Messages

496

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Stop The Show!

« on: Feb 02, 2007, 06:28 am »

I have noticed that smaller houses tend to be far more forgiving of show stops than larger ones - your experiance seems to confirm that. I am glad everything went smoothly, and god knows why they gave such applause to the actress who stayed in position - she probably had a wonderful nap whilst there... lucky person ;-)

497

College and Graduate Studies / Re: College Stage Management Guide

« on: Feb 01, 2007, 02:08 am »

I can't say I have ever encountered a "SM Guide" - however I have encountered "Stage Management Information Packets" - and am wondering if that is the sort of thing you are talking about.

As you are an education-venue, chances are, you will have fixed venues, so make sure you cover all the venue stuff - who to contact, how to book rooms after hours, what is and isn't allowed in what areas, issolation of smoke alarms (proceedure to do it OR who to talk to to get it done) etc.

I would probably preface with some information on the theatres, any famous people who have mounted a show there, or been trained by your school, etc.

Another section would be on prompt books - ie what NEEDS to be in the prompt copy handed in at the end of the show (rehearsal reports, absence reports, signin sheets, performance reports, incident reports, complaints against cast, disciplinary information, what ever).

Since it is an educational venue, you may not need to do medical forms, I don't know, but info on that should be included, as well as information about disposal of sensitive information (ie these forms) - I know that some places require sensitive information be destroyed by a contracted company, or incinerated.

Then there are the policy docs, position description, details about copyright pertaining to shows, and information about obtaining the rights for preshow music etc.

I think it would fall into three main sections - about us, what you need to do and "Legal mumbo jumbo"

498

Tools of the Trade / [FAQ] Comms Systems

« on: Jan 31, 2007, 08:08 am »

Thought I would collate some info on Comms, if you have any links to be added, please PM me with them, so we can keep this page relatively neat.


Forum posts:
Wireless Headsets - What's out there
Two Way Radios
Featherweight Headsets
High-End Comms systems
Headset Headaches

Websites:
Beltpack.com
ASL Intercoms
ClearCom
Canford Audio

499

Tools of the Trade / Re: Computer Clock built with AEA Breaks in mind

« on: Jan 31, 2007, 07:54 am »

It will not work on a Mac running OSX, it is in .exe format.

Would not be too hard to get running on a Mac, looking at it... I will try it on mine later... Using WINE or VirtualPC. On intel Mac's, it would run under bootcamp.

500

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Prompt books and the computer

« on: Jan 30, 2007, 08:10 am »

Welcome to the boards...

Try this post (in Tools of the Trade)

501

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Well, if you can't admit it here, where can you?

« on: Jan 29, 2007, 11:01 pm »

Most of that would have been nerves. It happens.

If it happens again, just write yourself a list of things you need to remember to do - before, during and after rehearals (so three lists) and put them up the front of your bible.

502

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Light Walkers

« on: Jan 29, 2007, 10:43 pm »

My favorite way to punish people for being consistantly late to rehearsal (it's college so I can't just fire them) is to make them be light walkers.

That must come under the banner of Cruel and Unusual punishment. The job is a real pain... especially when you are the tallest walker, and there is an actor who is a good foot taller than you, so you spend half of your time with your hand raised above your head so that the LD can make sure that the actor is entirely visable.... *shudder*

503

SMNetwork Archives / Re: Painting A Scrim

« on: Jan 29, 2007, 04:33 pm »

If it is a cotton scrim, then use dye not paint - paint is a dye with a binding agent, and the binding agent will block the holes in the scrim, making it loose it's transparency, where as dye will just be absorbed by the cotton, colouring the fibres.

If it is a synthetic scrim, dilute acryllic paint at about 1:4 and test on a small square to make sure it is still transparent. If not, dilute further. If you dilute too much, the paint will not stick to the synthetic, and if you don't dilute enough, the binding agent will block the holes.

You can get some dyes that wash out - I have never tried them though, so I cannot comment on how good they are.

I cannot remember the exact proceedure for painting a scrim - but from memory, it is usually to prepare a full sized drawing of the design, lay the scrim over it and stretch it downwards slightly - to compensate for the load on the bottom when hung, then carefully paint - start from one side and work across, until finished. Allow to dry then carefully peel off the drawing behind it and hang. Set design is not my strong point, so hopefully someone else will be able to provide a better answer.

504

Tools of the Trade / Re: [FAQ] Scheduling and Calendar Applications

« on: Jan 29, 2007, 03:00 am »

I just inherited an Apple Mac computer the other day, so I decided to play with iCal - for those interested, here are a few print-outs (saved as PDFs) I have done with the data I have entered already, as well as a screen shot of the actual program.

--edit <ATTACHEMENTS REMOVED>

505

Tools of the Trade / Re: Two-way radios

« on: Jan 28, 2007, 02:51 pm »

Those mic's are great pre-show - I use one all the time when I am given one for OH&S purposes/pre-show coms with FOH etc. - except most of them do not have the ability to disable the speaker and re-route to a headset, making them impractical for calling.

506

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Light Walkers

« on: Jan 27, 2007, 06:38 pm »

I have always used the term "Light walker" in the following sense.

Basically, people who's sole job is to stand in the place of actors during the lx plot. Usually, when recruiting Light Walkers, you try and get people who are close to the same height as the actor they stand in for, with colouring as close to the actor as possible.

507

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: First and Last Names

« on: Jan 23, 2007, 07:24 am »

Most of my minutes etc use character names, because that is how I tend to think of the actors.

For sign-in sheets, "LAST, First" is the way I usually write them - which I think stems from the fact that when I was at school, that is how our attendance forms were written out.

Dressing Room labels - "First Last - Charactor"

508

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: marijuana and theatre

« on: Jan 22, 2007, 04:38 pm »

As far as getting rid of the smell, do NOT burn incense. This is just as bad and you're really only covering the other smell

That is the point - and what I meant was that it should be done immediately after the actors leave, so that the room at least does not smell of Pot (or sage) and the fabric etc will smell more pleasant. I know that I break out in a rash whenever I sit on/come into contact with something that has had odor 'eliminators' sprayed on it (same with spray starch... god knows why) - and whilst I have no idea if it is common, for my own comfort I don't use them.

509

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: marijuana and theatre

« on: Jan 22, 2007, 03:54 am »

Ask if they can "perform their religious duties outside" and if that fails:

Open all the windows and put a fan in the room after they leave, maybe burn some incense.

510

Employment / Re: Cruise jobs

« on: Jan 22, 2007, 01:38 am »

Mac, sounds like a pretty nice life once the shows up! Which cruise provider were you with?

Sam x

Silversea