Messages

226

The Green Room / Re: Lip-syncing at Cosi open

« on: Oct 19, 2010, 04:45 pm »

It is a fairly common practice in the opera world.  I did a Tosca some years back where our Tosca blew out her voice during orchestra dress, so we did the exact same thing for the student matinee/final dress, since there was only enough time to get the replacement into town, but not rehearsed, for that morning (luckily there was a day off between orchestra dress and the student matinee).  I have also heard this type of scenario taking place in several other companies for various productions.

227

Employment / Re: temporary jobs between gigs

« on: Oct 18, 2010, 10:16 pm »

I have not used them myself, but several SM friends of mine in the city work through temp agencies.  The agencies seem to be pretty good about matching your availability with the needs of the various companies they contract to.  For instance, they have been able to say "I'm leaving town for a bit in two months" and come away with either one company that only needs a two month assignment, or a combination of companies that will keep them employed for the majority of the time (a week with one, three weeks with another, etc, etc).

And don't rule out waiting tables, bar tending, barrista jobs, etc.  Theatre folk are basically the lifeblood and backbone of the service industry in NYC.  Most places are well used to hiring people, seeing them leave for a period of time, and welcoming them back when they return.

228

The Green Room / Re: Convolution Creep

« on: Oct 13, 2010, 07:54 pm »

I have worked in many a theatre where you simply don't flushing during the show.

Doesn't that violate "safe and sanitary" clause of contracts?

I would say yes, especially if management has signs posted about not flushing (which I have seen and have refused to enforce, for that very reason).

229

The Hardline / Re: Equity and Checks

« on: Oct 13, 2010, 07:48 pm »

My last contract, which was Periodic Performance, referencing Off-Broadway, I received a printed out version of the Off-Broadway agreement, along with our rider/LOA.  However, it was not like the old printed out and bound versions in booklet/digest size, but rather a full 8.5x11 standard sheet of paper printout.  I can't remember what I got back in January for my TYA contract.

230

The Hardline / Re: Equity and Checks

« on: Oct 08, 2010, 10:31 pm »

I love the PDF versions, especially since they actually display quite well in the iBooks application on the iPhone and iPad.  I can always have the rulebook on hand without having to have my laptop or a full print-out.

231

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: REHEARSAL: Duties during acting exercises, movement, vocal work, etc.

« on: Oct 06, 2010, 06:56 pm »

Recording choreography, I have determined, is the responsibility of the choreographer or dance captain, and is of no concern to me. If they are learning dance, then I have some (well deserved) time to relax.

I have to say that is an interesting attitude to take.  Yes, recording the specifics of choreography should be down to the dance captain, but many times they are on their feet learning it and can't stop to keep writing it down, so it's good for an SM to at least have some basic notation of what's happening during the process.  And I have to feel that telling the choreographer that it is their responsibility to notate their work is pretty much in league with telling the director the same thing, which (I hope) you would never do.  In my experience, an SM who does not treat a choreographer with the same respect that they treat the director is an SM who is more likely to wind up butting heads with a choreographer.

I've learned to avoid treating choreography sessions as "down" time or "relaxation" time.   Again, for me, it comes down to giving the choreographer the same respect and attention as I give to the director.  If they have a question I want to be on top of it, knowing where they are in their process and not having to give any kind of "I'm sorry, I wasn't paying attention, what are you asking about" kind of response.  I also find that by paying attention you are going to be able to catch a problem early (hypothetical: that set piece is not designed to support that kind of movement, let's either look at an alternative, or know that it might be able to be made to do so, but know now, at the beginning, that an alternative might be necessary).  Nothing is more frustrating for a choreographer to spend a session working on something, only to find out later that what they want to do might not actually be possible.

232

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: PROPS: The hardest thing you've had to do in the dark.

« on: Oct 03, 2010, 08:28 pm »

I haven't had to do this, but at Great Lakes Theater Festival there is run crew track that is commonly referred to as "armoire boy" for their production of A Christmas Carol.  There is a rather large set piece that is a rolling armoire on one side, a clock on the other, that also becomes Scrooge's door that Marley's face is seen in.  "Armoire boy" is the run crew member who is inside this piece for about the first 20-25 minutes of Act I (until Christmas Past takes Scrooge out of his room).  During the time spent in there that crew member has several somewhat complicated patterns that he must follow as the locations shift, relying on the spiked patterns to follow as they look down at their feet, while moving this box around them.  It was not uncommon, especially during tech, to hear a plaintive "I'm lost, where am I?" coming over the headsets (luckily, at least by the time I began running the show, they had wireless headsets for armoire boy).

233

The Green Room / Re: BEST ADVICE YOU CAN GIVE

« on: Sep 28, 2010, 04:09 pm »

A wonderful saying I got from the former director of production at the Lyric Opera of Kansas City:

"It's ok, no babies died!"

Serves as a great reminder to not beat yourself up over minor mistakes.

234

The Green Room / Broadway Flea Market

« on: Sep 25, 2010, 11:15 pm »

Just a reminder to everyone in the NYC area that tomorrow is the annual Broadway Flea Market and Grand Auction!  Come on down to Shubert Alley and W. 44th street and spend some money for a good cause.  For those who don't want to buy more stuff to try to store in an already tiny NY apartment, I know at least one table (which would be my show's table, Tales from the Tunnel, in front of the Majestic) will also be selling cookies and "subway gropes."

Here's the info on the BC/EFA site:
http://www.broadwaycares.org/flea_market_and_grand_auction

235

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Getting the Rights to a show

« on: Sep 22, 2010, 08:42 pm »

You can find the performance rights to a very large majority of the shows out there with one of five companies.

Samuel French:  Primarily deals with plays, but also a fairly good selection of musicals.
http://www.samuelfrench.com/store/index.php

Dramatists Play Service:  Like Samuel French, primarily plays, but also some musicals.  For musicals they tend to pick up the smaller Off-Broadway titles (such as Bat Boy), as opposed to the big Broadway shows.
http://www.dramatists.com/

The Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization:  As the name would imply, they control the performance rights for all Rodgers and Hammerstein shows, along with a good number of others.  All of Andrew Lloyd Webber's shows are also controlled through them.
http://www.rnh.com/show_home.asp

Music Theatre International:  Probably the largest musical catalog of the big three for musicals.  They control all Sondheim shows (with the exception of Gypsy), as well as the Disney catalog, including their Broadway titles, the High School Musical franchise, and JR. versions of many of the animated films which have not been seen on Broadway.
http://mtishows.com/

Tams-Witmark:  The third in the big three for musicals.  Their catalog is primarily made up of musicals from the "Golden Age."
http://www.tams-witmark.com/musical.html

236

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: SCENERY: Video

« on: Sep 22, 2010, 08:35 pm »

Two very effective uses of projections.

The original Broadway production of Evita, directed by Hal Prince.  Great use of projections, both slides and video, in helping to set some of the historical context of the show.

The recent Broadway revival of Sunday in the Park with George.  Just absolutely stunning use of video, including replacing the original cardboard cut-outs the original used for the "Putting It Together" sequence with projections of George that "interacted" with the various actors in that number.

237

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Getting the Rights to a show

« on: Sep 22, 2010, 12:53 am »

Performance rights for Arcadia are handled by Samuel French.

http://www.samuelfrench.com/store/product_info.php/products_id/1949

238

The Green Room / Re: What did you learn today?

« on: Sep 20, 2010, 07:53 pm »

Something I learned: just because a show isn't "complicated" doesn't mean it isn't physically exhausting during 10 out of 12's.

Something I learned a long time ago - all shows are equal pain.  If a show is not complicated tech wise, actors will act up - if tech and actors are all playing nicely, there will be a designer who goes bananas.   Tech is like a void with expected pain, and someone, somewhere will fill the void.

And don't forget that director who just refuses to let things be simple.

239

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Portfolio?

« on: Sep 10, 2010, 07:15 pm »

For final portfolio review at my grad school the stage managers, in addition to all the paperwork/prompt book stuff you would expect to see, would also include work from our non stage management electives.  I had several of my AutoCAD projects, costume design renderings, sound design stuff like the system block diagram, and a couple scenic painting pieces.

240

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: SHOWS: How many times have you Stage Managed the same play/musical?

« on: Sep 09, 2010, 08:26 pm »

It made me realize how young the 19-22 year old set really is.  Especially the singer/dancer variety of 19-22 year olds.

I know how you feel there.  My last tour with Theatreworks (Seussical), the majority of that cast was in that age range, while I was celebrating a birthday that was a good few years past that age range.  It actually made me quite happy to no longer be part of that age demographic