Messages

46

The Hardline / Re: Director Notes

« on: Aug 20, 2013, 02:09 pm »

Protecting half-hour and backstage really does need to be in all contracts.....and codes!

Generally speaking, a director (or designer or stage manager) giving notes during half-hour does more harm to that evening's performance than good; in the middle of a pre-show, performers are often unable to process notes, especially if they're vague or too ambitious.

However, since we can't actually ask actors to do work prior to the half-hour call, if there isn't a rehearsal earlier in the day, I find half-hour to be very useful to give simple, specific notes, such as "bring down the volume of the ad lib section", "Make sure you don't dump that prop in the other actor's way", "Your light in that scene is a couple steps downstage of where you've been landing".  Some actors would rather hear that within the half-hour call, instead of catching them after a performance.  Also, costume designers in particular need to work during the half-hour call as people are getting into costume before a dress rehearsal or a preview.

Because of all that, I'd be leery of pushing for this restriction in a contract.  Just my two cents, and not to detract from the original post, which I agree with - directors need to send their notes through the stage manager, who's in charge of maintaining the show after they leave.  And backstage during a show? Disaster. And what possible help could that be?

47

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Harassment issue at a set build

« on: Jul 11, 2013, 01:46 pm »

A fantastic set of resources that every woman should have at her fingertips:

http://rainn.org

Thank you for your concern for this young lady's safety.  I hope my daughter grows up to be as much of a leader as you are, jess1532.

--
Heath

48

The Hardline / Understudy doing only part of a principal's track?

« on: Jul 07, 2013, 11:29 am »

I hear today that one of my principals was up all night with food poisoning.  He tells me he wants to perform today, but isn't up to the physical challenge of running around related to one particular quick change for a non-speaking role.  He normally plays four different characters over the course of the play.  He wants me to call in his understudy for that one bit part, and he'll perform the rest.

Makes sense to me.  My question is, do we do any announcements or signage?  My inclination is not, since the understudy is non-union and the role is a bit part, not even mentioned in the playbill.

What do you all think?

49

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Can you earn a living? (2013 Research Data)

« on: May 02, 2013, 02:58 am »

I don't think I could have made it to professional status without splitting my costs (and during my grad school, being supported by) my wonderful partner.

50

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Learning Lighting

« on: Apr 30, 2013, 06:09 pm »

Contact the crew head of a theatre you've worked with and ask if you can help out during a hang or focus.

The next time you SM, pay close attention to the lighting designer during tech.  If you have time, have the designer or an electrician walk you through the focus.  Ask one of them to give you a sample of a "magic sheet". 

When you're calling a show, pay attention to how cues run and what color choices were made. 

After closing, if there's time before the light crew strikes and the theatre is empty, ask if you can play with the light board some and build your own "cues" to practice.

That's all things you can do on your own.  Another thing you could do, if you had the time, is volunteer to be an assistant lighting designer for one of your colleagues (if you're not otherwise working during their tech).

Hope this helps,

51

Tools of the Trade / Re: Dropbox account full

« on: Mar 06, 2013, 01:41 am »

Youtube is perfect!  I've used it for fight choreo before, I was just so locked into the Dropbox paradigm with this group of people that it didn't occur to me.

52

Tools of the Trade / Re: Dropbox account full

« on: Mar 05, 2013, 08:46 pm »

Bwoodbury, I've got 15 people who have "joined" the folder.  Unless there's some setting I don't understand in Dropbox (which is entirely possible), the folder's still full of stuff.

I think I need to send out an e-mail telling everyone that I need to rotate out last week's vids to make room for what we're doing now, and they need to download the files if they want to reference them later.

Nick, that looks like an interesting link and may be a good way to handle it, but my company's server won't let big files be sent over e-mail.  Does the retransfer e-mail just link to their server, and the files are accessible through a web browser?

Thanks,
--
Heath

53

Tools of the Trade / Dropbox account full

« on: Mar 05, 2013, 05:32 pm »

So on my current show, I'm using Dropbox to share video of choreography for actors to review and for designers to see in advance of a run though.  Problem? my free account is full.  I used to use iDisk to transfer files, but that's dead. 

What's current, and free, to support Dropbox?  Any ideas?

Thanks,

54

The Green Room / Re: SMNetwork fundraising drive 2013

« on: Mar 03, 2013, 02:12 pm »

I hit the tip jar.  How close are we to the goal?

55

Homework Help / Re: Deadline 3.22.13: Stage Managers and Equity

« on: Mar 02, 2013, 04:45 am »

http://www.amazon.com/Performance-Century-Association-Professional-American/dp/1557838372/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1362217447&sr=1-1&keywords=performance+of+the+century

Don't remember how to do the fancy hyperlink thing, sorry.  This is AEA's history, recently published for the centennial.

56

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Stupid Question..

« on: Mar 02, 2013, 04:40 am »

The "Count" is especially important for flying scenery, which (at this point) is still manual.  It's also a useful column for automated scenery, but I usually leave that blank as most often the set designer wants to figure it out onstage instead of theoretically.

57

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: The Executive Decision

« on: Dec 20, 2012, 12:28 pm »

To add to Matt's reply, each theatre has a different, unique relationship with its stage manager.  One theatre's standard practice could cause people at another theatre to tear their hair out.  The new stage manager's job is to fit him- or herself to the theatre in as seamless a manner as possible.

I think the way to do that is to build up the trust you have with your co-workers.  Interestingly, that trust is built just as much by how you handle your mistakes as it is built by all the times you make the right call.  It strikes me that fear of taking any steps forward is pretty clear evidence of untrustworthiness in a stage manager.

There's a difference between the rehearsal phase of the project and the performance phase of the project.  Speaking in the most general terms, and not knowing anything about your specific situation, I feel comfortable saying that SMs stay out of design or aesthetic decisions prior to opening.  The most I think an SM can do is point out logistical or pragmatic consequences of particular artistic choices - for example, when a scenic designer I knew wanted to have the pre-set of our three-quarter thrust include a large elevator in the down position, leaving a large hole in the middle of the stage, I pointed out that audiences in that theatre often walk across the stage before ushers can catch them, and if there's a hole in the stage, how can we ensure their safety?  I refrained from offering any of the three or four solutions I could think of off the top of my head, because that would interfere with the artistic process.

Once you are in performance, though, that changes.  You have the example of the opening night as the artistic ideal each performance is striving to achieve.  Variations from that ideal are easy to note, though sometimes harder to correct.  Here is where the SM has more discretion, I think.  In preparation for that role, I always pay very close attention to the director's work on the play and will sometimes ask for a face-to-face meeting with the director during the preview process to make sure that my eye is seeing and noting what she wants me to be watching for, and to strategize on how best to communicate notes to particular cast members.

hope this helps,

58

The Hardline / Re: straight-six on LORT musicals?

« on: Nov 01, 2012, 02:39 am »

Hi Matt,

West Coast, e-mailed question & response.  The tone of my question was similar to the tone of my first post in this thread. 

The question arose from brainstorming options to deal with a particular actor's conflict on a particular day.  Other SMs at my theatre wouldn't have seen any reason to ask. 

Sometimes I wonder if the flexibility that you note in union rules gives staff leeway in negotiating with particular theaters, particularly theatres that reference the LORT contract without actually being members of LORT themselves.  Obviously, that's simply speculation on my part.

My gloss of the logic involved is that under the Musical rules in Section 37, "(F) Workweek" is intended to replace all of the workweek rules in Section 50(a) and 50(c).  And it does make sense to me that you wouldn't want to sing JOSEPH, for example, for six hours straight.

If it were something we really needed to get the show done, or were scratching our heads to develop a workable solution, I'd probably do as you suggest and have further questions, perhaps push for a concession request.  As it is, I'll just tell the director we need to explore other options and let it lie unless I get pushback about it.

59

The Hardline / Re: straight-six on LORT musicals?

« on: Oct 31, 2012, 10:48 pm »

Latest word from my business rep is that no, the straight-six option is not available since it is not part of the work rules for musicals under the LORT contract.

AS ALWAYS, contact your own business rep for interpretations of the rules.  Don't rely on my report here (or any other post).  Always rely on the word from your business rep at AEA. 

As members, we always are speaking from our own individual experience and are not speaking on behalf of AEA for any interpretation or policy.

Thanks all,

60

The Hardline / straight-six on LORT musicals?

« on: Oct 27, 2012, 11:39 pm »

I think I should already know this, but is the straight-six rehearsal day option available for musicals under a LORT contract?

Each straight-six rehearsal block counts as eight hours when calculating work-week hours, but that doesn't preclude a straight six from replacing the 7-hour rehearsal day allowed for musicals, does it?