Messages

241

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Book and Tabs

« on: Oct 03, 2006, 04:20 pm »

In addition to the wonderful lists people have posted regarding binder tabs, I also type the scenes (or arias/songs, or acts, or whatever dramatic division makes most sense) on regular paper formatted into little 1/2"x1" flags. I then trim these flags and attach them to the script/score pages using scotch tape. These usually run down the right side of my book. Sometimes, if it's a musical I'll do script along the top and songs along the right. Or Act/Scene on top and French scene on the right. Depends on the show!

(And for the record, I put my flags on the page I need to turn to. I grab the pages in front of the flag, but never need to pull the flag itself (because it's bound to rip off eventually and always at the worst time if I abuse it too much).

242

Employment / Re: Listing upcoming gigs on resume

« on: Sep 21, 2006, 08:05 am »

I disagree; I put upcoming shows on my resume as long as I have a fully signed contract for the show. Sometimes an SM is contracted one year or more in advance (common in larger theatres). The theatre is reserving your services for the time period of the contract, and to withhold this information while courting other jobs might lead you into a sticky situation. Actually, if SMing is all you do, it's ideal to book your shows at least 6 months in advance to keep your income steady. Yes, things change, shows are cancelled, dates are adjusted. But a signed contract means you're on board to do a show. Putting this on your resume shows you have a serious (and busy) career, and that you honor your obligations.

243

Stage Management: Other / Re: Operations Management

« on: Sep 19, 2006, 08:04 am »

Rich C., original member of Stage Managers' Association? Of Hal Holbrook's Mark Twain?
Wonderful to see you around the site!

244

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: dramaturg

« on: Sep 12, 2006, 08:02 am »

True - there are a few prompters out there. But they are extremely few and far between.
Definitely a dying breed.

(It is sort of a personal dream to be a prompter one day. I think it's just the strangest, most challenging job. Might be fun!)

245

Tools of the Trade / Re: What is Gaffer Tape?

« on: Sep 12, 2006, 08:00 am »

For the record, I cast my vote for Shur-Tape.
Pro-Gaff is no good.

And never, ever buy gaff tape on Ebay. I did once (at the prodding of a penny-pinching finance manager), and the entire crate had been sitting in someone's drippy, humid warehouse. Not a usable roll among them.

246

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: dramaturg

« on: Sep 08, 2006, 08:10 am »

You might want to read older memoirs of performers from the 60's and earlier. While these details are not central to the stories, there is a lot of environmental insights about vintage stagecraft. But you'd have to do a lot of reading to dig up this info.

Besides pages ("Callboys"), SMs and stagehands in opera historically stood on really tall ladders backstage and waved flags around for entrances/exits, blocking (ex: flags cross, parade stop CS). I believe that this method was used particularly at the Met, and perhaps even originated there. Opera is unique, too, because star singers were usually flown in at the last minute to sing a role in their standard repertoire. They certainly knew the music, but because they'd never worked on this particular set or with this particular director before, there was a very special backstage employee called the Prompter who stood DSC under the stage, poking up just enough so their eyes and mouth were visible. There was a little roof built over them so the audience couldn't even see them. The prompter mouthed the words, pointed singers towards their blocking, was ready musical cues and emotive reminders if necessary, and generally kept the stage action running smoothly. It is an amazingly complex position that actually only recently because obsolete (mid-70's?). At older houses, you can still see the prompter's box. I don't think this method was used in theatre at all, though. Anyway, the prompter was concerned exclusively with onstage action, while the SMs were waving flags to keep the backstage running.

247

College and Graduate Studies / Re: Juilliard Professional Internship

« on: Sep 08, 2006, 08:02 am »

Here in the opera world, Juilliard is, predictably, tops. Of course we usually encounter musicians and singers from Juilliard programs, but their tech and SM programs are extremely well respected, too. But I don't think I've ever personally met anyone but singers/conductors/musicians from Juilliard. I've heard about other well respected conservatories that turn out premiere artists but have mediocre programs in stagecraft. Juilliard is known to produce excellent students all around. But that's just what I've heard...

248

Employment / Re: help altering resume

« on: Sep 03, 2006, 11:22 pm »

Well, I've not done it for my own resume, but I have had the tiniest bit of work in TV, and I did help a friend in film alter her theatre resume to film, so...

- Separate your theatre and film work into separate categories. If you're going for a film/TV job, list that stuff first to highlight your experience in that field.
- Emphasize any work you have in film/TV, even stuff like craft services. Just like being second ASM or a PA, you have good experience hanging around operations in the industry. So what if you were just fetching coffee?
- Try very hard to draw attention to familiarity you might have with technology in the area. Knowing how to set up a dolly/boom/light meter, or knowing how to run an AVID are huge plusses. You might even be able to pick up some of these skills by joining your local IATSE as an extra and taking any classes or training sessions your Local might offer. Ask around and pound the pavement to take advantage of this. Film and TV are inevitably high-tech industries. You can succeed in theatre without knowing how the heck a light board is operated, but in film you kind of have to know at least the basics of how technology is applied at each step in the production process.
- Meanwhile, as with any job experience, try to get involved in as many projects as possible. Because TV and film require lots of labor, interns/PAs/ADs and crew are always needed. Jump on projects to get experience and make connections.

From my experience, film and TV are extremely different from theatre. Yes, a lot of things are similar as far as prep and production. But technology and performance processes are very unique. Some experience will translate, some won't. But organizational, diplomatic, and effectual skills will translate from a cubicle to a theatre to a shoot location. Show them you can do it, and the bullet points on your resume will just be details.

249

Stage Management: Other / Re: Sming for Dance

« on: Sep 03, 2006, 07:47 pm »

Some ideas:
- Footwear and its care
- Understanding athletic and nutritional needs of dancers
- Some of the well-known ballets and brief summaries, notable cueing sequences, famous roles, etc... just some basic coverage of standard rep.

250

Employment / Re: to get hired...

« on: Sep 03, 2006, 07:34 pm »

One of the best SMs I know in opera has an undergraduate in marketing. He's worked professionally for 20 years.
My undergrad is in psychology. [insert joke here].

I am one of the biggest champions you'll ever meet regarding the value of a degree - any degree. But at the risk of sounding overly pragmatic, it's just a degree. What really matters is how you apply it. You could have a BS in psychobiology and still be a smashing SM in dance. Crossing out of your field is not a limitation - it's a expansive skill set that makes you a great and interesting person to hire. I have met many SMs who had graduated from some of the top theatre programs, fancies themselves top notch, and honestly was not very good at what they did. But they were educated and trained and and and.... but it didn't really make them the better SM in the end.

Now then again, if you decide to return to law school, for example, maybe you really should consider becoming a lawyer.

251

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Blocking Charts?

« on: Aug 25, 2006, 07:53 am »

My system is similar to KC's. I draw arrows and x's all over the page (if possible, I photocopy a mini groundplan on the back of the page), illustrating the blocking flow. I write blocking notes under the drawings, corresponding to letters in the score. Sometimes, if I need to show a pose or specific posture, I'll even draw stick figures. Hey, it works!

252

The Hardline / Re: What Colleges (Don't) Say About AEA?

« on: Aug 23, 2006, 07:46 am »

I recently sat on an academic standards panel with a group of community arts professionals (dance, theatre, opera, orchestra) joining with the Ohio Department of Education to set new education guidelines. We basically redefined the checklist of what the teachers are required to teach high school students. And eveyone on the panel was adamant that professional employment options be included in the criteria. It was interesting to see the leaders of the local symphony, ballet, and theatres malenting that they floundered for years before figuring out what their industry union was and how to join it. We now have a mandatory educational criteria of "exploring local and national unions and asociations and how they contribute to professional development and community building." It's essential knowledge - and now it's required in Ohio! Hooray!

253

College and Graduate Studies / Re: SM Internship

« on: Aug 18, 2006, 07:55 am »

Hooray! Congratulations!!

254

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Resume Letters of Reference

« on: Aug 18, 2006, 07:53 am »

One quick thing about letters of reference:
The traditional way to handle letters is to have your reference send you a few (maybe three+) in SEALED envelopes with the return address only. This way, you cannot read the letter, but you can address it and send it out when requested by a company. In theory, you should never know what your references write for you. The downside of this is that the letters have an "expiration date" if the date of the sealed letter becomes more than, say, two years old.

I don't know of many people who do it this way anymore. In fact, I've heard of references and referees collaborating on letters, or the reference signing off on a letter the referee writes. I do think that that's going too far. But I guess if you really want to see the letter of reference, there's nothing wrong with a peek (but no meddling!). I believe that letters of reference are becoming obsolete - even hirers prefer to make a quick and frank phone call, rather than wade through just-another-lovey-reference-letter. I have one email letter of reference ready to forward (of course, I can read this one), and a few sealed letters that are years old and should probably be thrown away. Mostly, my references operate via phone.

255

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Resume References

« on: Aug 17, 2006, 03:01 pm »

I keep a master list of references in a computer file and pick and choose based on which job I'm applying for today. Is it another SM gig? I list directors, artistic directors, peer SMs, and maybe senior designers/stagehands/wardrobe if they're notable, well-spoken, and know me well. Is it an office job? I list other theatrical staff, Trustees, former bosses in general, and anyone else who will speak about my professional skills. You should also have a cross-section of supervisors and peers in your references. This helps the company see that you do excellent work for your bosses but also that you're pleasant to work alongside.

Then, before I send the references to the hiring company, I contact my references to give them a heads-up. This is a wonderful chance for you to tell your reference why you think you'd be perfect for this job. This gives them an understanding of your goals and helps them say just the right things when the interviewer calls. If you get a particularly great job, write your references a short note thanking them for their help and support. This goes a long way!

I also do something a little different with my references - they're on a separate sheet of paper and formatted like this:
Joe Smith
Artistic Director
Company
Phone: XXX-XXX-XXXX (office)
Email: joesmith@h0tmail.com
Mr. Smith is a favorite local director and promoter in the City arts scene. He has led Company Name for over 12 years. Mr. Smith worked with Lauren when she stage managed the successful 25th Anniversary season (2004-2005) with Company Name.

This is unusual - but it works very well for me. But it lets the interviewer know something about your reference so that they have some awareness when they call. I include my sheet of references with my resume if I know references will be needed. If they ask for references later, I can email or mail this sheet. I can't stand wasting space on my resume with the references. And I don't like seeing "references available upon request" - because of course references should always be available upon request! I've shown this sheet to many employers and even to my references (so they know how they are described), and they all agree that it's a useful, thoughtful way to present references. It works for me!