Messages

241

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: ASM's Prompt Book

« on: Mar 01, 2007, 10:49 pm »

The "entire" stage management staff have medical forms?  Can't disagree more.  They should know where they are but they should be limited to the PSM and the ASM.

I should clarify that when I said entire, I meant PSM and ASM. I have only ever once worked with a PA in addition, so when I think of the entire SM team, I am really only thinking of 2 people.

242

Employment / Re: Warnings about interviews

« on: Mar 01, 2007, 10:45 pm »

It wasn't a yappy long-haired wiener dog was it?

I've had horrible experiences with a director who has one of those.

I shudder at the memory.

243

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: ASM's Prompt Book

« on: Feb 28, 2007, 10:53 pm »

Here's the reason the ASM should have this info.

You are calling the show.

An actor breaks a leg (or gets sick, or hurt) and goes to the hospital.

Have you ever tried to call 911 or someones emergency contact info while calling a show and trying to make decisions on how to keep the show going without stopping it.  Being an SM who has had to call 911 (three times) while calling the show, it's nice that someone else has the info.

Also, I feel strongly the ASM should have a copy of the calling script.  (Ever need to rush to the bathroom, loose all headset communication, have to call 911, put a fire out in the booth . . .)  Nice to know someone else can carry on.

I agree with Matthew 100%. Medical forms are Continental and for the necessary personnel, and that includes the entire stage management team. A prompt book should never (in my opinion) be just left laying around with that information in it anyway.

As someone who's been in similar situations (gotten sick in the booth, had an op get sick in the booth, had to call 911...though that was backstage...it was good to know that my team and I were on the same page and things could run smoothly.

Also, I believe that if an injury happens during the course of the show, while I am ultimately in charge, it is my ASM's job to manage the situation backstage. I will make the decision through communicating with them whether the show stops or not, but they are going to be that actor's first line of assistance and they need to know if they're allergic to penicillin or not.

Also, if EMS does come, it's great to be able to just rattle off the pertinent info without having it relayed through a headset.

244

The Hardline / Re: Snow Day=Cancelled Rehearsal

« on: Feb 17, 2007, 10:56 am »

Did you talk to AEA though?  You guys taking an unofficial day off is one thing but what about the official moving the day off question (or was it not asked because you guys worked it out)?  I'm curious what AEA would say. 

I didn't ask because we ended up taking our scheduled day off. I'm going to call on Monday though as we are getting hit again with snow and have people driving an hour to rehearse, which is why we cancel in the first place.

245

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: How do you call your sound cues....

« on: Feb 16, 2007, 10:31 am »

I On the show I am working on now i had a little dyslexic moment as I looked at my script and saw Lx7 and Sx5 both of which happen at the same point.

I don't know, that's exactly why I prefer them to be letters.

For this last show I had my light cues that i took on my own, video fx and sound. Sound had to be numbers b/c of the system, lights were numbers so I made video numbers. After about 2 performances, I went through with a highlighter and color coded everything. It helped alot.

ps - i've never been in a position where I've had a "choice" - everytime the designers (from spt up to production and tour) come up with what they are called (at least re: letters v numbers).  What am I missing here?

It also depends on the method used to run the board. One of the computer programs we use lets you choose, one does not and it is only letters. If you're running from a straight MD/CD etc through the board you can call them whatever you want.

246

The Hardline / Re: Snow Day=Cancelled Rehearsal

« on: Feb 15, 2007, 11:25 pm »

Situation resolved. We got a lot of work done this week and are taking tomorrow off.

247

The Hardline / Snow Day=Cancelled Rehearsal

« on: Feb 13, 2007, 02:41 pm »

We got some snow here in Ohio, and while I am super-excited (!!!!) it means that we've cancelled our second rehearsal in 2 weeks.

Our normal day off is Friday and an actor brought up the idea of changing our day off this week to make up for the lost day.

I can't find anything in the handbook (SPT) about making up a cancelled rehearsal, only that you need a week to officially change the day off. I sort of think this is a grey area issue, we wouldn't be altering our rehearsal schedule for the duration, just this week and it would be by a unanimous vote if we took it that far.

The other factor is this is that the composer is coming to work with us this week and we'll be losing a day with him.

Anyone have a similar experience? What did you do?

248

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Anyone willing to be interviewed?

« on: Feb 13, 2007, 01:53 pm »

I'd be available to help as well.

stagemanagethis@gmail.com

249

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

« on: Feb 09, 2007, 03:16 pm »

I was at Staples yesterday and saw that they now make ultra-fine tip sharpie minis.

It was hard to contain my excitement.

250

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: How do you call your sound cues....

« on: Feb 09, 2007, 01:24 pm »

I too prefer letters to delineate from light cues. However, this season I am running my own board so I don't mind that they are numbers, which they are because of the new computer program we use.

For every cue in my book, I put a small note as to what it does, IE "Alfred music, Fade Down, Fade Out" so that I am always sure what's supposed to be happening does happen, but also if there's an emergency and someone has to come in for me, they too know what's supposed to happen, not just that something should.

When I have more than 1 type of cue to call (this past show was sound and video) I will make one letters so that no one gets confused or hears the wrong thing.

251

Stage Management: Other / Re: A Quick Terminology Question for You Ballet Experts

« on: Feb 07, 2007, 04:16 pm »

Hmmm...wonder what new words I'll need to learn at my next gig---my first pantomime.

Do you mean an actual pantomine or an English Panto?

252

Employment / Re: Part-Time Work

« on: Feb 07, 2007, 03:45 pm »

When looking for supplemental work, I've found it really helps to have skills that can be applied to other parts of the theater. I'm lucky in that my main entre to the theater was in costume (I'm a tailor by training)

You're completely right. I've been lucky thus far in being able to do that actually. I've a dual degree in costume design and stage management, so I'm also lucky there. This show however is being built by the designer in CA and brough to us, so not luck this time around. Unfortunately there isn't much paying work outside of the theatre I'm at.

I will be free lancing for the local ballet in March though, so that's some extra money as well. It will be VERY VERY long days, but I have a wedding I'm in in April and 6 weeks dark during the summer and haven't yet decided what I'm going to  for work, so any extra money is much appreciated.

253

Employment / Re: Part-Time Work

« on: Feb 06, 2007, 01:05 pm »

A quick update:

I've been looking since September and I have finally found a part time job!

I'll be working for Boston Stoker (those of you from The Dayton will know it), which is a local coffee house, who also produces their own coffee.

It will be a little rough with the hours (4:30AM-12N or 7AM-2PM depending on the day) but at least this way I'll have a good portion of my day afternoon to do things and to go to the gym, and nap before rehearsal. Plus it's only 3 days a week, so I think I'll live.

Huge weight lifted!!!

254

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Dealing with stress

« on: Feb 03, 2007, 01:35 am »

I agree 100% with what everyone has said about drinking plenty of water, eating right, and exercise.  The one thing that I personally do which I find is a wonderful stress relief is baking.  I tend to bring some homebaked goodies into rehearsal once a week or so.  The cast loves it and I find the process of baking (even something small like cookies) incredibly relaxing.

I do the same thing! I love the chemistry of baking.

When I'm really stressed I do bread from scratch. People know it's been a rough one when I come in with bread and butter!

255

The Hardline / Re: Another Fitting Question

« on: Feb 03, 2007, 01:32 am »

Matthew is onto something with having fittings during rehearsal hours.  You can do this even within your 5 hour block.   For example, if John Doe isn't in the first scene, call him at 6pm anyway, but have him do a fitting from 6-6:30, then join the rehearsal when you move on to scene 2.  Or plan to let the actors out for 15/30 minute fittings at various points during the regular rehearsal hours when they won't be needed in the scene.  Just make sure the director knows the actors who've had fittings still need to be released at 11pm (they can't keep anyone later to make up time they were out of the room). 

We've done this with local designers and it works well. The issue is that we have designers coming from Florida or California and they're only there Wednesday-Friday and want daytime fittings so that they can fit and immediately shop with that fitting in mind. I've always said no,except for the photo shoot fitting, though I do have those actors who have volunteered it. When it needs to be outside of scheduled rehearsal time I try to do a 4-5PM fitting so that it is tacked right on to rehearsal with that hour break, giving the actor the option of a 4:45-5:45PM fitting if they'd rather not take the hour break.

I don't understand really why it can be the other way around, fit in the evening and shop during the day, but I've encountered this request from every designer who is not local. No one ever fights it once I explain it, so I was just curious if there was a loophole to the rule that I didn't know about.