Messages

301

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / the essential problem

« on: Jan 29, 2006, 11:52 am »

We're called managers, but we don't have hiring/firing capability over anyone.  Sometimes we have approval/veto power over our ASMs, but that's mostly just a formality.  The lucky PSMs in the country who get to hire their own ASMs are few and far between, and I don't think they have hire/fire power over anyone else in the company.  All the power and authority we have is a matter of courtesy and custom, no more.   If I were to go to many producers and say, "This board op isn't doing what I consider to be his job, I want you to fire him," the producer would say, "He agreed to do the run and I don't want to search for someone to replace him.  Work it out."

The good part about this is that it forces us to solve problems in a non-confrontational way (which is something "managers" in other fields really need to learn how to do).  The bad thing is that if we have a recalcitrant crewperson or actor, a problem we don't know how to solve, we have to appeal to our supervisors - who may or may not be supportive.  In the end, our "authority" is shown to be a mirage and we lose control over the rest of the show as well.

302

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Question for all the SMs out there

« on: Jan 26, 2006, 10:53 am »

Agree re: headset chatter.  I've found that the headset culture is led by the SM - if the SM doesn't chatter, the crews don't do much.  And it's always understood that when the SM is in standby or cue mode, all chatter stops mid-syllable.

If I felt that crew chatter/entertainment was distracting ME from doing my job (maintaining the show, ready for emergencies, calling cues) I'd ask the crew's help in eliminating that distraction.  But otherwise, as long as they're on headset and can always do their job, let them do what they want.

303

Employment / another point of view

« on: Jan 17, 2006, 08:50 pm »

I don't necessarily disagree with anything that's been said here, but I have had a different experience - I think in certain special circumstances you can switch committments without damaging your career.

When I was still in grad school, I was offered a non-union job as an ASM for a small summer theatre festival.  I said yes to it with an eye towards working at this festival in the future.  Shortly thereafter, I was offered conflicting job as an ASM (not one that I had applied for or thought that I could get) that would turn me Equity and pay me more than three times as much for a shorter contract.  There was also at least two months before the first contract was to start.

I called up the first job and explained the situation to them; I think if I had been anything other than totally apologetic it would have gone badly;  I also didn't call them up with a fait accompli, I told them that I had this other offer and I wanted to take it but first I needed to make sure they understood.  

Later that year, the first theatre called me up and offered me the Union SM position for the following season.  I said yes on the spot, and lived up to that commitment.  I was flattered and honored that they didn't hold my previous decision against me.  After I finished that season with them, they said I was the best stage manager they had ever worked with and we agreed on a contract for the following summer as well!

So here are the circumstances that made it okay:
-I didn't have a signed contract;
-I hadn't been looking for other work behind their back;
-The conflicting job was worlds better for me than the first job;
-I gave more than two months notice, before any stage management work had been done on the season
-I had not yet met anyone (including the stage manager I would have been assisting)

In combination with that, it was an ASM position, and relatively easy to replace.  The personality of this particular producer came into play as well.

Since then, I've been a lot more careful about committing to jobs.  Usually I say yes only after I know I've at least explored other options.  For very early offers, I usually ask for some time to consider before saying yes/no, and producers have been understanding about that.

I'm in favor of the MRE clause in most small Equity contracts, and I appreciate the hard negotiating that got it in there, but I do think it's playing with fire.  A stage manager (as opposed to an actor) who made use of it would have to have weighed the situation very carefully, I think.

304

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / ASM during Tech

« on: Jan 13, 2006, 06:51 pm »

The show's open, and it's a success; I feel more at home than I did when I originally posted.  

It was a challenge to keep my hands in my pockets and call for the prop person to hand over a comb from the prop table to the actor, when I was two feet from the table and four feet from the actor and the prop person was reading a book on the other side of the stage, and it felt very wierd, but I got used to it.

What helped me the most, though, was making the effort (hard for me, I'm very shy) to get to know the crew.  I went to Trader Joe's and picked up some almond butter (I had overheard two crew members talking about the price of it) and brought it in and gave it to one of them.  Another crew member, later in the day, thanked me and said it was the best gift they ever got as most people give them wine and they don't drink at the theatre, obviously.

It also seems like the IA crew assumes you're incompetent for the first couple of days and they warm up to you after you've shown your professionalism.

I did check in with the PSM and found out I was doing everything expected of me.  We joked about my being so lazy, since whenever she asked me to do something I had already identified and done it or was in the process of doing it.

An easy show, and I guess I'll just continue to enjoy it.  I used my spare time to send out a bunch of cover letters and resumes.

Thanks for the help!

305

College and Graduate Studies / Undergrad schools for SM

« on: Jan 13, 2006, 06:41 pm »

I believe there's another posting thread on this topic.  I remember recommending Syracuse University as a good undergrad school.  

Since your college doesn't have any courses on stage management, pick up "Stage Management" by Lawrence Stern, or "The Backstage Guide to Stage Management" by Thomas Kelly - both of which are excellent books for beginning SMs.

Have you done much stage management so far?

306

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / ASMS: ASM during Tech

« on: Jan 03, 2006, 10:58 am »

I'm putting in my time as ASM on the LORT level, one level up from where I've been stage managing, and I'm having a hard time making the adjustment.  I was fine while we were at the rehearsal hall, but now that we've started tech (it's an IATSE house) I feel superfluous.

I pay attention to every second of the tech; I know who's working and I know what's coming up next, I listen in on everything on my side of the stage, and every time the tech stops I go out on stage to see what's happening.  But for some reason, I just feel like an eavesdropper, a visitor.

When I was the Stage Manager, I felt totally plugged in to the entire show and everyone working on it.  Now that I'm the ASM, it just seems like I'm in the way.  The crew doesn't need anything from me, the actors are working out their issues, and when the director goes up onstage to talk to the actors, he doesn't say anything that anybody besides the actors needs to know.

It's true that it's a small show, with not much going on backstage.

Maybe it's just my own perception; maybe this is part of the normal differences between being an SM and an ASM.  This is the first show I've done in this house, and I have a second this season.  I'd like to feel more of a contributor on the second show.  

How can I be a more effective ASM during tech?

307

The Hardline / 401K plan

« on: Dec 22, 2005, 11:43 pm »

That makes a lot of sense, scoot.  Thanks for clarifying!

I've got some debt to pay down first, but I'll keep these lessons in mind when it the slate is clear for pension planning.

308

SMNetwork Archives / friends and rehearsal

« on: Dec 21, 2005, 01:04 am »

I've never encountered anything like this situation (unless either your director or friend has emotional disorders, which is something I do have experience in).  Usually, when I need to come down on a friend for making noise in rehearsal, or not learning their lines, I take a "What are you doing to me?" approach, while laughing and trying to get them to share the joke.  It's a way of softening a note so they don't get defensive in response.

I'm unclear about your story - was your friend offended by both you and the director?  In any case, DON'T TAKE SIDES.  NEVER TAKE A SIDE.  You're on the side of the show.  Are personal issues going to affect the performance?  That's the only question you need to evaluate as the stage manager.

309

SMNetwork Archives / yes get a recording

« on: Dec 03, 2005, 03:20 pm »

And I think it's a great idea to get your hands on a recording and listen to it a lot.  Even though you can read music, nothing helps you get familiar to an opera better than listening to it.  If it were me, I'd be downloading the music and looping it on my iPod 24/7 basically.

And while timings you take off of a recording won't exactly line up with what you're taking in the production, your 10:30 mark and your 15:30 mark will still be about 5 minutes apart, and that's precise enough for your purposes at this late date.  Just make sure that your score has all the correct cuts marked in it.

Sounds like you're at a good starting place for your situation!

310

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / it's up to them

« on: Nov 19, 2005, 03:57 pm »

GET CLARIFICATION from the small company.  A PM at a small company does what the small company wants her/him to do, which may be very different from the "textbook" LORT staff position of "Production Manager"  

What do you mean by "small?"  To me, that means less than four people actually on staff; less than $1000 production budget, excluding pay; and everyone onstage getting at the most, a small stipend.  I'm assuming that no one is union, and that the company has been around for a few seasons (having some systems and vendors in place).

The people that hired you need to tell you what your responsibilities are.  Generally speaking, the Stage Manager is responsible for rehearsals and performances running smoothly, and the Production Manager is responsible for procuring all the things that the show needs to run smoothly.  For example, the PM finds the best deal for rehearsal hall and secures the rental contract for the rehearsal hall, then hands over the keys to the SM.  The SM opens the space and sets it up for rehearsal, then cleans up when the rehearsal is over and closes up the hall.  The SM reports to the PM.

The company may want to hold on to writing artist contracts and managing budget, which are usually under the PM's purview.  This is a big one to clarify.

Here's a starting list of items to check over with the company.
--Production Calendar (how do all the shows fit together? WHO HAS CONFLICTS?????)
--Artist agreements (do you know the name/info of everyone who's going to contribute talent to the shows?  WHO HAS CONFLICTS???)
--Production Budget (how much does the company have to spend to get the show on stage? do they have that money on hand?  How is it accessed?)
--Rehearsal space? (rental rules, shared space? space conflicts?)
--Production meetings?  (How do all the different contributors communicate, and is there a regular time for everyone to get together?)
--Transfer to stage? (staff to move show, load-in schedule and dates, tech schedule?)
--Performance space? (technical inventory? stage measurements? sight lines? structural limitations?)
--Close-out?  (strike schedule? storage space?  everyone paid & reimbursed? meetings?)

In any case, it's your job to get the show onstage.  You'll be most successful if you can understand the limitations you're working under and who actually has which decision-making power.

I'd like to recommend my favorite slim book as an introduction to project management, but I'm on vacation and can't remember the title.  I'll look it up when I get back home next week.

311

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / just a thought

« on: Nov 17, 2005, 03:59 pm »

You could try working just nights and weekends for a show - log your hours for the benefit of the producer - and see if the producer actually likes what the result is...  Take a second job at a Starbuck's or something (which actually provides benefits to part-time workers) and explain that you need that income to make ends meet.

If the theatre is still happy with the end product, then it's probably best (for you) that you move on.

312

SMNetwork Archives / local law

« on: Nov 16, 2005, 03:55 pm »

It should be mentioned in this thread that you have to be aware of your local relevant laws...  it's my understanding that in California it is against the law to ask employees (which is what the state considers actors, and you their manager) about their medical history.  All I ask for on my medical form is their insurance, two emergency personal contacts (at least one local), the name and number of their physician, and if they have any first aid, CPR, or medical training.

When materials are used that people could have allergies to, I'm supposed to post that information for everyone to look at.  For example, the ingredients of the prop sandwich or the brand name of the laundry detergent that wardrobe uses.  But that won't keep actors from eating peanut butter sandwiches if their scene partner is allergic to peanuts, so I'm at a loss as to what to do in that case.

313

The Green Room / p.s.

« on: Nov 11, 2005, 11:30 am »

I always claim Ed Harris in Apollo 13, too.  I know I'm not supposed to.  I do anyway.

  :wink:

314

The Green Room / my favorite

« on: Nov 11, 2005, 11:29 am »

is in Topsy Turvy.  You kind of have to be a Gilbert & Sullivan fan, but there's an EXCELLENT rehearsal scene where everyone is in suit and ties and the SM has to stand in for an actor who has missed the rehearsal.  "I'm terribly sorry, but I have neglected to provide a valise."

315

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Your book Left or right?

« on: Oct 30, 2005, 11:53 am »

I'll do any amount of work in preparing for a show - I'll start my prompt book as soon as I've read the script.  I like scanning the script in so that I can clean out all the copier marks and straighten the pages.  I don't mind doing daytime work on my book when there's time.  But at 12:30 am, I just want to go home.  

Maybe when I get out of theatres that end rehearsal at 11pm I'll get more ambitious about this.  But like we've found on this board, the process that each of us has developed is very personal and something we feel passionate about.

It's also so - what's the word - technical?  advanced?  I wonder if a non-stage manager was looking over a shelf of our combined books, how much difference would they see?  Whereas to us, it's like night and day.  

Do all stage managers feel so strongly about their method?  For ASMs, when you work somewhere that hands you a rehearsal book, or you're working under a PSM that wants the assistants to use the same book layout - the one he or she uses - do you feel resentment?  For SMs, when you have assistants, do you care which of these methods they use?