Messages

61

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: SMing the Musical Rehearsals

« on: Sep 15, 2006, 11:55 am »

Yeah pretty much what others said, there really isnt anything to do except make sure everyone is there on time and the music director takes breaks and stuff.  On one musical I did when we had the music rehearsal the director/choreographer was not present so often I had to be around to let the music director know some of the stuff the director has set for that music number.  But overall you got nothing to do so its a great time to work on paperwork and such.  You also might want to check with the music director as well as in some cases there is no need for you to be there say if he is working on small solo pieces or something, not that you should try to sneak out of having to be at a rehearsal but sometimes you might be able to have the night off which we all know can be nice from time to time.

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SMNetwork Archives / Re: Essential Theatre Books

« on: Sep 13, 2006, 11:40 am »

Not neccessarily a book to read but definately a good one to have around is "Pocket Reference Book" from the toolsforstagecraft.com website.  Has all kinds of useful knowledge, in the current show I'm working on now during rehearsal we were having discussion how big of a bed we needed and I was able to pull it out with a tape measure and show the director exactly how big each bed size would be.  Of course it has a lot of other useful facts that will even tell you the scale of how hot different chili peppers are.

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Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: What do you want to tell Actors???

« on: Sep 11, 2006, 10:13 pm »

In addition to letting me know about the broken prop...let me know that the prop is broken BEFORE places the next performance. 

How it broke would be nice to know too, cause if it broke easily by you just picking it up we need to know so we can get something more durable.

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SMNetwork Archives / Re: Happy Stage Management Memories?

« on: Sep 08, 2006, 03:30 pm »

Happy memories are always good.  I was the production manager for a student run group whose purpose was to set up and staff campus events.  Mainly we worked with the Campus Activities Board (CAB) with their Fine Arts and Concert Series.  Well CAB had Hubbard Street Dance Company coming in and they did a marvelous job of scheduling that.  Originally it was scheduled for the opening night of the Dance Departments 25th anniversary Gala show (which i also happened to be stage managing in the theatre department).  So when they realized this problem they resheculed with Hubbard Street and moved the performance up a week.  Well great its no longer on opening night its now on the first day of Tech, but thats ok the head of the dance department was planning on postponing the first tech so that all the dancers could go see Hubbard Street.  Well the theatre CAB normal does show at had some problem (mainly us as a staff setting up CAB shows had issues with the staff there 1 person who knows nothing about running a theatre basically saying that me and my staff dont have enough experience this being when I was a senior in the Tech Theatre program and the technical supervisor at the theatre was a freshman in the tech theatre program.) Basically she (the person who ran the theatre) didnt like us cause we didnt do things the way the guy before my current boss did things, trust me that guy was a moron everyone hated working for him.  Anyway it was a shoddy theatre and it really wasnt convient to students to get there.  Well ultimately something broke on their fly system and we were able to get university legal to say we couldnt do shows there till someone inspected their rigging system (trust me it really needed it).  This was great news to use cause it didnt make us put our staff at risk in an unsafe venue.  ANyway that all happened over a month before the Hubbard Street show that was suppose to be there.  Well I became the production manager for the show like a week before it went up and no one even thought where to do the show.  Well through a lot of work and getting people to talk I was like well I know a place thats right on campus that just so happens will be set up for a dance show on that day.  So i arranged so that CAB could rent the Theatre Departments Theatre to do the Hubbard Street show.  We had to supply the theatre department with some more labor to help with the set up as we had a show strike sunday and had to have the theatre ready for Hubbard Street Thurs.  In the end everything came together splendidly.  I think part of what made it work was that I was the Stage Manager for hte Dance Departments show and the Production Manager for the Hubbard Street show, so ultimately I wouldnt let anything happen to the space that would jeopardize the Dance Departments show.  While the time leading up to the show date was hectic and crazy the day of the show everything was so smooth.  My boss got caught out of town as his car died and it was funny cause everyone in the office thought he was at the theatre, which i knew he wasnt but i had everything ran so smooth i was often standing around doing nothing.  And then what made it great was at the end of the show when the CAB representive got on stage to say thanks for coming and to thank a few people when they said thanks to the tech people for making it happen I (sitting in the back row of the theatre) hear "GO Shiv's" (a nickname of mine) from the front row where all my dancer friends from the dance department show were sitting. 

And even now my after graduating my former boss refers back to it as one of out most successful shows and that it never would have happened if it wasnt for me.  He never did want me to graduate cause he will never get someone to fill my shoes for a while. It's nice to know the quality of your work is missed.

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Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: What do you want to tell Actors???

« on: Sep 08, 2006, 02:47 pm »

During notes after a long tech, just take the note.  If the director tells you messed something up we don't need to hear you explain how you messed it up or you thought you were right the way you did it. The director is giving you the note because he saw something was wrong. If you feel you need to argue the point wait till the end of notes when everyone is released.  Don't waste the time of everyone else, some of us still have hours of work to do after the rehearsal that we can't do until the notes are done.  Just take the note and question at the end.

That and

While I dont mind being your friend remember my top priority is the integrity of the show how the director set it in rehearsal.  I'm here to listen if you have problems and to resolve any issues that may arise, but I can't compromise the shows integrity because you try to appeal to me as a friend.  We can be friends outside of rehearsal, but during call times I am your stage manager and you have to treat me as the job dictates.

66

Employment / Re: to get hired...

« on: Aug 30, 2006, 12:18 am »

I have a degree in Theatre Tech/Design and am pursuing work in stage management.  The tick is there is always the discussion of if you need a degree at all to stage manage. And around the forum somewhere I am sure you can find the discussions people have had on whether you need the degree or not.  Basically for me the degree helped to fill my resume with experience while providing that safe haven of acedamia for me to try my hand at the work where I could screw up but had others around to help me through it. 

The trick is if you have the skills and some experience on the resume you can find work.  Starting out it will be smaller jobs for not much pay but it will fill in the resume and give you more practice at the craft  which will help future jobs.  That masters will help you get more experience and network, but you can do this just as well on your own.  My advice is if you like school and can afford it go get the masters as it certainly wouldnt hurt anything.  You do have some experience so you might be able to help a small company out and build from there.

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The Hardline / Re: Changing professions

« on: Aug 27, 2006, 12:44 am »

I'm not too familiar with how the 2 unions work but I'm currently working on a show and as I sit through rehearsals I'm starting to entertain that thought of wanting to direct in the future as well, so the thread caught my attention.

I also always did find it weird how stage managers were in the actors union.  Does anyone know why they were linked in this way?

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SMNetwork Archives / Re: Spike Tape Problems

« on: Aug 27, 2006, 12:28 am »

I once had a friend call in a favor and ended up on her running crew during teach week of a show she was SMing (someone had broken their foot or some other injury).

I was paired with what was probably a fairly intelligent young man to do all of my scene changes with. Being on the other side of the relationship, I discovered that the biggest issue with crews is that they typically lack the sense of urgency that we stage managers tend to have. Although it drove me crazy to try to get this guy to get ready and remember what we had to do before each change (of which there were many), I learned a lot about how to motivate crews.

What I suggested to the SM was that we have a separate rehearsal for the crew to run changes so they can feel important and comfortable.  Also, she got the director to announce the night before at tech that the show was running X amount of time, which was too long.  The next day, post our separate practice, the SM announced how much time was shaved off due to the run crew.  It can't work for every show, but sometimes just making it a race against time helps tremendously.

This is what I was always was told was the idea behind a Dry Tech.  No actors just crew and you would just go thru all the scene changes prior to teching with the actors.  This way the crew has an idea whats going on and you don't have to call all the actors to sit around while the scene shift is explained to the crew.

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SMNetwork Archives / Re: I agree with Heath...

« on: Aug 27, 2006, 12:26 am »

Don't assume that you have to spike mark everything just because stage managers always spike mark everything. Spiking isn't the goal. Accurate, repeatable performances are the goal - and if your tolerances are wide enough, you might not need spike marks at all.

It's nice to hear this sentiment from another stage manager. Personally, I detest spikes and will do almost anything to avoid using them onstage.

I'm on the same page here, I hate too many spike marks cause hten the stage starts to look like an airport runway.  I will put down more spikes prior to opening cause I know it helps the LD's focus but sometimes you can tell where something goes just by where floor paneling meets up.

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SMNetwork Archives / Re: More Technology in Stage Management! Website for my shows!?!?!?

« on: Aug 23, 2006, 03:01 pm »

I have an online calendar that I am trying out for my current production that allows a password for people to access.  In choosing the password to give to the cast I chose something from the show.  Say you are doing Fiddler on the Roof you might choose "anetevka" or if you are doing Christmas Carol you could use "fezzywick," basically pick something from the show that people in the cast can remember but isnt as common to the general public. Character names probably arent the best choice.  Chances are you wont get many people trying to get into the site but you are dealing with private material that the whole world shouldnt have access to. 

I also send out email schedules to the cast as the director and I come up with the next weeks rehearsal schedule.  At the end of the email I give the the website address and then list the password as a reminder to them that it is there.  Ultimately the online callboard should be a subliment to whatever you are currently doing to make it easier for others.

71

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Stage Managing the World

« on: Aug 23, 2006, 02:53 pm »

DAE I can relate to an extent.  Never had a problem with directions or being able to distinguish work and off time.  I will admit some habits cross over a little and sometimes I'll look at a situation and be like "man if only they had a stage manager doing things this wouldnt be such a cluster****" and times I've thought how if i was stage managing something how it would be working better, but at times you need to step away from the "office" as it were.  

I also have to say that I have recieved many compliments at work on the job of how organized I am after looking at my binder or just knowing where things are onstage (even to the extent of remembering where an actor placed an invisible prop and then how that invisible prop gets moved the next few times).  With that said if you looked at my apartment very little is organized.  My desk at home is a mound of scattered papers, laundry isnt always put away in the dresses often its the clean basket of clothes and the dirty pile on the floor, and often times I can't even remember where the tv remote was left.  

So you're not alone.  

EDIT: Removed profanity. -PSMK

72

SMNetwork Archives / Re: More Technology in Stage Management! Website for my shows!?!?!?

« on: Aug 23, 2006, 12:48 am »

Looks pretty sharp.  Be interesting to see if you filled in some more information like it might be actually listed on it for people to offer more input on the layout and such.

I would suggest that you add in an overall production calendar that would lay out what days and times rehearsals are.  Even if it doesn't have who is called which days it will allow visiters to see the overall time of the production when they might have calls. 

Other comment would be that hte facebook thing is a great little copy and past thing to get your name and contact info in there but some might not see it as professional.  You might just want to put the info in on its own.

Just my thoughts.  Overall I'd say good.  Its something I want to eventually add to my site. (www.jasonshivers.net)

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Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Blocking Charts?

« on: Aug 21, 2006, 05:51 pm »

It is not unheard of. I am actually doing my first show now where I am trying to use blocking maps as you put it and it is very useful in my mind.  When you open my script you will see on the left side 4 boxes of the scenic layout and on the right the text laid out in space and half formatting.  Then under the text i will have noted something like "------> door" meaning the one speaking is crossing to the door, then on the map I have their initials with an arrow to the door.  Then in the Left margin i just put a little 1, 2, 3, or 4 to signify that from that point down is that number map you need to look at.  This way i dont clog up the maps with lines which makes them simple.  Then my maps shows more of just hte crosses where as under the text I can be like "picks up prop" "jumps up" etc something more descriptive like "sumnersalts backwards to door."

Ultimately I think no way is unheard of as every stage manager will have their own way of doing it that works best for them and the show they are doing.

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Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Stage Managing the World

« on: Aug 18, 2006, 02:20 pm »

Does anyone else find themselves, in the quiet off hours between shows, doing little things like calling light cues at traffic lights?

I think I have to admit I have actually done that, but I think its more often as I'm waiting for someone to make a left turn infront of me I'll see traffic open up and be like "...and.....go."

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Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Resume References

« on: Aug 17, 2006, 04:04 pm »

See I've always heard that you dont want to have your resume more than 1 page long and if you include a second sheet with references it is looked down on, basically cause you are giving those that hire more paper work to keep track of.  So I'd love to hear more thoughts on how to include references on a resume in terms of if you put them at the bottom of the page, on the back, say references available upon request, or another sheet altogether like ljh007 said.