Messages

721

Tools of the Trade / Re: HELP: Static Electricity?

« on: Nov 15, 2012, 01:22 am »

Dryer sheets come to mind. I've heard that leather-soled shoes can help disperse static, or holding a metal object like a key. Are you wearing wool knitwear? If you are, try switching to cotton layers.

There are also anti-static sprays out there like ScotchGard. Not sure if they would get rid of the problem but might be worth trying out.

722

Self-Promotion / Re: An End and a Beginning

« on: Nov 14, 2012, 08:24 pm »

Congrats on the new gig and welcome to DC! Let us know when you're in town and we'll do a drink night. (I think we're way overdue for one).

723

The Green Room / Re: When the phone DOES ring...

« on: Nov 13, 2012, 10:39 pm »

I second what's been said- ignore the calls, check your voicemail to see if it was time sensitive, don't check your work email. Sometimes there will be something important enough to deal with on the day off, but if it's not really important or time sensitive, it can wait until the next day.

I had the exact same problem, and I was mostly doing it to myself by checking my work email on the day off and feeling like it was easier to respond right away. On the flip side, it meant that I had a full inbox when I got to work today.

Call it...selective problem solving.

Exactly.

724

Tools of the Trade / Re: Portable Measuring Tape for stage spacing

« on: Nov 12, 2012, 11:24 am »

I've heard of SMs making a tape like that but never heard of it being sold commercially. (I think you could take a piece of ribbon or something similar and mark out your 2' measurements.)

It also sounds similar to "dance numbers", which mark out measurements along the DS edge of the stage for the performers to use to space themselves during the show. Some SMs tape it out but I've heard of portable sets of dance numbers on a long sheet of clear plastic or even a long rope light with different colors every 2'.

You might try searching for "dance numbers" and see if that brings anything up.

725

Employment / Re: Jobs after Graduating in December

« on: Nov 10, 2012, 10:07 pm »

Are there any local job posting websites in your area? I find that those are a good place to start. Here's a thread with a number of websites other members have compiled: http://smnetwork.org/forum/employment/local-and-not-so-local-job-resource-websites/msg33926/#msg33926

I did a lot of resume mailings when I first started looking for jobs. They might not pan out but it never hurts, and they could keep your resume on file and call at a later date. Plus, if anyone needs a last-minute replacement, it's good for them to know you're available.

Do you know other SMs in your area? See if they know of anyone hiring, or if they know of any good resources. (In DC there's an email list among DC stage managers, and folks often pass along jobs to the rest of the group.) See if there's "cattle call" or other hiring event in your area.

Get your name out there!

726

The Green Room / Re: Smallest Audience Size

« on: Nov 08, 2012, 11:48 am »

9 people in a 200+ seat house. Painful. 

727

The Green Room / Re: SANDY!

« on: Oct 29, 2012, 02:28 pm »

It's been rainy and windy here in DC but nothing terrible yet, at least where I am. Everything is shut down so I'm just enjoying an unexpected day off with the first season of Downton Abbey.

728

Tools of the Trade / Re: How to best use Dropbox?

« on: Oct 24, 2012, 05:39 pm »

Another great use for Dropbox is an online dramaturgical "packet", or a folder for actor info. One recent show that I worked on used a dropbox folder for this- files and articles were put in a dropbox folder for the actors to access so that paper copies weren't needed. We also used it to get sound files to actors (for dialect work, etc)- saves a lot of CD burning and is easier than constantly emailing MP3s.

729

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: ARTICLE: Stage Managers using a paperless process

« on: Oct 15, 2012, 12:10 pm »

I'm enjoying the perspectives as well, Julie- thanks. Like others have mentioned, a lot of this depends on what kind of theatre you work at (High school, college, community theatre, regional theatre, etc). A lot also depends on the company you're working with at a particular moment- each is going to have different opinions about what they want in a hard copy. I can't see a physical callboard going away anytime soon at any of the places that I work, but in recent years, I have gone from making hard copies of rehearsal reports (in addition to emailing) to purely emailed reports. One theatre has a centralized, secure, website for posting reports- which has its own benefits and challenges.

I think that running lists are another piece of paperwork that needs to stay paper, from my perspective. I'm sure there are those who run shows off a tablet, but I think you'll run into the same issues that you do with a completely digital calling script- less reliability and security, increased chance of damage or last minute problem that prevents you from running the show. (I can see a huge potential plus to teching a show with the running list open on a tablet- easy to update in the moment! Less time that an ASM has to come in early or stay late to update paperwork after a long day of tech). But having paper copies for the crew is essential.

Curiosity question- how many of you use a rehearsal hotline for the daily schedule? (For those who don't have internet, or a smartphone, or for whatever reason can't access a digital schedule). I use one at just about every theatre I work at. (I can only think of one show in recent years where I didn't use one, and interestingly, it was at a university, with only one non-collegiate actor.)

730

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: NOTING A PERFORMANCE: How do you maintain a show?

« on: Oct 14, 2012, 03:55 pm »

Great topic. I was in this position this summer- where I was responsible for maintaining two shows that I hadn't teched or rehearsed. (Almost all previous shows I had taken over I had been involved in the rehearsal process in some way). The shows that I did this summer were radically different in terms of how they needed to be maintained. One was a very technically specific show- sharp light bumps and sounds at precise movements/exact words, with a larger cast, and very consistent in terms of pace and blocking. In general very little variance in any aspect of the show. Show maintenance mostly had to do with keeping it in line with the very precise way it had been staged.

The second was a more emotional based show, with more general lighting looks, a two-person cast and less specific blocking. It varied a lot more from performance to performance- and the director was okay with that. (In fact, he encouraged a lot of growth from the actors, as long as the growth didn't affect the tech). Maintaining the show involved frequent conversations with the actors about the show and keeping the show balanced.

I like to start by asking a lot of questions- starting with the SM I'm taking over for, the director (if they are available), my ASMs- anyone who I can learn something from about the show. I also try to engage the actors in conversation about the show- even if it's just noticing something about the show out loud, and using that to spark a conversation. My goal is to find out a little bit about why a moment is the way it is. Obviously I can't do that for every moment in the show, but if I can learn something like "The moment where the fight breaks out is really the first time that James loses control," I can use that information to maintain the integrity of what has been developed.

For me (and I would imagine, for most SMs) it's easier to give a technical note "You're a little out of your light in the final moment- if you take one step left you will hit it exactly" or "Can you wait one more second for the transition sound to finish before making your entrance? We're losing the beginning of your line" than it is give a more "artistic" note- especially if you're new to the show.

I think the most important part of maintaining a show comes from awareness. Whether you have a full rehearsal process to learn the show or just a few days, being aware of what already exists is the first step in show maintenance. Keeping an open flow of communication with the actors is key, which is harder when you're jumping on to a show that you didn't rehearse, but if you can engage the actors sooner rather than later, it will be easier to have the conversations about show notes.

731

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: ARTICLE: Stage Managers using a paperless process

« on: Oct 14, 2012, 03:29 pm »

The idea of going paperless is interesting to me- I doubt I will ever want to go fully paperless, but I'd like to continue to explore what benefits there are in some digital options and integrate them into my process.

I (usually) make a digital calling script, but I tech it with paper and pencil and call shows off of a printed copy. I have an Ipad but have never gotten comfortable enough with it to do detailed work on documents. I'm just not that fast with it. For me, a laptop is much easier to use.

I am interested in the possibilities of a digital record of blocking, but I'm not sure that I'm quick enough to type it in in real time- I would get frustrated if it took me longer to record on the computer than it does on paper. It would be great to have a digital backup of blocking in the same way that I have a digital backup of my calling script, but that could be done after the fact, if there was a show I knew was being remounted or being handed off. (For most shows, I don't think the time/effort would be worth it for a 3 or 4 week run). For use in rehearsal, it's more useful to me to have a paper script that someone else (like an ASM) could leaf through and get the info they need.

In the article, I was interested to see what the SMs went back to paper for next year- especially the idea that it would have been a lot harder to digitally track blocking on a script that is constantly being rewritten/updated.

(Interestingly, Matthew, the issue of SMs being too focused on a screen and less on what's happening in the room came up in the comments.)

732

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: flying rings - any suggestions?

« on: Oct 13, 2012, 11:22 pm »

I'm going to assume that the rings are part of his costume design/are essential to his character, since the obvious solution otherwise would be to just have him not wear them on stage.

In regards to the taping, are you just trying to tape them to his fingers?  If so, I would suggest actually wrapping some tape and or moleskin around the bottom of the ring itself to serve as a size adjustor.  If it fits more snugly on his finger it should lessen the chance of it sliding off and going flying.

I second babens' suggestions- moleskine was my first thought. I suppose you could also put spirit gum or something on the inside of the rings. Have you tried smaller rings?

733

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / ARTICLE: Stage Managers using a paperless process

« on: Oct 12, 2012, 02:47 pm »

An article about an experiment in stage managers going paperless. There's an interesting example of the Comment feature of Word to track blocking.

http://www.stage-directions.com/current-issue/81-training/4603-paperless-process.html

734

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: CALLING: Using shape templates for creating calling scripts

« on: Oct 03, 2012, 06:33 pm »

Hi Jerry,
I don't know that anything like that exists specifically for stage managers. However, there's nothing stopping you from using a template made for another purpose- I have one that uses basic shapes. (I mostly just use it as a straight edge when penciling cues into my book.)

Or, you could make it yourself. I know one stage manager who made rubber stamps- she stamped her template on, then wrote her cues in. You could do that, or take a cereal box or stiff piece of plastic and an exacto knife and cut a template out that fits your needs. In my opinion, it's probably easier to find the template that has the shape you want in the size you want, and then just use the one you need. Draftingsteals.com has a ton of templates. (They even have ones with little furniture, like pianos and couches, if you're inclined to use templates for blocking.)

Best of luck!

Maribeth

735

The Green Room / Re: Lord of the Ring musical- National Geographic docmentary

« on: Oct 01, 2012, 09:47 pm »

Thanks, I thought this might be a good opportunity.