.  Things would range from a few strip lights controled by circuit breakers to full rep plots.  Most shows I would create the show lighting looks as I went along, using whatever I had at that local theatre.  So there would be a lot of variance from day to day - and a lot of 'calling' cues by the seat of my pants!

-Centaura

P.S> for me there was another line in that topic that I had to chuckle at - because I can honestly admit that I am a stage manager, ex-roadie, and I don't drink.

197

Tools of the Trade / Re: Environmental Theater

« on: Jan 18, 2007, 07:14 pm »

Is it important that the audience notice the pine smell at certain times during the show, or do you just want the impression when they come in?  I ask because the human nose will very quickly acclimate to a new scent, and after a while not smell it anymore.  If its important that the audience notice the pine, I might suggest sending 'bursts' of scent at appropriate times.

-Centaura

198

Tools of the Trade / Re: Environmental Theater

« on: Jan 18, 2007, 12:18 pm »

How big a house, and what type?  I ask because in my old vaudeville, there are old ducts under the house that fans could blow a scent through.  In a very small house I could see a few strategic bowls of essential oils adding enough scent.  Though part of me does wonder about possible audience allergies - maybe signs out front like you'd have with a show with heavy fog?

-Centaura

199

The Hardline / Re: "You're the One that I want" reality show

« on: Jan 17, 2007, 05:05 pm »

It is an interesting idea for a show, but it would be nice if the show somehow explained more about what AEA is and what it is like to be a professional performer.

I refuse to watch anything reality-tv, though I can see where the producers thought it would be a sure fire way to get advertising.  I really doubt that they will bring up AEA at all - that would be educational, which is not the goal of reality tv.  As for showing what its like to be a professional performer - my guess is that they will concentrate so much on the drama, diva fits and bad actors that they will probably reduce the public's opinion of performers even more.  Which is a shame for all the honest, hard-working performers out there that already struggle with the public's perception that they're spoiled brats. 

I just wish that the taste for reality tv would fade and we could get back to the days where good writing, performances, directing, etc. made a show popular verses glorifying negative human behavior.

-Centaura

200

Stage Management: Other / Re: School productions.

« on: Jan 16, 2007, 01:05 pm »

The dance school show that we had in here before christmas has a standard policy that each kid has an i.d. tag that tells who is allowed to pick them up.  They had parent volunteers who stood at the backstage door and called out the kids one at a time as they lined up, and each parent had to present a driver's license - that matched what was on the kid's tag - to get their kid.  I thought it would take forever, releasing the kids one at a time like that, but it went fairly smoothly and quickly.  Of course, there its the normal policy of the dance company for all rehearsals and shows, so the parents were well trained.  The adults who were allowed backstage all had lanyards that they wore with their name and job backstage.

-Centaura

201

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Dressing For The Part?

« on: Jan 12, 2007, 04:25 pm »

I'm pretty much limited to polos with the theatre's logo on them, but I got to pick out the color(s).  I have two black ones, but every other one is some different color, and I have three different styles (of polo).  Its nice to have the variety, though I often show up in the same color as my boss, which gets a lot of jokes up front.

-Centaura

202

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Dressing For The Part?

« on: Jan 11, 2007, 12:32 pm »

I'm going to hop on the jean wagon, and say that I wear jeans to work and they count in my dress code, but I am going to be anal about defining 'jeans'.  I mean good fitting, belts around the waist, straight leg, new-looking, no holes.  I do not want to be disrespectful, but the current trend in teen - early 20 jeans is not what I consider a professional looking or practical garment.  Anything that falls off the rear end, drags on the floor, or looks like its been through a shredder I do not believe make a professional statement.  When I was on tour, and had venues that had college kids for crew, I would find these types of clothing, and would actually have them interfere with the work that needed to get done.  If given a choice between catching falling set pieces or falling pants, the pants usually won to the detriment of the set.  Happened over and over again.  Or the dragging seams of bellbottoms drug in mud or snow from outside and made a mess inside, or were tripped on.

I would say that your comment about going with what others around you are wearing is a good idea, but I would also take into consideration the age of the folks who you're going to work with.  If the folks that you need to work with are near your own age, then wearing trendier clothing will work to your favor for getting respect.  If the folks you need to impress that you're in charge with are older than you, then you're going to have to dress more conservatively. 

-Centaura

203

Stage Management: Other / Re: Comparing rep, touring and opera

« on: Jan 09, 2007, 12:55 pm »

One thing that I didn't mention, that is a job difference - there's a lot more need for maintenance on tours that in a standard, shorter-run production.  I've recently learned that the original poster is a Brit - so that is even more apprapos.  British ASMs are the equivalent of US props people - when I was on tour over there as an ASM there were afternoon calls everyweek just for repair and maintenance work on things.

-Centaura

204

Tools of the Trade / Re: Trees on stage

« on: Jan 09, 2007, 12:42 pm »

I would ask how long your production was going to run for - it takes a lot to care for trees and keep them green and healthy.  And what specie of tree do you want to use?  The most commonly available tropical tree is a ficus, but they're really touchy about changes in lighting.  Tend to do big dramatic leaf drops.  A landscape tree would last better, but they're more expensive and they still need a certain number of hours of real daylight per day.

One thing to be aware of is where you get your trees from - to be aware of anything else that might come in with the tree - bugs, etc.  In FL almost any tree coming in from outdoors is going to have geckos on it - which can be real fun in a building.

Once you learn what you're using, drop me a PM.  I grow bonsai trees, both indoors and outdoors as a hobby of mine and I can give you some tips on helping the tree survive through your run.

-Centaura

205

SMNetwork Archives / Re: Digging Out in Denver

« on: Jan 07, 2007, 06:40 pm »

For the Israeli traveler - at least they gave you the things that they couldn't get back into your bag!  I flew out of Philly soon after 9-11, when they had the 'search all bags' thing going but didn't have the luggage xray machines yet.  I was at the end of a tour, with a stuffed bag from things that I had picked up.  They couldn't get everything back into my bag and my options were to basically stay in the airport for the rest of my natural life.  I couldn't repack the bag myself, I couldn't leave security to buy another bag, I couldn't get on my flight and I couldn't leave the airport.  We just sort of stood there staring at each other until I thought to ask if I could carry my fall coat onto the airplane as a carry-on.  With the coat gone, they were able to get the bag zipped and I was fine - but I really don't know what would have happened if I couldn't have done that.

For the snow in FL - I was on tour there one Dec. when I heard a radio commercial about an upcoming xmas party at a local mall where they were going to 'truck in snow' for the occasion.  For a born and bred Minnesotan, that was the funniest thing I had ever heard and nearly drove off the road because I was laughing so hard.  Of course, my sound tech - born and bred down the bayou from Nu'Orlens couldn't figure out what I thought was so funny.

-Centaura

206

Stage Management: Other / Re: Opera Rehearsal Reports

« on: Jan 05, 2007, 05:39 pm »

When on tour, it's usually good to add a "venue issues" section to a report.

That was a big one with most of the companies that I was touring with.  They wanted to know about the conditions at the venues - details of anything that was out of the ordinary that was good to know about the space.  I even have my own files with that type of information, so that when I went back to a venue I could recall the things that I needed to know without racking my brain.  After I'd been to a couple hundred venues it got really, really hard to keep them sorted in my head without my private notes!

-Centaura

207

Stage Management: Other / Re: Comparing rep, touring and opera

« on: Jan 05, 2007, 05:33 pm »

I think one of the major differences with a tour is that usually a considerable amount
of effort has gone into refining a show's tech needs, and trying to work out ways to simplify things backstage.  Not only to keep the paid tour staff number down, but to keep load-in times shorter, keep the reliance on the local crew doing complex chores down, save room on the trucks, etc.  I didn't mean to imply that a tour ASM was not a hard working individual - in addition to their job they supervise a crew that's never done the show before at each and every venue, dealing with all the best and worst that a local crew can throw at you.  That right there is a challenge in and of itself - you can't rely on the fact that 'Joe' will always be there with the right platform - you need to be on your toes to make sure that that day's local has kept up with their cue sheet and is in the correct spot ready to go.  It all depends on the show.  I was just mentioning that it is a position that is often worked out of the crew count, mainly for financial reasons.  The responsibilities then devolve onto another indivudual in the crew (or cast) - as the job still needs to get done, but by someone who has had it added to their 'titled' position.

-Centaura

208

Stage Management: Other / Re: Comparing rep, touring and opera

« on: Jan 04, 2007, 08:18 pm »

I know from a touring perspective, the ASM is very much an expendible position.  In a lot of the smaller and medium scale tours the duties of the ASM are farmed out into the cast, as the emphasis is putting the least amount of paid bodies on the road as possible.  They end up having very little traditional in-rehearsal duties - like errand running, etc.  When I had actor-ASMs they basically were in charge of some vital item or action backstage that would not be easy to explain to some local to do, and that they were offstage at the correct time to take care of.  So there would be as many 'ASM's as there were needed tasks that couldn't be devloved onto locals.

At the road house that I work at, I only see ASMs on the big broadway tours, they are often setting up callboards and other more typical stuff.  They usually have their time split between helping keep the actors up to speed on current information, and instructing local crew on job roles.  I've spent the day trying to think what I've seen ASMs do, but so few shows even come through with SMs that its hard to think what I've seen them do.  Concerts certainly don't have SMs touring with them - which is most of our business.

I would say that most of the job roles between a stationary ASM and a touring ASM, when they have one, are similar.  I would say that the amount and type of information dealt with is the main issue.  Not only do you have daily calls, etc., but there's itinerary changes, hotel information, driving days, mail, errands, etc.  Its much more oriented into having control of more of the actor's life, not just their time at the theatre, but practically their lives every minute of the day.

I'm less knowledgable about operas, but I do know that operas do a lot more with calling singers into places, which I believe that the ASM helps with.  Hopefully some of our opera folks will wander by this thread and put in their two cents.

Got to get back to work, hopefully others will stop by with more comparisons.

-Centaura

209

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Thanks for coming out and auditioning, but....

« on: Dec 09, 2006, 11:12 am »

Ow!  That sounds like a very, very painful chore!  I can even psychoanalyse: its a simple fear of rejection.  They aren't people that you know, but deep down almost everyone has some type of fear of rejection, and calling someone to tell them negative news is about the most straight forward way to invite them to reject you that you could find.

I would petition the theatre to see if you could send snail-mail letters instead.  I totally agree with the folks who said that that would be much kinder.  Like Mac said, when you get a letter, you can pretty much assume before opening it that its a no, but hearing a person on the phone tends to mean that you're getting somewhere.

Of course, I have also had the opposite experience than Mac's phone call example, I got a letter once that was the offer - so I went through the opposite emotional reaction when I got it.  I though I didn't have the job, but then read the letter and realized that I did.

But that would be my advice - try to talk your theatre into sending the Dear John letters, it will be easier for both parties.

-Centaura

210

SMNetwork Archives / Re: Cleaning a Scrim

« on: Dec 06, 2006, 12:38 pm »

(usually a bathtub, but I don't think that would be big enough for a full stage scrim, not sure what would be).

That wouldn't be big enough for the whole scrim, but if they put plastic down on the floor, they could wash it in sections - as much as could fit in the tub at one time.  Or whatever large basin they could get on wheels up to their stage.  I have this image of a tub on a furniture dolly running around in my mind . . .

-Centaura