Messages

256

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Keeping it Straight with BIG CASTS

« on: Mar 25, 2007, 11:35 am »

Stagebear, I do that in Shakespeare as well.  At the first read, there's no reason for me to follow along in my script, so I spend at least fifteen to twenty minutes going back and forth between the contact sheet and peoples' faces, memorizing names and roles.  At the intermission break, I go up to the two or three people I'm confused about and make a point of checking in with them.  By the end of the read I know thirty strangers' names and faces quite well. 

Of course, it helps that I've been typing their names and checking the spelling for a solid week.

257

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: YAle Short Hand

« on: Mar 25, 2007, 11:30 am »

Every SM I have ever met has created or modified their own blocking.  When I need to understand someone else's (for instance, when I'm taking over a show), I have them read aloud a page or two of their blocking to me while I follow the notation.  That's all I need, since blocking is the same no matter what notation you use.  Make a key for yourself, like the legend on a map: a page that reads "x" means cross, "this symbol" means sit down, "this symbol" means chair, etc.  Don't feel that you "should" know what the Yale method is (since you didn't go to Yale), just ask your director for five minutes to read a couple of pages to you.

Has anyone else uploaded .pdf's of blocking examples?  Does anyone else do blocking keys regularly?

258

College and Graduate Studies / Re: BA or BFA

« on: Mar 20, 2007, 05:04 pm »

LOVED 'Cuse in 90-94.  Hear it's gotten much better since then (thank you, Ari Tepper!)

259

College and Graduate Studies / Re: BA or BFA

« on: Mar 15, 2007, 08:29 pm »

I went BFA because I had no interest in anything outside of theatre.  I took a couple of classes outside the theatre but if I got a D in them I didn't care.

On the flip side, I had a very eponymous high school experience and brought a lot of general knowledge to college.  At the time, I was also an actor.  Anything outside of the theatre building I had zero interest in.

But things would have been different had I not already had a very wide education and an enquiring mind.  I loved learning about all sorts of different areas, but I didn't want to write papers and take tests kind of thing.  I had much rather be rehearsing.

260

SMNetwork Archives / Re: Vacation! London/Paris

« on: Mar 07, 2007, 03:57 pm »

For the ultimate in what's possible for over-the-pub theatre, go to the Gate Theatre in Notting Hill.

261

The Hardline / Re: "You're the One that I want" reality show

« on: Mar 07, 2007, 02:43 pm »

TechieWench: how about Little Shop of Horrors?

I continue to watch this show (I admit it, I'm a fan) and I was wondering how they get those big props onstage for the opening number.  It doesn't look to me like they have room in their entrances for the bed or the car.  Either I'm wrong, or the props come in two pieces and hook together on stage, or their stage is actually on a lift.  But if they had a lift, I'm sure they would use it more - I'm getting pretty bored with the set as it is.

I may be the only one at SMNetwork who likes this show, but I thought I'd throw it out there anyway.  I want Max and Ashley on Broadway!   

262

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: advice on lighting dilema

« on: Mar 03, 2007, 02:51 pm »

If you run out of dimmers - for example if you need different specials in Act II than you did in Act I - you can build a repatch bay inexpensively with standard equipment from a hardware store. 

A repatch is an A/B switch (standard light switches work) that goes in between the dimmer rack and the lights so that, for example, the UR special is connected to A and the DL special is connected to B but the switch is connected to Dimmer 1 only.  So you run the cue that powers Dimmer 1 and uses the UR special, run a cue that takes Dimmer 1 out, flip the switch to B, and run the cue that powers Dimmer 1 again and brings up the DL special.  You've used two completely different lights off of the same dimmer, freeing up other dimmers for other things.

But with a stage only 8' x 10', (one-man show?  two characters? what?)  you may be better off just throwing up three PAR cans and doing a lights up/lights down lighting design.

263

Tools of the Trade / Re: [FAQ] Electronic Prompt Copies

« on: Feb 11, 2007, 02:53 am »

I don't even think the expensive $300+ programs do a great job with OCR.  Mine ends up with ten or fourteen mistakes per page.  I'd like to see the free one that had fewer than forty mistakes per page.

264

The Hardline / Re: Another Fitting Question

« on: Feb 02, 2007, 11:12 am »

Sounds right to me, Matthew, with one question - if the actors have voted on a one-hour meal break, wouldn't that mean you'd have to use one hour, not two, in your calculations?

And you'd have to do a special doublecheck that you weren't putting the actor on overtime for the week, as he or she would have three more hours than everyone else...

I had one AEA rep tell me that I couldn't call an actor for a fitting on a day that he or she wouldn't also be called to rehearsal.  That is, I couldn't send Lady Bracknell to a fitting on a day that the director only wanted to work Act II.  I haven't seen other SMs pay attention to that, though, so I think I must have miscommunicated with the rep on that occasion.

265

The Hardline / Re: Another Fitting Question

« on: Feb 01, 2007, 05:41 pm »

If it's a violation of the actors' contract, you just can't do it.  I've had to explain to costume designers in the past that fittings have to be consecutive to rehearsal.  One said, "but this is how we always did it before" to which I replied, "That was on a different contract.  On this contract, it's not allowed.  You can't do the fitting separate from calling the actor in to rehearsal."  Now, with non-union actors, they don't have the protection, and the designer's needs would take precedence (except in cases of day job conflicts, of course).

Sorry, but this is a real hassle for most actors, I think, so I'm a real stickler about it. 

Do you rehearse during the day on weekends?  would a weekend fitting work out?

266

The Hardline / Re: more-than-minimum vs. tech bump

« on: Jan 16, 2007, 03:43 pm »

and "contractual salary" refers to the higher salary one has negotiated for, not the minimum salary specified by the contract, right?

267

The Hardline / more-than-minimum vs. tech bump

« on: Jan 16, 2007, 10:45 am »

Here's a question I'm happy to have.

Most AEA contracts include an extra 1/6th weekly salary for the stage manager during Tech Week.  So, for an easy-math hypothetical situation, a contract with a minimum salary of $360 a week pays the stage manager ($360 + $60 =) $420 for Tech Week.

What if you've been hired for more than minimum salary?  What if the company is paying you $420 a week already?  Do you still get the additional 1/6th for Tech ($420 + $70 =) $490?  Or is the producer fulfilling their responsibility to AEA by paying you 1/6th more than minimum at $420, and no longer needs to pay a tech week bump?

268

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: LX Plotting structure

« on: Jan 07, 2007, 11:34 am »

I actually prefer working this way, if the LD is professional and works quickly.  You and your crew have time to plan ahead for the next thing you're going to do, and you build everything once.  The wardrobe crew has time to work out quick changes with the actors backstage, props don't get pre-set in front of boom lights, spike marks are actually visible in the scene change light, you don't have to go back and adjust things because one element throws all the others off.  Have the cast mark through the tough physical stuff - the LD can make adjustments to that during run throughs - but otherwise make them go through everything.

If your theatre is making the choice to do this against your wishes, the only thing you can do is make the best of it, re-framing your attitude into "what can I do?" instead of "now I can't do that."

It's totally within your job to push the LD along.  You make sure the rest of the company is set up for the next transition, or whatever, and then you go on headset and say "Alex, how are you doing?" and a minute later you say "Alex, are you ready to try this?" and a minute later you say "Alex, I'd like to try and get into the next scene before we break in 15" or whatever. 

You also get on the god mic every time the stage action stops and tell everyone what you stopped for.  There have been several times when I've checked in with the costume people or whatever and been told, "oh, are you waiting for me? I've BEEN ready".

CRAZY that your LD "has another commitment" during some tech hours.  Kick, scream, and wail for an assistant LD or someone who can make adjustments during that time. 

The house crew and acting company will take their cues from you.  If you hate the process, they will too.  If you are enthusiastic, they'll do their job without complaining.

269

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: LAUNDRY!?!!?

« on: Jan 05, 2007, 05:34 pm »

SMs do not do laundry.  On the one occasion when a producer told me to, I took the entire show to a drycleaners and stiffed him with a $300+ bill.  I have not had to "do laundry" since. 

Is it an AEA showcase code?  what does the code say about laundry?

Who did the costume designer think was going to do laundry?

What is your producer's position about providing someone to do laundry?  If the producer won't provide someone to do it, then you explain to your actors that the costume designer overreached a bit and they need to bring their own skin garments for performances.

The actors are right, from their point of view - if they are provided skin garments as part of their costume then they rightly expect to be provided clean ones for every performance.  I have had costumers give actors four sets of undergarments so that laundry happens once a week (after four shows).  I suspect the actors don't want you personally to do the laundry, they just need you to tell them how it's going to be done.

270

Employment / Re: Showcase and Managers...

« on: Dec 18, 2006, 12:21 pm »

Candy - what a good idea.  I have done three or four MFA showcases in New York and in LA, it never occurred to me to try and get work for myself while doing them.  Of course, I was super-busy with the showcases.  I used my little down-time in NYC walking around Broadway (getting the lay of the land) and catching up with undergrad buddies.  Since you have only five actors, you might have more success then they do on this trip!

I would add to Matthew's suggestion that you contact SMA - maybe even join (don't they have a student level?) - and that may lead to some contacts.  If you don't get interviews, you may be able to shadow a show and that is very instructive.