Messages

61

College and Graduate Studies / Re: Did/Do you attend Rutgers?

« on: Oct 10, 2007, 10:07 am »

I have a friend that graduated from Rutgers a few years ago and said a lot of great things about the program.

62

College and Graduate Studies / Re: Nyu?

« on: Aug 27, 2007, 09:07 pm »

I have a friend who is a stage manager and graduated from the NYU program a couple years ago.  From my experiences with her, she is only a sm...not a designer as well.  PM me if you have specific questions and I can ask her and pass the info along.  I work with their grad acting program occasionally, so that is where most of my nyu knowledge falls.

63

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

« on: Jul 23, 2007, 11:13 pm »

I made the switch to a Mac about 2 years ago.  It started with my husband getting a Mac, and I was still using my Dell laptop which was getting increasingly slower, so I ended up using his computer more than mine.  When the time came for me to get a new laptop it wasn't even a question.

Good luck with your decision!

64

Employment / Re: Is NY Fringe Work worth it?

« on: Jul 14, 2007, 03:45 pm »

Fringe is mostly AEA showcases.  The shows I have worked on (and most of my friends) are very low paying - sometimes as little as subway fare but I've also been paid more.  They are a good way to get to know people in the community and often you get to work with some very talented individuals.  The primary reason for working a Fringe show is to do something fun and a little out there and as always, to network.  Feel free to PM me if you want more details either on working a Fringe show or pay scale.

65

Employment / Re: First Aid/Fire Guard

« on: Jul 05, 2007, 04:23 pm »

I always try to keep my first aid and CPR current just because it is good to know. 

As far as the fire guard certification, I have one but my understanding is you have to have a company help you get it.  You need a letter from the company to take in with you when you take the test.  I actually got mine when I was working house staff and they paid for me to get it.  I don't think it's helped me get jobs, just a perk for whoever hires you.

66

SMNetwork Archives / Re: Multi-tool advice?

« on: Jun 26, 2007, 06:17 pm »

I have a Leatherman Juice XE6.  I have another, more traditional leatherman as well.  Though, since I got the Juice I use that one more since it is smaller & lighter with a good deal of what I need on a daily basis.

67

Stage Management: Other / Re: cold calling an opera

« on: Jun 14, 2007, 05:30 pm »

I've never cold called a show, though I have cold teched a show.  The company lost their first stage manager for various reasons and hired this other SM.  Apparently she and the director were okay during the few days of rehearsal she was in, but when tech came things were not going well.  I was working with the company on another show and got a phone call late at night asking if I could step in and take over in the middle of tech - keeping the SM on as the ASM for the run.  I couldn't do the entire run due to other commitments, but I walked into the second of three days of tech without ever reading the show and teched Act II.  The next night we did our one and only dress with me calling mostly visual cues for a show I'd never seen and opened it the next night.  Once the show opened, I trained another SM and left the show.

Certainly a good adrenaline rush, though not something I want to do often.

68

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Dressing For The Part?

« on: Jun 14, 2007, 11:02 am »

The scrubs I have I purchased at a medical clothing-type company and they were only about $10 - $12 per item.  I've had them for over a year now and they are still holding up well.

69

SMNetwork Archives / Re: Is part of being a Stage Manager being an artist?

« on: Jun 06, 2007, 01:01 am »

I was always taught that the SM is the "5th actor"

This is going to a new level for me this summer.  In my Midsummer Night's Dream we are having the fairies be little lights (LEDs and Lasers perhaps) and voiceovers, so I will be cueing large sections of dialogue each performance.

70

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Dressing For The Part?

« on: Jun 01, 2007, 01:24 pm »

OMG, I had to do this with an actor once and it was awful.  I tried the whole "talking to the whole cast as a group thing" about wearing deoderant and it just didn't get through...so I had to take the actor aside and I think I said something to this effect:

Not on a show I've worked on, but I have worked with a director who had a cast that as a group was not the best smelling group.  This director took the group onstage one day before a performance or dress rehearsal, gave them a lecture about deodorant and showering.  After that they made the who group put on deodorant prior to going down to the dressing rooms.

On another note...I have a pair of black scrubs with pockets that I LOVE when I'm running the deck.  The pockets it has are huge and can fit many things (maglite, leatherman, pens/pencils/sharpie...)

71

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Interesting request for performance reports...

« on: May 07, 2007, 01:34 pm »

I'm about 4 weeks into a run using a performance report in Word with an imbedded Excel sheet to do calculations for me.  I'm finding it a great combination.  (Stole it fair and square from another stage manager, and this is the first show I've used it on.)

Then I cut and paste the entire thing into an email (I do have to copy the excel part separately, Entourage doesn't like it all together), and also attach the original Word doc file.

Erin

That sounds intriguing.  I've never embedded an Excel file into word...how do you do that?

72

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Eugene O'Neill Internship

« on: Apr 17, 2007, 02:47 pm »

I have a friend who was up there last summer and I believe is returning this summer.  She loves it.  I also know actors who go up there in the summer and have only good things to say.  Enjoy!

73

Stage Management: Other / Re: Just did my first wedding...

« on: Mar 19, 2007, 06:52 pm »

In December I stage managed one of my best friends' wedding....she had done mine a couple years ago.  Luckily she had hired good people for the wedding and no one was late.  I actually had a really good time.  I've been a bridesmaid many times, and I felt much more useful and more involved as the stage manager.  Everyone seemed pleased with how things went, which was smoothly.  The only thing that didn't go quite as planned was the photographs.  There just wasn't enough time in the schedule to get the full list that the bride wanted done, but she was fine with that.

My friend who got married is a production manager and we've discussed going into business together as wedding planners if we decide to leave theater.  That being said, unless I'm paid a tidy sum or doing it for someone I love, I'm not sure I would be interested.

74

SMNetwork Archives / Re: Stress and Eating Right

« on: Mar 19, 2007, 10:17 am »

One thing that helped me get into eating healthier on busy days is a crock pot.  I will usually make something in my crockpot once or twice a week.  Once it's finished, I package it into single-serving containers and can either bring it in to warm-up all week or stick it in the freezer for those really busy times.  I like the crockpot because I can stick something in on my day off and take care of everything I need to, then come back to a home cooked dinner.  Some of the simple recipes are also great for tossing into the crockpot just before bed and it cooks while you sleep.

75

The Hardline / Re: AGMA?

« on: Feb 23, 2007, 10:25 pm »

On a random AGMA side-note...I am currently working on a straight play that is on an AGMA contract.  The company I am working for has negotiated a contract with AGMA that is similar to a LORT contract and apparently AGMA is quite happy to have the theatrical company as a part of their union.