Messages

31

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Adjusting your style

« on: Oct 02, 2009, 01:18 pm »

What I do find changing, is, as I get older, within my team, I become more and more rigid.

I think I have to agree with this statement.  Part of it is just the confidence of experience - you know that certain things work or don't work, and aren't interested in re-inventing the wheel.  Of course, while I've grown more rigid in some areas - there are other areas that I've grown a little more relaxed on.  I analyze on a show by show basis what paperwork I need to generate - instead of doing everything for every show, I ask myself what do I really need to get the job done.  I've also let my self change with the electronic age, and have adapted things that I do to deal with changing technology; but on an as need basis.  I've grown less interested in playing with every new toy, but analyzing things for whether they will really be helpful or not.

-Centaura

32

The Green Room / Re: Best reason from an actor for being late

« on: Sep 15, 2009, 01:30 pm »

I had one where me and the entire cast was late for an evening children's theatre tour performance.  I was driving the truck, with the actors in the van behind me - they knew how to get to the theatre so I turned at the corner when I had a break in traffic, not worrying about them.  Got a call a few minutes later - the van had died.  So I went back to them, we as a group pushed the van into a nearby parking lot, the cast all loaded into the back of the truck and we went to the venue.  I didn't have the venue's phone number (it was in my book which was at theatre), so they were mighty worried when I finally appeared with the truck and backed up to the loading dock.  They asked where my cast was, at which point I opened up the back of the truck and the whole cast jumps out and runs into the theatre.

-Centaura

33

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Require cast to have an email?

« on: Sep 15, 2009, 01:08 pm »

I actually giggled when the original poster asked if they cd require an actor to have email access - no offense, really

I did to - I was in college when I had my first email address, and that only because I knew a computer major who could rig my computer to log onto the school's server.  Then, it was a world of computer geeks typing (there were no pictures/graphics/etc) to each other.

I am the Secretary for a Board, and for the longest time there were two people whom I had to snail-mail their meeting minutes to them, since they didn't have email.  There is still one - the current President of the Board - who doesn't have email.

Also even to expect that people who already have an email address is going to check their email regularly is a pretty lofty expectation.

I agree, sending out an email is not a guarantee that the communication has been received on the other end.  Their internet went down/their computer died/they didn't go home/didn't have access to their computer/they only get internet at the library and it was closed - the list goes on and on.  I would recommend one of the above secondary measures to make sure that the calls are getting out.  I.e. getting a small portable callboard that you can put away in a closet/trunk/what ever every night, or setting up an answering machine with a message that folks need to check.  When I was on tour, I would often tape a callsheet to my hotel room door, and the actors knew that it was their responsibility to come read it every night for announcements.

The other thing this does is stresses that getting/finding their call is their responsibility - if an email is eaten by a server, then they can claim that it wasn't their fault.  If they don't call and check the message - then there is no one to blame but themselves.

-Centaura

34

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Being Assertive

« on: Sep 08, 2009, 10:42 pm »

(She intimidates me more than anything, just because she has a rude tone in her voice, and I'm pretty sure she thinks I'm a moron)

Thinking over every interaction in this case will be good for you.  There are people out there that "sound" rude, but once you get to know them - they're actually quite friendly, but for some reason they come across otherwise.  Is there something specific that she's done that makes you think she thinks you're a moron?  Or are you just "reading" that in her tone of voice?  If its the later, then sit down every time you feel that way and write out three other explanations/motivations for her tone or choice of words, that don't involve you.  Now, I'm not guaranteeing that she' doesn't think that way - but remember that everyone's primarily motivation is self.  Many times people aren't aware of how they are coming across to others - sometimes just an inherited inflection can be really off-putting to those that don't know them.

Now, if she's actually said something that makes you think she's rude or thinking negatively of you - just take a deep breath, remind yourself that she probably doesn't have all the facts to support her idea, paste a smile on your face and still be pleasant.  Its good practice for real life - when you'll be around people that for some reason or other will think you're a moron (rightly or wrongly), and you have to deal with them anyway.

-Centaura

35

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: USITT Stage Management Mentor Project (2010)

« on: Sep 03, 2009, 12:12 pm »

USITT = United States Institute for Theatre Technology.

Thank you - I was having a brain fart moment.  I used to be active, but since starting to work professionally - I'm always working on something during the conference, so haven't gone in years.  My current job talked about sending me sometime, but then we hit a budget crisis - we're owned by a city which had its funding severely cut, so we've had to cut the "extra's" out of our budget.

Those are good points - what do you want to get out of the conference?  I remember I student volunteered every year except my senior year - that year I just wanted to "do" the conference and not loose out on the time it took to volunteer.

-Centaura

36

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Being Assertive

« on: Sep 03, 2009, 10:39 am »

Sometimes there are no definitive answers to dilemma's like this - the first thing is to try to analyze why this person intimidates you so - do you dislike them?  admire them?  Have some uncomfortable history with them, or know something about them that they don't know you know?  Sometimes if the person is of the gender that you prefer, it can be a subconscious attraction.  Your subconscious will sometimes deal with situations that make it uncomfortable by trying to avoid them.  If you can't figure out what is causing your reaction, then all you can do is analyze your behavior after each contact with this person, and possibly plan how you're going to  force yourself to overcome your feelings.  This is not something that can always happen over night - you might go through this entire production without being able to alter your behavior.  If that is the case, then this situation can be treated as a learning experience.  But this probably won't be the only time in your life where you'll be in a situation like this, so trying to work out how you can "bypass" your reservations is your goal at this point.

-Centaura

37

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: USITT Stage Management Mentor Project (2010)

« on: Sep 03, 2009, 10:04 am »

The USITT Stage Mangement Mentorship program is something that's been running at the annual USITT (United States Institute of Theatre Technicians - or is that Technical Theatre?) National Conference for years, and you're right VSM - it is a topic that's more appropriate for the student/novice forum since its about student stage managers getting a "mentorship" at the national conference.

I was in one of the earliest versions of it, and I think then it was a worthwhile program - I'm only assuming that its improved since then (10 years ago).  Yes, you can do the student volunteering for the conference as well as the Mentorship program - or at least you could 10 years ago.  They take a certain number of "mentees"  and they "stage manage" certain of the functions of the conference.  It was very interesting meeting other young SMs and working with some of the professional SMs.  I have no idea what the details of the current program are, you might have to contact someone at USITT to find out who's running the program now or if this is transfered to the Student Forum, maybe someone there will know.

-Centaura

38

The Hardline / Re: TYA Virgins?

« on: Jul 31, 2009, 08:56 am »

My very first job out of college was a TYA contract, and while I was able to earn points through the program I ended up not going equity.  It was a great experience to work under equity conditions and learn the union ropes, and it showed me that I wasn't ready at that time to join the union.  But about half the actors on each show were able to get points towards joining the union and for those that wanted to go that direction it was a great start.  If you're interested in the union, even just to get at taste how it works, its a great opportunity - even if you don't end up going the equity route.

-Centaura

39

The Hardline / Re: TYA Questions to Ask

« on: Jul 31, 2009, 08:51 am »

I didn't work TYA contracts, but I did work children's theatre.  The main thing is flexibility, and you will end up acting a lot like a company manager.  You'll have to set rules for vehicle usage, and enforce them.  Hotels, even when the reservations have been made in advance, can be very interesting.  Just remember - if they can't find your reservation, ask them to look at their page for the day's reservations and look for the block of multiple rooms.  Worked every time when they couldn't find me in their computer - though they'll start asking you if you work for a hotel.

At venues, while you'll have a tech person, you'll end up working out the day's adjustments and making final decisions.  As well as being the point person with the locals.  If you can talk the talk, even though you have a person doing the tech work, it will help you get along with the locals.  And remember to stress this with your performers - never bad talk a town while in that town, and always at least pretend to get along at a venue even if they hate each other's guts.  You never know if the TD whom annoyed you that day isn't sitting in the booth behind you at the restaurant you go to for lunch, and bringing bad attitudes into venues is picked up on by the locals and can influence whether your company is welcome back there or not.

This all sounds like things that reasonable adults will automatically do anyway, I mention it because there's nothing like touring to take the reasonableness out of any adult.

-Centaura

40

The Hardline / Re: Cancelling a performance

« on: Jun 26, 2009, 11:42 am »

In my experience its been up to the promoter/producer.  I've had weeks of tour canceled due to low ticket sales, and just this week we were supposed to have a comedian tomorrow but ticket sales were only around 150, which is not enough for the promoter to break even with.  But all the cancelations that I've dealt with were planning in advance.

I can see where at tiny theatre, the promoter or producer might have given the power to cancel to the SM - I'm guessing that the SM was the top 'ranking' administration person present?  And authorized by higher powers to make the call on the performance happening?

-Centaura

41

Employment / Re: Moving for a Career

« on: Jun 08, 2009, 08:50 am »

As well, car license plates are only valid for a year, and must be renewed each year.  I kept my MN plates on my car as long as I could, but when they expired I had to get new ones.  And though my driver's license hadn't expired, to license my car in the new state I had to get a new driver's license.  If you have a residence in another state, you can keep your car and your license still registered there even though you live elsewhere.  I did that for years, kept my car licensed in MN because my mother lived there and I used her address.

-Centaura

42

Employment / Re: Moving for a Career

« on: May 27, 2009, 01:50 pm »

though I do have to say it was a sad day when I changed my Texas license and plates over to Maryland.

I agree with you on that one!  I had been MN based all my life, though most of my work was outside of MN - I had gone wherever the jobs were - so I had kept MN plates on my car all those years.  It was very, very strange when I moved here permanently to actually change the plates on my car.

-Centaura

43

Employment / Re: Moving for a Career

« on: May 26, 2009, 10:43 am »

I've always had a job lined up before I upped and moved somewhere, I'm not sure that I would be willing to move somewhere that I didn't have work set up in.  I moved to IN virtually spur of the moment - I found out about a job at the end of Nov., applied & interviewed in Dec. and moved that Jan.  I actually started the job before I moved - I lived out of a hotel for a week to start the job and apartment hunt, then went home for a week to pack and move.  The job itself has been nice - full time, year-round stationary job which I was ready for after almost ten years of touring - though I haven't liked the city that I've moved to.  But, its a good job and if I can deal with the city for 7 more years I'll be vested in the retirement program.  At that point though, I'll probably start looking for another place to move to.

-Centaura

44

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: No Crew OR Stage Manager!!???

« on: May 20, 2009, 10:17 am »

It might be helpful, especially if you are familiar with the shows, to make a list of the things that need to be taken care of, and then go through it one item at a time with the director.  For example - who is going to place batteries?  Who is going to cue set changes?  Etc. etc.  You can hopefully use it as a case for why the show would need a stage manager/general tech person/whatever title.  Worse case scenario - if he's set that he doesn't want tech support - your list can be used for assignment purposes.  Each actor will have to be given a set amount of responsibilities.

Question - what is motivating this change?  Would crew normally be paid and there is a budget issue this year?  Is it personal preference?  Possibly due to a bad crew/SM experience that the director recently had?  If you can find out the motivation behind the idea, it can help you with how to handle the situation.  If its a money issue - is there any grants or donations that you could go after to help the production with more money?  If its a director's personal history issue, is there a way that you can make a deal with the director to give you chance to prove how helpful a stage manager can be?  Or, is it a case that the crew has been volunteer in the past and has been less than reliable - and therefore the director is trusting his cast more?

-Centaura

45

The Hardline / Re: Equity, transfering between countries

« on: May 07, 2009, 11:46 am »

My instincts tell me that there is no reciprocal agreements between countries, but that is not fact, just my assumption of how things work.  Your best bet is to contact British Equity and ask them if they take credit from out of the country.  When it doubt, go straight to the source to ask, your local Equity might not know BE's rules and regs.

-Centaura