Messages

76

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Stage Managers & Computers

« on: Jun 20, 2006, 05:52 pm »

My laptop is key for my success in a show. 

I use it to make calendars, cast lists, contact lists, scene shift plots...the list goes on forever.  I also make rehearsal reports at the end of every rehearsal (as well as Production Meeting reports and Performance Reports) and send them out via email to the entire crew.  These reports have all of the information regarding that night's rehearsal/show/meeting so that the rest of the crew can stay informed as to what is going on.  I also use a special blocking notes sheet that I made on my computer as well.  I also email the cast/crew with updates, reminders, etc.

Of course SM'ing could be done without a computer...but I could see it being so much more difficult.  I honestly couldn't imagine doing a show without the resource of my laptop!

77

SMNetwork Archives / Re: hello from your moderator!

« on: Jun 18, 2006, 06:17 pm »

That's awesome.

It's so cool to see how many different people do Theatre with a foreign language.  I'm the only Theatre and Spanish major at my University, so I'm glad to know I'm not the only one!

I definitely think that being bilingual helps so much, even in Stage Managing.  There are so many opportunities to explore new genres and areas of theatre that some people may not be able to do.  Also, with the constant immigration into the United States, I definitely think that Spanish theatre could be a gold mine here if people really put the effort into it. 

See, we learn something new about each other every day! 

Everyone feel free to post here and tell us all a little about yourself, Spanish speaker or not! 

78

SMNetwork Archives / hello from your moderator! (KC's old intro thread)

« on: Jun 17, 2006, 12:41 pm »

Hello all,

I just wanted to formally introduce myself!  My name is Casey and I am the moderator for this forum regarding students/novice Stage Managers.

It would be great if everyone could introduce themselves, and maybe where they go to school and how long they have been Stage Managing.  SMing is all about connections and resources, and I think that we should use that to our full advantage by getting to know one another and learning about the different approaches and styles that everyone uses.  I can't wait to learn more about each of you!

About Me
First of all, to give you a little information about myself.  I am a student at the University of North Carolina Wilmington receiving my BA in Theatre and Spanish.  I have done a wide variety of shows for my university, but I also work downtown.  We have over 12 miscellaneous theatre companies in Wilmington which is wonderful!  I mainly work for the Thalian Association.  My last show was Footloose which was so much fun and I learned so much.  After I graduate in December I plan to go to graduate school to get my MFA, or either plan to take an internship somewhere to gain more experience.

Why this forum?
Being a student myself, I am so happy to be moderating this forum because I can relate.  I also think that this forum is the foundation for the others, since all Stage Managers start out as either students or novices.  With time and practice, students and novices then become the professionals. Therefore, this forum is designed for the ones who are still learning so much about the craft!

A few last things..

First of all, everyone please keep the posts clean and on topic.  As you can see, many other forums have been added, so please make sure tht you look at each one before deciding to post your topic.  Although it could hold relevance in more than one forum, please make sure that you post in the most appropriate place. 

Also, if you have any questions/concerns, please do not hesitate to PM or email me.  I'll be glad to help you.

Finally, I will be adding some things to this forum, like polls and other exciting links/resources for student Stage Managers, so stay tuned for more great things!

Thanks,

Casey

KC_SM_0807

Edit: stickied! -PSMK

EDIT (10/23/2007): KC's been gone from the boards for a while so I'm stepping in as moderator for the foreseeable future.  -PSMKay

79

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Stop The Show!

« on: Jun 12, 2006, 04:24 pm »

The first musical I ever did back in 2000 was The Wizard of Oz....

We had this revolving circle, where Glinda came out on one side (a pretty, fluffy side) and the Wicked Witch came out on the other side (the darker side that had a fake ring of fire around it)...

Whenever the Wicked Witch would come out, we would use a fog machine for the infamous smoke and fog effect.  Tons of people do this every day with no problems, right?

Well, not for us.  One night the fog machine busted, and the fire alarms went crazy.  I immediately had to bring down the main rag and mop up all of the fog machine liquids that had run down the stage.  The whole audience had to evacuate the building since the fire alarms had went off, and then we had to make an announcement that everything was ok and everyone could come back in and be seated!  

We started up the show again and everything was smooth, but we did lose a bit of our audience that night!  Needless to say, this was one of the funniest experiences that I've had and my friends and I still laugh about it.

80

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Easy Question (Cut and Paste Prompt Scripts)

« on: Jun 12, 2006, 04:19 pm »

I've never done a copy and paste script, but it seems like a hassle that may not be worth it.  Have you tried typing up a new copy of the script for your use?  I've done this before, and although it takes up a little time, it's worth it because you have the script as you want it without any messy pages.

81

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Calling a HUGE Show... HELP!!!!!

« on: Jun 11, 2006, 04:16 pm »

I use two scripts as well, one calling script and one rehearsal script.

It makes such a difference.

82

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Resume Formatting -What stands out?

« on: Jun 09, 2006, 11:17 pm »

I agree with all of this as well.

Mine is pretty simple, I just have bullets for the shows and just 2 different fonts in average sizes... I was just trying to say that you should make it your own and make it fit together well.  There is a way to bring your own personal flair to it without making it crazy.

Sorry, I didn't mean to make out like you should make a frilly crazy resume  with 10 fonts and crazy pictures on hot pink paper sprayed with your favorite perfume! haha!

83

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Resume Formatting -What stands out?

« on: Jun 09, 2006, 12:22 pm »

I do think that a layout has a lot to do with a good resume.

My personal preferance is to use a few different, fun yet readable fonts for different parts of the resume.  For example, my name and address are in Monotype Corsiva, which is one of my favorite fonts.  I then have specific bullets for each show I've done, with of course the job, director, venue, and location of the show. The bullets are not  the regular dots, but these cool triangle looking things that are very professional but also a little more fun than just the black dots.  All of my headings are in the same font, such as Show Experience, Special Skills, Education, etc., and then the information listed under each heading are also all in the same font.  It looks very well put together, but adds my own personal flair to the page.  I think that's really important, regardless of what design you use.  Make sure it describes you while looking well put together at the same time.

One resume I have seen that caught my eye had the Name and Personal Info (Address, Phone #, etc.) and then had two clip art pictures on either side, one of the drama masks and one of a headset.  It was very nicely laid out so that the pictures did not overdo it, but brought a nice flair to the page so that it definitely stood out in a crowd.  You might consider doing something like that if it strikes you.

Look at the different bullet/numbering styles you can do, look at table style resumes, fonts, sizes, etc.  If you go on SMNet Resume Browser and look at some of the different resumes, it definitely helps to give you an idea of the variety of things that you can do.  I think in the end it's all up to your own personal preferances and how you want people to see you on paper.

I would of course be happy to share my resume with you if you would like to look at my own personal style and see yet another way to do things.

84

Students and Novice Stage Managers / how much time?

« on: Jun 03, 2006, 05:20 pm »

I don't think it's ever too early to start preparing for a show.

My personal preferance is to get started ASAP.  I first read the script, and then go through each page and use my own personal script notes sheet to write down characters, props, sound cues, etc.  I have a folder on my desktop for every show I do, and I usually go ahead and do an Actor/Scene Breakdown, Basic Props List (from what is in the script), Medical Info sheet, and other things that may pertain to that specific show, if anything.  I like to go ahead and get these things done for that just reason: THEY'RE DONE!! You don't have to worry about making a Scene Breakdown or other things when rehearsals start because you will have already done them.  It gets some of the stress off!

I always like to have things done early anyway, so it's just my personal preferance.  I start Cats in August and already have a whole bunch of paperwork things done so that I don't have to worry with them and I'm on top of things.

85

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Plots

« on: Jun 02, 2006, 11:04 pm »

This is what I do:

First, I make sure that my whole script is copied one-sided on the right hand side.

Then, I have made myself a sheet that I print off and put on the left hand side.  (I copy it double sided, and it just separates each page of the script)

On this page I have a copy of the stage I'm working in (proscenium, thrust, etc.) where I can draw in things for myself, and then I separate Blocking Notes (I do a number system for blocking..where I do a 1. on this worksheet and write the blocking, then write a 1. on the script where the blocking takes place so that if the blocking moves, I can just change/move the number... and it actually works really well!!)  I then have a place for costume notes, props notes, lighting notes, scenic notes, and miscellaneous notes.  It also shows the characters involved on this page as well as the Act, Scene and Page Number at the top.  This helps when a Director wants to know who is in a part.. you can just simply look at this sheet and voila!  (Of course you do an Actor/Scene Breakdown, etc., but this could just save you some time if you are on that page!)

If you would like to see a copy of the sheet I use so that you can have some general ideas, feel free to PM me and I'll be glad to email it to you.. it could be a tool to help you find a nice medium as to what works well with your style.

86

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Creating a call script

« on: Jun 02, 2006, 02:18 am »

I haven't really tried the electronic call script method.  Pencil, paper, and a few good highlighters now does the trick for me.  I originally did glow dots and all sorts of things until I really found what fit.  For me, the cues have to stand out and I have to see what I'm doing and what I'm about to call, so highliters are so great for me. I'm still in the process of seeing what works for me and what doesn't, so maybe I will try the electronic method!

87

Students and Novice Stage Managers / script analysis

« on: Jun 02, 2006, 02:15 am »

I took a Script Analysis class for my major, and you'd be amazed to how much it helps...even in other classes, like acting, scene design, etc., there is always talk of Script Analysis and how it relates to the design and that sort of thing.  To me, calling a show is all about the feeling.  You have to feel the cues and go with the flow of the show, and a lot of that has to do with you personally knowing the beats, the break downs, and the overall underlying analysis of the play.  It's helped me tremendously, and has also helped me in other classes as well!

88

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Calling a HUGE Show... HELP!!!!!

« on: May 27, 2006, 11:49 pm »

So I just wanted to tell everyone that the show went AMAZINGLY WELL thanks to all of your comments and tips.  We sold out our last two performances, and all of the cues were flawless. The last performance was recorded and I just got the tape.  I was blown away by how great the show looked on stage!  It was by far the best show I have ever done AND due to my hard work, I was asked to SM the season opener, CATS, that opens in October.  So kudos to all of you for helping me out!

89

Students and Novice Stage Managers / computerized paperwork

« on: May 24, 2006, 05:15 pm »

I believe that there have already been a few posts about this topic... and the different paperwork/software that SM's use...

I generally use Office, both Excel and Word,  and I use iCal as well to make up calendars since I have a Mac.

90

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Hispanic Theatre and Stage Managers

« on: May 24, 2006, 05:13 pm »

This is a little off topic but I also am a Spanish major (with Theatre minor) and have ONE class left before my Spanish degree is finished. I have thought about working in another country in theatre, but I'm personally more partial to Mexico. What parts of Spain are you guys going to?

I plan on going to Madrid... since it is the capital maybe there will be some good opportunities there.  I'd love to get my feet wet in Spanish Theatre over there so I can't wait.