Messages

346

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: PROPS: Cake

« on: Aug 03, 2010, 09:16 pm »

I myself would avoid working with foam, even floral foam: I've had bad experiences with foam squeaking as it's cut on-stage, which sort of ruins the moment. (Although a dance piece with fairly loud music would cover it...)

What I would be inclined to do is bake a round loaf of bread (I'd use soda bread, but any fairly dense bread will do) in a springform or cake pan, then carefully pre-cut out a suitable piece and shellac the whole thing.

Provided you keep the pre-cut piece facing away from the audience, they probably won't notice, and you can mark the serving tray so that they can see where they need to "cut" the iced cake. Because it's been shellacked, you can probably just rinse the frosting off at the end of the night.

My only worry is that it might prove difficult to frost a shellacked cake (especially under lights, the frosting might just melt and slide right off!), in which case I might apply a light coating of flour or icing sugar to the cake before the performance to help with grip.

347

The Green Room / Re: Why is it that...

« on: Jul 30, 2010, 06:00 pm »

Why is it that the only place in the neighbourhood which does decent coffee for a reasonable price is only open from 2-3 PM on alternating Wednesdays and whenever else the manager feels like it?

348

The Green Room / Why is it that...

« on: Jul 30, 2010, 08:59 am »

I'm sure we all have a few questions along these lines. Anyone care to share?

Why is it that nobody ever reads my e-mails--unless I make a minor error in spelling or grammar, in which case I never hear the end of it?

Why is it that theatres keep putting up with the jerk who hides in the shadows backstage, emerging only to re-arrange the unattended props tables in order to confuse the actors who would never dream of misplacing their "thing... you know, the thing I need for this entrance, god, I don't even know, just help me find it"?

Why is it that "please sign the callboard" is seen as such a controversial, demanding, dictatorial command by the exact same people who view "sweetie, I know we're at places, but could you pop out and grab me some cigarettes?" as an utterly benign request?

Why is it that, even if you glow-tape your stage until it begins to look like an airport runway, there's always that one cast member who will be just one single step out of the light at the one crucial moment? (And why is it that the director never notices, but the lighting designer always does--from the building across the street, while sound asleep and hung over, no less?)

349

The Green Room / Re: What's on your screen?

« on: Jul 29, 2010, 04:42 pm »

I'm going way back: The Prisoner, when I watch TV. I'm about halfway through the first series, and fully hooked.

350

The Green Room / Re: What did you learn today?

« on: Jul 27, 2010, 06:08 pm »

Vodka bears also works really well with non-melty gummies too.

I'm pleased to report that I originally read this as "non-equity gummies". (Although I guess that works, too!  )

351

The Green Room / Re: What did you learn today?

« on: Jul 25, 2010, 03:53 pm »

Today, I learned that if you leave a bag of gummy bears in your car for less than an hour, in the Georgia summer sun, they will melt together into a kalidescopic blob, which is nearly impossible to cut into bite-sized pieces, again, by any means found in your average kitchen.

See, now you've got me thinking... Hrm.

Put them on a clean cutting board (ideally marble, stone, granite or plastic as opposed to wood), and put a sheet of parchment paper (or waxed paper) on top. Go over it several times with a rolling pin until it starts to flatten, then peel off the parchment and, with a pizza wheel, slice it into appropriately-sized chunks.

352

The Green Room / Re: What did you learn today?

« on: Jul 22, 2010, 05:01 pm »

Today I learned that my local jurisdiction not only allows women to breastfeed in public--which I already knew--but that they cannot be impeded in any way from doing so--which I didn't. (In fact, my employer could be sued if I so much as suggest [not ask, just suggest, as in "Would you be more comfortable if..."] that a breastfeeding woman step into another room.)

Usually I write off workplace training as a bit of a joke, but every now and then you actually learn something.

353

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: College Questions

« on: Jul 22, 2010, 04:56 pm »

Actually, I'd go backwards and ask yourself some questions.

1) What do you need to stay happy and sane? You're going to have to live at this place for 3-4 years of your life, so it's important that you can work there. Do you need quiet residences, or would you rather have some parties? Do you need a local sushi bar? Do you need a good fitness centre? Do you want to be in a year-round warm climate, or do you want some snow? What support networks and services do you need to tap into? (A women's centre? A GLBT centre? A daycare? A Christian association?) Do you need a variety of vegetarian/vegan food at the cafeteria? Do you expect to be able to play intramural sports? Think about this, suss out your top priorities, and then ask these students what their programs offer.

2) Think about what style of program would suit you best. There are two extremes in terms of program design:
- Theory-based, which will have you working on a minimal number of productions, with most of your time spent studying the theory and practice of theatre in classroom settings.
- Conservatory, which will have you constantly working on productions with hardly any time spent in classrooms.

Most programs exist somewhere between the two. Just because a program offers more productions does not necessarily mean it is "better"--although if you're a hands-on, let's-get-going type of person, it might be a better program for you. Conversely, theory-based programs will usually give you a broader understanding of how theatre comes together: in a Conservatory-driven program you might only ever stage manage, while in a theory-based program you'd be expected to take classes in every discipline and field, at least a the theory level. Think about which type suits you better, and use that to generate questions about the programs: "How many hours a week will I spend in a classroom?" "How many production credits can I expect in any given year?"

3) Decide how much you want to specialize. Even if right now you're REALLY REALLY SUPER REALLY into theatre, it's important to remember that it is possible to over-specialize. (Theatre in particular is an industry where you may find it beneficial to take some non-theatre courses: having a handle on psychology or history or philosophy can make your work much more interesting and relevant, and make you much more useful as a professional, than having a theatre-exclusive background.) Different universities offer different degrees of specialization: some will offer virtually no elective credits, others will actually give you more elective credits than in-major credits. Decide what sort of mixture works best for you, and ask about what the ratio is at these programs.

At the risk of saying something negative, it's also important to remember that a lot of very good people try and get into theatre as a lifelong career and just don't make it. You may need to exit the industry at some point, and having a more varied background in your education will be beneficial if it comes to that.

4) Finally, ask about the local theatre scene. You'll want to see shows while you study, and you'll want to see shows by people who you don't see every day in the halls. If your university is basically the only theatrical output in the region besides the annual Christmas pageant, that might be problematic. This wouldn't be a deal breaker for me, but it may be for you, so think about it.

354

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Currently working on my first musical

« on: Jul 21, 2010, 01:12 am »

So far, the process has been pretty much the same, but I am slightly worried about entering into tech never having called a musical before. Is there anything I should be prepared for? Should I call from the script or the score?

Whatever works for you. Try both, and don't be afraid to change horses mid-stream.

If the score, what's the easiest way to notate Q's on the score?

In small but legible handwriting. 

In general, SMs who call "from the score" are really calling from either a "condensed score" (which reduces all of the parts down to 2-3 staves of melody and harmony), the vocal score, or whatever the rehearsal pianist gets. A full score would be a nightmare to call from, although it might be necessary if you were calling to very precise moments in the music. As such, reading music is helpful but not strictly necessary, insofar as it's much easier to follow a melody across 2 or 3 staves than across 20 or 40.

If you can't read music, it might still be easiest to call music from the score, provided the score includes the lyrics. If you just call from the lyrics alone, you'll need to either incorporate or memorize the locations of all of the rests and beats, and that can be tricky.

355

The Green Room / Re: What did you learn today?

« on: Jul 16, 2010, 10:00 pm »

Today I learned that headsets, when they become sufficiently old, will quite literally shatter when dropped from surprisingly low heights.

356

Employment / Re: is this normal?

« on: Jul 15, 2010, 05:23 pm »

Directors in general, and community theatre directors in particular, tend to be people who are being tugged in several different directions simultaneously. So many projects they want to work on, so many ideas of how to do it, so many people they'd like to take part...

As such, verbal assurances from directors should be taken as compliments and precious little else. Even if they promise you a gig, they might just plain forget who you are by the beginning of rehearsals, or might meet someone they'd prefer, or their vision for the project might change in a way that would lessen your ability to contribute, or one of their "core" SMs might come available in which case they have no need for an outsider, or almost anything else.

When you get a contact, mark it on your calendar.

Until you do, don't count on anything.

I'm sorry you had this experience, though. It's a sucky lesson to learn, particularly when you're on friendly terms with the director in question. 

357

The Green Room / Re: Finish this sentence: "If all the world's a stage..."

« on: Jul 13, 2010, 10:14 pm »

"If all the world's a stage, then someone should warn house management that we're gonna have a buttload of seat kills."

358

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Racism in the Rehearsal Room

« on: Jul 11, 2010, 04:37 am »

I don't think it's racist at all.  Different groups have different dynamics.  Look at a Full Gospel church, a Baptist church, a Methodist Church, a Catholic church, etc.  Some are stoic.  Some seem crazed.  Some are steeped in tradition.  Some loose their emotional inhibitions and become one with the spirit.  These differences spill over in to how these various groups interact in other setting as well.  The same goes for the cast in childrens' theater, adult theater, and professional theater - each have a different way of interacting, and in some of these groups require more wrangling than others (sometimes the adults are as much trouble as the kids - I'm told that sometimes the pros are too).

Well, let's talk about this.

You're quite correct that different groups have different dynamics, and that understanding and reacting to these dynamics is an important part of the collaborative process, particularly for someone like a director or stage manager who is directly responsible for fostering that collaboration. Assessments will not always be positive, and it's important that we be able to make levelheaded, sound judgments about company needs in order to make best use of our resources, even if these judgments are negative or might be offensive to the people involved: I can't imagine anyone would approve of being called unprofessional, rude, selfish, annoying, demanding, etc. but all of these traits need to be acknowledged and managed as best we can.

What's happened in this case is that a director has, sight unseen, made decisions about how he wants the rehearsal process to be managed.

There are some circumstances under which this sort of judgment would be appropriate: deciding that a company which included lots of children needs additional wrangling and backstage support would, I'm sure you'd agree, be a sound judgment under almost all circumstances.

However, this decision--that he expects his cast to be lazy and unprofessional based entirely on vague information about their ethnicities--seems to be motivated by stereotypes as much as anything else. Even if it were true that black people as a category were less professional and more inclined to slack off than other actors (which is itself something I'd dispute), to make the pre-emptive, sight-unseen judgment that these people fit firmly within the stereotype is problematic regardless of other angles on it.

If he had waited until the company had come together a few times before passing judgment on their professionalism, then remarks on the subject would be entirely appropriate--although using language like "church on Sunday" might still be offensive. In this case, the fact that the remarks were motivated by stereotypes rather than by experience working with the company, to my way of thinking, speaks to racism.

An alternative approach: would it be sexist for the director of an all-woman show to say, as a serious instruction to the stage manager, "[...] and we need to make sure there's lots of ice cream in the Green Room fridge, because you know how women get when they're PMSing [...]"? It would certainly make my spidey-sense tingle.

359

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Racism in the Rehearsal Room

« on: Jul 02, 2010, 05:40 pm »

I recently had to deal with a very similar situation (a white director had to split a company of 30 onto 5 projects, and somehow all the people of colour were put on the "Caribbean voodoo witch doctor" show). My response was to discreetly meet with the cast to feel them out (does this offend you? are you comfortable with it?) and made it known that I was willing to listen with an open mind to any complaints or objections they had.

In the process, I did delve up some quite serious complaints, so I had a meeting with the director and approached it as a matter of personnel management rather than challenging his artistic decisions or overtly accusing him of racism: this is disrupting rehearsals, it's making people uncomfortable, it's engendering bitterness within the company, etc. It hadn't even occurred to him that he'd put all the people of colour in the same group, and he addressed the situation in an appropriate and forthright manner at the next rehearsal. No complaints since, although I still routinely check in with the cast to be sure.

Your instincts re: not going off on the director are probably right in this instance. Part of the stage manager's job in these situations is to throw themselves on the bomb, so to speak. Gaining a reputation for stoic professionalism and an even-handed approach to personnel management will serve you much better than gaining a reputation for being easily offended. (Not that you're being easily offended--the remark in question is unquestionably racist--but rather that this won't necessarily be reflected in the gossip.)

360

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: 1st tour-advice?

« on: Jun 30, 2010, 09:25 pm »

Remember that many responsibilities are much more long-term and labour-intensive than they initially appear, especially if you're touring and especially if you're on a compressed rehearsal schedule. It's much easier (for both you and the company) to say "no" at the beginning than it is to try and hand a responsibility off to someone else down the line.