Messages

211

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Musicals Vs. Straight Plays

« on: Dec 30, 2006, 12:09 am »

The previosu stage manager had pages in her script of numbers, such as 1      2      3      4, which were counts of beats but im not yet sure how to work that yet.

I discussed my version of this kind of script/dance notation in the Plays & Musicals Forum, at this thread: http://smnetwork.org/forum/index.php/topic,1518.0.html

Erin

212

Tools of the Trade / Re: latest toyes...

« on: Dec 23, 2006, 11:40 am »

I think the craft stores here have the mini retractable sharpies too...especially at the impulse shopping near the cash registers.

Erin

213

SMNetwork Archives / Digging Out in Denver

« on: Dec 22, 2006, 09:18 pm »

Anyone heard of the blizzard in Denver?  Well, Wednesday I was supposed to fly out to Ohio for Christmas.  I quickly realized that my 3:12 p.m. flight was probably not going to work, so booked myself a couple standby tickets.  Did not make it to the airport in time for the first one.  After spending a rapidly deteriorating drive to the airport - stopping twice to clear the ice from under my wipers - I managed to wait for a snowy shuttle, get in line, stand there forever as all possible flights started getting cancelled, and got to the counter to have them issue me a receipt.  I was one of the last lucky ones to turn around and get out of the airport.  4900 were stranded there when the road to it was closed.  As it was, I barely got my car out of the drift that had already created behind it in the parking lot, then spent another treacherous drive home, and proceeded to basically snuggle in (once my boyfriend was finally released from his show and got home through the "surreal" traffic as he described it).  Took lots of great pictures, including a progression of those out my balcony as the snow deepened, and then some gorgeous shots of the sun setting (once it finally came out yesterday) against the snow.

But 'twil definitely be a White Christmas!  Now am wondering exactly how early I need to be at the airport on the 26th for a flight for my next job!  Currently they're saying 2 to 3 hours to check in and at least another hour at security...

Erin

214

SMNetwork Archives / Re: Christmas Wish List

« on: Dec 16, 2006, 11:10 am »

My first suggestion would be an associate membership with the Stage Manager's Association: http://www.stagemanagers.org/

I'm the co-Secretary for the SMA, and if you do decide to go for a gift membership, I highly suggest you wrap up a note saying you'll do it, but don't try to purchase one online until after January 1st.  The credit card system is not set up yet for 2007 memberships (it would only give you a pro-rated version of the last few days of 2006).  Or you could send in a check or money order for 2007, and we'd process it after the first of the year.

The other ideas are great too.  Perhaps her own set of easy-to-read measuring tapes.  25' foot "straight" ones, and 50' or 100' cloth/vinyl rolled up ones.  There are several out there hard to read....take a look at them before you buy them blindly.  See if the number for each inch is right by the hash mark, etc. 

My dad's always into giving me more flashlights...

Erin

215

SMNetwork Archives / Re: Drinking Games

« on: Dec 13, 2006, 12:33 am »

I hate the smell of $2/bottle champagne.

Not for while-at-work consumption, but I will say that a little Chambord (a berry liqueur) makes champagne - even the cheap stuff - taste a lot better.  Then it's called a Kir Royale.

Erin

216

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Flying Carpet...

« on: Dec 13, 2006, 12:30 am »

I think when I saw Aladdin, Jr they had a sort of rolling pedestal set piece (so it was moveable for shifts, but then on brakes for the scene) that had a dry ice tube coming out of it.  Dry ice stays more on the ground, and the thing was sort of a pedestal, so it looked like they were above the cloud...

Erin

217

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Merged Topics - "Left or Right" and "Your book Left or right"

« on: Dec 13, 2006, 12:25 am »

Hey, we've merged these, and this also comes up a lot - moderator, can we sticky this one too?

Erin

218

Tools of the Trade / Re: What goes inside a SM Kit?

« on: Dec 11, 2006, 12:29 am »

Don't know what the original poster's reason is, but I can think of several...hand-strengthening exercises, a massage tool (put it between your aching back and a wall, and roll it up and down, or for dancers to work out leg kinks by rolling it on their muscles), or the simple stress-relieving game of catch!

Erin

219

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Interesting request for performance reports...

« on: Dec 08, 2006, 12:44 pm »

I often have pre-show live announcements, and if that's the case, my first line is Preshow Announcement Begins (Allison) 8:01, then Act One Begins 8:04, with Allison being the speaker du jour.  That way they can also tell how long the person has talked, and your run time reflects the actual show, not the preshow speaker.  

I guess I don't usually put when we open the house unless it's anything very different from the standard half-hour.

Erin

220

Uploaded Forms / Re: Tracking Script Changes

« on: Dec 08, 2006, 12:18 am »

Similar to the previous, though I basically type in just the new line (previous poster also listed old line), with bold and underline for changed words, the strikethrough feature for those cut.  I start off with the action (i.e., cut or change), and the final column is the date we changed the line.  When I'm ready to distribute, I'll do a sort feature by page number.

Erin

221

The Green Room / Re: Things You'll Never Hear a Stage Manager Say

« on: Dec 07, 2006, 08:37 pm »

The "original" list (or at least one version of it) can be found many places online, such as...
http://www.tabsareforflying.co.uk/humour/neversaid.shtml

Erin

222

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: SMgt project

« on: Dec 05, 2006, 05:36 pm »

I have just done a search of "blocking" in 4 different stage management books I own and found sections on blocking in all of them.  I like Lawrence Stern's description best that "The best method is the method that works best for you."

If you want actual symbols to use (which are individual for each person), a good example is in Daniel Ionazzi's book.

Also, you can try the search function on this website.  Clicking on the magnifying glass icon will give you more search perameters and a better ability to find things.  Try both "blocking" and "script" and you'll get tons of different answers to sift through.  There's no one answer.  I know there are large discussions on how to write cues in your book too. 

Sounds like it's a school project.  Do some research.

Erin

223

College and Graduate Studies / Re: Little help please... (Seeking College Recommendations)

« on: Nov 28, 2006, 01:44 pm »

I have replied privately to mitcha, but I'll just say that the incident was back 1993, so any school could have changed since then.  But if you think you may spend 4 years of your life some place, you should go there first to see if it's anything like you think it is!  Might be an expensive trip, but perhaps much more expensive to spend 4 years somewhere that you don't like (or a year before transferring somewhere else.)

Erin

224

College and Graduate Studies / Re: Little help please... (Seeking College Recommendations)

« on: Nov 28, 2006, 01:31 am »

Whatever schools you narrow yourself down to, go to the college to visit.  I was highly interested in one of the colleges that someone has mentioned on this board, and when I went there I got a completely different feeling about the place.  (Shoddy production values, non-friendly students, etc.)  I eventually was accepted into their program, but I didn't choose them.

Erin

225

SMNetwork Archives / Re: Free Stuff

« on: Nov 21, 2006, 10:01 am »

We got Emergen-C for a touring show we did.  We had 4 companies out, and they split up a fairly small box.  So it's out there, but not necessarily in enormous supply.  We meanwhile got 2 or 3 large cans of Ricola each.

Erin