Messages

1

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Friend or "so nice to meet you"?

« on: Aug 16, 2006, 01:47 am »

When I first became the senior person on the road I was worried that there would be alot of people within the company who would never get the fact that you can be both their friend and their boss and thought this could leave me really isolated on a long tour. However, I have realised that almost noone has a problem with this and that they know instinctively when we can be in friend mode and when we need to be more professional. There was one ASM who I was really good friends with who I had to sack (they really were v.bad at their job), however, because she was able to separate the friend/work thing, we remain really good friends several years later.

I think people generally also accept that some people will form closer bonds than others and that this will apply as much to stage management as anyone else. Having said that I always keep an eye out for anyone who is getting cut off from the rest of the group. I tend to find that a tour of around 15 people on the road is the happiest. Less than that and there will be some people who have little in common with anyone else and also if 2 people really dont get on they can divide the whole company. With larger tours it is easier for people to be isolated without others noticing and you can also get a bit of 'us and them' happening between the cast and crew.

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Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Creating a call script

« on: Aug 16, 2006, 12:44 am »

Being based in England call scripts are so standardised that I don't dare to do it on computer even though I would like to. (Script goes on the left hand page and the right hand page has a number of columns; lighting cues in the left hand one; sound in the next; other cues in the next and blocking in the last. Everything is in pencil with no colour or highlighting.)

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Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Working with nudity

« on: Aug 16, 2006, 12:20 am »

One important thing. With male nudity it is important to make sure that the auditorium/rehearsal room is reasonably warm. I have worked with a number of actors who are very anxious about their appearance and air con does nothing to improve this situation.