Messages

286

Tools of the Trade / Re: Running Shoes

« on: Jan 19, 2010, 08:58 am »

Back when I was still in school I would actually wear my Capezio Dansneakers.  They were lightweight and supportive, but had very good protection around the toes, due to that built in box for toe stands they had.  They were also pretty durable, lasting through four years of both dance classes and running shows in them.

287

The Green Room / Re: Mind Games

« on: Jan 07, 2010, 01:35 am »

Most of my friends now know to look to see which way I'm pointing when I'm giving directions in the car, as I will often point to my right while saying turn left, especially when sleep deprived.

288

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: New SM, working with a creeper, please help.

« on: Dec 01, 2009, 06:10 pm »

I don't know if dallas10086 meant for it to sound as if sexual jokes are to be tolerated, but let's face it, we do work in a much more open environment.  Many of the things we say and do would NEVER sit well in a regular corporate environment.  However, I do agree that the second one person feels uncomfortable then they need to express that and the behavior that is causing that discomfort needs to stop, no questions asked.

289

Tools of the Trade / Re: Random, household things, you use/keep on stage.

« on: Nov 28, 2009, 11:20 am »

Going to go ahead and toss up non-lubricated condoms to get it out of the way, we all know what they're for  

Ok, maybe I'm ignorant, but I have yet to find a use for non-lubricated condoms, aside from their originally intended use that is. Anybody care to explain because I keep hearing people say that they keep these on hand, and I'm not sure if there is some awesome innane use that I don't know about.

You put them on wireless mic transmitters to add an extra layer of protection from those sweaty actors.

290

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Performance Reports Excerpted or Made Public

« on: Nov 28, 2009, 11:17 am »

"I still consider the reports private, but I have also realized that if something is really sensitive information, sometimes you need to send out a separate email to only the concerned parties."

I have done that in the past, most notably while I was in grad school.  I had an actor who had a problem with tardiness.  Eventually the acting faculty confronted him about it and he came after me before a performance because he felt like I had stabbed him in the back or something along those lines.  I explained to him that I put the information in the report and if the faculty notices a pattern and chooses to act on it that is their choice and was not influenced by anything I said.  He chose not to believe me and became verbally, and close to physically, abusive since he felt like he wasn't being treated fairly since other people had also been late on occasion.  That evening my report simply stated that there was a problem with one of the actors and that a separate report would be sent out to those parties who needed to be appraised of the situation (i.e. the acting faculty and head of the department, not the student designers or other staff members who also got the reports).

291

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Performance Reports Excerpted or Made Public

« on: Nov 23, 2009, 10:47 pm »

I had a situation a few years ago where I found out that some of my paperwork and reports were being used during the school year in the stage management class of the university the summer theatre I had worked at was affiliated with.  However, I found out that the reports were altered because the production manager who was teaching the SM class needed a "bad" example (specifically, he removed any parts where I thanked people for taking care of notes, etc to make it look like I was rude and demanding to the various department heads and crews).  Luckily, my sound designer/board op was in the class and called him out on it when she noticed that one of the thank you's in response to something she had personally taken care of had been eliminated.

Since then I have always sent out reports in a non-editable PDF file.  I know somebody could still cut and paste them into a Word document if they really wanted to try to trash my reputation, but it gives me a small measure of relief to know that there would be a slightly more solid paper trail if I ever had to contest something like that.

292

Employment / Re: how long do you wait for a response?

« on: Nov 23, 2009, 10:37 pm »

I do understand that part as well.  If they had told me that the position was filled after the first or second time that I called back I would have been fine.  It was the length of time that the game went on that really got me.

All in all that situation worked out for the best, as I was able to pick up a couple of show cases during that time that allowed me to make a few good contacts in the city.

293

Employment / Re: how long do you wait for a response?

« on: Nov 22, 2009, 03:32 pm »

I think the most annoying time I ever had was two summers ago when I was moving to NY.  I got a call from somebody at the Lincoln Center Festival in response to a resume I had submitted for an opening they had that summer.  I missed the call due to being in a dentist's chair, but returned it about an hour later.  The person wasn't in the office.  I left a voicemail.  A day went by, I didn't hear anything back.  I ended up attempting to return this person's call about once a day for a good ten days.  Finally the secretary who I kept getting told me that her boss had asked her to let me know the position was filled.

I understand being busy and I'm well used to not hearing anything back, but something about the fact that they DID initiate contact and then ignored me because I wasn't available to take their call at the exact moment really got under my skin.

294

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Broadway SM arrested

« on: Oct 30, 2009, 04:59 pm »

The couple of cast members I know currently in the show are being very quiet about the whole thing, which I personally applaud them for.  It's not all that hard to trace gossip back to its source in this business.

295

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: PRE-PRODUCTION: What is your prep week style?

« on: Oct 30, 2009, 04:55 pm »

I also find the phone call to be important to make sure they got the email with the schedule and anything else that I send them.  Not every actor checks their email as compulsively often as the majority of us stage managers.

296

Stage Management: Other / Re: Opera tips

« on: Oct 06, 2009, 07:42 pm »

Concerning the orchestra

Find out whether actual curtain time is the same as published curtain time.  I have encountered several companies that contract the orchestra to start 5 minutes after the time printed on the tickets, as they are well aware that a production in a theatre seating anywhere up to 5000 people is not going to start on time.  So rather than paying the orchestra for that almost inevitable house hold, they just assume that the house will need to be held at least five minutes.  This can mean the difference between squeaking in right under three hours or going into overtime for those biggies like Carmen.

297

The Green Room / Re: audience callbacks- the ones you want, the ones you don't

« on: Oct 06, 2009, 07:25 pm »

While I was out with The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe with Theatreworks we had one that had me cracking up at the sound board.  After Peter first receives his sword and subsequently kills a wolf a little boy in front of me let out "Damn, Peter f***ed that wolf up."

298

Tools of the Trade / Re: Useful iPhone apps?

« on: Sep 28, 2009, 08:00 pm »

I'm going to plug the Chipotle Ordering App.  You can customize your burrito, place your order, and pay all before leaving the rehearsal hall, saving valuable amounts of time, because we all know that an hour lunch break is not really an hour.

299

Employment / Re: Workers' Comp

« on: Sep 11, 2009, 04:23 am »

You are more likely to find a lack of workers' comp coverage when working opera.  Many opera companies still hire stage management as independent contractors.  I have never heard a good reason for doing this from a company, and thus remain convinced it is merely a cheap way to keep costs down as they don't have to cover you under their workers' comp coverage or unemployment insurance.

300

The Green Room / Re: Where and when are you at your best?

« on: Sep 09, 2009, 01:49 am »

I'm at my best in the theatre, whether that be calling or running the deck.  I am a stage manager who can't wait to get out of the rehearsal hall and get the show on its feet in front of an audience, and then run it forever.  A very good friend and SM who I have ASMed for frequently is exactly the opposite.  She loves the rehearsal process and would probably be perfectly happy to be in a situation where she could get a show open, hand it off, and start rehearsals on the next one as soon as possible.