Messages

1

Tools of the Trade / Re: PROP: Ten Little Indian Dolls

« on: Sep 02, 2012, 10:04 pm »

I did this show in high school, many moons ago. Our director went to the local ceramics store and bought Indian statues and then our props people painted them. We did not fire them to make them shiny or anything fancy. We bought extra of course and a few of them we broke carefully and lightly re glued. Then when they were knocked off the mantle during the show they would break, otherwise they were too sturdy to break just from falling. There were enough that we each got one as a gift at the closing party and I still have mine in my office. If you do not have a local ceramics store maybe you could try looking online.

2

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: PRE-PRODUCTION: Rights & Royalties

« on: Dec 13, 2011, 03:11 pm »

I have been in charge of this before for the community theater I work with. I am a board member for the organization and sometimes it was a show I was SMing, sometimes not. It was not hard and just because I did the paperwork did not mean I signed the paperwork. I applied on line and had the contract and billing sent to our financial guy. He signed the paperwork and paid the bill. Musicals are more complicated than straight plays as you need to know how many scores and for what instruments but the musical director helped with that. It is true I was asked to help out as a board member and not as a new job for the SM,
but when the staff gets overworked sometimes you just have to pitch in and help and I was OK with that. We typically have a lot of work and as the economy gets worse less staff to deal with important issues.  Anyway the process for my theater was pretty straight forward.

3

The Green Room / Re: Office Supply Vending Machine

« on: Jul 13, 2011, 12:34 pm »

Add some spike tape and I might not be able to resist! That is terrific I have never seen one of those and now I am envious.

4

Stage Management: Other / Re: How did you get started SM'ing Dance?

« on: Mar 13, 2011, 10:54 pm »

I started college as a theatre and dance double major. They were very definitely two separate departments. I had acted in high school but I had no idea there even was such a thing as stage management. I absolutely loved dance but had no talent or practical experience in it whatsoever.
 Every year the dance faculty put on a big spring production with all forms of dance included, Ballet, Tap, Modern, and Jazz. A friend of mine who had been hired in as the professional lighting designer for the show asked me if I would act as the stage manager. I had some free time so I said yes just to find out what the job was. I was actually more like a combination asm and deck manager running the backstage area and scheduling, while he called all the cues. Anyway I was instantly hooked. It was  like the stars aligned and a light shone down to show that THIS is what I should have been doing all along. I made stage management my focus in both departments and never looked back. My first dance show was number 16 and this year was number 37. I have worked on every one except number 21 when I was living out of state. I am now the first official stage manager for the dance dept and also give a series of introduction lectures on stage management from the dance perspective.
I not only work the spring show but also the 2 companies attached to the dept, the rotating company in residence, and any touring companies that load in to the Dance space.
Along the way I also did a ton of straight plays, a few musicals and an opera, as well as various talent shows etc. I love both
dance and theatre because the vibe is so very different for each one. I love the part of theatre with the paperwork and seeing actors try things out and experiment with the text and the complex cue sequences. I love the physical closeness the performers
have in dance and the organic way the cues flow with the movement.
I am a little bit different from BayAreaSM in that I always imagined that Ballet would be my end all love affair with movement but when I actually got into it I found it to be the form I liked the least. As for theatre the friend who got me started opened his own community theatre that produces mostly classic works. I have been on the board for many years in various positions but this year he decided to step down and has asked me to become the managing director. Lots of work but no pay so it's tough but I like it. Dance is my primary form and I would never leave it.

5

The Green Room / Re: Funding Shortage

« on: Jan 22, 2011, 01:16 am »

If you have a willing adult adviser and your problem is primarily money try exploring some creative ways to raise money yourself.
In order to do the art you love, you may have to put some effort into work that is less exciting. Here in the north popular ways to raise money are bake sales, snow shoveling, pet care, and car washing to name a few. Our funding for the arts has also been
reduced drastically. Recently the community theatre my friends run have decided that if they want to survive they have to be willing to try things they might otherwise have turned down. Maybe you can even try some creative things that appeal to your classmates like running errands for them or doing their chores. I wish you the best of luck. I think every school should have all the arts available to their students. It makes me very sad when I hear of all the schools in our area that are cutting the arts out.

6

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: PROFESSIONALISM: Your Show Sucked.

« on: Sep 04, 2010, 11:57 pm »

When I am in a situation like this I try to encourage the person I know to talk with me outside of the theatre space.  Many times the friends who invite me to shows feel pressured to gloss over the problems when they think others can hear, but over coffee they are much more realistic about the issues of their production. I try to give an honest helpful answer if they are asking me for my feedback. If I can't tell if they want an honest answer or are in denial I may start by saying something like " I really felt for you when I saw that damaged scenery, I know how hard that must be to deal with." The way that they answer helps me to see if they are looking for help or just ego stroking. Most everyone who knows me knows that I am a really straight forward person, so I try to be gentle if my comments are negative but I don't worry that people expect me to lie.

7

The Green Room / Re: Funny definitions

« on: Aug 21, 2010, 01:19 am »

Safety Alarm: The invisible flashing red light above the SM's head which is automatically activated by witnessing anyone at anyplace doing any act that could be considered stupid, dangerous or life threatening

8

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Currently working on my first musical

« on: Jul 21, 2010, 01:28 am »

Reading music is a definite plus but it is certainly possible to be successful even if you don't. The last musical I did most of the actor based cues happened on particular lyrics but all the scenic shifts were timed to the orchestration. I ended up making a combination script/score to include all the elements that worked the best for each section of the show. Also we ended up cutting some parts of the original score and expanding others so for all of the new sections I just had handwritten notes from the musical director. I love musicals have fun!

9

Employment / Re: Work On A Cruise Ship?

« on: Jul 18, 2010, 11:02 am »

I have never done the cruise ship SM thing but lots of others have. Backstagejobs has a post up right now in their forums detailing some cruise ship offers that are scams. Maybe that could help you narrow your search to those companies that are legitimate so you don't waste time and money. Good luck and have fun at sea.

10

The Green Room / Re: unusual rehearsal spaces

« on: Jul 14, 2010, 10:45 pm »

When I was doing summer theatre in Mass. we rehearsed in an officially recognized historical train depot. Naturally there were a lot of rules about what we could put tape on, what we couldn't touch etc. It was pretty and quiet but it was fairly small with no
air conditioning. Kind of a wash but at least we weren't outside!

11

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: REHEARSALS: Director makes a poor decision of a character

« on: May 28, 2010, 08:24 pm »

I routinely work alongside a director who loves to cast against type. It is not unusual for other members of the group to ask me
"what is she thinking?"  Recently this director cast a popular Shakespeare comedy. For the romantic leads there was a short
overweight girl and an older bald man. They were both good actors but visually not what anyone was expecting. Sometimes it isn't about the typical or the expected, it is about the experience of getting there. When I see a project where the staff makes unconventional choices I may not agree with those choices, but at least it isn't boring. There is nothing I find less interesting than working on a show where the look, style, and intent is simply copied from the Broadway or movie version.

12

The Green Room / Re: The Stage Manager's Nightmare

« on: May 27, 2010, 02:41 am »

I don't have nightmares but I find that when things are a little more hairy than usual at rehearsals I will dream about the problem scene in the show over and over like an endless loop. I wake up so very tired and feel like I have worked all night long instead of sleeping. It doesn't scare me or make me any more stressed but it definitely keeps me from being well rested just when I need it most!

13

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: PROFESSIONALISM: What to do when you sign on late?

« on: May 13, 2010, 11:43 am »

You can do it! I once took over a musical after it had been through 1st tech. The previous SM had a nervous breakdown and quit.
The first thing I did was get familiar with the safety issues of the facility and production.
It turned out that the 2nd biggest problem was their inter personnel issues. Once I figured those out during the 2nd tech I was able to help get the production back on track. It wasn't until 1st dress (my 2nd rehearsal) that I even got to deal with the cues. I was fortunate that the previous SM had left behind the script and some of the paperwork so I didn't have to start from zero.
Do you know anyone involved in this production? Sometimes a little personal insight into the way things function can be just as helpful as concrete paperwork. It sounds like you are on the right track with your plans. Keeping a positive attitude and a can do spirit will help you maintain a stress free transfer. Please let us know how things turn out for you.

14

The Green Room / Re: Should SMNetwork ban all classroom assignments?

« on: May 09, 2010, 03:24 pm »

Because I am fairly new to the network I waited a few days before responding. I value the information I have found here and
I agree with those who believe that if we don't educate the new SMs who will? I work with students and answer questions from them on a daily basis. Sometimes they are repeat questions, from the same student. I have guidelines that I expect the students
to follow and I am always willing to help them out but I won't do their work for them. As long as they follow the rules it works fine.
As long as the students who come to this site follow the rules it should be fine. I think the suggestion for an FAQ section is a terrific idea. I have been reading my way through the archives and the older posts section by section. I haven't needed to post any of my own questions because basically all the answers I could need are provided already. The majority of the members are really knowledgeable and willing to help problem solve. I can't thank you all enough for the sense of community and wisdom that I have acquired by joining the network. Certainly it is the moderators and long time members who have had to do most of the work in helping out with these requests from classroom assignments. I would be most willing to trust their judgment as to how we proceed with these requests.

15

Stage Management: Other / Re: Anybody with sporting event/Olympics experience?

« on: May 07, 2010, 02:09 pm »

Missliz, Thank you with all my heart for taking this job. I have a nephew with down syndrome and he loves to swim and bowl in Special Olympics. It is a wonderful organization that gives happiness to so many people. I don't have any travel advice to give you but I hope it turns out to be a positive experience for you. It never occurred to me that they would need stage managers for their events. Now I can explore a new way to get involved with our local and state chapters. Good luck!