361
Employment / Re: Resume Database?
« on: Oct 14, 2013, 05:14 pm »
The login information is right underneath the "Jump to Resume Browser" link.
News:
14 Jan 2021: Happy 21st birthday, SMNetwork! I replaced the old broken mobile theme. -K
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362
The Hardline / Re: Employee-Handbook Required Preshow Calls (and more)
« on: Oct 14, 2013, 02:42 pm »
Regarding the call times, there's a few reasons I can think of why a 10 and 3 would be required.
- Long trek to get from dressing rooms to entrances.
- Limited restroom facilities for actors causing a bottleneck pre-show.
- Theatre has a standing reputation for "always starting on time" or someone - staff or major donor - has a hangup about starting late.
- Theatre has had to pay overtime before due to a prior SM who didn't make thorough calls.
In many cases like this the rules are written for use in extreme situations and rarely invoked otherwise. This may not be the case in your situation. It couldn't hurt to reach out to a prior SM for this venue to see how they dealt with that particular rule.
- Long trek to get from dressing rooms to entrances.
- Limited restroom facilities for actors causing a bottleneck pre-show.
- Theatre has a standing reputation for "always starting on time" or someone - staff or major donor - has a hangup about starting late.
- Theatre has had to pay overtime before due to a prior SM who didn't make thorough calls.
In many cases like this the rules are written for use in extreme situations and rarely invoked otherwise. This may not be the case in your situation. It couldn't hurt to reach out to a prior SM for this venue to see how they dealt with that particular rule.
363
Employment / Re: Professional SM for a Community Theatre?
« on: Oct 11, 2013, 05:30 pm »
This is something I encountered a lot as a younger SM.
For the most part if a community theatre wanted to become more professional they could certainly do so. Many of them don't want to do that. They want to retain the openness and excitement that comes from seat-of-the-pants productions. They don't want their fundraising team to have to be larger than the cast in order to survive. And, in many places, they don't want to make the artistic sacrifices necessary to generate sufficient income to support a transition to a more professional environment. If the company's been around for more than a couple of years, you might as well be trying to push a river. They don't want to be pros. They are happy where they are, and have probably heard everything you have to say before from other ambitious young artists.
IMHO a teaching environment should be close to the real thing. Many of the kids you're teaching will never have the opportunity to work in a "professional" house, and may not have the money to attend shows in pro houses, but they will have access to community theatre. Why set them up for disappointment? It will only scare them away from enjoying and participating in the arts.
As for asking for compensation, you can certainly try. Go in knowing the minimum that you want, and don't back away from that number. Make sure you are willing to walk away from the job if you don't get it. Bear in mind though: if the theatre is dark during rehearsals as many small theatres are, then you have to consider where the money could possibly be coming from to pay you. I know even my college theatre department at a well-endowed school only got uni funds to cover them through the first 1.5 shows of the season, with the remaining 10-15 productions being financed entirely off of ticket sales. They didn't have to pay salaries, just build costs, and even then they only barely managed to break even by directly soliciting alumni donations. Most community theatre groups struggle to stay in the black and simply can't commit to paying for rehearsal time until opening night. Even then it would be just a stipend.
More important to ask yourself is, are you dead-ending your career by staying with a company that cannot propel you forward? Or are you, like the company, happy to remain a big fish in a small pond?
For the most part if a community theatre wanted to become more professional they could certainly do so. Many of them don't want to do that. They want to retain the openness and excitement that comes from seat-of-the-pants productions. They don't want their fundraising team to have to be larger than the cast in order to survive. And, in many places, they don't want to make the artistic sacrifices necessary to generate sufficient income to support a transition to a more professional environment. If the company's been around for more than a couple of years, you might as well be trying to push a river. They don't want to be pros. They are happy where they are, and have probably heard everything you have to say before from other ambitious young artists.
IMHO a teaching environment should be close to the real thing. Many of the kids you're teaching will never have the opportunity to work in a "professional" house, and may not have the money to attend shows in pro houses, but they will have access to community theatre. Why set them up for disappointment? It will only scare them away from enjoying and participating in the arts.
As for asking for compensation, you can certainly try. Go in knowing the minimum that you want, and don't back away from that number. Make sure you are willing to walk away from the job if you don't get it. Bear in mind though: if the theatre is dark during rehearsals as many small theatres are, then you have to consider where the money could possibly be coming from to pay you. I know even my college theatre department at a well-endowed school only got uni funds to cover them through the first 1.5 shows of the season, with the remaining 10-15 productions being financed entirely off of ticket sales. They didn't have to pay salaries, just build costs, and even then they only barely managed to break even by directly soliciting alumni donations. Most community theatre groups struggle to stay in the black and simply can't commit to paying for rehearsal time until opening night. Even then it would be just a stipend.
More important to ask yourself is, are you dead-ending your career by staying with a company that cannot propel you forward? Or are you, like the company, happy to remain a big fish in a small pond?
364
Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Internships in Pittsburgh and surrounding area
« on: Oct 11, 2013, 04:37 am »
I would not try to drive that as an intern if I were you. My SM internships invariably started at 7 or 8am and ended after midnight 6 days a week. You do not want to be adding 1.5 hours of driving to that load.
365
The Green Room / From staff to stardom: a former moderator blogs for RSC
« on: Oct 09, 2013, 06:33 am »
While current SMNet staffer Matthew is making waves with "The Jungle Book" in Boston, another of our former staffers is blogging about stage management for the Royal Shakespeare Co. I'll leave it up to her to step forward if she chooses, but in the meantime enjoy her commentary.
http://www.rsc.org.uk/explore/blogs/whispers-from-the-wings/what-does-a-stage-manager-do-anyway/
http://www.rsc.org.uk/explore/blogs/whispers-from-the-wings/what-does-a-stage-manager-do-anyway/
366
Introductions / Re: New Member Scavenger Hunt - September 2013
« on: Oct 02, 2013, 02:17 am »
Last call for the September scavenger hunt! A new hunt will be posted this weekend.
367
The Hardline / Re: Theatres That Have Closed--Can You Say "Emergency?"
« on: Sep 28, 2013, 05:41 pm »
New York City Opera has popped up here before, but it looks like they're down for the count this time. They need to raise $7m by Monday or it's all over.
Drama Behind City Opera - WSJ
Drama Behind City Opera - WSJ
368
Employment / Re: Thinking through a Bad Fit
« on: Sep 22, 2013, 01:32 am »
Sounds look a post mortem is in order, even if just by yourself. Revisit the rehearsal calendar and your daily notes to remind yourself of the major events. Find the events that emphasized your weak points or made you feel uncomfortable. Figure out common links. Look for missed opportunities that could have improved the situation.
369
Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Dealing with Panic Situations
« on: Sep 06, 2013, 11:31 pm »
Panic, or the "fight or flight" reflex, is an instinctive reaction to perceived threats. It could be a threat to the production, the audience, the cast, yourself, or just your normal way of doing things that triggers it, but it results in an adrenaline rush that we all must face on a daily basis as stage managers. Some of us love it. Others can't stand it and burn out. In your case you were dealing with children in danger or nearby illness, both of which can trigger instinctive "threat" sensors and compound the problem.
What I'm seeing is that your reaction is more "flight" than "fight," and you'd like it to be the other way around. (EDIT: I should note that by "fight" I mean confronting the problem yourself rather than passing it up the ladder. I'm not advocating violence.)
The ability to choose to "fight" and resolve the problem on your own requires confidence in your abilities. Some folks have natural confidence, but for the rest of us it's much easier to be confident when facing a problem if you can link that problem to something you've faced before. Unlike the cliche, in this case you need to learn history so that you CAN repeat it the next time you're faced with a similar situation. I'm sure that next time you encounter these particular situations you'll be able to emulate what you saw your SM do. The true skill will come from being able to modify and build on those solutions when faced with similar but not quite identical problems.
At this point in your career you need to be exposing yourself to as many situations as possible so that you can build that memory index of situations as reference. Strong mentors are important, as is the diversity of your experience. Don't restrict yourself to just school settings. Get out there and do theatre in the community as well. Certain issues simply won't come up in an age restricted and heavily guarded school setting.
More important is to entitle yourself to your own job. You need to believe that you are capable of fighting, otherwise you'll undermine yourself by thinking "I need to be running away" or "I can't handle this" while you're in the middle of handling it - probably quite well. As a student it's very difficult to put aside concerns about what other people think of you. However, in a big meltdown situation it doesn't matter how you look while you're solving the problem.
The kids will freak out because theatre attracts the high strung and overly emotional. They expect to see each other freaking out and will spread the panic contagion accordingly. When you choose a solitary position like stage management you are earmarking yourself as the person who will not be susceptible to such things. Freak out all you like off the job, but the "popular" reaction to a problem is none of your concern when you're on the clock.
You may need a little general practice in facing confrontation too, just to get you out of the habit of running away from things. Consider some sort of martial arts training or even getting a part time job in retail so that you're forced to approach/confront so often that it becomes second nature.
What I'm seeing is that your reaction is more "flight" than "fight," and you'd like it to be the other way around. (EDIT: I should note that by "fight" I mean confronting the problem yourself rather than passing it up the ladder. I'm not advocating violence.)
The ability to choose to "fight" and resolve the problem on your own requires confidence in your abilities. Some folks have natural confidence, but for the rest of us it's much easier to be confident when facing a problem if you can link that problem to something you've faced before. Unlike the cliche, in this case you need to learn history so that you CAN repeat it the next time you're faced with a similar situation. I'm sure that next time you encounter these particular situations you'll be able to emulate what you saw your SM do. The true skill will come from being able to modify and build on those solutions when faced with similar but not quite identical problems.
At this point in your career you need to be exposing yourself to as many situations as possible so that you can build that memory index of situations as reference. Strong mentors are important, as is the diversity of your experience. Don't restrict yourself to just school settings. Get out there and do theatre in the community as well. Certain issues simply won't come up in an age restricted and heavily guarded school setting.
More important is to entitle yourself to your own job. You need to believe that you are capable of fighting, otherwise you'll undermine yourself by thinking "I need to be running away" or "I can't handle this" while you're in the middle of handling it - probably quite well. As a student it's very difficult to put aside concerns about what other people think of you. However, in a big meltdown situation it doesn't matter how you look while you're solving the problem.
The kids will freak out because theatre attracts the high strung and overly emotional. They expect to see each other freaking out and will spread the panic contagion accordingly. When you choose a solitary position like stage management you are earmarking yourself as the person who will not be susceptible to such things. Freak out all you like off the job, but the "popular" reaction to a problem is none of your concern when you're on the clock.
You may need a little general practice in facing confrontation too, just to get you out of the habit of running away from things. Consider some sort of martial arts training or even getting a part time job in retail so that you're forced to approach/confront so often that it becomes second nature.
370
Introductions / New Member Scavenger Hunt - September 2013
« on: Sep 04, 2013, 09:36 pm »
How it works:
I will post something for you to search for.
Reply with a link to the post or topic that I'm talking about and, if you choose, an explanation of why you chose it. Your link may be deactivated if you're very very new. That's OK.
Replies must use proper grammar.
All hunts will be things that you can find within SMNetwork.
Only members who have registered within the past month are allowed to reply.
The prize:
The first new member who provides a valid and grammatically correct answer will have their post count artificially increased to 5. This means they will be allowed to post to all boards (including Homework Help) without moderator review.
If you've already made at least 5 posts, you get street cred.
This month's hunt:
Popularity contest! Please let me know which of the following shows have claimed the Christmases of more members: Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker or Dickens' Christmas Carol.
I will post something for you to search for.
Reply with a link to the post or topic that I'm talking about and, if you choose, an explanation of why you chose it. Your link may be deactivated if you're very very new. That's OK.
Replies must use proper grammar.
All hunts will be things that you can find within SMNetwork.
Only members who have registered within the past month are allowed to reply.
The prize:
The first new member who provides a valid and grammatically correct answer will have their post count artificially increased to 5. This means they will be allowed to post to all boards (including Homework Help) without moderator review.
If you've already made at least 5 posts, you get street cred.
This month's hunt:
Popularity contest! Please let me know which of the following shows have claimed the Christmases of more members: Tchaikovsky's Nutcracker or Dickens' Christmas Carol.
371
Introductions / Re: New Member Scavenger Hunt - August 2013
« on: Sep 04, 2013, 08:49 pm »
Actually I was thinking of using the tag function.
New search for September coming up shortly!
New search for September coming up shortly!
372
Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Can you earn a living? (2013 Research Data)
« on: Aug 30, 2013, 05:20 am »
I've been goofing around a bit with Google maps - I may be able to do something with that and a site-wide survey of incomes (kind of like the internship survey) if people would find it interesting. However, that kind of thing would require folks to come back regularly and update with their most recent earnings, so I'm not really sure how to implement it yet. I'll think it over.
373
Tools of the Trade / Re: Virtual Callboard
« on: Aug 19, 2013, 01:02 pm »
Too many people are trying to build a better mousetrap. I don't understand this questing for a stage management "killer app." We already have a full-featured, flexible system that takes years to master and is rarely used to its fullest potential. There are thousands of manuals and guides, week and month long courses on how to use it. It lets you make prompt scripts, time breaks, create scene breakdowns, track absences and generate nearly any type of paperwork ever seen in a theatre. Any intern can pick up its output and use it. It doesn't cost our employers anything extra since they probably already have it loaded. It runs on Macs, PCs and portables. The only thing it doesn't do well is notate our own blocking hieroglyphics, but a handwriting font could ameliorate that quickly.
I'm talking about MS Office. (And Google Drive and LibreOffice/OpenOffice and iWork.)
If it makes you feel better you can call it the Redmond Stage Manager Automation Extravaganza v. 10.4.96b (or Stagmatex if you're feeling all web 2.0), but I've yet to see any of these tools that can beat it. Yes, it's old and sometimes frumpy, but it is also a kickass masterpiece of code. True expert users of the Office suite are just as awe-inspiring as automation experts.
Yes, there are industry-specific apps out there for other parts of the backstage world (lighting, sound, box office, playwriting), but their disciplines are far more focused than ours. Cross-disciplinary jobs like SM & PM need more general applications. I think that in watching the designers & techs play with their toys we got jealous and loset sight of the fact that we did the perfect stage manager thing and cross-purposed our own tool long before they did.
Here's the thing about software designers. They did very well selling stuff to the rest of the backstage world, and don't like to see a division that they can't sell to. They want to make something sexy and flashy that they can promote to us at all of those tech conferences that we are never invited to attend.
So they try to come up with something that suits us, and run headlong into the problem that has been plaguing me for 13 years now: we don't need it. There are no advertisers who are even interested in buying banners on SMNetwork because y'all don't need anything. The job requires you to think outside the box, work efficiently and use things in bizarre ways (see also: rehearsal props). Reinventing the wheel for a software program runs contrary to our very natures.
I'm talking about MS Office. (And Google Drive and LibreOffice/OpenOffice and iWork.)
If it makes you feel better you can call it the Redmond Stage Manager Automation Extravaganza v. 10.4.96b (or Stagmatex if you're feeling all web 2.0), but I've yet to see any of these tools that can beat it. Yes, it's old and sometimes frumpy, but it is also a kickass masterpiece of code. True expert users of the Office suite are just as awe-inspiring as automation experts.
Yes, there are industry-specific apps out there for other parts of the backstage world (lighting, sound, box office, playwriting), but their disciplines are far more focused than ours. Cross-disciplinary jobs like SM & PM need more general applications. I think that in watching the designers & techs play with their toys we got jealous and loset sight of the fact that we did the perfect stage manager thing and cross-purposed our own tool long before they did.
Here's the thing about software designers. They did very well selling stuff to the rest of the backstage world, and don't like to see a division that they can't sell to. They want to make something sexy and flashy that they can promote to us at all of those tech conferences that we are never invited to attend.
So they try to come up with something that suits us, and run headlong into the problem that has been plaguing me for 13 years now: we don't need it. There are no advertisers who are even interested in buying banners on SMNetwork because y'all don't need anything. The job requires you to think outside the box, work efficiently and use things in bizarre ways (see also: rehearsal props). Reinventing the wheel for a software program runs contrary to our very natures.
374
Tools of the Trade / Re: Virtual Callboard
« on: Aug 17, 2013, 02:20 am »
I think given the number of times that SM software has arisen as a topic, if someone were using it happily they'd have let us know by now.
375
Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Student Stage Manager Challenge #19: Labor of Love
« on: Aug 12, 2013, 02:02 pm »
Remember that this is a high school setting we are talking about. The “producer“ is your school board. The director is expected to be at every show.