Messages

826

The Green Room / Re: Hurricane Irene and your Company's plans

« on: Aug 26, 2011, 08:24 pm »

Yeah, AEA called my theatre company and said we would be allowed to cancel Sunday rehearsal and schedule Monday rehearsal, on our day off.

Which is odd, because it would mean seven days straight, leading into staging and tech - which I do not think is a good idea.

We shall see where we are at Saturday before we make a decision.

Ditto here in DC. Hoping we don't cancel Sunday, as we are teching next week/end as well.

827

Tools of the Trade / Re: 1/4" Glow dots

« on: Aug 23, 2011, 08:48 pm »

Sorry- I've always just hole-punched them. I usually punch a bunch at a time and stick them onto a piece of plastic (like a deli cup lid) so that they are easily accessible and already separated when I need them.

Good luck!

828

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Business Cards For Students

« on: Aug 19, 2011, 09:50 pm »

Do SMs not make Wallet Cards anymore?

I do.....I haven't added the performance calendar though - that's a nice touch!
Chris

Maribeth has an example with the calendar backside in Uploaded Forms: http://smnetwork.org/forum/index.php/topic,1096.0.html

Though I build mine in Excel.

I still use them! I may have switched to an Excel format since then.....It makes it so easy to line up the columns for performance dates and times.

You know, I had business cards from Vistaprint at one point. They looked fine, they were businesslike, clear, and functional, and no one ever commented on the Vistaprint logo on the back. I got them when I was a student, and they served their purpose. I might go a different route today, but for free business cards, they looked pretty good. I didn't have any problems with junk mail or telemarketers.

829

Tools of the Trade / Re: Digital Show Binder

« on: Aug 13, 2011, 11:12 am »

I think that, for the foreseeable future, there will always be a need for some of these documents to be printed out. Checklists, running paperwork of all kinds, prompt scripts, etc.

I think having these files in a digital format is good, and accessible through something like DropBox- having quick access to something like a contact sheet from my cell phone can be useful. (Though, truth be told, I would rather just print one out and put it in my bag).

But I think as soon as you go completely digital, you're opening yourself up to the possibility that you might not be able to access that info at a moment's notice. For me, the first time I am standing in rehearsal and unable to get to the contact sheet (for whatever reason), it would make the whole venture not worthwhile.

830

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: communicating who is called for a rehearsal

« on: Aug 03, 2011, 12:17 pm »

I would suggest approaching him with this information "The cast is having difficulty understanding some of the abbreviations used on the schedule" and see what you two can brainstorm together to fix the problem. He may not be aware that it's an issue.

Like the previous posters, I would agree that the ideal scenario involves you sending out the schedule and making it legible to the cast. But, barring that, let him know that this issue exists and see if there is a compromise to be made- at the very least, sending you the schedule in an editable format so that you can clean it up. If he doesn't know that the cast is perpetually confused about the call, he wouldn't see the need to make a change.

Regarding what you mentioned about the props list- you need that information. If there's a prop list, you should have it. If he doesn't volunteer that information, ask for it. You need it to do your job.

831

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Calling cues for the spotlight operator

« on: Jul 24, 2011, 10:44 am »

(Correct me in I'm wrong, Mac) I think what he means by split loops is more than one headset channel, vs partyline (everyone on the same channel).

If the lighting designer has an assistant, in my experience, that is who usually generates the cue sheets.

My advice- make backups of the final cue sheets! There's no reason the cue sheets should ever need to leave the catwalks/theatre, but someone will inevitably lose them/accidentally take them home and forget to bring them back. Backups are essential.

I also keep the relevant spot information in my book- even if they are taking the cue information from their sheets. That way, you can give notes and make subtle corrections as the show is running.  "Spot One, you're a little wobbly- steady up. Spot Two tilt up just a hair so that his whole face is lit. Spot Three, nice pickup." If you have very easily distracted high school students, it will be especially important to keep tabs on how the spot cues are running throughout the show.

832

Employment / Re: How To stand Out

« on: Jul 22, 2011, 04:58 pm »

I think that the most productive thing to do in this situation is to concentrate on yourself. There's no way of knowing why this other person is succeeding and it's nothing that you have any control over. Comparing yourselves is not productive- I would focus on what you can do to get hired, and worry less about her.

In terms of "getting noticed", sometimes it's a matter of timing. Some places won't look at resumes if they are not hiring, so sending them a resume at the wrong time of year may mean that it doesn't get looked at.

Do you know someone at the theatre that can put in a good word for you? I used to send my resume to the same theatre over and over with no response. Then, I changed one of my references to an SM who had worked at the theatre before and the next resume I sent in, I got an interview. It may be a matter of finding a personal connection to that theatre.

It may also be that they are looking for someone with a particular set of skills- reading music, experience with classical theatre/musicals/new plays/whatever. It's impossible for me to say what that particular company is looking for- each company is different and values different things in their employees. Some theatres prefer to hire people who have interned there and work their way up. See if you can find out what they look for when hiring- look at an old job posting, ask someone who's worked there before, etc.

Keep building experience. Is the "top theatre" that you are hoping to work at out of your experience level? Maybe there is an in-between step that you're skipping.

Sometimes it just takes time- but you can always be actively working to make yourself more marketable to the places you want to work at.

833

The Hardline / Re: Fight Captain Selection

« on: Jul 19, 2011, 03:56 pm »

It sounds like, given your situation, it makes sense to have you as fight captain. (Especially with only a day of performances- it's not like there will be a lot of time for changes to creep in.)

834

The Hardline / Re: Going Equity 'Young'

« on: Jul 19, 2011, 12:47 pm »

I had just turned 24 when my first AEA contract started. (In fact, Bridget, you were my ASM on that show.) I was a year and a half out of college, and I had spent the first year as an apprentice at a local theatre. That season, I SMed 3 AEA shows, 2 non-AEA shows, PA'ed for 1 show, spent 16 weeks working as a scenic painter, and did 5 other theatre jobs that were not SMing. There were weeks were I was doing 3 of these jobs at the same time. I could still barely afford my apartment and health insurance payments. And (as you probably remember), I didn't have a car- I took the bus/metro everywhere. And I was lucky- I worked enough each season to make my health weeks, and I was working.

Some of those jobs fell into my lap- I ran into a friend of a friend while waiting in the standby ticket line for a preview. She worked at a nearby theatre, and I wrote down my contact info on a scrap of paper. A couple of weeks later, the PM of that theatre called me for an interview and I spent most of the next 2 seasons there. One of the AEA jobs started with me as a non-AEA ASM (since I signed the contract before turning equity), and when the SM had a family emergency, I took over the show and the equity contract.

It took me about 3 years to build up my experience/resume to the point where I could get jobs at some of the theatres that I really wanted to work at. I was able to stop painting, and I didn't have to take as much "other" work besides SMing. I reached a point where, when I was offered some longer-term positions that were in theatre but not stage management, I took them. I tried the 9 to 5 lifestyle on for size (not my favorite), and started aggressively pursuing SM jobs.

Last year, I did not find a lot of employment in the area, so I went out of town for most of the season. (Ironically, as soon as I left town, people starting calling me about work in DC). I got a lot out of my season but really missed being here. This upcoming season is the first since turning AEA that I don't plan on taking on much or any outside work. This is the first year that I have a vacation planned. I have only been able to attend 1 wedding in the last 7 years.

It took this long to really build the relationships that I wanted with theatres in the area. If I had to do it over again, I would have tried to get "in" with some of the larger theatres by PAing there...(There are some places in this area that are much easier to break into at the ground level.) To be an equity stage manager, you have to be willing to make it through the tough first years. Whether you are AEA or not during that time, it's going to be hard. You have to figure out for yourself what the best career path is for you- turning AEA young may work out for you, or it could be to your benefit to make more connections and build more experience as a non-AEA stage manager first.

835

The Hardline / Re: Fight Captain Selection

« on: Jul 19, 2011, 11:44 am »

I was in a similar situation once- a theatre asked me to be the dance captain. We got a special concession from AEA, and I have some (limited) dance experience, so we went with it. I wouldn't do it again. There was nothing terrible about the situation, but I found that I really missed having a second set of eyes to watch the dance sections, and a second voice in maintaining the dance. It was a show with a whole host of other issues, and it would have been better to have another person thinking about the dances in addition to myself.

In my understanding, with the selection of fight captain (or any other similar job that requires additional payment), it's the producer's decision, usually with some input from the fight director, who to hire. If this other actor is not suited to being the FC, the producer should decide who they want to hire. Personally, I think it helps to have a second person keeping an eye on the fight. It's good to have someone else concentrating on the fights (in addition to yourself) and someone you can have an ongoing dialogue with about what's happening and what maintenance notes need to be given.

You can make sure that the actor selected is always present when the fights are happening. (I would put his name on the call for that scene, as FC, even if he's not acting in it.) It's important to have someone as FC that is capable of running fight call, and understands the fights well enough to maintain them and the actors' safety. If this actor can't do that, they shouldn't be FC.

836

Employment / Re: Honest Opinion: Can I Make This Happen?

« on: Jul 18, 2011, 08:25 pm »

Nice point, Heath. If I were talking to my younger self, I think I would have done a lot more research into the practical side of freelancing. I would have worked harder to find a way to have health insurance when first starting out. I would have applied to PA positions at larger theatres. I would have worked more on understanding income taxes as someone who is self-employed.

To address your original question- I don't think your future as a stage manager has very much to do with if you came to it in high school, or college, or later. I think it has more to do with how your approach your career in the moment- how you go after jobs, how you use the experience you have to get jobs, and how you use each experience to make yourself a better stage manager, whether it's a good experience or a bad one.

I think the point being made here is good- it's easy to say, "I want to be a stage manager, and I'm going to be one no matter what", without having been through the experience. But be sure to keep the other priorities of your life in balance. I know a lot of great SMs who are my age (late twenties) and are moving out of the field to have families, because it is really, really hard to do both.

837

Employment / Re: To tattoo or not to tattoo

« on: Jul 18, 2011, 04:35 pm »

I don't have a tattoo myself but know many who do. Never heard of anyone having problems.

Here's an existing thread that covers this topic:
http://smnetwork.org/forum/index.php/topic,1838.msg11634.html#msg11634

It might help answer this question for you.

838

Tools of the Trade / Re: iPads

« on: Jul 12, 2011, 03:01 pm »

Very cool, BayAreaSM!

839

Tools of the Trade / Re: iPads

« on: Jul 12, 2011, 01:18 pm »

Really interested in seeing this new tool develop! There is a lot of potential for production use, and it's great to see the regulations evolving with the development/widespread use of these technologies. Especially excited as the contract I am working on next  is using the LORT media rules.

I used to work with a (non-union) dance company that had dozens of productions in their repertory- when they had an upcoming gig of "Show X", they would bring a TV into the rehearsal room and watch a DVD of the old production, to "get it back", then rehearse with that DVD available to reference, in the rehearsal room, at any point. If they had done "Show X" in multiple venues, they would have DVDs of each performance in each venue, and were able to track modifications they had made as the piece evolved. It made it much easier to "put in" replacement dancers as well.

Another advantage was that the dancers themselves were often the directors and creators of each piece, so having a video camera in the room made it easier to watch things with an "outside eye". They would also send me a DVD and calling script from the last production (or the most similar version to the one we were producing), so that I could learn the show, and have an idea of what the cueing would be like.

Now if only I had the newer version of the iPad with the camera....

840

The Green Room / Office Supply Vending Machine

« on: Jul 09, 2011, 06:42 am »

This is pretty nerdy but I figured that of all people, SMs would appreciate this office supply vending machine I found at the Carnegie Library in Pittsburgh. You can get note-taking supplies like pencils, index cards, notepads,  and post-its, plus ear buds, magnifying glasses, and a bag to carry your books home. Made me smile.