Messages

76

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Articulation marks in SM calling script

« on: Feb 05, 2015, 10:15 am »

I use them too. I've never heard the term "articulation marks" though. I consider them the "wind up" prior to the "pitch."  I never did it before 2009, but then I met matthewshiner, and "stole" the idea from him. And I know several others have now "stolen" it from me.

77

The Hardline / Re: Facebook Postings

« on: Feb 03, 2015, 03:03 pm »

Let's start with, "Is it legal to take video of the show, from backstage....?"

A friend of mine asks, "Is it legal to post clips from the show taken backstage during a performance on a closed Facebook group?"

78

The Hardline / Re: AEA SMs and your Meal Breaks--some questions

« on: Jan 31, 2015, 05:56 pm »

Thank you for your answer, NomieRae, but may I investigate the quote below a bit further, please? Why does the situation below leave "only a half hour of true time for an SM break"? Why are SMs working at what seems to be 6:30, one hour before half hour? 

Because you have been told you must be there?
Because if you are not present, pre-show will not get done correctly, so you want to be there?
Because this is what Stage Managers just "do?"
Because the AEA contract you are on requires it?

If you are there because you have been told you must be, I am thrilled that the producer provides you with a meal.

If you are there because you choose to be present, how do you explain asking for the producer to provide you with a meal, since he is not required to do so, as you are there voluntarily, giving up one hour of your break?

You are getting very close to the heart of the matter I wish to explore. Thanks so much for your continued patience with my questions.

<snip>

If you're going out of rehearsal into a preview, generally it is at least an hour and a half from end of rehearsal until half hour. So if dinner is 6pm, half hour is 7:30pm, which leaves only a half hour of true time for a SM break. In these instances I usually have my meal provided for me by the producers.

<snip>

79

The Hardline / AEA SMs and your Meal Breaks--some questions

« on: Jan 31, 2015, 04:26 pm »

Some questions for AEA Stage Managers, having to do with your meal breaks, most specifically between a rehearsal and a performance, or two performances.

On the contract(s) you work under most frequently:

What is the contractual break between a rehearsal and a performance?  What is the contractual break between two performances?

Does your theatre/producer/employer expect that Stage Managers will take the same break as the actors, or are Stage Managers expected to be working earlier than the actors (i.e.: earlier than the actors’ half hour call?)

If so, does your AEA contract allow this, or even speak to it at all?

Have you been officially instructed to arrive earlier than the actors, or do you simply believe this is what good Stage Managers do, without being instructed to? Or, is there another reason you arrive earlier?

Does your theatre/producer/employer pay you for having a shorter break than the actors do?

Are you expected to do other performance or rehearsal related work over a meal break (not including scheduling, communicating, etc.)? For the purposes of this question, you may consider your rehearsal meal break. (For example, are you expected to set up for a run through, scheduled to begin at the top of the afternoon’s call, during your meal break?)

Has anyone ever had a discussion with an AEA Business Rep. about any of the above situations? If you have, what was the outcome?

And finally, what are your opinions about the above situations?

Please feel free to answer as fully or as cryptically as you desire.  I'm just curious if anyone else has thought about this as much as I have.

Thanks for your time. If you’d prefer to answer privately, please feel free to do so.

80

The Green Room / Re: Broadway SM Symposium

« on: Jan 30, 2015, 03:07 pm »

If you make a salary as a stage manager during the year, attending this seminar would be a tax deductible expense.

(I am not a tax professional giving tax advice. I speak only from my own experience.)

It looks like an amazing opportunity; I just wish it was more afforable.

81

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: What is a "good" pay for touring gigs?

« on: Jan 30, 2015, 11:05 am »

Here in the USA, when it comes to tax time and per diem, there are some things you should know:

If you DO NOT spend all the per diem paid to you, anything left over is taxable.

If you spend monies above your per diem, on per diem items, those monies spent become a tax deduction. Of course if you are audited, you must have substantiation for both of the above.

(Disclaimer: I am not a tax expert giving tax advice, I am simply sharing my past experiences.)

My first touring gig out of university was $100 non show days (rehearsals, travel etc) and 125 for show days plus 31/day per dium...diem? It was short jaunts like you with a company that toured part time. It was a good gig right out of the bat, some companies make up the difference in pay with a) being amazing people, and b) adding a lot to the touring experience (We got a lot of activities organized for us that we wouldn't have been able to do other wise like private winery tours and behind the scenes at the zoo!). Touring is a difficult business to break into sometimes. If they seem like a good company that treats their people well and you can pay your bills and then some I say go for it. But keep in mind PD goes fast and you will want to spend more money than you normally would (at least I did!) and get in the habit of buying whatever groceries you can use in a hotel room or pack your lunches for the week before you set out! Also resist the urge to drink your PD it's a bad habit that is VERY hard to kick (she says 6 years in and still drinking her PD away).
  Have fun! Make yourself get out and see the sights touring can be a great opportunity to see places you never would otherwise!

82

The Green Room / Re: Broadway SM Symposium

« on: Jan 30, 2015, 12:41 am »

How embarrassing that they spelled David Lober's name wrong on their "Our Speakers" page...

83

Job Postings / Re: Shanghai Disney

« on: Jan 23, 2015, 02:38 pm »

A friend of mine is headed there this weekend to work as the Art Director for Fantasyland.  They are paying him a small fortune.

(Note carefully, that one of the postings below requires "Fluent Mandarin," and the other does not.)

This came across my desk

Shanghai Disney is looking for a lot of stage managers. Both Biligual and Englsih-Speaking. If you are interested in these posistions, please feel free to contact me: miso.wei@disney.com

Here are the job descriptions:
Production Stage Manager:
https://xjobs.brassring.com/tgwebhost/jobdetails.aspx?partnerid=25348&siteid=5039&jobid=243024

Stage Manager
https://xjobs.brassring.com/tgwebhost/jobdetails.aspx?partnerid=25348&siteid=5039&jobid=243023
   Production Stage Manager - Disney Worldwide Services - Job Details
xjobs.brassring.com
Job Details: Shanghai Disney Resort, the first Disney resort in

84

The Green Room / Re: Happy New Year

« on: Jan 01, 2015, 08:02 am »

And to you, Matthew!

May the work be plentiful, rewarding and lucrative,
May all your tech be smooth and pain free,
May your casts be talented, prompt. and respectful,
May your teams be large and skilled,
May your personal life be unharmed by the career that has chose you,
May your glass never be empty,
May 2015 be the best year yet!

85

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Headset Chatter Blog

« on: Dec 25, 2014, 09:55 am »

I have no idea who this SM is (are you here on SMNetwork...?) but I find her latest blog post to be very interesting reading.

http://headsetchatter.com/blog/

86

The Hardline / Re: TYA Rehearsal Hours on First Public Performance

« on: Dec 03, 2014, 09:34 am »

Call or email your Business Rep., please!

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The Hardline / Re: AEA LORT COSTUME FITTINGS

« on: Sep 26, 2014, 09:46 am »

Um, I wouldn't do it this way at all. I'd butt that fitting up to the rehearsal call, 11:25-11:55a, give a five minute break, and then proceed with the five hour call, shown in your example. Because, the actor can work up to six hours in a row, if one of those hours is a costume call. I would not, unless it was more convenient for the actor, call them at 10am, and then have them sit around for an hour and a half. This way, the actor has accrued only one hour against his "outside hours" for the week/run.

I believe that Ruth is right here, and this is how I've always scheduled fittings as well.

So:
10-10:30am Fitting
10:30am-12pm Break
12 - 5pm Rehearsal
5-6pm Break
6-8pm Rehearsal

This makes for a day with the appropriate break schedule and is less than 12 hours. The only 'hours' issue would be whether or not this falls in the allotted 3 extra hours a week and 7 hours for costume/photo/media per production.

Yeah it kind of stinks to have a 90-minute break at 10:30am, but presumably the contract compensates the actor for this, and also, it's one day.

Rule 51 A (3) Except for days when there are early student performances, the span of the work day shall not exceed 12 consecutive hours.

So you can add costume fittings/photo calls to rehearsals, up to a 12 hour span of day, as long as breaks are proper...

Post Merge: Sep 26, 2014, 10:00 amMost theatres I work in, with one notable exception, can only accommodate one fitting at a time. Costume shops, much of the time, have only one fitting room, and Designers and Costume Shop Managers are loathe to run between multiple fittings. And, most costume shops, especially ones with union employees, close down before the rehearsal day is over, so fittings after the rehearsal call are out of the question. And, in many LORT theatres, the designer makes a limited number of trips into town, for a certain number of hours or days, and this is when actors must be fitted.

I expend much scheduling energy negotiating my way around designer's schedule's, understaffed shops, and long standing institutional procedures that sometimes make it more difficult to rehearse the show. This, sadly, is what I have found to be be "business as usual."

The best directors understand that the actors have to have clothes on their backs, and they help engineer schedules that get it done.

<snip>

I don't think the union actors should bear the brunt of understaffed costume fittings or a designer's schedule . . . but I don't want to end up with a ruling that hinders production.

88

The Hardline / Re: AEA LORT COSTUME FITTINGS

« on: Sep 25, 2014, 11:05 am »

Rule 51 A (3) Except for days when there are early student performances, the span of the work day shall not exceed 12 consecutive hours.

So you can add costume fittings/photo calls to rehearsals, up to a 12 hour span of day, as long as breaks are proper....

Calling someone for a 10am-10:30am fitting and then calling them into a 12pm rehearsal should not be a problem with the "six consecutive hours" part as long as they have the break by 4pm.

However, I don't believe you can just erase that 90-minutes in between the end of the costume fitting and the start of rehearsal from the AEA actor hours. Those hours would count in the overall daily hours. That's always been my understanding of the spirit of that rule, otherwise you're making that day go from 10am-8:30pm.

<snip>

89

The Green Room / 12 Ted Talks on How To Be A Good Leader

« on: Sep 09, 2014, 05:07 pm »

http://www.ted.com/playlists/140/how_leaders_inspire?utm_content=awesm-inlinelinkcreator&utm_medium=on.ted.com-facebook-share&utm_source=direct-on.ted.com&awesm=on.ted.com_e0QAc&utm_campaign=null

90

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / MEDICAL PRIVACY: When an Actor Gives You Private Medical Information, But...

« on: Aug 26, 2014, 03:47 pm »

Here are two hypothetical scenarios for discussion. What would, or did you do, if you were to encounter, or have have encountered these situations? In both situations, the actor in question has NOT revealed the information on a medical emergency form, but comes to you, privately.

1. Your leading lady tells you she has a medical condition that causes seizures. It is possible, although not probable that she might have a seizure onstage during a performance. However, she doesn't want management or the Director to know, because it might affect her ability to be hired in the future, if they know of even a possible medical issue.  What do you do?

2.  A featured player tells you he has a a medical device in his body that could be affected by proximity to equipment that might discharge a magnetic field. You, as stage manager, aren't qualified to analyze all the equipment onstage and assure the actor of his safety, or assure the theatre of the actor's safety. Again, the actor wants his medical information to be kept confidential. What do you do?