Messages

796

Stage Management: Other / Re: Opera tips

« on: Mar 20, 2012, 09:14 pm »

We've been having a hard time finding any mass quantities of Riccola, free, discounted, or otherwise. Could you post or PM a link? We're buying cough drops twice a week!

Let me ask someone- the last opera company I worked for ordered the tubs by the case, so it must be available somewhere.

Possibly going to prove myself a fool, but why do you need to find cough drops?
Over here, if singers need a VocalZone or Soother, they buy them!

It's a courtesy that's usually provided at most opera companies, in my experience (working in the US). Water, coffee, and tea are also usually made available.

797

Self-Promotion / Re: As You Like It

« on: Mar 09, 2012, 12:38 pm »

That sounds great- congrats! I think bluegrass is so fun. Ready to return to AYLI?

798

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: No Director Present

« on: Mar 08, 2012, 12:35 am »

I agree with what DeeCap said.

I wouldn't accept responsibility for things that are not my purview- just because the director is not in town does not mean that you have to make decisions that are her responsibility. I'm not sure why they would need a weekly meeting with you before rehearsals start and if it was me I probably wouldn't go for it. If they have scheduling questions, they can contact you about them separately, and you can contact the director. If it's a question about character they can wait until rehearsals begin and speak to the director about it then.

Is it possible that the director is receiving too many emails/texts/calls about small questions and is overwhelmed? Maybe it would be better to write one email each week that covers multiple questions, or have a weekly check-in by phone. It's possible that when you actually begin rehearsals, some of these issues will naturally smooth themselves out, like script changes.

Have you tried getting in touch with the production team in a manner other than email? Sometimes a phone call or a visit in person is a more direct way to get someone to answer. Do you have any production meetings scheduled? Depending on what the questions are, you can keep a list of questions and get them answered all at the same time, while everyone is in the room. I second the recommendation of talking to your adviser- or cc'ing them on future communication. 

799

Self-Promotion / Re: THE TOTAL BENT

« on: Feb 24, 2012, 02:41 pm »

break a leg!

800

Employment / Re: Kinda at a crossroads

« on: Feb 24, 2012, 02:03 am »

Sorry for the delay- don't know if anyone here can truly answer your question. Most theatres will go with SMs they have worked with before, if they like working with them- and who can blame them? Without knowing you, it's hard to say what you can do better- do you mostly ASM for larger theatres? or SM for smaller theatres? It might be worth branching out- if you need to get contacts at larger theatres, apply for PA positions. Or, get some experience SMing at smaller theatres that aren't community theatres. I don't know what the Denver theatre market is like, but find a gap in the market and fill it. Look for job postings in your area- maybe you've been cold calling theatres that aren't hiring, or only hire former interns, or whatever.

My personal opinion is that you can find qualities in many different jobs that have facets supporting stage management. I think the key is to find the parts of those jobs that will help you in stage management. My very first job was working in a bookstore- I managed summer employees and was responsible for keeping up with orders and paperwork, and I think that experience made me a better stage manager. But, depending on your experience, you might get more out of working for a theatre in a different capacity and let them get to know you- work for the box office, or do carpentry. A non-SM job might mean a different way to "get in" with a particular company.

801

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: POLICIES: Responsibility breakdown

« on: Feb 19, 2012, 11:10 pm »

I think that (as someone who freelances) figuring out responsibilities is a big part of the job as you move from theatre to theatre. Obviously many things are the same but there are some things that vary- like who is responsible for buying food props during the run, for example.

During prep week, I ask the production manager any questions I have about who is responsible for what tasks. I don't think you can anticipate every question that might come up, but this gives me a good head start on knowing who at the organization to go to with certain questions. And then, continue to ask questions as you go! It takes time to learn the operation of a new theatre- after a few shows it won't be such a surprise.

802

The Green Room / Re: "You get paid to do that?" - What's your oddest story?

« on: Feb 13, 2012, 11:12 am »

The other ASM had to stand in for a wall plug for a singer would understand her limited motion when she was singing holding an iron.  Just taping the cord to the stand-in shelf was unacceptable, the ASM had to sit on the floor holding the cord for every scene that occurred in that location.

Believe it or not I have done that as well- the first show I ASMed in college featured a vacuum cleaner, and the other ASM and I traded off who had to "be" the wall plug for the vacuum.

803

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Autism-friendly performances

« on: Feb 12, 2012, 11:03 pm »

A number of years ago, I worked for a children's theatre company that did "Sensory-Friendly" performances of certain productions. The house lights stayed on (at a low level) during the show, and certain light and sound cues were altered to be less startling and/or loud.

If I remember correctly, they partnered with a local autism-friendly school and had a pretty good attendance for those performances (they were open to the public, similar to ASL-interpreted shows). One of the parents attending told me about a local movie theatre that did similar matinees.

The most important factor was a friendly, understanding atmosphere- everyone there (performers AND patrons) understood that some children might make noise or need to leave during the performance. Send me a PM if you want me to put you in touch with them.

804

Tools of the Trade / Re: Filemaker?

« on: Feb 08, 2012, 02:14 pm »

Thanks for the info- if you're able to post some of that database that would be great! It would definitely help me decide if it's worth the time/money investment.

805

Tools of the Trade / Re: Filemaker?

« on: Feb 07, 2012, 07:01 pm »

This topic is old but does anyone use Filemaker for forms? A sound designer I am working with showed me how she generates forms in Filemaker and it seems like it might have some use for SMs. Basically it looks like you can input a lot of information, and then generate forms using that info in any number of configurations.

If there's someone who uses this software for stage management, I would love to hear more about how they use it. Thanks!

806

Tools of the Trade / Re: Tool Belt

« on: Jan 13, 2012, 02:17 pm »

I've used a waiter's half apron backstage before. They're cheap and easy to get at any restaurant supply store. They have big enough pockets to hold a run list, pencil, flashlight, and bobby pins/safety pins.

807

The Green Room / Re: Happy New Year SM Network

« on: Jan 05, 2012, 01:18 pm »

1. Run a 10k. (I did a 5k this morning so I'm off to a good start!)

If you can do a 5k, you can probably already do a 10k   Good luck.

Physically- probably. Willpower/motivation- still working on it.

Thanks!

808

The Green Room / Re: Unwinding and Readjusting

« on: Jan 04, 2012, 02:27 pm »

I don't usually have trouble if I'm jumping right into my next show, but when I have a week or two off between it's always a little strange. After a few days I start getting bored and antsy- I have to find things to do to fill the time.

Last year I was working in Pittsburgh but driving home to DC whenever I had 2 days off in a row- it was definitely an adjustment to get back to my normal routine.

Enjoy your break! It'll be over soon enough.

809

The Green Room / Re: Happy New Year SM Network

« on: Jan 01, 2012, 05:59 pm »

1. Run a 10k. (I did a 5k this morning so I'm off to a good start!)
2. Find more time to read- I have a list of good books to get through this year.

810

The Green Room / Re: ARTICLE: NYT about Nonprofits in NYC looking like profits

« on: Dec 17, 2011, 01:11 pm »

Really interesting, thanks for sharing.