Messages

1

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Backstage Etiquette

« on: Mar 12, 2007, 07:50 pm »

I need everyone back stage to respect my ASM, as s/he is my right hand, and I need people to respond when my right hand speaks. If my ASM is acting immaturely (and to a certain extent PDA is immature) then I need to know about it, and it needs to stop. Of course, I am dealing with people in community theatre who routinely disrespect the SM and ASM and even the Director, so they will use any advantage they can.

2

The Green Room / Re: Things You'll Never Hear a Stage Manager Say

« on: Mar 12, 2007, 07:34 pm »

"No thanks, I've had enough coffee today."

"Sure, you can smoke in your costume, as long as you do it outside."

"Naw, I don't need a cigarette break right now, I can take one during Act II."

"Who's responsibility was that?"

"Don't worry about signing in, I know you are here."

"Let's stop by the bar on the way to rehearsal."

I have given leeway to my more experienced actors, and have actually said this one, but I wouldn't recommend it:

"As long as I don't know you are late, you aren't really late."

3

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / PEOPLE: How to (know-it-alls and significant others)

« on: Mar 12, 2007, 03:36 pm »

I am about to go into tech week on a show, so I probably should have asked these questions a while ago, but several of these issues just came to a head.

We have a cast diva - that's not my problem. I know how to deal with Divas.

We have a cast "know-it-all" He has a Master's Degree in Theatre, and he's been a director for several years, and he works at a theatre school, and he's completely disrespectful to, and disregards the stage-manager. What do I do?

We recently added a person as an Extra who has a walk on, no-lines role; the problem, he's my committed life partner - and has a history of not separating professionalism from personal in what he considers "Non professional environments." Should I tell my ASM that she is in charge of him, or should I treat him like any other cast member?

Here is my concern - some of the things that he says to me, and sometimes the ways that he treats me LOOKS very disrespectful from the outside. *I* know that he's joking around - but others might not know that. Couple that with the principals who are not giving me the respect that they should, I am afraid that the rest of the extras will start misbehaving, and I want to prevent that. Any ideas?