Messages

541

Employment / Re: Being a Reference

« on: Mar 14, 2013, 08:23 pm »

Be honest from the start.

I have created rules for myself – I need to work with someone on multiple shows or at least six months.  This blocks a lot of casual references.   The only time I will give a reference after one show is for interns.
If I don’t feel comfortable giving a reference on someone, and they ask – just be honest and quick, saying “I don’t feel comfortable giving a reference based upon our work together.”  You can put it as softly as you want – but that should be the gist of it.

If someone lists me as a reference, and I don’t feel comfortable giving a reference, the standard (and I think legal) thing to do is just confirm dates of employment and position.  If they ask any other specific questions, you can say simply, “I don’t feel comfortable commenting on their work.”  If you are not enthusiastically giving a recommendation, it’s understood they probably should not be hired.  (Also, a little note – probably better to give recommendations over the phone then email . . . )

If I end up getting a call about someone, and I am not sure if they are right for the job, especially if it is a younger stage manager, I will ask about the position.  I try to figure out what they are looking for, so I can try to see if the person asking for the reference, in my opinion, has the right stuff for the job.  I find that although sometimes I am not able to offer an enthusiastic recommendation, I am able to give a weighted one.

542

The Green Room / Re: LEGAL ISSUES IN STAGE MANAGEMENT: Discussion - no answers or legal advice here

« on: Mar 14, 2013, 08:01 pm »

Regarding Prop Kitchen . . . which was located with XX number of feet of a "warming kitchen" for catering, we would get inspected . . . but basically just overlooked - since there was an assumption that since the kitchen was near the catering kitchen it might be used.  Deck crew had to keep it tidy.

543

The Green Room / LEGAL ISSUES IN STAGE MANAGEMENT: Discussion - no answers or legal advice here

« on: Mar 14, 2013, 10:42 am »

On the discussion on student stage management kits, we were discussing the murky legal issues of the legality of handing people over the counter medication.  Some of us are aware of the legal issues involved in it.  As always, laws vary from state to state, country to country.  But it is good to be aware that there are parts of our jobs that come up against laws.  Everyone should be aware of these issues.

** THIS IS NOT LEGAL ADVICE **

Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) Privacy and Security Rules brings up issues about what you can tell people about other people's health issues and concerns.

There are hiring practices about age, race, sex, gender, sexual orientation - - - I remember once being told by a PSM that, for the one open slot, he was looking for African American Woman . . . seriously?  I was not that interested in working with the PSM.  Twice in my life I have been told straight out, I was NOT being hired because I was white?   

Also, our paperwork, books, reports, etc - can be subpoenaed.   

Copyright laws in dealing with scripts, scores, and video recording.  (Or, how do we feel when know a sound designer puts a song in the show you don't have the rights to . . . )

And these have nothing or little to do with the union rules we operated under.

What other legal issues does our find us navigating?

544

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: JOB DESCRIPTION: SM Role in the automated future

« on: Mar 14, 2013, 10:17 am »

it's funny though, how many, many shows have a sound mixer that mixes the shows without our calling (and on a lot of musicals . . . takes their own sound cues) - and we have been fine with that for years.

I wonder why, me included, we tend to stiffen up about issues with the light cues being taken on their own . . .

just interesting.

545

Introductions / Re: New Stage Manager

« on: Mar 12, 2013, 10:18 am »

Welcome to the site.

I am sure you will be able to reach and make contact, and learn from a lot of us here, and teach many of us here.

That's being part of this community.

546

The Green Room / Re: Regrets

« on: Mar 07, 2013, 11:37 pm »

And to be honest, I also apply for jobs as back-up to other jobs - but the second job I was inform of where I stand with the first job.

Remember, you have to keep work lined up.

547

The Green Room / Re: Regrets

« on: Mar 06, 2013, 12:29 am »

I have figured out a long time ago, unless I am contracted with a conflict, I apply to everything.

How do I know I like or job or not based off a half-page job description?  You get to interview them, as much as they get to interview you . . . and some jobs I thought I would have hated at the start of the interview process, I actually got excited about. (And we all know the jobs that were exciting at the start that turned out bad . . . )

(Oh, my 2000th post)

548

Tools of the Trade / Re: Dropbox account full

« on: Mar 06, 2013, 12:27 am »

I second the youtube thing . . . we did that . . . marked them as private . . . deleted them weekly.

549

The Green Room / Re: Thoughts on Director Acting in Show?

« on: Mar 04, 2013, 10:12 pm »

better the director/actor/writer/producer combo.

that happens a lot - vanity projects galore in NYC

550

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Curious about unions

« on: Mar 04, 2013, 08:51 pm »

There is no perfect place to put stage managers, but AEA makes the most sense of the three unions . . . in my opinion . . .

551

The Green Room / Re: SMNetwork fundraising drive 2013

« on: Mar 02, 2013, 01:29 pm »

Donated some for now, promise more later . . .

552

Tools of the Trade / Re: SM Kit *for students*

« on: Mar 01, 2013, 10:15 am »

And there is a huge difference from bringing an item because we need it to the job, and my bringing an item because I want to do it MY way.

You can easily do contact cards with laminating them, but I like to laminate them - thus I bring my laminator.

553

The Green Room / Re: "I quit!"

« on: Feb 27, 2013, 11:38 pm »

Lifehacker article . . .

http://lifehacker.com/5987241/how-to-know-when-its-time-to-quit-your-job

554

The Hardline / Re: Theatres That Have Closed--Can You Say "Emergency?"

« on: Feb 27, 2013, 11:18 pm »

http://www.jpinews.com/v2/content.aspx?ID=61545&MemberID=1981&Title=kentucky-repertory-theatrecloses-doors-dims-lights-after-36-years&GUID=79c5209a-ea45-4aa3-b1c7-baa31799cd2ayou


Kentucky Repertory Theatre: Closes doors, dims lights after 36 years

555

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: JOB DESCRIPTION: SM Role in the automated future

« on: Feb 27, 2013, 06:11 pm »

like air traffic controllers, I often describe my job as "hours of boredom interrupted by moments of sheer terror".

I firmly believe that as shows become more and more automated, stage managers are MORE important and our job becomes more complicated.

First, in the creation side of the show - there are countless things that need to be taken into account on how the show comes together.  Stage Management is in charge of making sure moment by moment, each department understands how a transition, a scene, or number is put together - and understand cutting ten seconds off a music cue, may make the scene transition impossible - and all the quick changes.

Teching a show - stage management is key to make sure that show is repeatable 8, 10, 24, 32 times a week .  And as long as there is live actors, the stage manager is important to make sure the live actors are "coloring in the lines" of the automated show . . . if someone steps out bounds, goes long, etc, a live human being needs to make a decision about how to handle it.

Maintaining the performances, understudies, put-ins - although there are a lot of "show directors" now who maintain shows, stage managers are usually the front line for those issues.

And then there is the "Management" portion of stage management - the dealing with human beings being human beings in the work place.  This is probably the most important part of job, often the one area where young stage managers get the least training.

You know - calling a show is a the most boring, repetitive, and to me, AT TIMES, soul sucking part of the job - if you teched the show well, the show should run smoothly most of the time.  And the moments something goes wrong - I perk up, get excited - there is something new happening - problem solving time - and we solve the problem, move on, and bam, I am back into the routine. 

NOW - if you felt strongly that the show required for you to call the cue - for timing purposes, you should have spoken up - and went - listen, I understand that this can be quite boring, but I think given the nature of this show we need to have one person calling it.

We are the conductor - sure everyone can play their own instruments, on their own rhythm, but a conducted piece brings it all together in one fluid performance.   

There is no doubt the nature of this business is changing drastically, but there is a place for us in the heavy automated, high tech shows, as there is for a four person, unit set drama.