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Messages - leastlikely

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46
Well I grew up with a speech impediment of my own (medial and final R) so I wouldn't have a problem with it! :) (Mine is gone now after 3 years of speech therapy around middle school... it still happens once in a blue moon but not enough for anyone else to notice, but I still feel a sense of identity with it even though it no longer affects me)

But I feel like... when a unique speech pattern is part of your everyday life, you make subconscious 'fixes' for it. You're always compensating. So I would guess your calling has a slightly different rhythm than mine does just so you can have a little "just in case" wiggle room. I can imagine that being on book could be frustrating both for you and the actors... but I don't think it should be a huge problem? Unless you get an actor who is super impatient. But I suspect that if they've ever had an actual conversation with you before the moment when they call line... then they will probably be aware of your stutter. Like, it shouldn't be a surprise to them. So yes, it may slightly throw off the rhythm of the scene, but... eh, I feel like most people aren't going to be shocked by it so they should be able to take it in stride.

I feel like it's not that big of a deal, in the big scheme of things. Speaking clearly is part of the job, but certainly not the only or even necessarily most important. So no, I definitely do not think a stutter is inherently a problem. If, on an average day, it doesn't hurt your ability to do your job, then no I don't think it matters.

47
Tools of the Trade / Re: Ergonomics and the Tech Table
« on: Jan 19, 2015, 07:44 pm »
I like to perch! Ideally on a stool/bar-height chair, resting against or sitting on the edge with my feet either touching the floor or resting on a cross bar. But of course this depends on the height of the desk... cause I'm pretty short, so if I have to bend to reach the desk, then I'd rather have a chair and just know I'm not going to stay seated for most of the show.

Basically, my needs depend on the booth I'm calling from... but perching is my preferred position.

48
The Green Room / Re: I'm back!
« on: Jan 18, 2015, 05:12 pm »
Yikes, that sounds like the opposite of what AJ told me (ps hi this is KD!), he seemed to be under the impression that the PM responsibilities were being taken off your plate (and would be covered by producer and interns). I knew it wasn't gonna work out that way. :( This probably isn't really the place to have that discussion, but ugh sorry it's happening this way. Hope it gets smoothed out soon!

49
Uploaded Forms / Re: Scene Timing Grid
« on: Jan 13, 2015, 01:10 am »
Was poking around the forms section and this reminded me of a scene timing sheet I had made for myself back when I was doing radio dramas, where it is vital to be timed perfectly to the second. If you have a 58:30 timeslot and your show runs 58:40, the last ten seconds will not be heard, but if you run 58:20, you'll need to kill ten extra seconds on air. It was helpful for me to know the exact differences in times from one rehearsal to the next, so I was able to know where the added or lost time was coming from. I lost the original workbook which had more than 5 minutes worth of work thrown into it... but this should be pretty easy to manipulate. You can time scenes, acts, pages, shifts, specific sequences, whatever you'd like, and it will calculate the time lost or gained each time you do it.

Punch in your lap time for each scene on the first column under every date. Once you have two dates worth of times in your sheet, it will calculate the - (meaning time lost since yesterday: the scene got faster) and the + (time gained since yesterday: the scene got slower). If it sped up, then there will be ##### in the + column, and if it got slower there will be ##### in the - column. They can be deleted if you prefer blank space!

50
I'm not sure I understand what you're asking.

Are you asking how to help actors be out of the way when set pieces fly in?

Are there lots of different combinations of set pieces that get flown in at any time? Or is it the same set every time, or maybe the same set for one act but then it's different in the next? If it's one set or just a few combinations, I would suggest taping out the shapes on the floor. If for instance act 1 is one combination of pieces, but act 2 is different, then you could use two different colors. However if it's like, one time a single wall flies in, another time there's a different wall and a staircase, and then later it's a tree, and then it's the first wall again... that might get too complicated for color-coding.

51
Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Email signature
« on: Jan 07, 2015, 07:46 pm »
I list all current or soon-upcoming shows. I have two ongoing educational tours in addition to whatever show I may actively be working on, so I include all of that. I've seen some people who list all of their upcoming shows, like the next six months... that's a little much for me to want to read. But if I'm in performances for one show while starting production meetings for the next, I'd put both of them on my list.

52
The Green Room / Re: Easiest Group of People to Work With?
« on: Dec 16, 2014, 04:01 am »
I work with clowns. We're talking both circus-type clowns as well as actors who are highly trained in physical comedy. (I do Commedia, not circus. But we do have actors with Ringling training and circus backgrounds.)

They are some of the greatest people I've encountered. Hilarious, don't get frazzled easily, always very professional. And they spend their free time tumbling and doing acrobalance and tossing each other around, which is always fun to watch.

53
In my world of freelance stage management, LinkedIn is of little value. I mean, I have one, but I certainly don't get jobs from it. Facebook has been a far better networking tool for me!

That said, I almost never use twitter, and definitely don't use it in a professional sense. Even so, I'm voting Hootsuite, simply because I can see greater value in it even if that value doesn't pertain to me specifically.

54
However, you can do design presentations via video phone, which can be tricky with a regular conference call. Of course it's not ideal, but if your lighting designer can't make it to town for the production meeting, she can still get a look at the scenic model and costume renderings even if she can't be in the room with them.

Also, this applies to very few people but it has been a big deal for me: I'm hearing but I work with Deaf artists a LOT. I've been to production meetings where the meeting was interpreted within the room but another Deaf designer skyped in so there was an interpreter positioned at the computer. I've also used video phone for communication between the booth and backstage, since headsets are mostly pointless if any of the participants are Deaf...

I actually originally voted for Google Drive because it has a wider scope of applications - my thought process was, "I love Google Drive, and I recognize that it's a super important tool not only for myself but for probably many many other stage managers too." But then I stopped and thought about it for a minute, and decided to switch my vote to video phone simply because of its necessity in MY life and work. I love Google Drive but I can get by without it. Video phone is irreplaceable because it provides us communication access in Deaf theatre. I realize that this actually doesn't apply to the vast majority... but it's important enough for me that I had to change it.

55
Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: PROPS: Prop turkey
« on: Oct 28, 2014, 05:07 pm »
We use an actor in a chicken suit.

("That chicken's as big as a boy!")

...this is probably not relevant for your needs.

56
Employment / Re: Which is better?
« on: Oct 20, 2014, 10:03 pm »
Are you asking how to arrange your resume? Or are you asking whether you should SM a show at your college this year, or to use that same timeframe doing two shows at a community theatre instead?

57
Tools of the Trade / Re: protecting mics
« on: Oct 17, 2014, 03:05 pm »
My boyfriend is a sound guy and he just did Carrie the Musical a couple months ago. During intermission, Carrie's mic element would get wrapped in saran wrap. It does affect the sound quality a bit, which is why they waited until the very last minute to do it. She took three buckets of blood to the face every night, and by simply covering the mic tightly with a small strip of plastic wrap, they were able to protect the element.

58
According to the googlemachine, it looks like Avalanche (fake snow) spray tends to be the Splurge of choice across the globe. There are several websites that sell or rent Splurge guns, and this is the product that all of them use: http://messysupplies.com/index.php?route=product/category&path=179_218

59
Introductions / Re: Living on a Theatre salary--wait.
« on: Sep 21, 2014, 11:35 pm »
Recently did a production of Titus Andronicus. When Titus kills Mutius, our fight was three parts. First an arm break, then a hip dislocation, then the killing stab. We used bubble wrap wrapped around the actor's arm and stuffed in the pants pocket. :)

Welcome!

60
Job Postings / DC - SM needed at No Rules
« on: Aug 20, 2014, 12:50 pm »
I'm the rehearsal PSM for "Seven Guitars" at No Rules Theatre Company, in residence at Signature Theatre in Arlington, VA. I need to hand it off to someone else to call the run, due to a pre-existing commitment. (If you're familiar with NRTC, it's important to note that I'm pretty sure there will be NO Winston-Salem run for this production. There is talk of maybe entering the show in some sort of festival in Winston-Salem maybe, but it will not have a full 3-week run down there.)

Looking for AEA or non AEA.

Important dates:

  • Aug 24 - design run
  • Aug 27 - design run
  • Aug 31 - paper tech
  • Sep 2 - tech starts
  • Sep 10 - first preview
  • Sep 13 - opening night
  • Sep 28 - closing

Please PM me if you're interested and available!

Update: got it covered, thank you!

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