Messages

406

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: SMing children!

« on: May 12, 2007, 04:36 pm »

Parent volunteers.

Parent volunteers.

Write up a letter to send home the first day with the kids.  Ask each parent to sign up to be a backstage/ dressing monitor for at least one performance.

Give the job of setting up the green for the kids to parents.  Have them bring in DVD's etc to entertain the young ones while not onstage.

Have parents be in charge of escorting groups of children to and from the stage.

407

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Trouble ASM

« on: May 08, 2007, 11:03 am »

As someone who works at a college, I have to say it's a fine line to tread.

I won't go into details.  But sometimes even those of us just a few years into "adulthood" forget how challenging that transition can be.  You have to nuture as much as instruct.

408

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Do you call from house or backstage?

« on: May 01, 2007, 08:43 am »

Another dance SM weighing in.

When I first started calling dance shows, I wanted to be out front.  Better view, less distractions and, since I was almost responsible for the lighting, I could actually see the lights.

After a year with the company, they asked me to move backstage, so I did.  Now I wouldn't want to call a dance show from any other location.

Yes sometimes people approach me an inopportune times, but I am right there if they need me.  Ideally, I have all my cues lights, monitors and page mics in place, but even if I don't have those things, I am much more connected with the performance and the flow of the event.  I can call an entrance cue perfectly because I can actually see the dancer as they enter, not once they are already onstage.

My experiences calling dance from backstage has lead me to want to call theatre from backstage too.  (I have done this a few times always to great success).  Clearly backstage doesn't work for all theatre shows, but when it can work out, I feel the performers appreciate having me nearby.

409

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Calling Lines After Last Day to Call

« on: Apr 29, 2007, 01:42 pm »

Personally, I think your assistant was right to give the line.  Yes, we make rules about when the actors should be off book.  But really they are just guidelines, not "rules" like when you were in grade school.  If an actor needs a line, give them the line.

But saying "no" or some sentence other than the line you would pull the actor out of the moment.  Probably the other actors in the scene as well.  Give the line, keep rehearsal going.

Let the director yell at the actor who wasn't doing his/ her job right, not at your assistant who WAS doing her job.

410

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

« on: Apr 27, 2007, 02:27 am »

This is a question I ask myself a lot too. 

One of the best ways to make decent money at theatre is on tour.  I know people that have bought houses with saved up money from tour salary + per diem.  It's so tempting to just stay on the road (and semi-postpone life) for just one more leg or one just more show.

But it really does suck up your life.  I haven't had a relationship of any depth or length in years.  Tour makes it essentially impossible (not for everyone, I know, but definitely for me).  I lose contact with friends sometimes for months at a time.  I never see my cats. 

But I love the road too.  I love the wonderful of method, routine and innovation of tour.  Which is why I let it suck my life away.

Now can this/ should this be a long-term career? 

What are your goals? 

Are these the thoughts that cross your mind as you sit on yet another flight next to a crying baby?  Does the thrill and money outweigh the stress and all the events of your friends lives that you have to hear about by mass email?

If you figure it out, let me know!

Good luck with your soul-searching.  Please put up more of your thoughts. 

411

SMNetwork Archives / Revlon Run Walk NYC May 5

« on: Apr 23, 2007, 10:08 am »

Dear All,

A group of my friends and I are doing the Revlon 5K Walk/ Run for Women's Cancers on Saturday, May 5.  I am looking for sponsors for this event.

Please help me reach this goal for a very noble cause.  Also, please pass this on to any friends of family that might want to participate or sponsor.

You can follow this link to sign up to be my sponsor. https://www.revlonrunwalk.com/ny/secure/mywebpage.cfm?pID=379598

Here is the general website for more info.  http://www.revlonrunwalk.com/ny/

If you live in the NYC area and want to walk with me.  Let me know we can form a team!

Thank you very much,
Jessie

412

SMNetwork Archives / Re: misc prop questions

« on: Apr 10, 2007, 01:06 pm »

Are you having a fight choreographer for the stabbing?  Or has you theatre ever work with a fight choreographer.  He/ she would probably be one of the best resources to find prop weapons.  Perhaps he/ she can suggest a shop or a website where you can find what you need.

I too just did a play with a fridge.  The LX rigged a light in there and it was controlled from the light board.  If you can plug your fridge in to make the light work, try that first.

And yes, I carried all the food back and forth from the non-working fridge to the green room fridge every day.    I actually did it in shifts to keep all food items cool as long as possible.  (Changed out food during scene shifts/ intermission)

Fuddy Meers is a great play, hope you continue to have fun with it.

413

Tools of the Trade / Re: Do you prefer Word or Excel?

« on: Apr 09, 2007, 11:50 am »

I agree that you chose by the task at hand.  There are benefits to both programs.  I will say that I use Word more often, but that is probably mostly out of habit.

414

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: How to Spike Stage for Focus?

« on: Apr 08, 2007, 05:48 pm »

Talk to your LD about what he/ she wants. 

Theater:
Usually you would spike all the furniture/ scenery items in their places for each scene.  (I usually use larger marks and label them, larger than I would keep for the scene shifts, but something very easy to find during focus).  You can also lay out lines for walls/ scenic items that will not be present for focus.  (Use the measurements from the groundplan/ your rehearsal set up).

You should also give a DS center mark, center-center mark, US center mark.  Maybe the LD will want a full line running from DS to US at centers and quarters.  Check w/ him/ her.

You can also mark the location of any specials that you might know of.  (Don't go crazy with this, lest you step on people's toes)  But if an actor always delivers a speech at a very specific location, it can be helpful to mark that for the designer.

Dance:
Mark centers and quarters and eights (US, MidStage and DS).  Make lines from US to DS at center and quarters (for boom focus).

Mark any specials for the pieces you will be doing.

In all circumstances, it is best to chat with your LD and find out what his/ her needs are.  You should also check with the director.  Perhaps he/ she will want to confirm furniture placement on the stage before focus. (If you rehearsal room is smaller than the stage, this will probably need to happen).

Good luck.  Just remember to make the marks obivious and easy to read.  You should re-spike later for scene shifts, preset, etc.

415

Tools of the Trade / Re: Excel Help?!

« on: Apr 08, 2007, 01:57 pm »

Just use the draw function and draw lines at the angles you want.

416

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Keeping it Straight with BIG CASTS

« on: Mar 26, 2007, 07:22 pm »

I also use initials for ensemble members and circled character initials principles.  I do this is both dance and theater. If there are duplicate initials, I will use 3 letters for those in question.

417

College and Graduate Studies / Re: NC School of the Arts

« on: Mar 16, 2007, 02:00 pm »

I know a great deal of people that have come out of the dance program as well as the Design and Production program.  They are all top notch people.  They tend to favor their own and have a good network.

418

Tools of the Trade / Re: Anyone have to pre-rig milk cartons?

« on: Mar 15, 2007, 01:49 am »

Can the carton be empty and the actor "act" like he/ she is drinking? 

419

Tools of the Trade / Re: Anyone have to pre-rig milk cartons?

« on: Mar 14, 2007, 09:50 pm »

Nothing that you rig will look like he is really opening it for the first time.  Maybe I am way off base here but I got those cartons of milk everyday in kindergarten and managed to open them just fine.

If that doesn't work, I suggest pre-opening it and rigging some soft foam in the lid of the lunch box so that when it closes the milk carton is held firmly in place and closed.

420

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Well, if you can't admit it here, where can you?

« on: Mar 07, 2007, 08:54 am »

Although I tend to find that directors still nick pens and pencils from me.

That's why I carry a supply of crappy hotel pens.  I don't care if I don't get them back.