Messages

976

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Plotting out scene shifts

« on: Nov 01, 2009, 04:10 pm »

I don't think it's our exclusive right, altho we certainly do it most of the time and it would normally fall under our purview. If the set shifts are being "choreographed" by the AD or the director, then hey, go for it, I will still be standing there actively helping negotiate what needs to live/move/end up where and make suggestions. But I have worked w directors who love doing this stuff (using actors, actors/crew or just crew) and as long as my needs are satisfied, it's all good. One director just does it cuz he's never had a real SM before and he kinda loves doing it. And recently for IS HE DEAD we had a completely choreographed intermission shift, all done by crew, which the director, sound and light designer worked out based on the cues they wanted to interpolate. I put things in order and figured out where they needed to live off stage and made some suggestions throughout, but it was a group effort.

Yes, I usually assume it's my job, but if someone else really wants to do it and/or wants to do something creative and specific with it that they want to orchestrate, well then, no skin off my nose!

977

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Broadway SM arrested

« on: Oct 23, 2009, 01:53 am »

Yeah - I understand, it's just, well, a combo of wishful thinking added to the additional challenges this will present to us in venues where we have to open doors to communicate - ah well..... eventually I am sure we will hear the real story since folks here surely know cast or crew members from this person's theatrical history - but since no one is flying to his aid, I am sad to think that these charges may be valid.

978

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Broadway SM arrested

« on: Oct 22, 2009, 12:44 pm »

well, considering that in some venues, we have no choice but to waltz right in to chorus (and other) dressing rooms while folks are changing, I am very curious as to the outcome (altho this is certainly not that kind of circumstance - I think - I want to hope that somehow it was an innocent leaving behind of the phone with someone holding a grudge rather than icky harrassment, our jobs are hard enough...)

979

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Touring Musical Rates

« on: Oct 22, 2009, 12:38 pm »

CALL AEA - that's the first advice, and you need to do that - this may be a TYA, since it's a school show, and it may be a some other contract - please call the AEA office and ask who is handling this prodn, and then talk w them - the folks in LA are terrific, very supportive, and very helpful - website is actorsequity.org if you need to research anything yourself -

980

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Why do you do it?

« on: Oct 21, 2009, 02:19 pm »

I think most of these qqs are answered in a variety of threads in the novice/new SM section - and there is a lengthy conversation on ways to apply SM skills to other jobs/daily life - you will enjoy those posts!

981

Employment / Re: Equity

« on: Oct 20, 2009, 12:28 am »

This is an easy question you should be able to figure out an answer for - not to be mean, but if you can't research this yourself, you aren't ready to ask the question. Once you have specific issues or questions pertaining to this, based on your own work history and where you see yourself in the future, feel free to come back. IN the meantime, I am locking this topic until you do the basic groundwork necessary to participate in a discussion.

982

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Touring Musical Rates

« on: Oct 19, 2009, 12:52 pm »

CONGRATULATIONS - You will be hired under a specific contract, so the minimums will be determined by that - and normally all living expenses are covered (with a few exceptions) - all the details are dependent on the contract but there are specific things we can help you research in terms of your show

feel free to share details so we can help you w specifics (there are a lot of LA-area SMs here), and call the AEA office here for further info.

983

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Broadway SM arrested

« on: Oct 19, 2009, 01:20 am »

I am curious, given the SMs resume, if this is a first time, is he a victim of a misunderstanding or has a history of misbehavior that went unreported until now - before I assume guilt, I'd like to know more abt his rep among the actors he worked with for so many years -

984

Tools of the Trade / Re: Flashlights?

« on: Oct 13, 2009, 08:51 pm »

um, wow. No one ever bought me a flashlight...

I am finding myself loving the LED battery-free ones that you pump up before a show and then use for hours and hours with no diminution of power. Not a mag, but useful, lightweight, and hey no dead batteries!. And so cheap that replacing them is no big deal - will try to get info on them since they are sold locally at the 99cents only store...

985

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Are you always completely honest?

« on: Oct 10, 2009, 04:19 pm »

it is vital that the asm and sm connect after each show - there will often be things to report and if not, it's good to just check in with each other to keep those lines of communication headed in the right direction

and -I have been taught that everything goes in the report. If it must be openly posted (which has happened to me as well) you need to find a tactful way to allow folks to read between the lines for some things, but the paper trail is essential for everyone - to track damage, perishables use, actor issues, director's notes, general repairs etc - it's vital to know if something continues to be broken or gets broken again and again, if the actors cd get hurt by not following the fight blocking or if something is discovered in performance that didn't come up in rehearsal (had one of those recently, easy solve, but hey, it happens) - for legal protection of the cast, crew, producers, designers etc - and the SM!

986

Tools of the Trade / Re: latest toys...

« on: Oct 07, 2009, 01:04 pm »

I got a pack of fun cadoozle pencils when Staples had them with a 100% rebate - and I LOVE them - they are small but fun designs, last a long time, great eraser and the lead just lasts and lasts - I have used one for the entire 1st reh-into-close of my current show with TONS of blocking changes (I had to replace pages cuz we changed it so many times) and I am STILL on my first pencil and first lead - http://www.zebrapen.com/products/pen/cadoozles?c=32

987

The Green Room / Re: audience callbacks- the ones you want, the ones you don't

« on: Oct 07, 2009, 12:38 pm »

OK - old story from my acting days - doing West Side Story, it's the blue-hair matinee, and during the rumble (as we all know) Bernardo kills Riff - as Tony crosses into the circle, in shock and pain, one of the old women in the first few rows hollers "Get him Tony!"

It took everything we had to keep the play going....

988

The Hardline / Re: Who makes sure the rules are followed?

« on: Oct 03, 2009, 06:51 pm »

Interesting qq, cuz as the AEA SM I am the one who makes sure the rules are followed, but since you are a nonAEA SM there is some grey area (much as I hate to think of you being abused, they can impose things on a nonAEA SM above and beyond with impunity)

Two thoughts that may help:

1) if you have AEA members you have a deputy. Discussing a course of action with that person is a great way to start. Does the deputy want to take the initiative, want you to intercede, etc

2) I usually find a nice way to ask these concerns through questions in the course of a side conversation with the appropriate person - a discussion with the director prior to OT/set shift bumps being incurred/assigned can be a great way to go ("this will bring the AEA actors into OT", or "perhaps if so-and-so does this, the producers can avoid the set-shift bump for AEA actor X"), or if the producers are likely to be problematic there are creative work-arounds (ie using personal costume, I have found that dropping rental info into a conversation w the costumer sometimes yields results that a discussion with the producer would not)

989

The Hardline / Re: Staged Reading--AEA Day off?

« on: Oct 03, 2009, 01:52 am »

um, not to throw a wrench into the mix, but check w the AEA offices - some contracts allow a daylight day of rest rather than a day off, and a reading may fall under those rules (I tried to find my one-sheet w the rules for readings but have no idea where I stashed it, sorry) - if that's the case, given your limited rehearsal period, you can figure out when the best time would be - often it means tech days, when the cast isn't called in before 7 pm and the tech crew has all day to solve stuff (which cd mean OT for you as the SM but not necessarily).

If I find my one-sheet, I will post any info I find here

990

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Electronic interuptions during a performance

« on: Oct 01, 2009, 03:21 pm »

plus, the sound and video quality are so bad, that unless it's the video feed for the stage manager, it makes no sense that this would be the archive or a sanctioned taping