Messages

271

SMNetwork Archives / Re: Digging Out in Denver

« on: Jan 07, 2007, 02:31 pm »

I'm from Philadelphia VSM,  and I'm trying to find snow to throw at you. 

I'm from Philly too! Only now I'm in Ohio, but only since August.

I miss philly.

272

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Who runs your production meetings?

« on: Jan 06, 2007, 01:40 am »

That's what I thought, though even in college our TD/PM ran all meetings. The theatres that I've worked at in Philly for the last 5 years were the same. Here, we don't have one person with the title Production Manager. To my understanding, the TD and Company Manager share the PM responsibilities. The TD is at all meetings, whilst the company manager is not, so I take that to mean that his PM duties relate directly to the physical producing of shows, ie: sets, props, lights, etc. While the company manager does more administrative work.

No one has said specifically that it's my job as a PSM, it's not in my contract per se, but I'm learning that a lot of things seem to go unsaid here, and are just assumed, much to my detriment. For a while it was a learning curve, but now I'm just starting to feel out of the loop.

I know I need to sit down and just ask, I just want some thoughts other than mine behind my statement.

273

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / JOB DESCRIPTION: Who runs your production meetings?

« on: Jan 05, 2007, 11:54 pm »

I've always had a production manager or 'director of production' run them but it seems that with no communication to me about this, I am now expected to do so. And if that is the case, am I responsible for asking the production management questions?

So I was just wondering what everyone else is used to.

274

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Another difference doing opera...

« on: Jan 05, 2007, 12:49 pm »

Interesting because I'm feeling the same thing about Day'n. (See, I did that for you!)

Back in Philly, I was surrounded by healthy people who exercised constantly, in a non-obsessive way. It was very motivating, and I felt disappointed in myself if the conversation turned to going to the gym and I had nothing to contribute that day.

Here, not so much. I feel like the way of life here is a generally much unhealthier one, with a lot more fast food, and a lot less working out, which does not do much to motivate me. I don't eat fast food aside from the occasional Taco Bell run (aaaaaah the Bell, I don't care that you're not really meat...) but I have been to the gym only 2 times since August, and my free membership has expired.

It also doesn't help that I'm almost entirely alone here, resulting in quite a bit of depression, but I'm not sure how to remedy that situation.

Marcie...who's found much solace in Kraft Dinner, and it's starting to take its toll.

275

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Non-Union Pay Rate

« on: Jan 03, 2007, 01:14 pm »

What is the going rate(s) for non-Union SMs?

Thanks,
LJO

Unfortunately, there is no definitive answer. I'm not from the Bay Area, but as an East Coast SM I was paid anthing from $60 a week to $800 for a total of 3 weeks work, depending on where I was working. Ironically, the $60 a week job (which was actually a stipend paid in full at the END of the run) was the job where I had the most to do. Alot of places here pay a stipend and that's it, or the pay is so varied that you can't even give an average. Most fringe shows don't pay, or offer a small stipend for gas.

It honestly depends on the theatre, and what they've budgeted, and how important they think an SM is.

276

SMNetwork Archives / Re: Digging Out in Denver

« on: Jan 02, 2007, 11:46 am »

(And FYI, Kay and I just crossed paths...she flew from Ohio to Denver to see her daughter just in time to miss me...)

That stinks! We had talked about you two seeing each other, I'm sorry! Her Anne Sexton thing is in 2 weeks, I'll have to let you know all about it.

Where are you in Sarasota?

277

SMNetwork Archives / Re: Legal Pads

« on: Dec 31, 2006, 01:00 pm »

I've also seen legal pads with a spiral bound top and perforated pages. They are pretty strong and because they have a cardboard cover and backing you don't really need a clipboard.

278

SMNetwork Archives / Re: Digging Out in Denver

« on: Dec 29, 2006, 10:48 am »

Wow. That's scary, and it stinks!

Even worse than my trip...when I was interrogated because I was going to see family, and who were they and what did they do, did I prefer to be interrogated in English or Hebrew, etc, etc, etc.

That was on the way there. I was detained briefly on the way home b/c I apparently look nothing like my passport photo. Another fun interlude on my international journey.

Anyway, glad you're home safe now, you 20-something red-headed shiksa girl!

279

College and Graduate Studies / Re: Apprenticeships

« on: Dec 29, 2006, 10:34 am »

People's Light and Theatre in Malvern, PA is looking for 2 SM apprentices actually beginning in February. The pay is low ($150 a week) but they house and give you health insurance. I worked there for 4 years and definitely made due with the salary. It's a great place, and it's a LORT theatre.

www.peopleslight.org or PM me for more info.

280

Tools of the Trade / Re: What goes inside a SM Kit?

« on: Dec 26, 2006, 01:46 am »

What is the Tennis Ball for?

Sorry for the delay in response, Hermie.  But no matter:  smjes is "on the ball."

They are great for getting scuffs off of painted floors without destroying the paint. (Just learned that one.)

Plus they are toys for fidgity directors.

281

Tools of the Trade / Re: Headset Headaches?

« on: Dec 19, 2006, 03:45 pm »

I do wear a featherweight headset.

I think it may be a sound problem, because my booth doesn't have a window so I have the volume turned up quite high to be heard.

Luckily, the next show I'm doing is a one-man, not a musical. That should help. Until then, I'll just keep adjusting it, though with this cast, The Hayworth's suggestion is where I'm headed.

Thanks!

282

The Green Room / Re: Things You'll Never Hear a Stage Manager Say

« on: Dec 18, 2006, 12:54 pm »

"By all means, just give me the light cues whenever you feel like it.  I'll have plenty of time to put them in my book."

Or even better...

"Sure, just shout to me where you'd like them during the run and I'll jot them down."

283

Tools of the Trade / Headset Headaches?

« on: Dec 18, 2006, 12:52 pm »

Here's a strange occurance, that I've noticed is a trend with me. Anyone else?

About this time (3 weeks) into a run, I've noticed that about midway through a show, I get a very bad headache and earache on my headset ear. I switch it up, but that is always awkward because my light board, sound cue-ing system (grr...that's a whole different post) and house light remote are all there, so it makes things very cluttered and I knock my wires around alot. Plus it's just a whole lot more comfortable on the other side.

Has anyone else ever experienced this?

284

The Hardline / Re: Another question on joining AEA

« on: Nov 10, 2006, 10:34 am »

You might also be able to defer your membership to the union for one show.  Under the Taft-Hartley act (also known as the Labor-Management Relations Act), a person may defer membership to a union for a specific trial period.  In the case of AEA, it's one production. 

Wow, I hadn’t heard of that before.  Is this where The Myth of the Pre-existing Contract comes from? 

(That’s what I call the rumor I’ve heard that you can join AEA, do your first show as an AEA member, then do a non-equity show as SM, as long as you signed a contract to do that non-eq show before you signed the contract to do your first AEA show.) 

When I first joined equity, I was under the impression that this was OK, but have wondered about it since then, and not yet been able to find the rule or loophole that would support it.  Anyone else have insight into this?

That's called a Grandfather Clause, and I've known people who have done it. Always check with Equity, and yes, the non-union contract needs to be signed before you're even offered to AEA one. It's actually what I did.

285

The Hardline / Re: Another question on joining AEA

« on: Nov 08, 2006, 12:12 pm »

You might also be able to defer your membership to the union for one show.  Under the Taft-Hartley act (also known as the Labor-Management Relations Act), a person may defer membership to a union for a specific trial period.  In the case of AEA, it's one production.  Contact the membership department at AEA for more specific information.  An SM at the company I work with exercised this option.  She signed an AEA contract, but she struck clause 7, the clause regarding membership/the deduction of working dues.  She was paid at the standard SM rate, but no dues were deducted. The company still paid all Equity benefits (pension, health, etc) despite the deferment. 

It's definitely worth investigating if you really want the job but aren't quite ready to go union. 

People do that in PA because it's a Right to Work state, so you can't require people to join a union to do union work, though I know of people who have taken advantage of that and do it continually.

Just be careful about it.

Personally, and it's really only my opinion, I don't think you should take a union job unless you're willing to be a part of that union, which includes paying the dues and the initiation (which i really what everyone is referring to here, I think, because it's $1000- or did it go up to $1100??). The people at Equity aren't some horrible monsters, and if you know that it's a step you want to take, but can't afford to pay, talk to them. I had an actor on an SPT 1 contract who was only getting paid $125 a week, and was in between part time jobs, so it was his only income for a while. He talked to AEA, explained the situation and they were more than willing to allow him to stop paying for the duration of the show.

Only take the step if you're ready to. If scheduling is the problem, talk to the PM and the SM if you can. Maybe they know the rehearsal schedule and you can miss an hour or a night at the beginning of the process. If there's a PA as well, it may not be a problem.

It took me 4 years of working in the same place to feel that I was able to ask to miss a show to go to my sister's graduation, but it was fine. I trained some one, and shadowed them while they ran the show twice and then they were on their own for 2 days. People have lives and other responsibilities in those lives, and as hard as it is to believe,  you're allowed to. If you have other work opportunities that have been scheduled, see if you can work it out, if the ASM job is what you want to do.