Messages

31

Employment / Re: Job Applying Words of Wisdom to College Graduates

« on: Mar 05, 2013, 07:54 pm »

One question that I have. I know a lot of people don't like having to open multiple attachments if necessary.

Would you rather receive the Cover Letter and Resume as a single document, or separate documents?

32

The Green Room / Re: Catchphrases

« on: Mar 04, 2013, 10:56 pm »

My first university show as an assistant stage manager, I was literally on underwear duty. It was a show where the actors more often then not ended up in their underwear by the end of the scene (The Blue Room). I got harassed by one of my very good actor friends, in good taste, for having to announce "Underwear Check" before every show. Well guess what, on closing, she forgot her underwear in her car on the 2nd to last show, and I had to go get it... Now we joke around with it every time we're working on a show together. (The reason her underwear was in her car is because there was an agreement for the actors to do their own underwear laundry)

Others include:

"Noted" while writing it in notes.

"Mmhmm" with internal panic, or a look of exasperation.

"What can I do for you?"

And, my favorite, when I am tasked to close down a theatre:
"Ladies and Gentlemen, Thank you for coming out and enjoying our show, unfortunately we have to lock up, you don't have to go home, but you can't stay here"

33

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: JOB DESCRIPTION: SM Role in the automated future

« on: Feb 27, 2013, 05:39 pm »

It's really hard to say what the actual job of a stage manager is, but I definitely think that a component of the job is calling cues.

The stage manager, as a general job description; Is to facilitate communication between the departments, and as the show opens, maintain the artistic integrity of the director (very text book answer), but I believe it to be true. As with any shows I've SM'ed as well as with any professional stage managers I've worked with, they wouldn't dare let the lighting guy call his own show. The SM is the most familiar with the show, and that is why the director entrusts them to maintain his/her artistic integrity.

34

Tools of the Trade / Re: SM Kit *for students*

« on: Feb 26, 2013, 08:01 pm »

I'm mostly advising for right when you start out.

I work mostly on shows my friends company are producing (It's still guest artist, and considered professional), so they don't have the resources to pay for those kind of items. Also, it's agreed that I will supply my own kit, they have paid me for tape in the past, if I used a lot. But generally, my thought is that you need to be ready for any sort of rehearsal setting, any company that you may work for, or any space you may be performing in.

The 10 items I listed I believe are generally stuff that you need to create a rehearsal space your own (especially as a student, or if you are doing more community, non (full) equity shows.)

The extra stuff that I have listed are mostly so that you can create a good atmosphere in rehearsal (seeing as rehearsals can sometimes get high stress, high emotion)

35

Tools of the Trade / Re: SM Kit *for students*

« on: Feb 26, 2013, 04:14 pm »

• First Aid Kit (Essential)
• Office Supplies (Including Pencils, Pens, Erasers, White-out, Sharpener, all of your highlighters, sharpies, paper clips, 3-hole punch etc...
• Scale Ruler
• Stencils (shapes for blocking notation)
• Tabs or labels (Whatever you use for separating your script into scenes, as well as what you use for marking cues)
• Chargers (for your laptop or phone, and various other ones in case someone needs a charger)
• Extension Cords
• Tape! (Spike, Board, Gaff, Duct, Scotch, E etc...)
• Post-Its (I use them for line notes)
• Tape Measure (25' regular tape measures [I have 3], 100' tape measure (I have 2)

This, in my opinion, is the basics you need. As long as you can do your job, this is a good place to start off with.

I know other stage managers that keep other things; like greeting cards and small gifts (for birthdays); mints, gum, candies; kleenex; cigarettes (in case someone runs out); small bottle of alcohol (in case someone is having a bad day); hand sanitizer

But as you grow as a stage manager, so will your kit.

36

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: ASMing: How to ASM

« on: Dec 29, 2012, 12:30 pm »

It's kind of different where I'm from.

Someone can be an SM in one show, and an ASM in the next four then SM the next five etc... (i assume that's how it is most places)

But (this is how it is professionally here) the ASM is not necessarily an assistant to the stage manager, but on par with the stage manager. The stage manager and assistant both take notes during rehearsal, in case someone missed something. If there's a question for the director, the SM or the ASM can ask.

The SM is in charge of how the stage looks and sounds, whereas the ASM is in charge of how that is acheived (set changes, costume changes, props, making sure actors are in place). So, during the run of the show, yes, the ASM is a sort of assistant, only because the SM is not able to check on things themselves. but during rehearsals, the ASM and SM are more on par.

I don't know, maybe it's unusual the way things are done where I'm from.

37

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Dealing with rude emails

« on: Mar 28, 2012, 05:55 pm »

I never said that the email was warranted or not. I actually think the email was 100% warranted, because the exact thing happened to me when I was a costume coordinator (for a production course designed to practise being a department head), going to the extreme of the stage manager not answering calls (both to her cell phone and office phone), as well as not showing up for a meeting we had scheduled that same day (the meeting was scheduled the week before).

I was more posting in reply to others that said that she needed to be less rude because of her status as professor.

38

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Dealing with rude emails

« on: Mar 28, 2012, 01:59 am »

The way I view a show in a school is that it is practice for the real world, so the whole team should act as they would in the real world. The only person you would treat as a prof is your advisor when they are in the advisor role.

I was SMing a show in november, and my advisor was also the lighting designer. He told me that I would get the cue synopsis early on in the process because it was a cue heavy show, for my first show calling, and the sequences were tight. It was getting very close to levels, and I didn't have it yet, and I had to email him three times to get the synopsis. One of my emails was not the nicest one, it wasn't rude, but it could've been better. I asked him about the email later, and he said that it was perfectly fine because he told me he was going to do something, and he didn't....

The costume coordinator, if they are a prof, should not expect you to treat them as a professor on the show, they should expect you to treat them as a costume coordinator, and anything else will just hinder your growth as a stage manager

39

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Being friends with the SM

« on: Mar 25, 2012, 12:51 am »

It sometimes is hard to get the mentality of separating work from social life. If you really are friends with someone in the cast, they will know to respect you. I did a show this past nov/dec. I was friends with the whole cast, some of them knew they needed to respect me, and did so. One of them, however, gave me attitude when I was telling them something (they were joking of course). What I did was take them aside (not during the rehearsal, or breaks, but just on our own time) and told them that they needed to realize that I was taking this seriously, as if it were a professional show, and they needed to show me the respect I deserve. They behaved from then on.