Messages

286

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Website for the show

« on: Nov 07, 2006, 10:48 pm »

I hate when you can't get through a hotline recording without either screwing it up or laughing.  And then, hopefully it takes an extra press of "yes, I like this recording", or you're worried someone else will call in and hear your laughter/screw up before you get the chance to record it correctly!

One theatre I worked at made us list not only the rehearsal schedule, but everything else that was going on in the building.  Took SOOOO many tries to get through it all.

Erin

My old SM used to sneak in the office and whisper horribly innapropriate things in my ear while I was trying to get through the most ridiculous and complicated schedules. He would say words I hate or tell dirty jokes to make me laugh. Once, for a good five minutes the hotline said "The schedule for Tuedsday,-------- is as follows: Schedule, schedule, schedule, shuffle,F******************CK, click."

I don't think anyone called in and got it though...

287

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Website for the show

« on: Nov 07, 2006, 11:07 am »

What happened to the old low-tech rehearsal hotline?

Even children's chorus or supers can be trained to call the hotline if they forget or get confused.

Where I am, every out of town actor has a working phone, but not internet access. My extension at work is also the hotline and it works just fine.

Actually, come to think of it, every theatre I've worked at has a telephone hotline. Usually I'm the one to do it, which I hate because not only do I look young ( I was mistaken for 18 years old on my last show) but I sound really young on the phone. It's like the 'real' sm let their kid leave the schedule for fun.

288

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

« on: Nov 05, 2006, 09:42 am »

It's not completely a Kit thing but:

Usually if you email Riccola (the cough drop people) and tell them who you are and what you do, they will send you a TON (ie tubs and tubs) of free cough drops.

A big baggie goes right in the kit, and the rest go backstage. You know...for the actors to suck on for 2.5 seconds and then leave on every toggle on every flat they can find...

But seriously, I know a lot of theatre that do it.

289

Uploaded Forms / Re: Reports and minutes (Performance, Rehearsal, meetings)

« on: Nov 02, 2006, 12:10 pm »

And my Performance Report as well.

This one's from a special, special night. Nothing like a board op getting food poisoning in the booth- in the middle of a cue sequence!

290

Uploaded Forms / Re: Reports and minutes (Performance, Rehearsal, meetings)

« on: Nov 02, 2006, 12:08 pm »

Here's my rehearsal report form, filled in from the show I'm working on now. I've used it since college, and never had a problem.

291

Uploaded Forms / Re: Line Notes (for going "off book")

« on: Nov 02, 2006, 12:06 pm »

Here's my Lines Notes form.

Typically I hate Excel, but with this, it's easy to just type the notes as you come to them (or have an assistant type as you rehearse) and then you can sort by Page #, then Actor and there you have it!

I always add a few lines inbetween people to make cutting them up easier.

292

SMNetwork Archives / Re: Drinks, Teas...

« on: Nov 01, 2006, 12:09 pm »

Whenever I use tea as alcohol, I brew it double strong to make it bitter, and then dilute it as needed.

Also, a drop of green fool coloring will help make the color less like diluted tea under the stage lights.

Another thing to try instead of tea is flat (caffeine free is my preference) Coke or Diet Coke. Same thing, diluted and then add a bit of green if you need it.

But everyone's right. If they're on stage and their character is drinking, they need to drink. It's their job to do it without complaint. While diffusing a situation like this seems simple: You're the actor, it's your job, this is the prop, use it, it is not so uncommon a situation. As a stage manager, how far to you go to serve an actor without being taken advantage of? To accomodate is one thing, and I feel like it's a big part of being a stage manager, but to allow people to walk all over you is another.

Anyway, there you go. I'd offer the choice of flat Coke (if the other actors are allright with that) or tea, and say those are the choices.

293

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Diva Musical Directors

« on: Oct 13, 2006, 11:29 am »

I also create a document that lists everything possible about songs for quick reference so that at any given point you can give the Song Number (used by the orchestra usually), the script page (director), score page (music director), libretto (performer), as well as which singers are in it. 

Erin- Do you have a copy of that sheet anywhere? I start pre-pro for Big River next week and would love to take a look at it.

Thanks!
Marcie

294

SMNetwork Archives / Re: Call Board Karma: Keep or drop?

« on: Oct 07, 2006, 03:50 pm »

I'm so lost...

How are people able to give karma points in the first place?

And frankly, I don't care if you do or don't, it's not going to stop me from saying what I want to. If I don't personally attack someone's beliefs or ideas, why shouldn't I be able to express my opinion? Isn't that what the point of the board is for? To act as a forum for all of us to learn and discuss???

295

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Actor Calls

« on: Oct 07, 2006, 03:45 pm »

I do my call as thus

REAL TIME                                                  Page Announcement
-30 min until posted show time                      "Half-Hour Call"
-17 min until posted show time                      "15 minutes until places"
-7 min until posted show time                        "5 minutes until places; crew to headset"
-2 min until posted show time                        "Places"
* I will adjust the places call if I am anticipating a hold.  I will not call places until I can be reasonably assured we will start in 2 minutes.

I do my calls the same way, except for this show I have changed my Places to a Soft Places. We have quite a long curtain speech and the dressing rooms are just off the SR entrance, where the ToS actors enter from, so I give Soft Places and my SR crew member gives a Final Places just after the curtain speech starts (which is a 5-7 minute speech). The actors are dressed by places, but this gives them a moment to get a last sip of water or whatever they need without having to stand inside the bathroom on set, which is dark, for the whole speech.

296

Employment / Re: Day Jobs? Yes or No

« on: Oct 06, 2006, 05:22 pm »

Is it a good idea? Depends on how stressfull your sm or day job is.

I'm getting one because I can't afford to live on the $265 a week my full time SM job pays me. I don't want to have to go into work at 5AM after a show the night before and the squeeze in everything else I need in the few hours I'll have off in the afternoons, but I also don't want to get evicted and live out of my car...

297

Employment / Part-Time Work

« on: Oct 05, 2006, 05:25 pm »

I'm biting the bullet, and after some fairly major financial mishaps narrowly avoided thanks to help from my parents, I am going to start looking for a part-time job to supplement my income.

For those that SM and work part-time, what companies have you found to be understanding about scheduling and such? I hate the idea of working for a big corporation, but I'm looking at Cingular (my cell company), Starbucks (for the early morning hours) and Trader Joe's (because I like it there).

Any suggestions?

298

The Hardline / Re: EMC pay as an ASM

« on: Oct 05, 2006, 12:27 pm »

It honestly varies. I've made $300 a week and I've made $600 for 8 weeks (paid at the end of the 8 week. Very annoying.)

The last job I was at as an ASM paid $150 before taxes and housed if you needed it. I also worked in the box office for cash.

The theatre I'm at now as a PSM pays assistants $225-250 a week and they're on a smaller contract than the housed gig.

It's very random, and frankly, not always fair. Many larger theatres don't pay or house if you apprentice/intern there. When I was looking for apprenticeships, I refused to work for no pay, and I may have missed out on some opportunities, but I'm doing ok, I think. I just think that if you work for someone, they should pay you. Even if it's minimum wage. But that's me. I was lucky not to have any school loans and I wasn't about to take any out to go work. (Which I found out is what you're expected to do.)

But I digress...

Bottom line is it's different everywhere.

299

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Email Nightly SM Reports

« on: Oct 02, 2006, 01:12 pm »

I am a PC user who emails reports to an all-Mac company. I use Word and send the file as an attachment rather than in the body of the email and there have never been any problems with formatting. You do it the same way as sending it in the message, just choose "Send as Attachment" rather than "Send in Mail Message" or whatever it says.

At my old theatre we made a hard copy for the Mac users because they had an older system and couldn't download it at all. We just printed extra copies when we printed our own.

300

The Green Room / Re: Snacks

« on: Sep 18, 2006, 04:47 pm »

Are you kidding?! You don't have a Trader Joe's?!!!! How do you live?

If you write me a (reasonably sized) list, I'd be happy to send a Lack-of-Joe's package your way.

PM me.