Messages

1

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Report/Notes Language

« on: Dec 16, 2015, 10:41 am »

Probably for the same reason that you thanked us in advance for replies...Common courtesy and respect for the other departments.  I've never felt demeaned by offering an unwarranted "Thank You".  Respect is not a zero-sum game.  I do not lose it by offering it to others.

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Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Outdoor Theatre

« on: Jul 01, 2014, 08:29 pm »

One thing I found helpful at Legend of Daniel Boone, back in the day, was to have specific designation packages for various inclement weather:

Rain Pace: usually declared during a performance when light rain is imminent or begun. Means to pick up dialogue and slow down movement--dance or combat

Rain show:  Usually called prior to performance, when rain threatens.  Dialogue and dance cuts occur, pick up pace, slow down movement.

Humid Show:  Certain costume pieces cut, dance cuts, special attention to combat scenes, special attention paid to powder and prepare for misfires.

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The Green Room / Re: Catchphrases

« on: Nov 11, 2013, 05:24 pm »

On 2-show Saturdays, I like to paraphrase Ernie Banks...  "It's a beautiful day for Theatre, let's play two!"

4

The Green Room / Re: SMNetwork's Resident expert in...

« on: Aug 12, 2010, 07:59 pm »

I'll claim Resident Expert...iness in Fish and Aquaria.  I have kept African cichlids since 1986, and just tore down my 125 G reef, due to $$.  The reef was a 3 tank system, w/ 125 g display, 55 g sump, and a 55 g tank that I modified into a refugium/surge tank installed in the living room.  It was plumbed thru the floor to the display in the basement.  very cool set-up.

I also cook a damned fine cheesecake!

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The Green Room / Re: What did you learn today?

« on: Aug 10, 2010, 05:44 pm »

I learned (the hard way) that a muffler is HOT after you've been driving around some.  I will be applying aloe liberally!

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The Green Room / Re: Favorite Easter Candy

« on: Mar 19, 2010, 09:06 pm »

Bunny basket eggs--they're like large jelly beans w/ super-sugar-saturated-marshmallow inside.  They sound gross, and they ARE gross, but I just can't lay off 'em!

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Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Does it matter where I call?

« on: Mar 14, 2010, 11:45 am »

If you went into the situation planning to call from the booth, you must have had a plan to deal with backstage issues, ie an ASM (already unavailable), reliable crew chief, or extra hand backstage to deal with immediate issues.  It may be useful to re-state these options for all involved, in order to allay any apprehensions about your approach.

That was all stated in my best diplomat-ese! 

Personally, the booth is the place for me!

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Stage Management: Other / Re: Award Ceremonies

« on: Mar 08, 2010, 07:57 am »

I've never done it, but I would imagine calling the "Playoff Music" would be extremely gratifying!

9

The Green Room / Re: Fearless at DIY

« on: Dec 09, 2009, 10:50 pm »

I am also an aquarium hobbyist.  While between theatre gigs, I have worked @ a hardware store, which gave me time to wander the aisles and "figger".  I built a coral reef system in 3 tanks, a main display, a filter sump, and a "refusurgium" upstairs one level.  The refusurgium is a divided tank with relatively slow flowing water on one side, and a device to collect and flush water (about 12 gallons) downstairs into the main display in a tidal surge every 4 minutes.  It was noisy and annoyed the GF, so I came up with a way to control a valve electrically to turn the flush one and off.  I hooked up all of my lighting, and the valve, to a computer-controlled bank of relay switches.  I enclosed the relays and controls in a hood that I built for the upstairs, where I had seahorses.  I also bent conduit and welded a light stand to support my metal halide lights downstairs.

Here is a link to a reefer's forum that I documented the project in: 

http://www.thereeftank.com/forums/f76/refusurgium-hood-project-59821.html?highlight=refusurgium

It was a very cool process.

10

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

« on: Oct 01, 2009, 01:29 pm »

I attended a show in London starring Peter O'Toole.  At one point an audience member took a flash photo.  O'Toole stopped the show, walked DC and shook his finger at the person, saying "It's not polite to flash in public."  'Nuff said!

   Sorry I don't have a video!

11

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Plan B for everything?

« on: Feb 20, 2009, 09:41 am »

Best bet is to plan for what you can, and plan on improvising everything else!

Our best asset is our ability to think on the fly!

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Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: No Smoking in Denver

« on: Jul 09, 2008, 11:23 pm »

What makes me chuckle is that people think that the theater is a healthy environment to begin with!

If one stops to consider the dust that constantly permeates a performance space contains the remnants of every speck of wood dust, metal dust, foam, paint, and carpet scrap.  Not to mention the fumes from acetone, paint thinner, spray paint, hair spray, ammonia and other nasty chemicals.  Plus a consistently darkened space allows mold spores to thrive.  Just try slapping a seat in the front row of your theatre and see what flies out of it!

If people are THAT sensitive, perhaps they need to travel everywhere in a plastic bubble.  Most people ingest more carcinogens during the drive to the theatre, than from the limited exposure of sitting 20 feet away in a ventilated room, frequently with 20+ foot ceilings.

13

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Staged Readings

« on: Mar 29, 2008, 10:37 am »

Generally, as these are works in process, you may expect to photocopy and distribute many script changes.  Some system for organizing and marking separate revisions would be helpful.

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Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Ideas Sword Sheath

« on: Feb 18, 2008, 08:18 am »

A piece of conduit with the end slightly crimped to form an oval, and crimped down far enough to accept the blade.  A weight at the tip will help balance the sword on the hip (often the swords are hilt-heavy).  The conduit also helps make the metallic "shwing!" when the weapon is drawn.  The exterior can be spray painted or wrapped in leather.

I've also seen golf bag tubes used in the same way, esp. for wider blades.

for really wide blades like Roman or Medieval, two boards with groove hollowed out for blade, glued together and wrapped with string or leather!

Ideally, the sheath can be easily detached and discarded, since fighting with a sheath swinging around loosely is a problem with both safety and aesthetics.

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Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Wait Until Dark

« on: Aug 10, 2007, 11:55 am »

Rather than try to mock up a statuette around a switchblade, we just used a "switch-comb", and replaced the comb with a piece of aluminum.  I saw no real reason to make the switchblade as fancy as described in production notes,  after all, the audience doesn't read production notes!!

Another consistent problem was working with matches.  They never co-operated!  During a tech, we sat in black while Suzy tried striking a match a dozen times.  Add into that the fact that water (for ammonia and gasoline) gets thrown about, and matches become notoriously inconsistent!