Messages

931

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: PROFESSIONALISM: Have I overstepped the mark?

« on: Jan 27, 2010, 07:35 pm »

Rebbe, I strongly disagree. It isn't our place to "warn" someone unless asked. Their experience may be very different. And if we offer it without being asked, it opens a huge can o' legal whuppass. It IS overstepping our boundaries. The person is auditioning - the actor may be wrong for the role, blow the audition or be a friend of the producers - but to proactively impact their employment is dangerous ground.

Yes, there are actors who consistently work with whom no one likes to share space - and yes there are perfect storms of shows where separately, the actors are great but together they are poison - and yes there are folks who are just having bad years.

Professionally, this is beyond our job description. It is completely inappropriate.  And even with the best of intentions it can also get us in a whole mess o' trouble legally.

932

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Have I overstepped the mark?

« on: Jan 27, 2010, 02:23 pm »

agree w all - last year I worked a an actor who was horrible to anyone NOT in a position to help her career, interrupted notes, chatted all the time unless it was about her, refused notes from SM (her answer "is this from you or from the director!) - made my wardrobe girls (college kids) cry etc - and I saw she was starring in a show shortly in another state - it was hard, I grant you, to NOT warn the SM that she treated stage management and crew like dirt, but it's not my/our place to create prejudgment. It's possible that, with a different director, show, staff this person may clean up their act or be respectful or just generally change - whether I believe it's possible or not. And this was not the first time. There are two actors we spend time dissing with three directors who have worked w them - who say "wish you'd warned me" but not my place -and these two actors actually have directors who love working w them, so you just never know.

So, unless directly asked by someone (not "hey I worked w this person if you want to know anything call me" but instead "hey I know you are working w this person is there anything I shd know") we don't say a word.

933

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: How much time to prepare before auditions?

« on: Jan 25, 2010, 12:57 pm »

Dallas - you're doing STREETCAR I assume? I did it for a year, holler if you have questions

934

Tools of the Trade / Re: Securing your gear

« on: Jan 24, 2010, 02:30 am »

During a run I leave my calling script at the theater (taking it home Sun nite and returning w it for the next show, whatever day that is). The rest - laptop, tools etc - go home with me nightly.

935

The Hardline / Re: Dear Abby: SM Deputy vs Disrespectful Director

« on: Jan 21, 2010, 12:28 pm »

(I meant to say much of what rebbe said but edited too much - yay rebbe!) -

yes, a conversation w the director is in order - and a conversation w AEA - and with the actress

936

The Hardline / Re: Dear Abby: SM Deputy vs Disrespectful Director

« on: Jan 21, 2010, 02:50 am »

I am not sure where you are located, but certainly in the Western Region I have been able to share certain things "under the table" - anonymously and in ways that don't come back to bite me. I would indeed report this to the union and make sure the rep dealing with this company knows abt problems - especially if there are ways the rep could have found out without the producer/director assuming it came from either you or your actress. Notifying the union of this producer's blatant disregard will help when he asks for concessions plus allows the rep to help teach in interactions with this person. Plus, it never hurts having things in his file so folks are warned before dealing with him. And yes, as the deputy, you are entitled to report this.

In my current production, I had to speak to our writer during rehearsal because she brought a camera. The rule is 24-hr notice. The work-around is taking the actress aside (so she can speak freely and also so the director knows there is a process involved - some of this is for show) and formally asking her if that's ok, and letting her know that saying NO is an option. And if I were the actor, I would take as much time as I needed to be ready for the call.

Assume this is a one-person show (which is why you are both PSM and Deputy)?

This doesn't address the larger problem of the director, but it's a start.

937

The Hardline / Re: Legal Issues

« on: Jan 18, 2010, 11:07 pm »

you can sometimes get lawfirms to trade services for good deeds - many big firms have requirements for their members to donate time or money to worthy causes  esp if you are a nonprofit - this can be their donation to the arts - good luck! (or, break a money clip)

938

The Hardline / Re: Legal Issues

« on: Jan 18, 2010, 11:17 am »

What do you mean by "doesn't legally exist." If they are doing shows, they exist. Is anyone being paid (even a stipend?) Does the audience pay for tickets? Are they performing in people's living rooms or in proper theaters. Most extant spaces have insurance and/or workers comp (or negotiate that when rented) so you may not need to worry. And many companies come together without any formal legal structure - especially self-produced stuff.

I could suggest the entire company take a First Aid course so everyone becomes a first responder (after all, you are in the booth, if something happens others will be able to get there faster) - and just because you are the SM doesn't mean you are responsible by default. I am not a lawyer, but I do think the Good Samaritan laws would kick in (tho those vary by state, so you would need to investigate).

939

The Green Room / Re: how to deal with the a biology major turn into a SM

« on: Jan 14, 2010, 02:33 am »

I was a bio major (she said defensively) - something you reference with not a little cynicism, and frankly, you need to know it stood me well when I became a stage manager - it's really important to understand that experience in other fields actually is a good thing for us, esp from the sciences. Part of my bio training was looking at the same problem from many different angles, meaning I walked in the theater doors ready to try/suggest stuff outside the envelope. Protocol is teachable, while vision isn't always.

FYI, when I hand my assistant (or anyone) a script, it's just the script. Only once have I rec'd or handed in a binder, and that was a company that provided those items. If I don't know something, I would rather say "I don't know" or "maybe" than guess. Those are valid answers.

BUT - and this is more important - if she is your SM, you need to adapt to her. I agree w Missliz, if you have things to discuss ask her to step aside with you, but do it from the perspective of how to work well together, what you bring to the table that can support her, rather than what you can teach her. The attitude is "We learn from each other; We are a team; Here's what I can do to make your life easier, if that's ok with you." You have no idea what she's dealing with from producers/designers. Your complaint that she doesn't use GO for cues or take blocking notes or tape the floor are all things she can learn, but if you are her ASM it is NOT your place to be her teacher. And your sitting in judgment and complaining allows no room for change to happen. Go ahead and do what you know needs to be done, but do it with a gracious spirit and without expecting anything - incluiding being used - because it will help your own sanity. You never know where that can lead. A friend got her big break that way, because as ASM she did the paperwork for her own sanity and when things happened that needed a paper trail, she was able to produce it with no judgment or nose-thumbing - and got hired to replace the SM the next show.

Is this a college or high school situation? There may be a teacher who can help. If this is community theater, just make sure you are the consummate pro when you are there, whether you are SM or ASM, always smiling, always saying "yes" and helping solve problems. Folks will learn to trust you and how things are traditionally done will spread.

GOOD LUCK (break a pencil) -

940

The Hardline / Re: Half Hour Call

« on: Jan 12, 2010, 03:25 am »

I agree - I tend to let everyone else break but me, cuz I'd rather just plow thru and get it done -

staggered breaks work in specific circumstances - not all - but they do work for certain types of shows. And for those shows, so much easier than chasing down actors on break to give them 1) break and 2) back...

941

The Hardline / Re: Half Hour Call

« on: Jan 11, 2010, 12:39 pm »

I have frequently seen, during tech, a "break as needed" policy - staggering the breaks scene by scene. Seems to work well, other than those few who have no off time. Officially the cast is told that when off stage, they are officially on break so we don't have to stop the rehearsal and break the entire company at the same time. This allows a more realistic working time frame, and it allows stopping for crew/designers or the person with no offstage time (which can be true for some but not all plays). Works well, esp as this means when we take a break, the SMs actually get one instead of spending the whole time finding everyone twice (the giant circle to put on break, then back) and the work we all do during our breaks gets done. The only folks who fuss tend to be, amusingly, those who sit in their dressing rooms waiting for their 1 or 2 scenes and (as noted above) more senior actors who are used to company breaks rather than understanding that this allows time to solve technical issues and wastes minimal time.

942

Homework Help / Re: Thesis Research

« on: Jan 08, 2010, 12:25 pm »

Renee, just making sure you've scoped out the threads - pieces of this discussion are all over this site and worth your checking, so you can ask specific SMs if you can use their experiences in your thesis (and takes into consideration their time and work in writing the initial post)

good luck!

943

The Hardline / Re: Half Hour Call

« on: Jan 05, 2010, 11:18 pm »

it's amazing what some people think. I did (polite, respectful but firm) battle for my actors w a long-time director who insisted that on a 10/12, the actors had a 1.5 hr dinner and the last 30 minutes was their half-hour call, and he was furious at my (calm but firm) insistence that the 2 hrs was the actors completely, we didn't need a half-hour call for them at that stage of tech and if he wanted them in costume their half-hour started at the 2 hr mark.

944

Tools of the Trade / Re: Random, household things, you use/keep on stage.

« on: Jan 05, 2010, 10:58 pm »

never thought of that as obscure - but maybe it's cuz so few women wear hose any more - it was common knowledge among us girls in the old days

also hairspray works (tho not as well) - and hairspray and handsoap are great for dimming the glare of onstage mirrors

945

The Hardline / Re: Half Hour Call

« on: Jan 05, 2010, 01:19 pm »

I once had an actor who didn't listen to our calls but insisted on having a 10 (I really don't know anyone who calls 10, just 15, 5 and places) - meaning (for this house and show)asking us to do constant circles without having any breaks ourselves nor getting all our work done. We found a compromise but still, that actor's demand was annoying (didn't help that he was completely disrespectful to the process and had no idea about how professional theater worked.

The rules state half-hour, reinforced by standard breaks requiring 1-1/2 hr before half hour on performance nites (with a few well-spelled out exceptions) - I don't recall seeing anything in writing about calls but I don't know any SMs who aren't expected to do them. Interesting point tho - hmm -

FWIW I also always give a formal half-hour call for runs in costume - not basic techs, where we are just stopping for dinner and then picking up where we left off, but for the dress run/dress tech, since getting into costume/make-up is on the clock. If they need more time, and certainly for large cast shows I open up earlier, but the actual formal call stays the same.