Messages

361

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Girl trying to get her start in the Rock'n'Roll industry

« on: May 08, 2007, 12:00 pm »

I'm another chick who worked as a house crew/electrician at a road house before starting to SM.  We did plays, concerts and dance shows, so I got the whole spectrum.
Luckily, I only ran into that attitude a few times. 
My advice on a few things that I found helped:

• Dress the part.  I always got more respect when I wore black BDUs with a crescent wrench in the pocket, a black tank top, boots, and had my hair tightly braided back.
• Know your space inside and out.  Be able to answer questions quickly, accurately, intelligently.  And don't wait for them to ask you, 'cause they won't.  If you hear a question, volunteer the information.
• Always volunteer, period.
• Always look like you're doing something.
• Work out and get strong arms.  If someone tries to tell you "you can't handle something, let me get it," look at them blankly, and then cart it off (note: this does not work if you CAN'T handle it, make sure you know your limits).
• And if someone brings up that knees comment again, have a few good snappy comebacks lately.  "Are you speaking from experience, Missy?" or "Yes, planted firmly on the backs of everyone who got in my way."
• Learn to ignore snide stupidity and demonstrate excellence.

It's tough, and you have to be tough, but once you win the respect of the rest of the loaders or house crew, you're golden.  I had my master electrician take some guy out back and give him a going over for some nasty comments he tried to make about me.

362

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: New Poll: Students and Stage Managing

« on: May 08, 2007, 11:33 am »

I remember my senior year of college I was SM AND master carpenter for Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.  (praise goddess for a the carp crew from heaven!)  I also worked a third shift security job three nights a week, and two mornings a week as an electrician at the road house.
During tech week, I also had a major assignment due in my scenic design class, which was obviously not getting done.  It was about 85% done.  The professor was also the designer for Cat, so I asked him for an extension.  He refused to grant one, saying something along the lines of I needed to get my priorities straight and get my act together a little more; he tried to give me a dressing down in front of the whole class (which was ridiculous, since they knew how hard I was working, and were actually conspiring to make sure I was being fed, or were in the cast).  I was furious.  My response made the class cheer (he was a great designer but a REALLY rotten professor):
"I have my priorities straight.  My first priority is to get the show up and running, including getting your design, which was two weeks late, built.  Now, you get yours straight.  Is it more important to you to get off on being a hard ass and pulling a powertrip on your most competent student, or getting Cat up?  No extension, fine.  Grade this."  I dropped my assignment on his desk and walked out of the class (down the hall to the scene shop where I took my anger out on building some more set).  I heard the cheers following me down the hall, and passed another (tenured) professor going to investigate.
When I got the assignment back, I had an 85, and a note attached that he'd be willing to regrade if I completed the work.
I'm not advising this approach at all, but it felt damn good to hit him with the clue stick.  (Please note this professor was asked not to return next semester due to him treating all sorts of students just like that.)

363

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: First meeting with the Director- agenda?

« on: Apr 30, 2007, 12:49 pm »

I've always found that a good question is, "What do you expect/need/want from your stage manager that might not be quite standard?"
I've had director ask me to lead warmups, make a contact website for the cast, expect me to be sitting in a particular place during rehearsals, do my paperwork in a particular manner, etc. none of which I considered over the top, but also none of which I would have done on my own, either.

364

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: There may be trouble ahead....!

« on: Apr 27, 2007, 10:21 am »

Yes, it's "harder" than some "normal" jobs but then again, there are folks who work in cities who have commutes out to the burbs that are hours long and they are literally gone from dawn to way past dusk - ask them how happy they are.

I'm in both situations.  I live at least an hour and a half outside Atlanta, where I do all my work, plus work a day job in the city.  I've recently come to the conclusion that I'm tired of working my ass off at twelve hour days five days a week and 6 hour days the other two, plus a two hour commute daily.  I never get to see my husband (we've been married less than a year, we get to see each other while conscious about 5 hours a week) or finish the renovations I'm doing on the house.

I've finally concluded that I'm not working my priorties.  I WANT to have time to sit on my porch and sip tea, and take naps, occasionally, in the middle of the day, and play with my pets, and have a socail life.  That's all more important to me than working my ass off.  So I've made a decision that I'm no longer going to work gigs that don't pay me what I'm worth, and I'll take at least a month off between shows from now on.

Will it limit how much I work?  Sure.  Do I feel like it will damage my career?  No, not really.  Am I happy with the decision?  Absolutely.  I can't wait for the show I'm working now to end so I can put my decision into action and get some SLEEP!

So, Shoos, I don't think it sounds self-indulgent at all.  You don't have to buy into the popular thought pattern that working all the time is what gives meaning to your life.  Figure out what's important to you, and arrange your life accordingly.  As theatre people we're lucky; we have a little more flexibility to do that.

365

SMNetwork Archives / Re: I HAVE to share this

« on: Mar 16, 2007, 01:30 pm »

   Wow.  That is all sorts of astounding.

And now that I think about it, just like the lunch ladies I remember.

366

Tools of the Trade / Re: Make the Clicking of the shoes STOP!

« on: Mar 13, 2007, 10:46 am »

Also, if you have old carpet runners or scraps, you can put them down in the areas where the worst clicking comes from.  Just make sure you COMPLETELY tape down all the edges to avoid making a tripping hazard.

367

Tools of the Trade / Re: What is Gaffer Tape?

« on: Mar 08, 2007, 11:33 am »

I, personally, find the courtesy tab annoying.  If I want a piece of gaff, I want to just rip it off once.  Not rip it off and then rip off the tab, too.  Good gaff is usually pretty easy to "start."

368

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Sample Production Analysis?

« on: Mar 05, 2007, 12:41 pm »

Here's the one I did for our productin of Almost, Maine.  It's fairly simple because of the structure of the show, but the basic idea can be adapted as much as you need.

369

The Green Room / Re: Things You'll Never Hear a Stage Manager Say

« on: Feb 28, 2007, 12:35 pm »

Sure, we can stop to polish and deepen the acting in our Q2Q tech.  It's not like this is the only day we have to perfect all the cues and calls.

370

Employment / Re: How many pages?

« on: Feb 26, 2007, 12:57 pm »

I alway keep my resume trimmed to one page including only the productions I think are most germaine to the job I'm applying for.  If I'm presenting it in person, I keep the references sheet sperate, but ready to hand over when asked for.  If I'm mailing, I'll mail both together.
I don't know how "standard practice" this is, but I also keep my complete resume (including all old educational work) on a website, and include the url in all correspondence, including resumes.  It's worked out pretty well, so far!

371

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Warm-up/ Games

« on: Feb 26, 2007, 12:52 pm »

My favorite is:
As I sit in sullen silence in a dull dark dock
In a pestilential prison with a life long lock
Awaiting the sensation of a short sharp shock
From a cheep and chipper chopper
On a big black block
A dull dark dock
A short sharp shock
From a cheep and chipper chopper
On a big black block

372

Employment / Re: College Name

« on: Feb 23, 2007, 11:02 am »

I have actually been turned down for a job because the school I came from hadn't had a "big enough program and we want someone with more experience from a more prestigious school."  They told me to my face. 
I pointed out that since it was a small program focusing mostly on actors, I WAS the tech department, working on 90% of the shows in my time at university (including mainstage productions, student productions in the black box and house crew for huge national touring shows coming through), and, hence, had a lot more experience than someone coming from a bigger name school where there were more tech people trying to fill the same or fewer slots.  They just looked at me like I was speaking French.  Or Klingon.
So, yeah, it can matter.  And it sucks.  But the only thing you can do is suck it up and laugh at how someones scholastic prejudice has kept them from hiring someone totally awesome.

373

Tools of the Trade / Re: latest toys...

« on: Feb 19, 2007, 09:59 am »

About those Sharpies...

Did you know that green Sharpie residue on skin (as in, marked, and then washed mostly off with soap and water) will glow that sort of sickly firefly yellow-green under blacklight?  More of the coolness (and possiblie toxicity) of Sharpies.  Don't know what you'd get with different colors, though.
(discovered after this SM had experimented with "tattoo" possibilites for her show, and walked through lighting work the next day)
While this is mostly useless trivia, I figured if anyone would ever need it, it would be this group!

374

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Dressing For The Part?

« on: Feb 19, 2007, 09:31 am »

<snip>
 Would black track pants be ok just for tech week when we're there till at least midnight adn Im just in the light box?

Knowing that tech rehearsals will be long, stressful and occasionally requiring such bizarre activities as going on the grid, crawling under the stage, etc. I go with comfortable every time.  I actually just tech'd my show on Saturday and wore the most comfortable jeans I own that don't have holes, running shoes, a tank top and unbuttoned overshirt.  Functional, comfortable, still halfway respecatble looking.

375

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Anyone willing to be interviewed?

« on: Feb 13, 2007, 11:26 am »

I've been SMing professionally for about five years, and for years before that in high school and college.  I also grew up backstage in a theatre family.  I'd be glad to answer interview questions for you if I could be of help.