Messages

211

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Blocking question: non-dance, movement based

« on: Jul 15, 2008, 04:44 pm »

I agree with Jessie, my movement notations always include written descriptions along with lots of little drawings. For a piece where the three people are doing different things I would suggest noting each of their choreography separately. I'd make three columns, one for each of the people, and divide those up into rows so it would look like:

                   Dancer 1            Dancer 2               Dancer 3
First move:    leaps DSL           falls to left knee     ---------
2nd move:     arms in air          lies on ground         heel click
3rd move:....

212

Tools of the Trade / Re: What's in your bag?

« on: Jul 15, 2008, 04:24 pm »

Pens, pencils, pencil sharpener, eraser, one colour of spike tape, duct tape, bandaids (the basic kind), extra loose-leaf paper, safety pins, mini stapler and extra staples

Then anything extra based on the show or problems that came up the day before.

213

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

« on: Jul 08, 2008, 04:48 pm »

I agree, over-dressing for any job can put people off you right away ("he's wearing a suit, how important does he think he is?") and in a sector such as theater it's important to gain people's confidence from day one.

I tend to dress nicer near the beginning (when we're at the table and such), then by the time my clothes start to look a little less pretty people are already familiar with me and don't really notice.

214

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Student Stage Manager's Challenge #3: SMs Everywhere

« on: Jul 08, 2008, 04:38 pm »

What about a politician's campaign manager? If you think about it, the whole campaign is a type of production. They're there to make sure it all runs smoothly, all the schedules work, stay calm when things hit the fan, etc.

not to mention all the fancy office supplies they get to use!

215

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Taping the Prop Table

« on: Jul 07, 2008, 06:47 pm »

Do you mean how to do the actual taping or how to arrange everything on it?

216

Tools of the Trade / Re: Things that went wrong with your technical equipment?

« on: Jul 07, 2008, 06:46 pm »

Ruth, I hope he didn't include fires in that!

I'd do the best I could on my own. I'd think of everything possible that could go wrong and find some way to at least get some of the basics covered. I'd also talk to my board ops and see what they think about the possibility of equipment failure and what resources they have to deal with it. I'd also go talk to someone higher up, explain the situation, and ask how far you should follow the director's wish (of keeping the show going) and when they think it becomes unreasonable. If you could get them to have a little chat with the director that wouldn't be amiss either.

So what did you end up doing?

217

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Cast Gifts/Thank Yous?

« on: Jun 30, 2008, 05:45 pm »

I don't tend to do gifts for opening night (like many have said, it's one of the last things I have time for), but I generally bring in something simple that I've baked at the start of tech week. I find that's a good time to do it because a) you still have time and b) everyone likes a little pick-me-up around then. Also, that's usually the time when I'm sitting down and organizing/rewriting my script so I can work on that and have things in the oven at the same time.

218

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Posting contact sheets on the call board?

« on: Jun 16, 2008, 08:01 pm »

If everyone who needs a copy has already been given a copy and you keep one handy, then how much easier can it get? That's my question.

219

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Director From Hell

« on: Jun 10, 2008, 11:55 pm »

I think this whole situation becomes easier to work with the smaller your company is. I'd always leave a note or send an email, like you did, just to alert people of what you did, but this becomes more and more nececary the larger your theatre is. For example, at my high school I likely wouldn't bother with anything but by the time I reached a company that had a very clear division of departments that didn't work so closely with eachother I definately would.

220

Employment / Re: Needing advice taking a job or not

« on: Jun 10, 2008, 11:24 pm »

Look at it this way: if you never accept a job for fear of something better coming along, you're never going to accept a job. You have to make the decision of wether to take the (reasonable) job you are being offered now or to wait just in case something better comes along. What if nothing coms your way for a while? It can be a frustrating feeling when you miss out on something you'd rather do because you're already buisy, but at least you're doing something and not just sitting aroung with your fingers crossed.

221

Tools of the Trade / Re: Mac users-- cool application for use backstage

« on: May 30, 2008, 07:02 pm »

This is also better for the environment since it takes less energy for the computer to produce black and darker colours as opposed to white/light colours. Google picked up on this and made a search engine like that has white on black.

http://www.blackle.com

222

Tools of the Trade / Soldering irons?

« on: Apr 28, 2008, 08:24 pm »

Quick question!

I've been hearing mention of soldering irons alot lately and, although I know what they are, I'm curious about something. Someone commented about using one of them to repair a headset and I'm wondering how that would work. Does anybody have an idea of that?

223

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Sound Booth Clean?

« on: Apr 28, 2008, 08:07 pm »

I do agree they ought to keep the booth clean, as you said the stuff stored up there is worth a lot. However, I don't think you're going to be able to force them to clean the booth, doing so might come accross as bossy and nagging (kind of like when their mothers tell them to go clean their rooms  ). Asking them every once in a while to do a bit of upkeep and mentioning your reasons for concern, as well as offering to pitch in if you have the time, should help. If it gets to be a real problem though I would take it higher up.

224

The Green Room / Re: SMs in media?

« on: Apr 21, 2008, 09:57 pm »

Did anyone watch Idol Gives Back last week?  The American Idol SM had to come out onstage and change Brad Pitt's body mic.  She said something like, "I just wanted an excuse to touch him."

Hurrah! SMs with wicked humour!

225

The Green Room / Re: SMs in media?

« on: Mar 24, 2008, 10:29 pm »

Slings and Arrows made me so happy when I first saw it! (Stage managers + Shakespeare! you can't go wrong!)  I was so glad to see the SM as such a prominent character, and especially glad that she did a wonderful job. The only problem is that now my friends keep joking about how, since I'm ususally so agreeable at rehersals, I might one day get drunk and become "posessed by the devil" and start swearing loudly at them.