Messages

46

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Headset Etiquette

« on: Aug 10, 2007, 07:50 pm »

My theatre doesn't use Mics... and we've learned the hard way to not have questionable conversations over the headsets. I was running spotlight for a show (They called up the day before and said "We don't have a spot op. HELP!" What's a guy to do?) and we were having marvelously dirty conversations because it was a long and boring show that none of us really wanted to be doing but had to be anyways. Well, halfway through the run of the shows, a few cast members approached us and told us we should do a radio talkshow because we were so funny. We then realized our conversations were being broadcast to the greenroom full of actors. "Ohcrapness" ensued.


Basically, we talk on headset about whatever if it's slow, but once standby hits, it's "Shut up." and everything is dead. Depending on the show and the people on the headset though....

47

Tools of the Trade / Re: Should I become a Mac-er?

« on: Aug 09, 2007, 08:58 am »

I stand corrected - you *can* disable the "Are you SURE you want to open _______" but the ~250mb of security measures cannot be deactivated - at least that's what I've been told by several of my friends who know are huge self-admitted geeks and know essentially everything there is to know about windows.

48

Tools of the Trade / Re: SM Software

« on: Aug 06, 2007, 09:11 pm »

I haven't heard of anything like this out there.  Seems like it'd have to be a very  powerful piece of software for an incredibly small market of people.  Not even worth developing in my opinion.

I don't think it would have to be that powerful or even difficult to develop. It could even be done as a pre-built Excel macro. That would make it easily user-customizable as well. Just a matter of pulling variables from a database and linking them to other variables in a database on a regular and easily manageable basis.

Kind of hope you're kidding here...  I know there are a good number who do prefer Mac, but I think you'll find the overwhelming majority are still on PC and will be for the foreseeable future, but let's not open this can of worms again.

I'm only partially kidding. I've just used both PCs and Macs over the years, and grew up entirely on Windows (dad is a database developer for windows clients.) There are just certain functions on the Mac that I would have an extremely hard time going without on a windows machine for doing anything of the SMing variety. And other things that are coming out in Leopard that I'll be utilizing even more and will definitely help with organization and workflow. (i.e. stacks and spaces)

Yes, the overwhelming majority of 25yr old+ SMs are on Macs. But more and more colleges (in my area and experience) are switching over to Macs, so the 'next generation' so to speak I think will be much more Mac-heavy. I have a lot of respect for windows, and as long as you're not using Vista, can see it being perfectly usable and even beneficial in some respects. Windows Vista is just a joke, and is more what I was aiming my chiding of Windows towards.

*closes the can*

49

Tools of the Trade / Re: SM Software

« on: Aug 06, 2007, 07:09 pm »

I suppose it could be done with an Excel spreadsheet, but I would love a piece of software that allows me to have a list of props pieces, then pull them up from a database into which scene changes they're moved in and where they're put, and if the situations warrants it, by whom. Anyone know of anything like that out there? Must work on a Mac though btw, though I'm guessing/hoping anyone who seriously uses a computer for SM work is already on a Mac anyways? :-P

50

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Being realistic?

« on: Aug 05, 2007, 02:05 am »

Definitely something the Fiancee and I have been discussing. It looks like after we graduate, we're going to move to Pasadena, CA (suburb of LA) where she'll attend Mimestry (http://www.aiminternational.org/forum/viewtopic.php?t=204, we're currently working with Todd and Marilyn here in Grand Rapids) and get her 2nd B.A. through that, as well as develop some contacts, as many of the individuals there have contacts throughout the world - both mime related, as well as straights plays, etc. While in Southern Cali, I'll be doing the majority of the breadwinning, so probably sticking with my retail job for now, but once we get done with that, looking to move to either Seattle or London and pursuing theatre there. Kids aren't in the picture for the next 6 or so years at least as we don't want to try to raise children while both doing theatre, which is both of our passions.

Thank you very much for all the advice, you've definitely given me some more insight into what is/is not feasible, as well as where to get started.

51

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Calling a warning for a cue

« on: Aug 03, 2007, 08:20 pm »

As has been echoed by others here:

Warnings if either the cue requires a lot of set up, (i.e. making sure that someone has finished up with their previous action and can get set for the next. It also gives some extra time if something goes wrong on a big cue that requires set up) or if there haven't been any cues in a while. Professional theatre, this might not be necessary, but in college theatre, sometimes the crew is doing homework or reading a book backstage if there's a 15 minute gap between cues (which sometimes happens). Otherwise, just standby/go is sufficient, though if there's a bunch of cues together (i.e 4 light cues and 2 sound cues in the span of 20 seconds), I'll just call a "standby cues x through x" and just "go's" from there.

52

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Being realistic?

« on: Aug 02, 2007, 11:39 pm »

Just looking for some advice from those who have been in the theatre a bit longer than I have.

I'm currently employed by a large corporation. They're growing tremendously right now, and I basically have a guaranteed career out of the deal. I could (theoretically) move on up the ranks for the next 30 years, while letting my fiancee/wife do the theatre thing and me sitting in the wings being supportive, retire at the age of 60. BUT, as you all know, there is something about the allure of SMing that I just can't put away. All of that having been said, is it feasible to try to balance a full-time career with SMing? The industry I work in is retail, so hours can be crazy - but flexible. Would it be worth it to spend the next few years working off my student loans and SMing smaller shows, then (trying) to break into more full-fledged SMing once I've gotten to a point where I'm somewhat financially stable? Is there money to be made SMing? I'm not in it for the money really, I'm in it because it's so fulfilling for me, and that's what I want with my life. I have just come from a family where money was always tight, and I dread putting my family through that as well if I focus on stage managing and walk away from a more financially fruitful career.

Any thoughts?

53

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: thoughts on hanging out with the cast after shows

« on: Aug 02, 2007, 10:48 pm »

Chilling with fellow students is one thing.  Chilling with your cast in a professional or non academic environment is something else altogether....

What about community theatre? It's non-academic, but I'm pretty good friends with a number of people who will be in casts/crews. I mean, I guess there's always exceptions, but would it be a good idea to not hang out with the entire cast/crew, but still ok to chill with the people that were your friends from before on a entirely-unrelated-to-theatre basis?

54

Tools of the Trade / Re: Should I become a Mac-er?

« on: Aug 02, 2007, 01:38 am »

After growing up with Windows (dad was a software developer, had a windows machine in the house when I was born) I made the switch to mac about a year ago, and I will NEVER go back. 'Expose' was immeasurably helpful to me in the last show I was ASMing, since I had about 15 different documents open at the same time, and had to try to keep track of what was where. I would've been hosed on a windoze machine. Also, for reliability and getting back on your feet if it goes down - a mac can't be beat, especially if you're in the vicinity of an Apple store - my battery died on me one night before rehearsal. I ran (frantically) to the Apple store, where they replaced it free of charge in about 15 minutes. Beats shipping it off for 4 weeks and maybe getting it back fixed.

Note with Vista: ~250mb are taken up by security measures that you CAN'T turn off and serve no purpose. Also, it asks you EVERY FREAKIN' TIME you try to open an application. Macs ftw.

55

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: How do I audition for SM at a college?

« on: Aug 02, 2007, 01:25 am »

I guess my college is fairly laid back then? We're not a dedicated theatre school, but our theatre department is exceptional. We've got several profs who were well known in their various circles, and one of whom even has his own company that he runs during the summer when he's not professoring. To get an SM position there you need to have proven yourself by crew work on previous shows. It's usually just understood who's going to SM the show without any interviews/anything like that. There's about 4 of us who have SM'd, and only 2 of us are actually serious about what we do (the other 2... ugh)

Just work on developing a relationship with the profs. After merely a semester, I was on a first-name basis with all the profs and they were all cool with it. Definitely helps.

56

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: thoughts on hanging out with the cast after shows

« on: Aug 02, 2007, 12:58 am »

I think it's totally cool to chill with the cast/crew. I too am in a college environment, but I find it quite easy to demand respect from the same people I went out drinking with last night when I am in a SM role above them. Definitely ok to do, as long as you don't start playing favorites with the actors/crew you hang out with on a regular basis.

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Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: theatre romance

« on: Aug 02, 2007, 12:53 am »

My Fiancee and I are currently in the same theatre company. It's a slightly different situation because it's on a college level, but we began hanging out before I joined the company, and we actually co-ASM'd a show together. It worked out well in the sense that we knew how the other person worked, but the biggest difficulty we had was one of us always tended to be stubborn towards one thing or another, causing a disagreement with the other of us - usually not even related to anyone else in the show, it's just the way things worked out. We are able to maintain a high level of professionalism though, and it's worked out well. Since we're both heavily involved in the theatre, I doubt our relationship would work if we didn't do shows together, since we'd never see each other. ^.^