Messages

271

The Green Room / Re: Facebook Group for SMNet members

« on: Mar 18, 2014, 08:29 pm »

So the Facebook group has been growing - I have to approve 1-2 legit membership requests each day and turn down 1-2 spammers.

I screen every single one of those requests. For every person who requests membership, I look them up on Facebook, Google, I read their Twitter accounts, I check their college performing arts department playbills to find out if they are stage manager or not. In some cases it's obvious when their Facebook profile says "stage manager." In other cases I wind up digging for 45-60 minutes before I can successfully vet the person.

I'm tired of playing Sherlock Holmes to keep the group free of spammers.

Therefore, going forward, in order to be approved for the group you must request to join, and then do one of the two following things:
- Message me through Facebook or on here so I can match your name there to your username here.
- Ensure your privacy settings are such that if I visit your Facebook profile I will see "Stage Manager," "Theatre Student," or something similar as your current or prior occupation.

272

Introductions / Re: The American Down Under

« on: Mar 18, 2014, 07:12 pm »

Hello Terrence, thanks for joining. I see the mods of the Tools of the Trade board have found you already, you'll be in good hands with them.

I'd like to see a developer enter the app market who writes their own code (instead of paying someone else to do it), has SM experience, and is willing to talk to the community to find out what it needs/wants in an app before building something unnecessary and silly that trivializes the industry. So many people think we're just about stopwatches and calling cues, when the job is really about communication and coordination of schedules. A lot of people from the outside write apps to the "ideal" of the stage manager without knowing the actual needs of the job and what they'd pay money to simplify.

Good luck, I look forward to seeing your contributions.

273

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: SM Authority: Designers & Production Team refusing to acknowledge reports.

« on: Mar 14, 2014, 07:22 pm »

I spent a lot of time working in similar situations. The designers I worked with basically washed their hands of the shows after opening. They might occasionally request copies of the show reports but for the most part only the director actually read them to make sure his/her "baby" wasn't getting totally mangled over the course of the run. I would never expect a designer to respond to a show report after opening. Their work is done, contract is over, they have received the only pay they are going to get.

However. What you did was to make a design choice, even if it was with the safety of the actor in mind. You decided to overrule the sound designer's placement of speaker instead of choosing a route that would be equally safe but less disruptive. I'm armchair quarterbacking here but I would have spoken with the PM first, notified them of the safety issue, and worked out a solution that fixed the wiring without moving the speaker.

I'm gonna get flak for this, but... safety - the actual execution of making things safer - is not your responsibility. In fact, in an IATSE house you'd have been in breach of contract for removing the speaker. Alertness to potential safety hazards is your responsibility. Coordination of a response to those safety hazards among the people who are permitted to repair them is your responsibility. Staying on those people emphatically - blowing up their phones, making visits in person, squeaking like the worst squeaky wheel - this is also your responsibility. Especially in a situation like this where the PM seems to have a little control issue. I'd say the chain of action in response to the falling speaker incident could have involved an immediate call to the PM saying "Hey, the thing I was warning you about has happened, it needs to be fixed, do you want me to handle it? No? So what is your plan for handling it? Because I'm going to have to explain it to one really freaked out actress tonight."

While it's admirable that you are a "get your hands dirty" type of SM, and that sort of approach will probably serve you quite well in the talent furnace of Chicago storefront theatre, it's that kind of behavior and attitude that got me proverbially run out of town on a rail when I was still doing gigs. The job is not executive. SMs are mediators, facilitators, negotiators. The position as someone with a global view of the production can make it seem like they're executives, but SMs are not the people who should actually be executing anything unless every other alternative has been exhausted.

274

Introductions / Re: There is no Dana, only ZUUL.

« on: Mar 13, 2014, 01:01 am »

Just don't leave the cereal unattended around the cat, lest the result look like something from the film.

Also, not sure I should welcome a demonic spirit to our midst but hey, have a great time and thanks for joining.



...I'll just be over here refilling the mop bucket. With bleach.

275

Introductions / Re: A Re-Introduction

« on: Mar 06, 2014, 09:50 pm »

Hello again Erin. I took a look at your two intros from March '13 and March '14 and I believe we've got a rara avis on our hands - you are cool as a cucumber! I don't recall many coming in here with quite as much of a laissez-faire approach to their careers and it's fun to see.

I wish I could recommend some sort of stage management variety pack for you to help you figure out what type of performance you really twig to, as I get the feeling there's something out there in the non-traditional realm that will grab you. I'd suggest shadowing in as many diverse types of shows as you can to help you find the right fit. I know we've got some great folks in Florida who might be able to help out.

If you're considering a geographic shift do stop by our assorted Regional boards to get the lowdown on your new intended home. They aren't visible until after you register, and I don't want you to miss out on them.

Thanks for coming back around, hope we'll see some great contributions from you and that we can help you to find the right new region and channel for your talents.

276

Introductions / Re: Intro GO

« on: Mar 06, 2014, 09:41 pm »

Elizabeth! Hi!

You'd be right that getting into SM in your mid-thirties is unique, but far from crazy. You'll certainly stand out from the crowd, and in an industry where maturity is a major factor it could work in your favor if you play your cards right.

Out of curiosity, if your main theatre experience was in lighting and sound, how are you doing with the personality-handling and show maintenance aspects of the job? How are you working to develop on that side of the job?

Thanks for reading us all this time. I'm hoping that you've pent up a bunch of advice that's all going to come out in a torrent now, so don't let me down.

277

Introductions / Re: Introducing myself!

« on: Mar 06, 2014, 09:25 pm »

I was always torn during understudy rehearsals as to whether I should sing and dance or just mark everything. Fight choreography became my favorite part of working in understudies, as there's really no way to teach someone a fight by just marking - you've got to commit to it. I'm always up for a bit of fake violence.

Out of curiosity, why are you a "secret" SM? Do you not want your family to know? Do you call the show in code? Are you a mild-mannered newspaper reporter by day and a heroic crime-fighting stage manager by night?

Thanks for joining us!

278

Introductions / Re: Introduction!

« on: Mar 06, 2014, 09:20 pm »

Hello Kitten. Thanks for joining us! Sounds like you've been busy making the most of your college experiences, so props to you for that. You're entitled to a little procrastination. Hopefully some of our pros have given you pause to think twice about jumping too heavily into the internship hamster wheel.

Keeping a record of funny quotes is something I used to do - just don't get carried away and start including them in the notes. People usually don't like being taken out of context in any situation, especially if it's going on the record.

I never got to do a study abroad term. What was your daily life like over in Scotland?

279

Introductions / Re: Hey Everyone :)

« on: Mar 06, 2014, 09:08 pm »

Hello SM the SM from Illinois! I'm KC the former SM from Illinois.

.. .close enough, right?

Erm anyhow. Congrats on the recognition from Springfield, it's good to know our elected politicians are doing something to encourage the performing arts and that the actions they're taking are well-received in return by the students.

11th grade is very early to have made up your mind about a career. This is not said to dissuade you - far from it - but to encourage exploration of open doors while they're still open for you. At that age I wanted to be a director but things changed rapidly over the next 5-6 years. I'd say, keep your options open and make sure to get some experience at the professional level - even via an observation/shadowing sort of arrangement - before you jump in with both feet.

Have fun exploring, don't be afraid to ask us questions and offer your own advice from your experience.

280

Introductions / Re: Joining the gang

« on: Mar 06, 2014, 09:02 pm »

I can remember working on a production with a Russian cast & director many years ago. It was the only time I had to take blocking based on what the actors were actually doing instead of what the director told them to do. It was a bit of a 'trust fall' situation.

Glad you've come out of the wings to join us here, we can always use more input from the opera folks. Please contribute as you can! Most of the opera-focused material will be in Stage Management: Other, but don't think that means we're sweeping the medium under the rug. It's great to keep the less traditional performance styles in view around here, both because of how drastically different the work can be and because the younger SMs need to be reminded that there's more to life than straight plays & musicals.

281

Introductions / Re: Greetings

« on: Mar 06, 2014, 08:57 pm »

Hello from the other end of the Illinois!

Looks like you're well on your way around the forums and you don't need much guidance from me. Thanks for coming on board - I look forward to seeing more of you.

282

Introductions / Re: Well Hello there from snowy upstate New York.

« on: Mar 06, 2014, 08:52 pm »

Hello there Special K!

Out of curiosity, what's involved in developing a new major at your school? Do you already have a theatre department or are you going at it totally solo?

283

Introductions / Re: Found my calling

« on: Mar 06, 2014, 08:50 pm »

Hi Lisa! Thanks for joining!

Back when I was just a bitty thing I started my own small company too. Of course I was still in high school at the time and it didn't survive after I left for college, but hey, it was a good time anyhow. You're right, running the ship gives you practice wearing a lot of hats, which in turn makes it far easier to sidestep into SM once you manage to put them all back on the hat rack.

Looking at the recent U of Iowa SM Survey I see that only 1% of the respondents over age 51 had less than a year of experience. Your life experience and diverse career experience should give you a great leg up as unique bargaining chips. I'd reckon you'll have quite a bit of leverage over the standard teenage/early 20's newbie SM, so I hope you figure a way make the most of that.

I'd love to see more of your perspective on things as I'm sure it's going to be quite unique. Please join our conversations when you can!

284

Introductions / Re: Stand By and Go in the Midwest

« on: Mar 06, 2014, 08:39 pm »

Hi Kevin! Fantastic intro and I love your user pic. I've some friends hobbying around in the Columbus community theatre scene although none quite so pro as yourself from what I can tell.

The ability to read music seems to be the tipping point when it comes to assembling prompt books for musicals. Interlacing the music with straight lyrics is probably the most accessible route for subs but of course it's also the most labor intensive. If you manage to come up with a snappy and efficient way to do it that doesn't involve lots of arts & crafts I'm sure everyone would love you for it.

Thanks for joining us. Hope you find what you need. Break a leg on that opening, looks like your curtain up was about 40 min ago.

285

Introductions / Re: Happy to Find this Forum!

« on: Mar 06, 2014, 08:32 pm »

Hello Christina! I see the forum guidance fairies have already given you the walking tour, so that's fabulous. Very helpful folks around here.

We have done a ton of resume discussions. Most of them are found on the Employment board - and really, paging through that board will give you some great ideas on how to market yourself on all fronts, not just the resume. After all, the resume's just part of your "hire me" campaign.

Hope your time here introduces you to some great new connections in your area to help you expand into your local scene.