Messages

811

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Re: ESCRIPTS: Post your requests for electronic scripts here!

« on: Dec 16, 2011, 01:25 pm »

Anyone have a copy of the Damn Yankees script in word or something else editable.  I had a pdf and it's killing me to retype it.

Thanks All!

Candy

There are some websites that will convert pdfs to word docs. Google "convert pdf to word" and they should pop up.

812

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Observational Awareness Training?

« on: Dec 09, 2011, 11:23 pm »

If there's something that I can write down in my book that will help me, I will often do that. A little note next to each cue that says what the cue does ("LQ47- opens stage, chandelier up") goes a long way towards helping me notice when something is not as it should be. Or, if there is something that is a recurring problem- like a door that has to be closed for a scene change to work that frequently gets left open- I will write a little note to myself so that I remember to check it. Like Rebbe said, I also find that the act of writing something down makes me more aware of it.

Sometimes I will jot a note to myself in the middle of the performance if something looks weird and ask someone else after the show to see if they noticed it as well (like an out-of-focus lighting unit).

813

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: I have found myself SMing

« on: Nov 29, 2011, 02:28 am »

There are a couple of ways to tape out, but one of the more common ones is "plotting points". It's described pretty thoroughly in this thread: http://smnetwork.org/forum/index.php/topic,3558.msg21645.html#msg21645 .

I like to (if possible) measure out the points ahead of time- it makes taping go a lot quicker. Things that help- an extra-long tape measure to run along the centerline upstage/downstage, and another tape to run SR and SL from center. A scale rule to measure out the groundplan. Kneepads, scissors, a triangle, chalk and a piece of string (for taping circles) can all be useful.

Find out the dimensions of your rehearsal space. If you don't think the set will fit in the rehearsal room, you can make a template of your rehearsal space with a piece of paper or cardboard. Measure out the room, draw it on your template in scale, cut out the shape of the room, and then you have a template that you can overlay onto the groundplan and manipulate the template so that you can see what the best layout is for your space.  (I've also seen this done with a piece of plexiglass, with the shape of the room drawn on in sharpie- genius! You can do both a half-inch and quarter-inch template on the same sheet.)

Good luck! If you have any specific questions about taping, post them. The best advice I can think of is to look at the groundplan ahead of time, and make sure that you fully understand it, so that you don't get to the rehearsal room to tape, and realize that you still have questions for the TD about the set.

814

Self-Promotion / Pride and Prejudice

« on: Nov 27, 2011, 08:04 pm »

Pride and Prejudice
By Joseph Hanreddy and J. R. Sullivan
Adapted from the novel by Jane Austen

Round House Theatre
Directed by Blake Robison
November 23-December 31

Just finished a great week of previews and we open tomorrow- this is easily one of my favorite shows in the last few years. If you're in the DC area, I highly recommend it. Lots of discounted options available- there are $10 tickets day-of for AEA members, $10 Tuesdays,  and $10/$15 tickets for those under 30.

http://www.roundhousetheatre.org/

815

Employment / Re: Staying competetive in multiple markets

« on: Nov 07, 2011, 08:33 pm »

I've been in this situation before. I spent most of last year working in a different city (about 4 hours away), with a position that did not include housing. I ended up finding a relatively cheap apartment to sublet, since I have an apartment in DC with my boyfriend and didn't want to move, and the salary for the job made up the difference. I probably wouldn't have taken the job if it would have cost me money. But, it was a good job and really good experience, so for me it was worth it. I decided not to do it again this year, but it's not impossible to do it.

A number of companies that will have their own housing- either the theatre has apartments, or board members will "host" a visiting artist at their house for a few weeks. It might be worth saying to a potential employer "I'm really interested in this job, but don't have local housing- do you know of any good options?"

816

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: call times

« on: Oct 31, 2011, 07:22 pm »

I cheat as well.

817

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: call times

« on: Oct 31, 2011, 02:10 pm »

I would say that it varies between companies/theatres/venues, but it is fairly standard to call "half-hour","fifteen" "five" and "places". I know there are people who give ten minute calls but I generally don't.

I always think a good idea to let the company know that the house is open so that no one wanders onstage without realizing that there are patrons in the house (less important in a theatre with a house curtain).

In my current theatre, I make my calls through the PA and over headset, so that the crew and house manager are aware of these calls, as well as the actors. If there is something unusual happening pre-show, like actors being onstage during the pre-show, or a fight call, or a scheduled warm-up onstage, I will adjust my calls to include those things.

818

Self-Promotion / Re: VelocityDC

« on: Oct 20, 2011, 07:25 pm »

Great event- I think my brother's dance company performed in it last year. Have fun!

819

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Designer Cue Lists

« on: Oct 07, 2011, 09:32 pm »

Maybe I'm just "old school" but whatever happended to having a paper tech? Designers, director and SM can discuss placement of cues in script all together. I usually do my own master cue list from the information gotten at the paper tech.

Not all theatres schedule a paper tech. I have only done a paper tech for a handful of shows in my professional career. Usually, I am given the cues by the designer either in a list, or as we go during tech. Occasionally for a show with a lot of moving parts, we'll do a dry tech, but in my experience that's been pretty rare.

820

The Green Room / Re: Weirdest Item In Your Kit

« on: Oct 07, 2011, 03:05 pm »

Maybe it's not strange to others, but to me, it is.

A desk bell (the familiar bell-hop kind).

I have one of these too- the first professional SM I assisted gave it to me as an opening night gift.

821

The Green Room / Re: Reading Plays

« on: Sep 29, 2011, 10:35 pm »

Charles Mee is a personal favorite- a really interesting contemporary playwright....and he posts copies of his plays on his website. http://charlesmee.org/html/plays.html

822

Self-Promotion / Fahrenheit 451

« on: Sep 08, 2011, 10:35 am »

Fahrenheit 451
by Ray Bradbury, based on his novel
Directed by Sharon Ott

Round House Theatre in Bethesda, MD
September 7th-October 9th
 
First preview was last night! It's an interesting show that uses a lot of computer animation, film sequences, and live camera feeds all projected onto the stage.

There are a number of $10 ticket options-so if you're in the DC area, come check it out. http://www.roundhousetheatre.org/tickets/discount-tickets/

823

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Les Mis

« on: Sep 07, 2011, 08:47 am »

For writing a cue into a score, you can draw a horizontal line above the system the note is in, and then draw a vertical line or arrow down to the note it should be called on. Then, write the cue on the horizontal line. (Very similar to what BayAreaSM suggested). I know an opera stage manager who had stamps made, with "Light Q________" "Rail Q_____________" etc on the horizontal line, so she can stamp them above the system, and then draw a line down to the note in colored pencil.

824

Self-Promotion / Re: A Year with Frog and Toad

« on: Sep 01, 2011, 08:17 am »

Congrats- what a fun show! I worked on it 6 or 7 years ago and I'm pretty sure that the songs are almost out of my head....

825

The Green Room / Re: ARTICLE: 5 Reasons To Keep A Work Diary

« on: Aug 29, 2011, 06:01 pm »

I have kept a logbook/journal for a few years, but it wasn't focused on work in any way. More of a way to keep track of what happened and when. I added a "work diary" component a few weeks ago when this was posted- just a quick jotting down about my day.

It helps keep me on track with my short-term career goals and gives me a great perspective on myself. I second what lsears said about seeing larger patterns in your work, and it being a way to really focus on myself.