Messages

286

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Stop The Show!

« on: May 22, 2006, 10:07 pm »

Well, the times I've personally had to stop a show were obvious...once, a fire alarm ("Please remain calm" came over a loud speaker that we couldn't stop), once the lightboard dumped to complete darkness, and once I lost all power to my pit in the middle of a musical.

I got on the god mic and calmly reassured people - the fire alarm we we knew had started in another part of the building, and basically was ultimately caused from a lack of water pressure in the building (and a water main break downtown)...we were in radio contact with other parts of the building.  

Another show where I was an assistant, we had to stop because of the knife/tracking system, and the SM stopped the show (god mic) and brought in the curtain while we dealt with "technical difficulties".  The audience had also seen a fly get caught up flying out - they thought that was the issue....but they were in a great Christmasy mood (it was December) and the audience actually started a Christmas singalong on their own.  Scrooge even came out and asked them for a request of his, they all laughed, and then proceeded to sing it.

That said, there are many, many times that we've NOT stopped the show, despite small "disasters".  If safety, etc are a concern - or loud speakers you can't stop and fire alarms - then yes, the show doesn't always have to go on...

Erin

287

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Hispanic Theatre and Stage Managers

« on: May 22, 2006, 09:58 pm »

I'm an Equity person, but currently working in the opera world, doing tours to schools.  We do have one bilingual (Spanish/English) opera, and there is a little concern that I'm not bilingual...that had been the only show previously to have a stage manager (I'm in a newly created position), and they wonder how crucial me not being bilingual will be to that show.

I guess we'll see!

The bilingual show is quite awesome, I will say, and to great reviews.

Erin

288

Employment / Fired from an SM Job

« on: May 22, 2006, 09:52 pm »

I was "dismissed" from a job...a new artistic director came in and they gave me a trial period...for both of our sakes.  I understood, and realized after the first show that I would only stay on for the rest of the season as I had promised, ready to find a new job for the next season, as our styles did not mesh well....

However, the new artistic director waited - while I went away for 3 months on another pre-arranged gig, but had said "see you in January" to no objection from them - and then gave me 2 weeks notice that I would not be hired back for the remaining shows of the season...and was telling me now so I could "find another job" for that part......which of course was too late.  I wound up with 7 months of unemployment that next year.

Ultimately, I was glad to be out...but as for my co-workers...many didn't know that I wasn't coming back, and I received various emails, etc for a while afterwards until everyone - I think - finally found out.  Especially awful were "kind" emails from those inviting non-theatre personel to shindigs or raffles, etc...which came across to me as rubbing it in my face I was no longer working there.  Until I found out they thought I'd left on my own.

Personally, I think it was bad business practice on the new artistic director's part - and so do many of my friends.  Whenever someone asks, I try to play it lightly, or just say "I was at a theatre until they came under a new artistic director" - and those in the business understand that many clean house when they come in...just not necessarily in the way that mine did.

That said, I've moved to a different city, in with my no-longer-long-distance boyfriend, and am doing fairly well.  And I truly believe that EVERYTHING happens for a reason.  Some just harder to see at the time.

Erin

289

College and Graduate Studies / Theatre program disbanded in a matter of minutes

« on: May 20, 2006, 12:00 pm »

I forwarded your info to a friend of mine in Arizona when I first saw the posting.  Don't know if anything will come about, but he says that now his chair is in contact with the faculty there about having the students transfer to his school.  I won't mention which school in case it doesn't go through, and don't want to get anyone's hopes up too far.  But good luck!

Erin

290

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Hospitality backstage

« on: May 17, 2006, 05:34 pm »

As for labeling coffee mugs, a labeler works great.  Take a tiny bit of time during prep week to label the mugs with each person's name.  One regional theatre I worked with had the Guild provide a theatre coffee cup (with logo) to every actor/designer per production, and then it was theirs to take home with them at the end as a momento.  But also lets you know immediately who's got the mold growing in theirs.  And I make it a policy for everyone to clean their own mug.  If I or my staff is feeling nice one day, perhaps, but generally speaking since their name is on it, it's pretty obvious whose it is.

And the labels are even dishwasher proof.  I have them go through my dishwasher at home all the time, including my water bottle.  Now there is the debate of where to put the label on the mug (visible while drinking? storing? near the handle? etc), but at least it's labelled!

Erin

291

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / What to do After the Show Closes

« on: May 15, 2006, 05:02 pm »

With my degree in psychology, I've started calling your syndrome Post Dramatic Stress Disorder.

I love it.  My parents own their own counseling business, and I've already shared it with them.  They think it's great too.

Erin

292

Employment / stage management college degrees

« on: May 08, 2006, 06:33 pm »

and I was curious to know what a round-about salary for a working Broadway Stage Manager is??? Either on tour or stationed at a specific theater?

Please, please, please do some digging around this website before you ask questions we've already answered.  On Equity's website, within the Document Library, and under Agreements are all the various Equity contracts out there, each with different salary rates.  You can download these by visiting http://www.actorsequity.org/library/library.asp?cat=3. The Broadway and Touring contracts fall under the "Production" contract.  Keep in mind, that the cost of living is much higher in New York, so though those salaries seem exorbitantly higher than others, it also costs more to live there.  And those jobs are hard to come by.  
Erin

293

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Prop tracking for a large show

« on: Apr 26, 2006, 10:45 pm »

I think Hollywood was asking about the paperwork, not the actual props.

Everyone has their theories of how to track, but one major piece of paperwork I create is a Running Info sheet that lists every single entrance and exit of an actor.  With it, I have columns of the timing from the start of the show (only have to keep one stopwatch running), the script page, the place (UR Door, etc), and if the actor is carrying a prop.  I also include a note upon exit if the actor needs to make a quickchange.  In this, I also list all major set changes, prop moves by crew, etc  Gets to be quite an extensive piece of paperwork to upkeep, but eventually you can glean LOTS of info from one piece, especially lots of timings for things you never knew you wanted.  Anyway, but from that you can glean specific entrances and exits of props.

I can email examples to those who ask.

As for the preset, I prefer the kind that requires a checkmark for every single piece during preset, so you don't miss something you swore you set already...

Erin

294

The Green Room / SMs in media?

« on: Apr 18, 2006, 02:21 am »

I enjoy watching "Sing Faster: The Stagehands Guide to the Ring Cycle".  It focusses on the IATSE crew running the Ring Cycle and is beautifully edited with the opera music in the background as they change the sets, etc and balance their checkbooks or play poker backstage...The stage managers are heard and seen a lot.  I love watching/listening to them cue the dragon (like 4 people to move it back and forth, another inside operating the jaw), though the stage managers' voice drives me a little crazy...Lights GOOOOOOOooooo.  You wonder which part of the word "Go" the cue should be actually taken on.  And there must have been several stage managers for the various parts of the cycle (or on separate channels?), as there is at least one male and one female voice heard.

I own it now, but first watched it on Netflix.  I'd highly recommend adding it to your queue if you're a member.

Erin

295

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / What to do After the Show Closes

« on: Apr 11, 2006, 11:53 pm »

If you plan on framing your posters - it can cost a pretty penny to get the custom-sized frames that most posters are....if I do frame them, I get one bigger than the actual poster, then use the extra space to place my favorite pictures from the show...and occasionally the program or ticket stub.  Just a thought.

As for sharing pictures, I've created snapfish accounts for the show before, with a hotmail address I also created that's generic with the name of the show and/or city or something, then give the Snapfish password to everyone involved, so all can upload their shots.  (For example, make the password something obvious like "photos", and the email address something like NoisesOffDenver@hotmail.com or something) Of course, there is the whole copyright issue if you show things from the actual show, etc....so I usually give that caveat...  I tend to take the fun shots no one else thinks of...one person I worked with on the last show bought several dozen pictures of mine off Snapfish, and I didn't have to be bothered with "can I get a copy of that?"  But also, if you just right-click the picture in Snapfish, you can download it to your own computer for free.

Erin

296

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Results of SDA One Act Festival

« on: Apr 09, 2006, 02:57 pm »

Woohoo!  Huzzah!  CONGRATULATIONS!  

Erin

297

SMNetwork Archives / Number Line

« on: Apr 09, 2006, 12:28 pm »

When we were in Myrtle Beach last year with a show, we got one locally from a place called Showcards.  (For those who aren't sure what we're talking about, it's used for dancers/performers to tell spacing across the stage.  It has numbers centered every two feet each side of center for them to guide off.)  It was on a black plasticy material...my best way to describe it is it's like the molding along the base of a wall where it meets the floor - though I could be totally wrong with my description.  I think the numbers were around 3 inches high, but again, I'm only going from memory.  We needed about 30 feet each side of center, and I remember debating between whether to get one that went 30 to 0 to 30 (the full width) or two separate ones (30 to 0 for one and 0 to 30 the other).  I think we bought 2 "full" ones, so we could have one upstage and one downstage.  My PSM says they were $170-200.  Showcards doesn't seem to have a website, but if you do a Google search you can at least get their phone number.

I was quite impressed with how non-bulky, lightweight, and compact they were, compared to ones we had made previously ourself on thick webbing.  And we were always worried the webbing would stretch - a previous incarnation on burlap certainly had stretched beyond use.  

Erin

298

Students and Novice Stage Managers / New Stage Manager

« on: Apr 05, 2006, 04:21 pm »

With Noises Off, particularly, you will probably want to talk on your director ahead of time and come up with names for each of the doors/exits in the show, so you two are on the same page with this fast-paced blocking nightmare of a show.  For example, always refer to as "bathroom door" or UR door or Door 3 or whatever, but see if you can get one label for each one, for both your benefit and the actors.  And if you have a chance to label that before rehearsals start - either the tapeline on the floor, or the actual door if you are lucky enough to use it, you'll also save some confusion time.

Erin

299

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Need help with writting SM resume

« on: Apr 04, 2006, 11:24 am »

Some people HATE references on a 2nd page (I've seen someone on this website say they look no further at a resume if it's on the 2nd page), others don't care.  Personally, I've had pretty good response with a line at the bottom of my resume saying "References listed on reverse" and then, yes, they're on the back.  However, most of my resumes these days get sent as email attachments...though not printed out, I keep same format of 2 pages, though I don't list the "on reverse" part, obviously.

Everyone has different opinions on resumes...used to be quite an experience in college when every single professor told you to do something different.  But above and beyond, make it easy to read.  My resume has constantly changed looks depending on my experience levels (used to list educational credits versus community versus professional, or different types of theatre jobs...now it's headers of Production Stage Manager, Stage Manager and Cover Stage Manager), but I've generally been told it's presented in a clear format.

Erin

300

Employment / Job description of a Resient Production Stage Manager?

« on: Apr 03, 2006, 03:13 pm »

What I saw on the Equity website was primarily a general stage manager's duties, not the added requirements of a Production Stage Manager.  

Off the top of my head, I can think of:

- Supervising the entire stage management staff - sometimes this includes the hiring.
- Running the production meetings - though sometimes this is done by the Production Manager.
- Weekly schedules for the building - coordinating which shows (if several at once) use which rooms, as well as what's available for other departments, i.e., board room for the Development/Guild get-together
- Keeping track of all petty cash for the SM Department

Erin