Messages

46

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: SHOWS: How many times have you Stage Managed the same play/musical?

« on: Sep 09, 2010, 08:01 pm »

It made me realize how young the 19-22 year old set really is.  Especially the singer/dancer variety of 19-22 year olds.

47

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: SHOWS: How many times have you Stage Managed the same play/musical?

« on: Sep 09, 2010, 02:12 pm »

High School Musical, twice within the same year.  I feel like I'm going to send some time in theatre-purgatory for that.

48

The Green Room / Re: Being friends with other stage managers

« on: Jul 20, 2010, 12:10 am »

I think there is a BIG difference between attending any formal or informal SM drink night and going out for drinks with actual friends who happen to be stage managers.   The SM drink nights I have attended smack of self-satisfaction: the older, more experienced (and better-paid, better-connected) stage managers lapping up the adoration of the younger SMs, who are dying to make a good, informal contact.   

On the other hand, I have several dear dear friends (and several more good acquaintances) who are stage managers.  When we go out for drinks, we share war stories and compare notes for fun.  To blow off steam.  To get some perspective.  But not to show off.  Not to get a job.   

The question of competition among my friends is very real - we met at work and have an over-lapping network of contacts who alternately recommend one or another (or several) of us for work.  I have witnessed a "friendship" implode because friend A was hired for a position friend B applied for.  I personally had a person stop talking to me when I was hired in a position she didn't think I belonged in.  It has taken a while for me to accept this reality, but that person?  Not actually my friend.

For friendships to survive in this tiny world, it requires a lot of tact and graciousness, on both ends.  Excitement, disappointment, even jealousy?  Those are all human responses.  Its just a matter of how and when you express them that reveals who a true friend might be.

49

The Green Room / Vacation Fantasies?

« on: Jun 12, 2010, 12:16 am »

Inspired by the travel-recommendation thread, I thought I'd pose this question:  where does everyone want to go?  Any particularly fun or fantastic dream vacations?

I've done a bit of the Europe route, but actually feel like I haven't been to some important places in the good 'ole US of A.  Number one on my list for a "big" vacation is Alaska.  On a smaller scale (more do-able between shows) is visiting some of the historic cities in the Northeast I've never been to - Boston & Phillie.  Grand Canyon too.  Yosemite.  Yellowstone (Is it obvious I watched that PBS documentary on the National Parks?)

50

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: How Many times have you stage managed?

« on: May 23, 2010, 09:28 pm »

I hadn't ever really thought to tally my shows...had to dig up some old resumes to do the count.

Having worked professionally for the past seven years, I've PSM-ed 6, ASMed 29,  worked 35-50 concerts / events, plus 8 shows as PA/intern and in college 4 PSM and 2 ASM.  That puts me at nearly 50 fully-staged productions.  What a great reminder of how far I've come! 

51

Tools of the Trade / Re: File Totes

« on: May 06, 2010, 12:52 am »

Did you guys see this?! This would be PERFECT for us two-binder people!

Now I'm a one-binder kind of gal so forgive me my naivete here...I always thought the reason to use two separate binders was so you don't lug a script home every night / everywhere.  Why not use one larger binder and embrace the simplicity of the solution?

Looking at the photos of this binder, it looks too complicated (for me).  I imagine a lot of fumbling trying to go from one section to the other. 

52

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: In need of spike tape

« on: Apr 26, 2010, 12:06 am »

I'm glad I could help. 

53

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: In need of spike tape

« on: Apr 18, 2010, 11:58 pm »

I'm not sure if you are looking to purchase tape on the web, or in person.  If you're doing it online, I recommend toolsforstagecraft.com.  I needed a rush order from them and they were very helpful and kind.  I also have a soft-spot in my heart for smaller companies, so maybe that recommendation is slightly biased.

If you have access to getting into the city (I noticed one of your locations is Bergen County, not a far cry from NYC at all), you have  a lot of options. 

The theatrical lighting suppliers in town all carry expendables like spike / gaffers / glow tape.  I've used Barbizon Lighting (55th St. at 10th Ave) , SLD Lighting (47th between 8th and 9th Ave) and Garden Hardware (10th Ave at 48th Street).

54

Employment / Payroll Calculator

« on: Mar 30, 2010, 05:45 pm »

After I accept a job, especially under a new contract with a new pay-rate, there's always a little bit of anxiety for me until first payday - namely, "How much money will I take home?"  Because sometimes there can be real sticker-shock that first Thursday you get your first paycheck.  Between federal taxes, state taxes and everything else, it can be quite disappointing (or even alarming).

Well, I just found a website that allows you to input your weekly gross salary, state deductions, etc so you can see how much you'll actually be taking home on a given contract.  Here's the link:

http://www.paycheckcity.com/netPayCalc/netpaycalculator.asp

I thought this would be especially helpful for the "Can I really live off of this amount of money for x number of weeks / months?" conundrum.

55

The Green Room / Re: Burnt Out

« on: Mar 22, 2010, 11:51 am »

Sort of a corollary to Matthew's advice to treat your career as a business is this: make sure you are respecting your personal life and force your business to do it too. 

What does this mean exactly?  Think big life events - wedding, funerals, reunions, etc.  There are times, inevitably, where one of these once-in-a-lifetime events are going to conflict with a job offer / show / tech.   I expect that people who always chose work over life are the folks who leave the business sooner.  Part of preventing burn-out in the long run and building a sustainable career is creating life-work balance.

It took me about 5 years before I felt comfortable enough in my career to start treating my personal life with equal respect to my career, and I wish I had figured this out a bit sooner - I missed one major reunion in that time.  But since I've come to that realization, I have made 2 weddings and an unexpected funeral deal-breakers in negotiations.  I needed to be at these events, and made that clear to my employers.  In one instance, I actually turned down a job because I knew I would miss a Very Important wedding. 

Have I made the right choices?  And am I happy in my career.  Yes to both.

56

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Labtop vs. Pencil and Script/Notepad

« on: Mar 21, 2010, 01:39 am »

I'm going to join the chorus of the majority on this one.

Most of my professional career has been as an ASM on large musical productions where I am expected to take blocking and track costumes (entrances and exits) or props (or all three) at the same time.  My blocking notes and tracking notes are all intermingled in my script, and beautified and elaborated upon later in specific paperwork. 

I have observed fellow ASMs update paperwork / work on the computer in the rehearsal room and I really think it isn't a functional model for rehearsal management.  I have watched people become so engrossed in their project that they are:

1. Neglecting the current needs in the rehearsal room.  (A prop just broke, time to reset for the top of the scene, and an actor needs advil, and the folks on the computer are completely unaware of all three things).

2. Missing new information coming from the rehearsal that is happening 3 feet from them (I have had a fellow ASM ask me to fill in entrance / exit gaps in their paperwork even though we were both sitting in the same rehearsal at the same time).

3. Aren't learning the show.  Watching blocking, staging and choreography evolve through a process is part of how we, as  stage managers "learn the show" and do our jobs in the theatre at tech.  The more you watch the room and engage in it (by taking those notes), the more it becomes second nature.  In tech, the flow of a complicated sequence is familiar and common to an attentive stage manager, who can in turn provide guidance to the crew and designers.  I truly believe that computers disengage one from that process because its adding a middle man (Microsoft Word and all its quirks or formatting) into the equation.

4.  Tempted.  We all have facebook accounts, instant messenger programs, games on our computer plus personal email.  Its really easy to push one button "just to check my notifications" and two seconds later, the director walks over to ask you a question and well, in a word, you are busted.  I'd rather not add the additional task of constant self-control to my to-do list in the rehearsal room so, like others, my computer is closed or often in the office during rehearsals.

I'm not sure if I've accidentally strayed too far from the original poster's question of blocking in a computer, but I think my comments are appropriate in this thread.  Moderators - feel free to split this topic if I've veered too far.

57

The Green Room / Re: A thief caught by F. Murray Abraham

« on: Jan 26, 2010, 08:51 pm »

Unfortunately, it's often internal theft by people who understand how theaters work/are set up/not heavily guarded.

As mentioned in the article, the audience and access to backstage are not too far apart.  The theatre has riser-seating 3/4 around the stage and there's a weird little alley that runs nearly underneath two sets of the audience risers, leading to backstage.  There is also a flight of stairs that leads to the booth and admin offices. 

Who ever the crook is, I suspect he had some knowledge of the layout of the theatre and where the dressing rooms were.  Whether he worked in the industry, or just knew someone who did is anyone's guess right now, but that's what I'm guessing.

58

The Green Room / A thief caught by F. Murray Abraham

« on: Jan 26, 2010, 06:58 pm »

For those of you who haven't seen this already. 

http://www.playbill.com/news/article/136311-Drama-Beyond-the-Drama-F-Murray-Abraham-Scuffles-With-Backstage-Thief-at-CSC

59

The Green Room / Re: Road Life Advice

« on: Dec 29, 2009, 10:58 pm »

Pack yourself a plastic plate, bowl, and some real silverware.  It's so sad to buy a box of cereal to feel like you're eating "normal food"  only to discover to you have eat it out of the plastic cups in the hotel bathroom, with your hands.  Even fast-food tastes a little better on a plate.  Just adds a little bit of civility to hotel-room living.

60

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / POLICIES: Pranks

« on: Sep 08, 2009, 08:33 am »

So many of us have probably encountered the situation where actors get bored, or its near closing, so they decide to "have some fun" and mess with someone else's prop, or some other so-called innocent prank during a show.  I'm curious how other people have handled these situations.   Any horror stories or examples of how you handled discipline after a prank happened?

Also, what is your threshold for acceptable / unacceptable behavior?  I ask this question because, on a show I just closed, it seemed that the PSM and I had different opinions about what was ok.  She was of the mind that, if the actors were goofing off behind a set piece where the audience and the actors onstage couldn't see them, it wasn't ideal, but what can you do (sort of the boys-will-be-boys mentality).  I'm of the mind that turning a blind eye to minor pranks will lead to bigger pranks, which ultimately can impact the show.