Messages

316

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Deck Cues

« on: May 31, 2015, 01:56 am »

For me, it's helpful to track actor entrances and exits- you can use that tracking to give you information for where/when prop handoffs, costume changes, etc happen, and how long you have for them. It can also be useful when you're running a backstage track to know who/how many actors should be entering. If you know you need 5 soldiers for an entrance and you only have 2 standing by, you know to start looking for them.

Similarly, if you have a notation that the actor needs a spear for their entrance, and they don't have one when they are standing by, you know to grab it for them. If there's a prop "catch" backstage, or a prop that needs to be tracked from SR to SL, that should definitely go on the runlist. (Also, when you're trying to track down a missing prop, knowing when it last came offstage can be really helpful.) I find it's just as easy to track the props as not, so I include them with the entrances and exits.

If you have a complicated show and there's a lot going on in the runlist, you could always include entrance/exit info, and the crew person can highlight the lines of the runsheet that they have an "action" on, like a quickchange. That way the info is there, but they can glance to the highlighted lines for their next action.

I think that having the information there is especially helpful if you have someone subbing in, if your crew person is out sick for instance. The sub might not know when/where entrances happen, but they can refer to the runsheet.

317

The Hardline / Re: AEA Council Election 2015

« on: May 26, 2015, 01:41 am »

Congrats, Ruth!

318

Tools of the Trade / Re: Ideas for a small burst bag of sequins

« on: May 20, 2015, 07:59 am »

Can you sew a small pocket into his costume, and at the appropriate moment, he palms the sequins?

319

Self-Promotion / Zombie: The American

« on: May 19, 2015, 02:02 am »

About to go into tech for a new play, at Woolly Mammoth Theatre in DC. PWYC performances next Monday and Tuesday if you're in the area and interested. (There are also stampede seats and an under-30 discount.) It's a crazy play with a lot of wacky elements - I think it's going to be fun to run.

ZOMBIE: THE AMERICAN
MAY 25–JUNE 21, 2015
BY ROBERT O’HARA  // DIRECTED BY HOWARD SHALWITZ

The year is 2063 and Thom Valentine, the first openly gay President of the United States, faces a host of problems: an imminent civil war, the threat of an African invasion, an adulterous First Gentleman, and zombies in the basement of the White House! With his power, his marriage, and the nation’s well-being at stake, he must decide what he cares most about saving…and at what cost.

From the recesses of Robert O’Hara’s warped imagination comes a classically-inspired sci-fi thriller about a young Commander-in-Chief searching for the strength to hold our union together.

320

The Green Room / Dance documentaries on PBS

« on: May 09, 2015, 05:25 am »

Looks like there are some dance documentaries on PBS this week. Not directly stage management related but they look really interesting, especially the first one!

Born to Fly; Elizabeth Streb vs. Gravity is the story of the groundbreaking choreographer sometimes called “the Evel Knievel of dance.” In over 30 years of practice, she has pioneered a movement form called “POPACTION,” which is couched in the exploration of human potential – both physical and emotional.

As seen in the film, Streb’s dancers become part acrobat, part gymnast, and part extreme thrill seeker as they walk on walls, dive through glass, and move so fast they seem to disappear and fly. Born to Fly culminates with Streb and her dancers preparing and presenting gravity-defying performances in London’s Cultural Olympiad leading up to the 2012 Olympics.

Also, American Ballet Theatre: A History- in honor of the company's 75th anniversary.

321

Tools of the Trade / Re: A very silly ToTT

« on: May 04, 2015, 09:35 pm »

But how much noise does it make?

Similar to an electric pencil sharpener. Definitely something to use on a break, not while you're working.

322

Tools of the Trade / Re: A very silly ToTT

« on: May 03, 2015, 01:35 pm »

They also come in ladybugs.

I also may have immediately purchased one.

Damn you Amazon 1-click.

Looked at the ladybugs! I think there are also pigs?

323

Tools of the Trade / Re: A very silly ToTT

« on: May 02, 2015, 10:46 pm »

Works pretty well on my laptop!

324

The Green Room / Re: On the importance of a clean calling script

« on: Apr 30, 2015, 08:20 am »

Yikes, feel better Matthew!!

Your point is very true. I actually had to miss shows during my last production, for the first time ever. What I thought was a cold turned into a very nasty flu, and I blacked out, hit my head, and had to get stitches. My ASM (who had moved on to rehearse the next show) came in and called most of the shows the final weekend. (We had joked about what a pain it had been to retype the script so that I could type the calling script but I was so glad that I had....)

No one ever plans on getting so sick that you can't run the show- and most of the time we think, oh that wouldn't happen to me. But when it does, you don't always have the ability to come in and explain things, so having it clear and easy to read is a must.

It's also a good lesson for anyone creating running paperwork in specificity and clarity. Someone might have to run your track without knowing the show, so it's important to note that the knocked over chair faces DS, or that you always stand in the SL wing with a box of tissues for an actress at the end of Act 1. And if you have less experienced ASMs creating paperwork it's not a bad idea to check it and make sure that it's clear enough for someone else to understand... (I've also seen, not on my show but another, the ASM not create any paperwork because they only had one prop to set and one handoff during the show. When they were suddenly ill they had to type up the backstage paperwork on the fly so that someone else could run their track.)

325

Tools of the Trade / A very silly ToTT

« on: Apr 29, 2015, 11:12 pm »

Okay, mostly for a joke I bought one of these. It's a tiny desktop vacuum (shaped like a mushroom) that runs off of AA batteries. I'm in rehearsals for a new play right now and there is LOTS of erasing and rewriting as things change, and I can't stand the constant layer of eraser bits that covers my book and desk. This thing actually works! Totally silly but I'm loving it.

326

Stage Management: Other / Re: Opera Intern

« on: Apr 29, 2015, 01:11 pm »

Congrats on your first job! There are a lot of great posts on this thread- check it out, if you haven't already.

Check in with your SM about any cuts to the score- they will affect your timings. Usually these are decided before rehearsals begin.

It sounds like you have familiarized yourself with the score by doing your tabs, which is great. If you can tell from the score when certain singers enter, I'd pencil it in, even if it's just an approximation that is adjusted in rehearsal. It's helpful to know this so that you can make sure they are ready when you are approaching their scene. Anything you can do to make yourself familiar with the score will help you- I will listen to it in the car on the way to rehearsal.

Will you be in during "prep week"? That's a great time to familiarize yourself with the costumes, and figure out which rehearsal items are needed. Shoes, skirts, and jackets are always helpful, as well as any items like hats or gloves that may be taken on or off. Be prepared to hand off these items in rehearsal, including things like rehearsal skirts- they are more likely to use them if you have them ready.

Get to know the costume shop staff- they will be an invaluable resource for you.

One thing I have found helpful is to figure out how far into the opera each character's first entrance is. If Characters A-L are onstage at the top of show, and Characters M-P don't enter for 45min, the dressers can prioritize the earlier entrances when helping folks get ready.

If you're an ASM that will be cueing entrances, once entrances are set, put a 5 minute and 2 minute "warning" for each entrance in your book. If the singer is not there when they should be, this will give you a few minutes to figure out where they are, have the SM page them to backstage, or (if all else fails) run back to the dressing room to get them.

Don't freak out- I'm sure you'll do great. Ask questions- your PSM can give you the best information about what they expect from you and what you can do to prepare. Best of luck!

327

Introductions / Re: Longtime Guest finally signing on!

« on: Apr 29, 2015, 10:37 am »

Hi and welcome from another DC stage manager!

328

The Green Room / Re: Keeping Focus avoiding burn out

« on: Apr 22, 2015, 09:24 am »

Tagging on to my earlier comment about avoiding burnout- it helps me to keep work at work. I generally don't do paperwork or reports at home- I will come in early to catch up on paperwork if needed, and I send the report before I leave for the day. If someone emails me when I'm at home, I'll reply if it's time-sensitive, but if it's not I try to save it until I come in the next day.

Regarding fading attention span later in the day- a cup of coffee? Or, take a walk or jog during the meal break. I will generally feel more invigorated after stretching my legs a little.

329

The Green Room / Re: Milestone - 40 years of Stern's "Stage Management"

« on: Apr 22, 2015, 12:17 am »

I bought a copy of the 7th edition for a stage management class in college, and read it cover to cover. I especially loved the anecdotes from actual stage managers- it really made the "hypotheticals" of learning stage management real for me. I was incredibly excited a number of years later when I had the opportunity to work with one of the SMs quoted!

The phrase "What's your earthquake plan?" is one of my favorite lines from the book and really sparked my interest in knowing the "emergency plan" at the theatre.

330

The Green Room / Re: Keeping Focus avoiding burn out

« on: Apr 19, 2015, 09:09 pm »

Re: avoiding burnout, I have found that keeping a good variety in my work helps. I freelance, so I don't work at the same theatre all the time. I do theatre, opera, and a little bit of dance- when I am a little burned out on one thing, I focus on one of the others. I've also dabbled in some non-SM jobs that use similar skills- working on festivals, workshops, production managing, etc.

Most importantly, I try to make time for myself. When I was younger, I took dance classes and ASL classes. Now I garden and read and knit. I try not to overbook myself, so that I actually have time to do some of these things. If I have a few weeks off between shows, I don't necessarily try and book those weeks anymore- a mini vacation does wonders for me.

EDIT: Also, make time for friends and family! Doing nothing but work is a surefire way to burn out.

Regarding boredom and dissatisfaction in your work- often I think this happens when you're not challenged in what you're doing. You can look for positions that WILL challenge you- a higher level position at your theatre, working at a bigger theatre, working at a theatre that does different work (i.e. musicals or new plays if you normally do straight plays), working in a different medium (dance, opera, production management). Something that will make you grow (or give you the opportunity to grow). That might be a non-stage management position.