Messages

241

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Get it out of my head!

« on: Aug 19, 2008, 05:03 pm »

www.gaiam.com sells something called the Sleepsonic pillow.  It is a regular pillow with tiny speakers built in that plugs into a headset jack.  It is kind of pricy (I just looked it up and it is on sale for about $75), but would give you the ability to listen to music without disturbing your husband.

When I did a John Denver review musical I had to sleep with the radio on for the entire 6 month run.  Not because I hated the music (far from), but because phrases would just get stuck in my head over and over and there is only so much Rocky Mountain High I can take...

Good Luck!!

SSM

242

Tools of the Trade / Re: What gloves do you use when you're pulling ropes?

« on: Jul 20, 2008, 10:11 pm »

Fingerless bicycle gloves also work well.  I think I paid about $15-20 for mine.

243

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Help! Beastly show and actor!!!

« on: Jul 19, 2008, 06:38 pm »

  I don't think I have ever gotten to a point beyond about 2 minutes of an actor yelling at/towards me before I sort of began to diffuse the situation and solve it.

Matthew-  something about this really hit home for me in this discussion in your identification of diffusing and solving the problem. 
When I was in college a million years ago I worked in a psychiatric hospital to pay for school.  Part of the job training was conflict resolution, crisis management, and how to deal with people in altered mental states.  I never realized until later that this would be some of the best stage management training that I would get.  It sounds silly, but it has helped me deal with these kinds of situations that we are discussing.
Since usually people are upset and yell because they have a need they feel is not being met, it may be helpful to use the first part of their rant (after you have identified the need) to come up with some solutions, so when they slow down a little bit you can stop them. Then apologize (even if you don't feel like it was your fault), identify that you heard what their problem was, and offer ways to correct it.  Is it always this simple?  No.  But it goes a long way, and if people feel like you are their ally instead of their adversary they are less likely to have a meltdown right away.
As many others have said, you have to draw your own boundries for what you feel is an unexceptable personal attack, and if you need step back and involve your supervisor in the process.

What I thought Matthew said that was so important was that part of our jobs as SM's is to diffuse situations and solve problems, and having the tools to do that in your toolbox can be just as important as your sharpies and stopwatches.

244

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Tips for Packing?

« on: Jul 16, 2008, 09:39 pm »

. Oh you might need to check your multitool.

In the US, this is a definite.  They have too many blades, pliers, screwdrivers, etc and TSA will confiscate it.  They actually took away an allen wrench welded on to a 2" piece of pipe (my low-tech theatre door key). 
If you are questioning whether you can carry something on or if it can be construed as weapon, you are better off checking it.

245

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Need Body Paint- any ideas?

« on: Jul 08, 2008, 10:39 pm »

The liquid latex may be something to explore.  It is fairly easy to apply (brushes on), comes in many flourescent colors which can be powdered down to take out any of the plastic-y look, and peels off at the end of the day.  If your actor has lots of body/facial hair she may need to shave once before putting it on.  The cheapest place I have ever found it is at adult entertainment stores, where it usually can be purchased in large quantities.  Pleasures in Boston should have it or be able to point you to other stores that might carry it. 

246

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: THE PILLOWMAN- Some special effects help?

« on: Jul 07, 2008, 10:46 pm »

Victoria-

Do you have a fire permit, etc for this effect?  Massachusetts has very strict fire and safety codes that relate to any kind of flame onstage (even lighters, candles and cigarettes), so you may want to double check them before deciding real vs fake fire.

247

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Spike Marks on Carpet

« on: Jun 27, 2008, 11:59 pm »

For shows with long runs I have also had pretty good success with flat head tacks/brads.  They need to have a long enough point to secure into the deck, but they don't come up with vacuuming or dancing, and can't be seen from the house.  They were also easier to move than sharpie marks, since sometimes carpet stretches and spikes had to be realigned.  Depending on the size of the house and the pile/quality/need for re-use of the carpet I have also used a short screw and a small washer for times when the spikes needed to be big enough for a mid-show shift.  This also works well on Astro-Turf.

248

Employment / Re: how long do you wait for a response?

« on: Jun 26, 2008, 01:27 pm »

I would say if you had an interview, you should email, politely asking if they have made a decision.  When I interview people, I feel like it is my obligation to at least let them know one way or the other.  IMO this is different than just a resume submission.  Good luck!
SSM

249

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: "Blood" cleaning techniques

« on: May 28, 2008, 12:25 am »

We had good success for a production of Akhnaten with adding laundry detergent to a commercial blood.  I can't remember the brand of blood that we used (Ben Nye maybe?) but we used a 1/5 detergent to blood ratio and it worked well coming out of linen that got pretty saturated.  Tide brand detergent worked best.  Wardrobe just hand rinsed it really well, and then ran it through the wash/dry cycle.  If it was just spots it could be rinsed and dried with a hair dryer. 
****This method cannot be used with blood that comes in contact with any actor's eyes, mouth, or other bodily orifice!*****

SSM

250

Employment / Re: Letters of Recommendation/Reference -- Question

« on: May 15, 2008, 01:19 am »

As an employer there are limitations on what you can ask about a potential employee. However if the reference offers information then an employer is allowed to listen. 

Legally in the US all your previous employer is allowed to say about someone who calls for a reference is to confirm your dates of employment and whether or not you are eligible for rehire.  In reality that it not what really ever happens, because so much of this industry is based on connections and professional relationships, so people will share more than that.
As an employer in the US calling about a reference, you can't ask anything about a person's age (except that they are at least 18), family or marital status, why the person is choosing to relocate, about disabilities, or any of the other questions that you would not be allowed to ask a candidate in an interview.

251

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Glass Menagerie

« on: May 15, 2008, 01:04 am »

Our props person made the animals in two halves on wax paper (or similar) and then attached the two pieces together.  She said since they were narrower than they were tall, it was easier to build them up that way.  Imagine bisecting them along the spine the long way and then laying them flat.  You would probably need to go back in and carve details as sievep said. 

I think we had a kneeling camel, a butterfly, a swan, some sort of tiger/lion laying down w/ legs out, and a standing unicorn (actually several since it was a long run) among others.

252

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Glass Menagerie

« on: May 14, 2008, 05:55 pm »

A production that I worked on used the hot glue method to great success.  It takes a bit of an artistic hand to create something that looks like animals, but it is fairly easy to rig the unicorn (I think they ended up using a straight pin in the horn that stuck into a hole in the head).  If your audience is really close it won't work, but if not you should be ok.

253

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Writing Standbys & Cues

« on: May 14, 2008, 05:46 pm »

I would also imgaine they'd need to be removeable stickers: you can expect Q placement to change until the show is "locked" -- long after you write your intial book.

Avery brand makes a kind that are "semi-permanent" so they stick, but you can move them around if you need to.  They come in all sorts of shapes and colors.  Ah... office supplies.  A SM's best friend. :-)

254

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Writing Standbys & Cues

« on: May 13, 2008, 05:08 pm »

I like to use a slightly different method.  I prefer to write my cues directly into my book, because I am afraid that post-its will fall out (paranoid, I know).
You will need a 6" ruler and an eraser for the many changes that will happen in tech.  Copy your script so you have a wide margin on whichever side you prefer.  Use a ruler to draw a horizontal line from the edge of the page to where the cue happens, then a short vertical line down into the text to mark exactly where the cue needs to happen.  You can also add notes along the horizontal line (as Susie crosses, etc).  If you have multiple cues happening together you can list them under the line, i.e. one GO per horizontal line.
I do the same for standbys, and write out both standby and go (SB/GO) at the end of the line at the edge of the page.  It seems redundent to write it out, but I have found after many years of trying different things that I like to be able to look at the page and know exactly what I am saying, even if I have 15 people talking on headset or am in the middle of a crisis.  As everyone has said, it will take some work on timing everything out to get it right, so don't be afraid to practice on your own or with your ASM's.
 Once the cues are set, I use 1/4" color coded labels to differentiate standby's (red), and GO's (green), and different color highlighter/highlighter tape to mark flies, sound, etc (colors depend on cue light colors).

Try many different styles, keep those that work for you, and ditch those that don't.  Don't be afraid to try something you see another SM doing (I just "borrowed" an idea from my new ASM the other day after doing things the same for several years).

Best of luck, and you'll be amazing!!

SSM

255

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: College Choices in the US Midwest

« on: May 08, 2008, 04:39 pm »

Ultimately you need to decide which program you like the best.  You have the luxury of choice.  You can go to a state school, get a solid education and get work after (I did, as I am sure others on the board have).  Or you can go to the conservatory program and get a good education if that is what fits you better.  

Don't make the decision based on money.  Make the decision based on which school suits you best.  If you go to DePaul for a year and hate it, then go to the state school or vice versa.  There are plenty of loans and scholarships, etc to help with the money once you decide.

Good luck!

SSM