Messages

421

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Reports - Getting actors to read them (from Tools of the Trade)

« on: Nov 10, 2010, 02:44 am »

I see no need to combine the two- is that standard practice for some SMs? Did I miss something somewhere along the way?

I'm totally with you. I've never combined my nightly emails in this way. Does anyone do it this way? Send the cast the rehearsal reports? I'm actually really curious now. Or have we started to misinterpret what was stated?

422

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: PROFESSIONALISM: What to do when you're sick?

« on: Nov 10, 2010, 02:40 am »

I tend to believe in the "Do what you can do get to the show and get it done no matter what" camp. I work through head colds, sore throats, minor infections.

The only time I have been close to calling out for a show was 3 years ago when I got food poisoning. And honestly, I should have. I was a wreck, everyone knew I was a wreck. The stupidest thing? I was Co-Stage Manager and I had another SM calling the show with me who could have ran the whole thing. It was a weird set up, she was running the lights and calling her own cues, I was running sound and calling my own cues, but for one sequence, she called the cues for both because the lights and sound had to go together. Yet, I struggled through it, and made some theatrical magic....Hell, I even dragged my ass to a job interview earlier that day. Again, all very very stupid things I wish I had not done in hindsight.

The only reason I have missed time was in college when I got pink eye during a rehearsal process. I didn't want anyone else to catch it and I was responsible for touching lots of props and since it's so infectious, I stayed home for three days until it went away.

423

The Green Room / Re: Just a random what if....

« on: Nov 09, 2010, 10:46 pm »

*starts one of those slow claps made famous in high school/teen movies*

Sorry, I felt like it had to be done. 

Break a leg on your show!

424

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Reports - Getting actors to read them (from Tools of the Trade)

« on: Nov 09, 2010, 05:32 pm »

1. I usaully put in the general notes that anyone who wears a red shirt (this changes ie secret phrase) to the next reheasal will get a surprise.   

I worked on a tour with two different lighting supervisors who both put "The Beer Note" somewhere in their light plot forwarded to every venue basically saying "if you read this note, I owe you a 6 pack." Of the 29 venues, only about 9 found it. It's actually pretty stunning that less than 1/3 of the venues read the paperwork thoroughly enough to find it. It's not something you need a magnifying glass to find, just need to be thorough enough to look over all the notes added to the plot.

Sorry to go off topic a touch. I just thought it fit in nicely.

After reading the replies to this thread (and judging by the title), it seems like many people send rehearsal reports to the actors as well as the production team - is this true?

I personally have never sent a cast member a rehearsal report, and I was thinking it seemed strange to me as well. The only thing that could be relatively pertinent to an actor in the rehearsal reports are schedules which, like you, I send in a separate email. For performances, I also send the cast the run time of the show (broken up by acts) because they generally know how long the show should run, and if it is getting longer or shorter they will feel it and this can confirm their suspicions. It's a passive way to let them know they are dragging or going way too fast.

But any other information included in the rehearsal/performance reports seem to be basically nothing they need to concern themselves with.

425

The Green Room / Re: 10 things actors can do to get off to a good start with a stage manager

« on: Nov 09, 2010, 04:33 pm »

10. A Stage Manager will bend over backwards to accommodate most requests. If we can't get it done, it probably can't be done and for a good reason. If we say we're working on it, it literally means we are going through all the appropriate channels to get it done and we're not jerking you around.

426

The Green Room / Re: Just a random what if....

« on: Nov 09, 2010, 04:21 pm »

Not that you can predict it, but if both people can be civil and respectful of one another, then while it might be a little awkward it doesn't have to be bad. My ex and I still work together, send each other on jobs, etc...we respect the other's work and, even if not romantically, work very well together!

I am certainly not an expert at dating a coworker at all (what with the whole...I elect to not date coworkers thing), so my take on it does obviously lack some personal experience. I've just never really seen it work out before. But I'm glad to know it can in some cases!

427

The Green Room / Re: Just a random what if....

« on: Nov 09, 2010, 01:18 pm »

But it's been going on at least since the days of Moliere! 

Yes, this is very true. Otherwise, topics like this would be such a huge scandal. "Dating a coworker??? GOOD GOLLY MISS MOLLY! THAT'S TERRIBLE!"

I always don't seem to mind the work place dating as much as I hate the work place break-ups.

That's really what prompted my entire life philosophy of not dating co-workers. Dating a co-worker could be fine....as long as you never ever break up.

428

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: HOUSE MANAGEMENT: Do you spill the beans about your famous audience members?

« on: Nov 09, 2010, 01:47 am »

Some real "fun" comes when you're working in a very small house (lets say 60 seats in the round), and you have cast members who have to be preset onstage from the house opening. It's hard to convince them that all the "Reserved" signs that are around the room are just friends and not, say, reviewers from the New York Times, or Vanity Fair.

The best method I've found for dealing with those situations (big reviewer in the small space) is, if asked, to lie about who's coming preshow, and then come clean to that person post show. That way, if they blab to someone who doesn't want to know it should hopefully not rattle their cage. Some days it will just be a few random small .com reviewers that isn't worth being worked up over (thus helping the ruse when I use it in the future), but every once and a while, it's a guy from Playboy...seriously, I got a show reviewed in Playboy. That was hard to keep under wraps from anybody

429

The Green Room / Re: Just a random what if....

« on: Nov 09, 2010, 01:22 am »

Wow... typing all of this has made me realize that 1- I need to stop dating actors, and 2- I need to go out and make some friends who aren't in theatre!

I agree with #1 and #2! I made it a rule of thumb to not date anyone in the industry. I didn't have this personal policy in high school and had terrible, horrible, no good very bad relationships with some of the tech crew girls (I was an actor at the time). After each of those relationships crashed and burned and subsequently made performing a real chore and awkward (nothing quite like kissing a girl onstage while your ex glares at you from the wings with a crow bar in hand), I decided to not date anyone in theater ever!

In general, work place romances are a huge no-no. Being able to compartmentalize or not, I still don't think it's something an SM should do. Especially being middle management with problem solving and mediator as part of the job description.

Great example: I was working with a stage manager who was dating an actress (chorus girl) who got into a huge verbal/nearly physical altercation with another chorus girl. I knew the entire sordid history between the two girls (this whole weird jealousy/anger thing had been brewing for two weeks), saw the entire fight from start to finish, was the one who eventually separated the two, and when I reported everything I knew about the fight to the SM so it could be dealt with, he took his girlfriend's side and reported it to the producer as he interpreted it. It alienated the entire cast from the SM and this chorus girl because everyone knew the SM's girlfriend was in the wrong. The cast sent an "anonymous" letter explaining what happened, I got pulled into the office to tell my side of the story to the producers and the entire company was put on edge because the SM was dating an actor. Thankfully, it was summer stock and there was only one week left before the cast was shipped out for a new one.

While  I admit it was really difficult in the past to maintain my personal code (Cause who can honestly choose who they are attracted to?), it's generally better to keep those feelings to yourself until the show is over. (Getting engaged has helped me get over those feelings of l'amour for cast members and colleagues.)

But like others have said, you're in high school. And it can't be possible for everyone to be so jealous they would threaten you with a crow bar, right?....

430

College and Graduate Studies / Re: USITT Conference

« on: Nov 08, 2010, 06:18 pm »

Yes, sm apprentice's are different than the student volunteers. Volunteers are for set up and tear down mostly. Sm apprentice's actually run demos, lectures, seminars etc. basically  each event at USITT is a performance run by an apprentice.

I may have sounded like it isn't worth going I'm my previous post. USITT is a great deal of fun, and the about of knowledge you can gain in 5 days is remarkable. If nothing else, you should go at least once to experience it.

431

College and Graduate Studies / Re: USITT Conference

« on: Nov 07, 2010, 10:10 pm »

I went to USITT in Toronto in '05. As a stage manager, there was lot to be gained in terms of demos and gadgets. It's always good to know what's going on around you in other departments. And the swag is excellent. (Find the SSSL booth quickly!)

Maybe I wasn't looking hard enough, but there really wasn't all that much going on in terms of stage management activity. There was a stage management seminar or two (maybe a grand total of 5 the whole conference), and those were interesting and informative, but it was very limited. If it weren't for my tendency towards sound design, I would honestly believe I wasted a pretty large chunk of change to go.

The best I can say is if you're in college or a young professional you should apply to be a Stage Management Apprentice. My friend was selected for the Toronto conference and she gained a lot from the experience and made some great connections into the Opera world where she is still working to this day.

432

Tools of the Trade / Re: Android Phone Apps

« on: Nov 04, 2010, 12:15 pm »

The Android Market is smaller than the App Store, but it's only because App Store has been around longer. Slowly but surely, developers are coming bringing their products to the Marketplace. So to be honest, there isn't much left (app wise) that gives the iPhone the advantage.

The apps I use most for stage managing (timers, stop watches, time calculators) are all available on the Marketplace, and sometimes are free where a comparable app on the iPhone might cost you something. There isn't the specific SM app like on the iPhone, but from what I've heard (through this forum) it's not worth the $5 anyway.

There are some droid specific apps that I find to be useful though. Where's My Droid is a great free app that is very helpful in tech. How many times have you been running around and left your phone behind and forgot where it was but because you are a good SM you have it on silent. All you have to do is text your phone a key phrase (like "ZOMG! PHONE ARE GONE!) and the app will turn your volume to high, and ring until you find it. Just make sure you don't tell anyone the phrase when telling them how cool the program is. They might text you during a show with the phrase and make you freak out...I also use Google Translate App a lot. I know you can use that on the web, but having it in app form is just so much more rewarding.

And there is the obvious advantage of your phone communicating with your gmail account for free vs. paying for the mobileme account to do the same basic things.

If it really comes down to your month to month costs, and you don't feel the iPhone is worth it you won't be missing much by switching to Android.

433

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: SHOWS: How to deal with walkouts

« on: Oct 20, 2010, 05:23 pm »

I work with a company on a regular basis who's content in past years has included rape, drug use, sex, murder, lynching, torture, racism, genocide, and Nazis just to name a few.

The company as a whole has always known the content could drive patrons (not just older) from the theater because we work in small spaces and seeing some of those things happen 10 feet in front of you can be disturbing, but we owe it to the work to not shy away from it. Like Rebbe said, their reaction is to the content, not necessarily the presentation.

The other tactic I've seen used by a cast is to "perform for themselves." Go into the performance knowing the audience won't get it, and it's perfectly ok. Just enjoy being onstage with each other and truly live in the moment and everything else be damned. This is something I had to do as an actor in a run of "The Good Woman of Setzuan" I performed in college. We started off being upset that people were leaving but by the time we closed we were having so much fun onstage we could honestly have performed to an empty house and been so happy to just share the space with each other.

434

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Sweeney Todd's bloody razor.. Ideas on How??

« on: Oct 20, 2010, 10:47 am »

I worked with one of Lee's design assistants (Gary Eckhart) in college on Sweeney! He designed our set to be a scaled down version of the original production. Very cool and probably not nearly as terrifying as working with Eugene Lee himself. I was also protected by being the ASM.

I've worked on Sweeney twice, once we used the bulb on the end as others have described.

The other time was more theatrical and we had the cast wearing false fronts to their shirts so when they got the barber's bib put on they could remove their shirt front to reveal a bloody mess of a shirt underneath. They kept the shirt front removed for the rest of the show, so randomly you would see a bloody actor on the stage and no one would seem to notice.

A lot of the director's inspiration came from the Broadway remounting I never saw, so if this is pulled directly from that and I'm not crediting it correctly, my apologies.

435

The Green Room / Re: SM Hobbies

« on: Oct 13, 2010, 02:38 pm »

Primarily when I'm working, I spend time playing video games to unwind. Its great to do something totally mindless.

If I get a long bout of unemployment, I'll read, write, cook, and more recently have been trading myself to write xhtml and css codes. I figure eventually i'll be able to make theater people websites for a fee and I won't have to deal with long bouts of unemployment.