Messages

301

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: SHOWS: How many times have you Stage Managed the same play/musical?

« on: Sep 06, 2010, 05:50 pm »

Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead (twice)- once indoors, once outdoors!
Fame (twice)

302

The Green Room / Re: Thread to vent about / Actors behaving badly / As haiku only

« on: Sep 05, 2010, 10:23 am »

It's not a film set.
I don't do "craft services."
"Vending service" outside.

303

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: PROFESSIONALISM: Your Show Sucked.

« on: Sep 05, 2010, 10:21 am »

I've found asking "so, how do you feel about it?" away from the theater/folks involved will tell you if you can take it down that route or not.

304

The Green Room / Re: The Stage Manager's Nightmare

« on: Sep 05, 2010, 10:19 am »

My recurring nightmare is that "the show" is scheduled to start and the booth has been moved without my knowledge. I can never reach it no matter how many paths, stairs, elevators or ladders I take.

Sounds like that scene in Spinal Tap. 

305

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: PROFESSIONALISM: Your Show Sucked.

« on: Sep 04, 2010, 11:30 pm »

One of the lecturers I had at RSC said his favorite phrase was that there were "strong choices."

306

The Green Room / Re: Kids say (and do) the darndest things!

« on: Sep 02, 2010, 11:01 am »

I was doing Wizard of Oz and our Dorothy was a very...independent little girl. She was always convinced her idea was the best solution to anything. During one performance, she was supposed to skip over to the proscenium and sit down next to it, where the wicked witch was going to go get her. Instead, Dorothy decides to skip down to the front of the stage and sit with her legs dangling off the end. (Her explanation later: If I'm closer to the front, more people can see me.) Except that it was dark and she missed the lip of the stage entirely and went rolling down a set of stairs between the stage and the audience! All I could see in the booth was a set of ruby slippers. The wicked witch came running out, scooped her up, and brought her back onstage and all was well. Luckily she wasn't hurt, but she did learn the reason you stick to the blocking!

307

The Green Room / Re: Kids say (and do) the darndest things!

« on: Sep 01, 2010, 05:17 pm »

During a production of Peter Pan, the cast would typically ask questions of the kids in the audience and let them yell out a response. One afternoon, after Peter had caught Captain Hook, he asked the kids "What should I do with mean ol' Captain Hook?" expecting the typical "Throw him overboard! Feed him to the crocodiles!" etc. But one voice, clear as day, yells out "CUT OFF HIS PENIS!" We all lost it, including the cast!

Once during a production of Aesop's Fables, the actor playing the fox was trying to push a big rock to get to the grapes. He pretended to have great difficulity...so much so that a little girl in the front row jumped onstage to help him push!

308

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Job Titles: USA Vs UK

« on: Aug 30, 2010, 07:56 pm »

I posted this on another post about PSMs, but I think this article lays it out really well:

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/141648-ASK-PLAYBILLCOM-Actors-Salaries-The-Levels-of-Stage-Management/pg2

309

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Talk Backs

« on: Aug 30, 2010, 07:53 pm »

(Personally, I think if a director feels the need to do that much explaining of his/her work....maybe the time could be better spent re-directing the show.)

310

Stage Management: Other / Re: what does a production manager do?

« on: Aug 29, 2010, 09:48 pm »

You might find this playbill.com article helpful:

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/141648-ASK-PLAYBILLCOM-Actors-Salaries-The-Levels-of-Stage-Management/pg2

311

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Talk Backs

« on: Aug 29, 2010, 07:08 pm »

The main problem I see with a talkback at intermission (and, also, perhaps a good way to present the argument to the director) is that the audience has had no time to process what they've seen. Not only is there no time for personal reflection if you go from Act I to talking about the show, it can be difficult to discuss themes, motifs, reactions, etc if the second half of the show and the resolutions of the Act I issues haven't been resolved. There have been many shows where I have not been impressed with the first act, but the second act ties everything together and makes sense of the first half of the show. An intermission talkback seems like ambushing.

If you can't talk him/her out of it, can you turn monitors off in the dressing room so the actors don't hear it?

312

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Talk Backs

« on: Aug 28, 2010, 07:42 pm »

I have had talkbacks that were more like info sessions that were preshow, and of course talkbacks after the show with cast/designers/etc.

What would be the purpose of having a talkback at intermission?

313

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: CALLING: Watching 100% of the show.

« on: Aug 27, 2010, 12:28 am »

Do y'all find it hard to stay focused on watching the show during long runs? During an extended run whenever there are a few pages of dialogue without cues or minimal cues I tend to find myself peeking down at the audience or chatting with the ASM or Board Ops (I know it's a really bad habit). Any tricks to keep yourself focused on what's happening onstage?

I find it easier to focus on a comedy rather than a drama. That said, when I was doing some large-cast shows, I'd watch the "throughline" for ensemble characters. Most actors, I've found, will create a character for their ensemble role, and there's usually a story during the course of the play (does he/she have a crush on another character? are they evil or good?) It's a nice way to keep engaged AND see if there's any minor acting up during performances.

314

Tools of the Trade / Re: Useful iPhone apps?

« on: Aug 26, 2010, 11:00 am »

I found one the other day that I thought was interesting but haven't really tried it out yet. It's called ShowTool SM and it has a Show Timer, a thing for Spike marks, check list, props list and then something to help send out emails. It looks pretty neat but again haven't messed around with it a bunch and it costs $4.99

It's been mentioned here before...a few reviews/comments here:
http://smnetwork.org/forum/index.php/topic,5191.msg31610.html#msg31610

315

The Green Room / Re: Food, Tech Dinners, etc (Merged Topics)

« on: Aug 25, 2010, 08:50 pm »

I'm going to revive this topic, because I've been looking for tips like this, and I found them, so I'm not going to start a new topic. Is this cool?

Anyway, I'm in high school, and I'm interning with a Shakespeare company that does outdoors shows (not fridge or microwave). I've basically been living off three things: 100 calorie packs of dried cranberries, Nature Valley granola bars (though I really should find something softer and less noisy), and tupperware containers of frozen tortellini with basil and fresh cherry tomatoes (my family has a garden). Also, my friends have recently introduced me to the wonders of carrots-and-hummus, which is *amazing*. I'm trying to get my mom to phase it in to our shopping list.

The cranberries are great quick snacks, the granola bars (with water) are very filling when you have a 5 or a 10, and the tortellini is really good for meal breaks and is great room temperature.




These are also good for me because I tend to graze (eat constantly) rather than take meals.

One of the theaters I worked in didn't have a microwave either. Some other suggestions for non-microwaveable meals:

tomato/mozzarella/olive salad...marinate in olive oil, vinegar, and a little salt and pepper
sandwiches/wraps, obviously
chicken or tuna salad
hummus and veggies
hamburger patties
cold soups
"cowboy caviar"- a dish my mom used to make....corn, black beans, chopped onions, tomatoes, cilantro, and vinegar
apples and peanut butter