Messages

391

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: WHAT WOULD YOU DO- Staged Reading Nightmare

« on: Oct 18, 2013, 01:33 am »

Probably let her go on stage . . . cuing her onstage right before they were to get to her poem . . . and figure out a way to tap out the person who was assigned the poem.

392

The Hardline / Re: Employee-Handbook Required Preshow Calls (and more)

« on: Oct 14, 2013, 03:48 pm »

I understand all THE reasons for the calls, but dictate them seems weird and a little hand holding.

I would rather be told the show needs to start on time, and make me make that happen.

393

The Hardline / Re: Employee-Handbook Required Preshow Calls (and more)

« on: Oct 14, 2013, 03:00 am »

And although theater's policy can help clarify work rules that are not under the LORT agreement (like for example, there are no LORT rules about drinking or drugs, but a theater can create a workplace policy that you need to follow - but it needs to be a posted policy - I have a good story about this one), they shouldn't be able to make rules that would affect contractual issue - and this would affect pay.  The LORT rule allows for an performer who is late to make up the time without overtime being paid.  (I will leave it up to the powers that be that could explain why LORT doesn't have a monetary punishment for lateness . . . while other contracts do.)

Would you have these rules ahead of time before signing the contract?


 

394

The Hardline / Re: Employee-Handbook Required Preshow Calls (and more)

« on: Oct 13, 2013, 11:18 pm »

I think what is weird about this is this is the theater's handbook, not the AEA contract asking for the fine.

Is that's what is odd about this?

395

The Hardline / Re: Employee-Handbook Required Preshow Calls (and more)

« on: Oct 10, 2013, 11:41 pm »

I have never been dictated when to do pre-show calls, I do half-hour, 15, 5 and places.

I think it depends on the contract, but I am pretty sure you can't fine people on the LORT contract.  I think you will need to sign this as a rider, and who would do it?  I cry foul on this one.

But, I could see a producer dictating when you did pre-show calls.

396

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Rehearsals: Be quiet!

« on: Oct 08, 2013, 12:35 am »

Use caution when going in guns blazing.  While it can be necessary sometimes; using ego, a hunger for control, and a sledgehammer as your primary tools will quickly wear thin with anyone and will not earn you much respect.   

Especially as a younger stage manager, you can't just use the authority like that  all the time - it leads to problems down the line.  Better to use all the tools in your management skill set to get the behavior you want.

397

The Green Room / Re: Nice work if you can get it!

« on: Oct 07, 2013, 02:09 am »

Look at the cost of supporting a family in NYC . . . I tell you right now, at $120,000 a year, before taxes, me and my husband could not afford to raise a family in Manhattan.

$400,000 Salary in Manhattan would be

Comparable salary in
Des Moines, IA
$159,639
Price difference in Des Moines, IA

Groceries 39%less
Housing 81%less
Utilities 32%less
Transportation 23%less
Health Care 24%less

And while $159,639 may seem a lot of many for a house crew position - that is the senior crew members, and please note that are often loading in early in the morning, running a show, and striking the same show every day.  When I worked there over the holidays, they sometimes were doing two different concerts a day.

And I am sure the 400,000 income quoted has a lot to do with overtime . . .
Post Merge: Oct 07, 2013, 10:33 amAnother good article on the subject

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304176904579111810975642206.html?mod=WSJ_article_comments#articleTabs%3Darticle

398

The Hardline / Re: SPT Previews

« on: Oct 05, 2013, 01:28 am »

if it's truly invited dress, as opposed to open to the public . . . then it's fine.

if it's a dress that is open to the public, any public, then it could be a performance.

399

The Hardline / Re: SPT Previews

« on: Oct 03, 2013, 11:41 pm »

So, I have never worked on a SPT, so can take this with a grain of salt . . .

But on the SPT contract, there are no mention of previews.  Under definitions, there is no preview definition . . . given that, the do tell you what "opening" is.

Opening. "Opening" shall be defined as the first paid public performance.

So, although a theater may define a performance a preview for marketing purposes, I read the contract that your first paid public performance would be opening - and thus all performances, marketed a preview or not, would count towards your performance count.

Do check with AEA, but the way I read it . . . and the fact the word "preview" doesn't appear ANYWHERE in the contract, it lends weight to the fact a performance is a performance.

Now, I also disagree with the fact if they do a non-paid public performance . . . if that would count as a performance a not - if it's public, it should count as a performance regardless if people pay or not.

400

The Hardline / Re: Dear Abby

« on: Oct 02, 2013, 11:18 pm »

I am not sure you gain anything by being listed as EMC on a lobby board or program.  I think it's one of those things that maybe important to you - and really doesn't matter in the long run - you are either union or not.

But, I think technically, you are still a member of the EMC program, so if you felt strongly, you could comfortably add it to a bio or so forth.

401

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: SCHEDULING: How much information do you give actors?

« on: Sep 27, 2013, 06:29 pm »

this really depends on the level at which you are working, and where you are in the process.

It's great to have an hour by hour schedule, but are you sticking to it?

From my experience, I would not give out more then 24-hours in advance . . . too many things can change.

402

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: PROGRAMS: ASMs left out

« on: Sep 22, 2013, 06:09 pm »

Sometimes a program just can't list everyone who works on the show.  And if they did, it would add pages.

I have worked with companies where we were allowed X amount of pages to be inserted into a playbill style program.  Anything more then that cost extra, so, some people didn't make the cut. 

If it wasn't for my union status, I would not expect to be listed in programs.  (For example, for one-offs and fundraisers, I would be floor if I was include in anything printed). 

403

Employment / Re: Thinking through a Bad Fit

« on: Sep 22, 2013, 01:49 pm »

I wonder how much of the "fit" had to do with expectations being met or non-met - and would a second time be okay now that you expectations are based in reality? I find that often - the first time working with a company is so "Alice in Wonderland" - where you are trying to figure out what was it up, not stepping on people's toes, figure out how to get things done, while working on a show, get it up, and trying to make it all work.

Sigh.

404

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: PROGRAMS: ASMs left out

« on: Sep 22, 2013, 01:43 pm »

Does the company normally put non-aea ASMs in the program?

I always do this fight with press releases . . . and loose at the AEA level - some companies have odd rules.

You can always ask the PSM to request a print out of the full program, and then look over it.

405

College and Graduate Studies / Re: Newspaper interview for the SM? What?

« on: Sep 18, 2013, 02:41 am »

i have been interviewed a bit - what we forget is the public loves a backstage insight into the work

be open to the interviewer .. .