Messages

31

Articles from the Old Site / Re: So...do ya think you're theatre is haunted?

« on: Sep 26, 2007, 09:04 am »

Definitely and I've experienced it first hand.    I was stage managing The Last 5 Years and we were in rehearsals, I always got there early and set up my stuff, started water for tea, swept out the space, etc etc, etc.   I never was able to shake the feeling that I was being watched... by a few sets of eyes.   

When you enter the theater there are four big white rocking chairs in the lobby next to the snack area that were used as props and are now put there for the patrons to sit on before the house opens.  I arrived 45 minutes prior the start of rehearsal, starting turning on lights, firing up the heat, put the water on for tea, put my stuff down on the table by the stage and then go back up to the snack bar to pour myself some tea and one of the rocking chairs was ROCKING!  There were no breezes and the outside doors to the theater were locked... I calmly said "Stop that you’re freaking me out." and went about my business.  When I came out of the snack area... the chair had stopped...

32

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: High School Musical

« on: Aug 31, 2007, 01:27 pm »

I'd be nervous too if I had to listen to HSM 8 hours a day for weeks... 


All jokes aside... big shows are the same as little shows, just do what you do best, and you'll be fine. 

33

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Stopwatch Use

« on: Aug 31, 2007, 01:24 pm »

I thought they were so precise the didn't need watches over there... 

34

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Notating a Dance Sequence

« on: Aug 24, 2007, 08:39 am »

I usually use X's and O's kind of like a football play, but you have to be careful to make sure your script doesn't look like a tic tac toe game threw up. 

Hit up the Choreographer and / or the dance captain some note their own dances and some are willing to give you copies of the notation... and a key to translate it to English. 

35

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Dressing For The Part?

« on: Aug 17, 2007, 11:16 am »

I'm looking for a good, comfy pair of black sneakers that don't look like huge cross-trainers. Any suggestions?

Sketchers makes great shoes that last long and can take a  lot of wear and abuse. They have nice looking loafer/dress style shoes in addition to the sk8ter sneakers they are known for, and I like their styles for men and women. Harley Davidson actually makes stylish, tough wearing boots for men and women that are something that not everyone else might have (a good alternative to the ubiquitous Doc Martins). You also might earn some cred with the way tough biker stagehands.    Fitzwell, Zappos.com's house brand, specializes in affordable, comfortable shoes for men and women (but mostly women) that have more style than your typical comfort/work shoe but are designed to be worn while you stand on your feet all day. You might have a pair of these for opening night. All this stuff is available on www.zappos.com, which is my very favorite shoe website. (No, I don't work for them! I am just embarassingly familiar with their website.) None of these shoes are crazy expensive, either.

Check out www.galls.com and at the firefighter station boots, or the swat tactical boots, lightweight with air soles, quiet and zippers instead of laces, they are my deck boots.  I use timberland steel-toe boots for construction. 

36

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Headset Etiquette

« on: Aug 10, 2007, 04:14 pm »

Only the sound op should hear what's going over the mic in a PFL and only when there is a purpose for it.  Period, Dot.  If a sound op broadcasts when he or she hears over those mics that will be the last time they ever run sound for me.  The severity of the leak dictates if the finish the show, act, scene or que... (they have the misfortune of working for an SM who's a sound guy) 

As for headsets, my rule is, chatter is fine, gossip isn't.   Wanna gossip, that's what cast parties and bar trips are for when it's show time do your job.  Absolute silence after I call a stand-by till after I call go.  There are other times when chatter is ok, unless someone needs quiet for concentration. 

37

Uploaded Forms / Re: WWW form...anyone?

« on: Aug 09, 2007, 09:36 am »

As long as you have permission to post it, that's the whole purpose of this board, to share ideas, get and give advice to your fellow SM's and ASM's.   

38

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Wait Until Dark

« on: Aug 09, 2007, 08:10 am »

Where did you find Geraldine?

39

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Dressing For The Part?

« on: Aug 07, 2007, 02:07 pm »

I swear by black BDU's, they are like paramedic pants but with buttons for pocket closures most of the paramedic pants I've found have velcro, and no swooshing.    Plus they are made of material that stops rips from getting too big, and allows your body to breath so it keeps you cooler on stage. 

I during a crew call I had an actor that was there for a costume fitting walk across the stage, I didn't notice she was wearing flip flops... a hammer dropped bounced off my steel toe boots skidded across the stage and.. yep right on her toe. 

Funny how all the actors stopped wearing flip flops on stage after that. 

40

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / SHOWS: Wait Until Dark

« on: Aug 06, 2007, 01:55 pm »

I'm stage managing a production of Wait Until Dark next year and I'm wondering if any of you have had experience with the show?  Pitfalls?  Disasters in the making?

41

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Calling a warning for a cue

« on: Aug 06, 2007, 11:17 am »

I usually call "page" warnings for the end of the acts of plays, and song warnings for musicals (if the act ends with a song - then again what self respecting musical doesn't) 

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Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Calling a warning for a cue

« on: Aug 03, 2007, 09:27 am »

It's normally Standby - Go for me, unless I have a something that requires prep.  A lot of times it's an informal, "we're coming up on the Pumpkin change" kind of thing not a formal Warning on.   

As always I think it depends on the situation. 

43

The Hardline / Re: Equity "half-hour"

« on: Aug 02, 2007, 10:33 am »

Brilliant Document!   Interesting that the pros have a lot of the same pitfalls as us community theater people. 

44

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Bows

« on: Aug 02, 2007, 09:45 am »

Cast Gesturing: The community theater I work with gestures to the orchestra and the booth, but that's community theater.     I've never seen it done at a professional level.  I actually don't know how I'd react if I did.   Knowing the job and how much work it is, I'd want to clap but at a professional level I think I'd be appalled by how unprofessional and tacky it is. 

Crew Bow:  Even at the community level we don't do this.  There is a high school in my area that gives it's crew a bow after the leads are done, right before the company bow, a booming voice comes over the speakers saying "Ladies and Gentlemen the [name of school] stage crew."  Then like 10 to 25 kids stumble out on stage looking like a dungeons and dragons game just let out...    It's beyond tacky... almost awkward.

I've always thought that crew should be not seen not heard, but felt, and that the applause the show gets during the company bow, is good enough.   Besides I'll take Guinness over applause any day.   

45

SMNetwork Archives / Open Call: Jekyll & Hyde - Southern New Jersey

« on: May 23, 2007, 10:23 am »

Sorry guys and I'm pretty sure this will be moved or removed but the company is kinda desperate and I have to go for it.

Open Call Auditions for DreamSpinners “Jekyll & Hyde” will be held June 12th with call backs June 13th. All parts are open, and ages 18 and up are welcome. This show will not be a part of our children's summer theater program and no participation fee will be collected. Rehearsals will be held during the evenings.

You may prepare a song of your choice, or a song from the show with the exception of "Confrontation". You may bring sheet music or a CD to audition with. If you are singing something from the show, you do not need the music...I have it already. Singing "with the vocals" is not permitted.

Bring a resume and head shot (if you have one) and a complete list of all conflicts. I will work around conflicts IF I know about them in advance.

"Jekyll and Hyde" performances are August 1st, 2nd 3rd, and 4th 2007 at The Grand Theater in Williamstown.

More info check out http://www.dreamspinners.org

Edit: moved to archives.  Date passed.  ~nmno