Messages

76

Tools of the Trade / Re: any suggestions for the "rain effect"?

« on: Nov 04, 2007, 09:06 am »

Depending on your tour budget and the spaces you're going into, you might consider using a projector. SmallTimeSM seemed to be coming close to this suggestion with GAM film loops. I have been seeing rain projections used more and more these days, and it works out well. Depending on how large the space is, you may need a sound effect to match. If you use real water, be ready to deal with the safety hazards, especially on a tour. The last show where we used water had at least 1 injury report per night, no matter how carefully we kept it under control.

77

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

« on: Nov 04, 2007, 08:53 am »

I've worn my vegan Docs for 10 years (wow, I just had to do the math for that). These days they are a little less flexible than they used to be, which means that they can pinch my toes a little when I'm crawling around on the deck. But they are holding up great, with no holes or anything. That reminds me - they're due for a polish!

78

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Furniture

« on: Nov 04, 2007, 08:50 am »

I think nmno's response pretty much sums it up. Except, I don't think there really is a "straight answer" - each company and each show is different. The way props are integrated with the set is true. But when you get down to the fine points (where does it go on the pre-show checklist? which IATSE crew handles the item?), what seemed clear can become confusing.

I have run into this question on plenty of shows at all levels of theatre production (academic and community right up through large professional houses). Sometimes the lines are clear enough for most of the show, until you finish load-in and realize that the props master thought the set designer was handling, say, the wall dressing (pictures, curtains, etc) and the set designer thought the props master was on top of that. The other side of the spectrum has happened when there is a huge prop - like, say, a car or big wagon - that needs to be engineered and built along with the set. But is it a set piece or a prop? Ultimately, to me and the teams I have worked with, it doesn't matter how you categorize it, as long as someone is identified as the person responsible for each item. A good production manager will see these issues miles away and communicate it all to you so these questions are under control well in advance. Like with so many parts of our job, the trick is thinking ahead and communicating clearly across the whole production team.

79

Employment / Re: Theatre CV

« on: Nov 01, 2007, 08:56 am »

A CV is different than a resume. It is generally longer, and includes all your academic, research, and publication information as well as all the info on your resume.

Usually, it is academic institutions and some European employers that are interested in receiving a CV. If you are sending a CV to another country, take a minute to research standard CV formatting in that country. For example, German CV's always start with the individual's vital stats, including age, place of birth, and a photo. Putting this info at the top of your "resume" is very different and somewhat shocking to those used to the American system. But it is the standard in this country.

For American academic institutions, which is probably what you're talking about here, the CV is different than a resume in that it emphasizes academic research, education, and publications. You should start the CV with academic info, including:

• a summary of your education, including your majors and minors, GPA, and names of your advisors (from undergraduate on, including any single classes or training seminars you attended)
  
• academic awards and honors
  
• Fellowships and scholarships
  
• Any notable academic positions or activities (president in academic clubs, academic jobs or work-studies, etc.)
  
• Publications - articles (journalistic or academic), published poems/plays/dramaturgy essays, etc.
  
  

Then present your employment history as you normally would in your resume. Because CV's can be a bit longer (I would say the norm is 3-5 pages), feel free to expand a bit and include jobs that might otherwise get cut from your 1-page resume. My CV also includes my stage managemend experience, again expanded and uncut.

You should also take the opportunity in a CV to include other interesting and relevant details about you, such as:

• Computer skills (really expand here - all the programs you know, including our obscure theatre programs, and also your WPM)
  
• Other interests (keep it interesting and personable but be sensitive to how "Avid Beanie Baby collector" will look to potential employers)
  
• Instruments you play or other talents you have
  
• Community involvement (this is a GREAT item to include, especially if you have a history of volunteerism)
  
  

You can find lots of examples of CV's around the web. You could even google some of your old professors to see their CV's. Like building a normal resume, don't be intimidated by all the people with dozens of publications to their name or several degrees from Harvard and Oxford. Gather up all the impressive facts about your fabulous self and put them all together into your CV. Because the CV is so inclusive, it is also a great "master document" for your resume writing. You can kind of cut-and-paste relevant items when building a custom resume for each new employer. I find my CV to be very useful in this way.

80

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: How long does it take to create a rehearsal report? (Poll)

« on: Oct 17, 2007, 10:01 pm »

...I am aware that there are many linguistic approaches between thought and language, but this isn't yet the place for Sapir-Whorf...

Now you are speaking my language! 
We need a cognitive psych thread in the green room! Oh oh - and a Freudian theatre thread too!

81

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Tech or Church?

« on: Oct 17, 2007, 09:59 pm »

I think the PM has compromised his argument and put himself in danger in this situation by criticizing the Sound Designer's reason (chuch) rather than the objection (won't agree to change the rehearsal time). If you present the employee - in a timely manner - agreeing with everyone here that less that 24-hours is totally unreasonable - with a new rehearsal time that is in line with their contract and union regulations, the employee can either come or they can't. The reason is somewhat irrelevant. A savvy employee will keep their mouth shut about whether their conflict is church or their strict Sunday morning date with "Smurfs" reruns. And in the US particularly, refusing to honor an employee's stated religious obligations is dicey.

82

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Snappy SM

« on: Oct 17, 2007, 09:47 pm »

It sounds to me like this SM is completely out of line. Keeping your cool is part of the job. If our jobs were easy and predictable, we'd all be data-entry clerks. Sure, it gets quite heavy sometimes and we all lose it a little. I wouldn't say you were out of line. In an ideal world, the ASM would have told the SM a bit more promptly. Maybe in an ideal world, you would have helped push the ASM to tell the SM more promptly, too. But there are drawbacks to this kind of emphasis on "shoulds", namely that following Procedure to the letter might not be best for the long-term situation (keeping everyone chill and the production running smoothly). It sounds like you'll have quite a challenge ahead of you to navigate this high-stress tech with a high-stress SM. You'll make the best of it!

83

Employment / Re: University/drama school Vs. real world experience

« on: Oct 17, 2007, 09:26 pm »

In my opinion and experience hiring, you can't just weigh education against experience. You must really consider each individual candidate on their own merits.

That being said, I would seriously hesitate to hire anyone without a college degree. And it doesn't what your degree is in - just have an education. Know how to think and write and handle yourself. You'll find plenty of discussions about degrees in theatre or stage management in the Student Forum here on the site. In fact, I'll give you my hard-line response again here, which is that if possible, you (generic "you") should go to college. And you should not major in theatre. Personally, I am a huge fan of liberal arts educations.

And my two cents... don't worry about the debt. Yes, being in debt is not great. But this is your education, not a new wardrobe. It will pay for itself over and over in your life. In fact, go for it all and keep busy with SM gigs while in college. You'll get the education and experience at the same time.

You should look in the Student forum to chat with other student SMs who are trying to make the university vs. real-world decision.
But from a hiring perspective, I almost always want a college graduate to be working on my show.

84

Employment / Re: Changing lanes.....

« on: Oct 17, 2007, 08:29 am »

Hi Erin -

I would emphasize some keywords from SM experience for the regular job world with phrases like: team leadership, logistics coordination, thinking on your feet, prioritization skills, report creation, union interaction (and negotiation, if you've had the occasion to sit at the table), high responsibility and accountability, and being the point-person for all information distribution. Definitely point out your amazing talent for prioritization and keeping a cool head under pressure.

In general, you need to find a quick way to explain how your SM skills are relevant to the new career you seek (and I promise SMing is fully relevant to most other positions!). If you need to explain to the new potential employer what you did as an SM, and it takes more than 90 seconds, they'll tune out and assume your heart and mind are still with the SM work. So a simple statement that will be easily translated, like: "An SM is like a stage director, but for all the backstage aspects and with an emphasis on reporting, documentation, and information distribution." (Because nearly any non-theatre person thinks they know what a director does, but at least knows the director is a big position.) A way I like to explain SMing to businesspeople is: "An SM is basically the General Contractor or Project Manager for all activity related to the production that has less to do with the creative process and more to do with all the coordination of absolutely everything onstage and backstage." People also quickly understand the old SM adage: when everything goes right, you have nothing to do with it; when anything goes wrong, it's all your fault. Then let them ask specific questions about your skills and experience. This way, you'll always speak to what they want to hear, instead of trying to give them "SMing and theatre 101" in a 15-minute lecture.

You might look into project management - there are a huge varieties of jobs and the work can be somewhat independently directed. Plus, from what I've seen in the past, it seems to pay pretty well. You might need to start with a small firm to give you experience in this field, as it's somewhat competitive. But it's where I think our SM skills might be 100% relevant and appreciated, and where the style of the work (dynamic, occasionally high-pressure) might fit our personalities.

85

Employment / Re: From the other side of the resume (low key rant - personal advice)

« on: Oct 17, 2007, 08:05 am »

Hi SMLD: there are several posts about how to "climb the ladder" and get work on Broadway elsewhere around the site like here: http://smnetwork.org/forum/index.php/topic,599.0.html, or I think your specific question would be answered here: http://smnetwork.org/forum/index.php/topic,1327.0.html. Do a quick search for "broadway" and you'll come up with a lot of useful discussions.

Meanwhile, let's keep this great post rolling with advice for those SM job applications.

86

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: How long does it take to create a rehearsal report? (Poll)

« on: Oct 09, 2007, 07:33 pm »

For people like me who missed the original title of this thread, what was it? (Did it reference Carroll's poem "Jabberwocky"?)

I finish my reports in 20-30 minutes, because I am obsessive about stupid things like line weight and margin spacing. Hey, we all get our kicks somehow.

87

Employment / Re: Conductors on an opera resume

« on: Sep 18, 2007, 12:14 am »

If your resume is mainly or all opera, I would include the conductor over and above the director. Old-skool opera tradition would hold the music over the stage action. This is why I list my conductors first.

88

Employment / Re: Conductors on an opera resume

« on: Sep 17, 2007, 09:41 pm »

I always include director and conductor. First initial, last name for each (C: J. Doe, D: J. Smith).
Even without considering "name dropping", it is important information and could lead to the perfect networking opportunity, which is - let's face it - often what getting a job is all about.

89

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: I feel I have been cheated....am I really over my head...

« on: Sep 13, 2007, 10:54 pm »

If you stop learning you stop living!

It's true with any job, not just stage management. And indeed, true in all areas of life, I believe.
Never lose your sense of wonder or your courage to ask questions.
Very best wishes to you!

90

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Notating a Dance Sequence

« on: Aug 28, 2007, 08:34 am »

I do think it's important for SMs to have a dance notation they can whip out and use when needed. In years of working theatre, musicals, and opera, I have only once had an amazing choreographer who came to rehearsal with copies of his work (with page/measure reference) for the SMs. But you should never count on it, even though I would encourage you to ask that your choreo do this. In fact, among professional (ie inter/national) choreographers outside the world of dance/ballet, I have never seen one come to SMs with dance notation prepared. You'll have to be ready to absorb and record it. Even when I am given some notes from the choreo, I usually jot something to myself in my book, just so I have to shuffle fewer papers during a tech session.