Messages

226

College and Graduate Studies / Re: Is MA in stage management helpful?

« on: May 13, 2008, 01:53 pm »

Did you have stage manager mentors as you worked on your shows, or was it sink-or-swim for you?  I would compare the faculty at whatever grad school you were interested in vs. the faculty you worked with at undergrad, as that could weigh heavily in your decision.

A master's degree is not necessarily required for teaching - years of professional experience are comparable.  My two cents would be for you to do a couple of seasons of non-union theatre before applying to grad schools.  Give yourself a chance to see if you still love stage managing in the real world, where you don't have half the support you do in an educational setting.

Grad school elevated my work by an order of magnitude, because I was surrounded with quality peer artists and Broadway-caliber faculty; but I started stage managing after undergrad (used to be an actor) and I was basically self-taught.  Grad school knocked out my bad habits and gave me a lot of practice in communication.  Also, when I applied, I knew that I'd be stage managing for the rest of my life, so it was okay to go into debt to learn how.  For me, it was the right thing to do.  From what you write, it might not be the right thing for you to do right now (but it might be, in a couple of years).

227

The Hardline / LORT levels

« on: Apr 13, 2008, 06:52 pm »

There are over ninety theatres that use the LORT contract with Equity.  That list is pretty easy to find. 

Is there a list of the level of LORT that each theatre is?  How many are LORT B, which ones area LORT C, what's the closest LORT D theatre?  Do these levels change often?

Thanks,

228

Tools of the Trade / Re: Cue light system

« on: Apr 08, 2008, 11:07 pm »

Cue light systems belong to the theatre, not the stage manager, and they vary from theatre to theatre.  It doesn't help you too much to practice on a cue light console that isn't the one you're using for the show.

I make a paper mock-up of the particular layout before I go into tech and I place pennies on the paper to mark off/on/group positions.  Then I drill the standbys and cues to an audio recording of the show using my pennies and paper.  That gets me pretty well prepared for tech.

229

The Hardline / Overtime, Student Matinee, and the BAT

« on: Apr 04, 2008, 12:57 am »

Every employer I've ever had before has said "no overtime, ever", so I've never had to pay much attention to the rules before.  I need to talk through the situation to understand what we should be getting for this student matinee. 

I'm working under the BAT contract and we had a student matinee today.  That gives us overtime for three reasons:  It's a ninth performance, the rest period (night before) was only 11.5 hours, not 12.0, and the span of day (today) was 13 hours, not 10.5. 

Here's our situation: Curtain down on Wednesday was 11:08pm.  Half-hour call for the Student Matinee was 10:30am.  Curtain down on Thursday was 11:10pm.

I know that since it's after opening, all overtime is time-and-a-half, not straight-time.  I understand the ninth performance, "shall be paid for at the rate of 3/16ths of weekly contractural salary."  That's perfectly clear.  It also seems like this amount is in addition to whatever overtime we get for the other two violations.

However, the rule about the other two violations is confusing. p. 36, Rule 38.C.2.b - "overtime must be paid if the overnight rest period is invaded, or the span of day is exceeded."  The first confusion is fairly simple - if both of these events occur because of the same call, is OT paid only once, not twice?  Or do we get overtime for 10:30am-11:00am (invading the rest period) plus for 10:30am-1pm (exceeded span of day)?  Actually, now that I look at it, the exceeded span of day is probably 9:00pm-11:30pm in this case, which would mean two separate OT calls?  Anyway, how many hours of overtime do we get?

After reading the Overtime rule five times (50.D.3.b) I finally understood that the OT rate is calculated using the weekly rehearsal hours before opening - no matter at what point in the process OT is incurred.  Even though it's after opening now, they still divide our weekly salary by the allowed workweek hours prior to opening.  Confusing!

But my question is still - in addition to the 3/16ths of weekly salary we get for the ninth performance - is our overtime 0.5 hours, 2.5 hours, or the combination of 3.0 hours?

Talking this through, I think I've answered my own question.  What do you think? 

230

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Calling from a moniter

« on: Mar 02, 2008, 05:07 pm »

You can use a grease pencil to mark things on the monitor; for example, calling a light cue when the curtain is at head height, draw a line across the monitor at head height and call the cue when the curtain hits the line.

231

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Number Markers for dance?

« on: Mar 02, 2008, 05:05 pm »

The easiest thing is to print out numbers 3 or 4 inches high and tape them to the stage using packing tape. 

If this is too disruptive for the other users of the space, see if you can get strips of luan that are eight feet long and fix the numbers to that.  Then lay the luan down from center line at the edge of the apron for each rehearsal, pick them up and stack them in the side after rehearsals.

232

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Director and Actor don't get along

« on: Feb 07, 2008, 11:39 pm »

I wonder how this actor will take notes from you during the run...

233

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Taking Notes

« on: Feb 07, 2008, 11:37 pm »

I was calling a show from backstage (fairly busy, most of the time, as you say) and I had an actor who, after exiting next to me, would stop at my console. I would hand him my pencil and he would lean over and write a note on my clipboard.  It was usually something I would have written down if I had had time, but sometimes it had to do with the stage monitor being out or something similar.

I became a big fan of the post-it flag as ljh007 said.  Occasionally, if a critical note came along, I'd ask the ASM over headset to take a one- or two-word note that would remind me what I was thinking at the time.  It's sometimes hard to do that over an open channel, though...

234

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / PEOPLE: Actors' agents and managers

« on: Jan 06, 2008, 01:24 am »

Is there any reason a stage manager should have to deal with an actor's agent or manager?  

I'm starting to work with relatively famous people occasionally, who obviously don't give out their personal contact information.  I usually get a voice mail number for the actor (I think) and their agent's and manager's numbers; I would always call the voice mail number, right?  The producer/company manager deals with agents and managers, right?

I'm a bit unclear on what it is the agent/manager does for an actor on contract, as opposed to getting them auditions.

Thanks,

235

The Hardline / Re: Fittings on a Straight-Six day

« on: Jan 01, 2008, 12:41 pm »

Thanks to all. My confusion was due to my history of working the LORT contract, I had a memory of the straight-six rule providing for outside-rehearsal fittings.  I forgot that it was in conjunction with a 6-day straight-six week but the WCLO contract doesn't allow 6-days; it allows a maximum of 3 days a week being straight-sixes. 

I can now go to the director and tell him a day he wants to be straight-six must actually be 7 with a lunch break, or he needs to rehearse without the lead for an hour of that day.

Thanks again,

236

The Hardline / Fittings on a Straight-Six day

« on: Dec 31, 2007, 12:18 am »

If we have a straight-six rehearsal block, I can schedule fittings during the six hours but not before the rehearsal starts.  Am I correct in this?

"the six-hour block shall constitute the entire work schedule for the day" - WCLO contract

Thanks,
--
Heath

237

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Henry IV, Part I

« on: Nov 29, 2007, 11:38 pm »

I worked on this last summer.  Actually, we did Parts 1 and 2 in rep.  There's no real trick to it, it's a fairly straight-forward Shakespeare show.  As always, keep your envelopes and letters straight!  The hand props in the Tavern can get pretty crazy too.  Ask for tankards that can take a beating from being thrown around, and plenty of dishtowels if you're using real liquids.

The first thing to do is to get the particular script the director wants, and make sure that the cuts are precise.  It's best to get the cut script to the actors, rather than the full script.  Especially in this show, where Falstaff's gang of thieves will probably be cut down to fewer bodies and their lines re-assigned.  Our adaptation ran two hours twenty-five minutes with one intermission (which I believe was right after Hal's return to court "I know not whether God will have it so...") and a full version would come in over three hours, I bet.

The fights in Act V can get pretty hairy, it's true, but you'll probably end up with only three or four two-handers plus the single Henry/Hal/Douglas three-hander.  Keep an eye on the choreography and suggest that Falstaff's choreography be kept to the absolute minimum (he'll be struggling with lines!)  If you're using broadswords, make sure your fight captain knows how to maintain them, and keep giving the note to slow down the fights once you're in performance.

About Falstaff - if your actor is padded (i.e., not a plus-size himself), work with the costumer to keep his costume breathable and lightweight, so he doesn't die of heat exhaustion onstage!

That's all that occurs to me right now, if I think of anything else I'll try and enter it.

Have fun!

238

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Word Use

« on: Sep 14, 2007, 10:32 am »

It sounds to me like the person on a power trip is quickest to recognize signals of possible power trips.  Obviously, I'm only hearing your side of the story.  Having had the same note given to me while in grad school, I know what it is to be in your shoes and I know you had no nefarious intention behind the use of the word "my". 

The professor told me that you can only own the entire show, not any part of it; because theatre is such a collaborative art form.  So you can say "my Cymbeline" or "my production" but you can't say "my costumes" or "my actors".  Even if stagehands have to do what you say, their craft and participation earns them a stake in the set; it's "their" set to. 

Seems to me like that's a much better way of giving the note than "it sounds like you're on a power trip."  All the while you're thinking "pot... kettle..."

239

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Help / Suggestions needed

« on: Sep 01, 2007, 11:18 am »

It sounds to me like your interests are elsewhere - in producing, or directing, or acting.  There are plenty of opportunities in the SF bay area, if you have a car.  I would suggest applying and auditioning everywhere you can; if nothing else, any community theatre would love a volunteer!

If you do want to get into stage management, don't try to be a stage manager right off.  Get a stage hand job, or volunteer for one, and learn as much as you can from the stage manager on the show.  It's pretty easy to get one of these positions, they're what I would call "entry-level" in the SM career path.

One way to get active in bay area theatre is to join the performance arts support organization, Theatre Bay Area, which has a monthly magazine and many networking events throughout the year. 

And don't neglect your resources at Ohlone.  The professors there are reasonably well informed and may be able to point you in a profitable direction.

Good luck,

240

The Hardline / violation

« on: Aug 21, 2007, 11:55 am »

Some advice, please... (please, I'm trying to keep this situation as anonymous as possible until I decide what to do)

I just finished a show with a non-profit company that I have a long history with and a very solid, positive, trusting relationship.  This was a very popular show, and I had a great time doing it.  Now, however, I'm in a dilemma. 

The final week of the run, the theatre was getting a lot of feedback that this production should try for a commercial run.  They got some potential backers in to see the show the final weekend, and those people were fairly excited about the project.  The two AEA actors are interested in the prospects, as am I. 

When we got to the final performance, the artistic director of the theatre said that they were doing an "archive" video of the performance to show to more investors.  We Equity members were leery, but we also wanted to support the chance for a commercial run, so the deputy basically said, "I don't know anything about it."

I wasn't going to stop them from doing it, because the deputy gave his tacit permission. However, I was even more disturbed when I saw during the run that it wasn't a fixed-camera one-shot recording, but there were multiple cameras moving around.  My conscience has been bothering me ever since.

I don't want to be the person that puts a heavy fine on this company, that I feel a strong part of.  I also don't want to hurt the chances of the production getting a second life.  But I need to do my duty as the union stage manager, and make sure we have union protection for how the video is used.

What do I do?  Would AEA give a post-facto approval of the videotape?  Should I anonymously tip off AEA, as if I were an audience member at that performance?  Should I have a private conversation with the theatre company about how uncomfortable I am with the situation?

Thanks,
--