Messages

76

The Hardline / Re: PROFESSIONALISM: Is the Audience allowed to see the Dressing rooms?

« on: Oct 23, 2013, 05:01 pm »

Tell the designer that if they want the masking removed, she should be back there naked all show. Seems only fair that if they want the actors to expose themselves that she should take the same risk.

I am only partially kidding.

There are ways to strip away the layers of theatrics without exposing the cast in an uncomfortable way. And unless there is a vital piece of information missing, it sounds like this is a decision on the part of a designer only. What does your director have to say about exposing the cast's dressing rooms?

77

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: WHAT WOULD YOU DO- Staged Reading Nightmare

« on: Oct 18, 2013, 09:16 am »

Definitely let her read. People in power tend to get their way for a reason: they wield a lot of power. As to why no one decided to tell you or the director that the member of the board who wrote a poem and was excused from rehearsal is another matter altogether. I'd wager that didn't actually happen, but your reader/board member may have decided that's exactly how she wanted it to happen. That's just my tinfoil hat talking though.

I agree with Kay though. She was en route so while it's great to have the back up plan, it would be best to stick with the plan and have the readers execute plan B in case of emergency.

78

The Green Room / Re: On-camera interview

« on: Sep 10, 2013, 08:28 pm »

I've been interviewed multiple times. I've never been concerned. Then again to be fair, I was given warning of official interviews and when I had it sprung on me. I was more prepared because it was a situation like yours: I'm there in an official capacity to keep an eye on the actors and I, being the minor egomaniac that I am, thought well of course they want to talk to me because I totally rock!

79

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Dealing with Panic Situations

« on: Sep 06, 2013, 09:17 am »

To your question of how to prevent stressful situations in theater...the only answer is don't do theater. Things are going to happen and they will induce stress. That cannot be avoided. And lets be honest with ourselves....don't we all kinda like when things go wrong and we're able to come up with the solution? To me, that became one of my largest rewards as I was winding my career down as an SM. You are the eye of the storm, calm and serene in a sea of chaos.

One thing I learned over the course of time is that there is nothing one can do to prepare for everything. I was taught you should be prepared for everything that could possibly happen. You can prepare for the known issues sure, but unknowns will always arise. Best thing is to not inflict additional stress into the situation. Calm, slow and steady win the race. Board dies? Don't yell at the board op who is most likely the best qualified person on hand to figure it out. Lumping stress on top of that person to FIX IT NOW will only make the situation more tense than it needs.

80

Employment / Re: Job Offer: How Long to Make a Decision

« on: Sep 05, 2013, 10:38 am »

Depending on the start date obviously, but I felt comfortable making my response within 7-10 business days. I always tried to be at the closer end to 7 than the later end. If I was wavering to that extent by the 10th day then I'd say my decision was made already I just hadn't pulled the trigger to tell them "No."

81

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Actors Talking to Designers

« on: Aug 29, 2013, 08:59 pm »

Arrange a meeting with the actor, director, stage manager, picky actor/ professor and yourself. Let picky actor bring up concerns and have a discussion. Remember, it's unwise and unprofessional to challenge a director in the room repeatedly especially when you're trying to teach students how professional plays work. This picky actor probably wants to talk to their colleague about this but may not know how to broach the subject.

If you present this to the Sm and director as a conversation you'd like input on, the final decision will still rest where it always belongs: the director, but now the picky actor may have a better understanding as to why it is the way it is.

Something to mull over in your head: actors who react poorly about props are occasionally uncomfortable somewhere else in the production. They will elect to try to control something (ie props) to regain a modicum of control.

82

The Green Room / Re: Director in Booth!

« on: Jul 30, 2013, 07:35 pm »

Directors can be in the booth all they want but only if they are silent IMO. I don't want to hear an exasperated sigh, nor do I want on the fly notes.i am my own worst critic already and I know when a sequence goes wrong. I've never cared for directors who work this way. In my early career, i once asked a director why he doesn't go up during a performance to give the cast notes and asked for the same respect during a run. You'll be shocked to know that didn't go over well.

you can't be argumentative because it gets you nowhere and will only make the director push harder. Offer them a spot in the booth with the condition that you'll take notes following the performance. You'll be happy to discuss it after the fact but during the run is not the time. If they aren't willing to give you that respect, they can't be in the booth. Is not fair to you to have the director breathing over your shoulder during a run. Especially if you're open already. If you're open and they are critiquing you on the call of the show now they obviously didn't do a good enough job communicating their desires during tech, or you misinterpreted their notes during tech.

83

Self-Promotion / Re: Ailey II

« on: Jul 19, 2013, 10:03 pm »

Congratulations! You'll be right down the street from me at Barbizon!

84

Employment / Re: Cover Letters for Tours

« on: Jul 10, 2013, 03:22 pm »

I'm not sure where they are in the hiring process or if they need an ASM this year, but you can always look at the Acting Company based in NYC. I worked with them for 2 years and had a blast. Lots of hard work, but you get to a lot of cool places and theaters.

85

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Harassment issue at a set build

« on: Jul 09, 2013, 07:25 am »

Tell the director. I'd presume they are a teacher at the school and if that's the case they will have been trained on how to proceed. School being out doesn't give this.....gentleman....free reign to stalk his ex.

Don't let her wander the school alone. If she leaves the auditorium make sure someone goes with her.

86

The Green Room / Re: Forwarding previous information in emails

« on: Jun 18, 2013, 12:20 pm »

This happens to me all the time in my current job. String of emails back and forth between a customer and then suddenly I need to loop a vendor into it. In those cases, I delete the string unless I need the information contained to ask a question or illustrate a point.

If the negative criticism was unnecessary to the conversation you were having with your administrator, they should have removed it. If I'm forwarding that conversation on, I would certainly delete it.

87

The Green Room / Re: ARTICLE: Fighting with Teenagers - a copyright story

« on: Jun 14, 2013, 09:38 pm »

Should be zero debate on this topic. Period. You don't pay for it, you don't "deserve it." Have I done it? Yes as a product of my generation I've stolen music while in college.

Since then, I've gone back and purchased everything I took or deleted those files and ripped my own collection of CDs to replace it.

88

Stage Management: Other / Re: COMMUNICATION: When things happen on the day off

« on: Jun 13, 2013, 10:48 am »

Maybe this is a cross over issue with opera and theater...and maybe I'm a control freak...but I would be displeased if anything happened in terms of production personnel and I wasn't informed. Day off or not. If there is someone who is going to be out and we know about it ahead of time, things can be worked out and you get kept in the loop. Even if you have nothing to do with the work of replacing the "felled" pit player, you can always check up on the people who are responsible. Is it absolutely certain the people who know informed the sound people? Maybe lighting is affected (I have sincerely NO idea why that would really happen...). Certainly the cast should be informed through a more official channel than water cooler chats.

It might just be my general view, but if the stage manager is the hub of communication to everyone on the staff it serves no benefit to do these things on the side and not inform us.

89

The Hardline / Re: Showcase Code--6 Consecutive Days

« on: Jun 10, 2013, 09:43 am »

Unless the code was changed since I last did a showcase, 7 works days in a row is verboten. Not even something you can negotiate with Equity for overtime pay in my experience. 6 day work week.

90

The Hardline / Re: Working With Equity Actors for the First time

« on: Jun 04, 2013, 10:49 am »

The basics all remain the same (breaks, Deputy etc) but certain scheduling issues may arise depending on the contract that you'll have to abide. Costume fittings will come into play, potentially press and publicity issues...Ultimately, it's hard to say what will be different since I'm not exactly sure what code/contract you worked under last year if any vs. what specific code or contract you're working on for this summer.

If it's a Festival Showcase code for NYC (which is what I inferred from what you implied) it's different than the Regular Showcase Code. If it's contract, it's definitely a different beast. Whatever agreement you're working under, read it through carefully. If you aren't sure on some rule or interpretation, call the office and ask for clarification. It seems like our cop out answer to almost all Equity related questions, but our reps get paid to answer these questions because they are the ultimate deciders about those rules and infractions.