Messages

1

The Hardline / Anonymous Quotes

« on: Nov 27, 2018, 03:16 pm »

Hey all,

A bit of an odd request here, admins please feel free to delete this if it isn't kosher.

I do consulting work for some small off-off-Broadway theatres in Manhattan. One company recently cheerfully told me that it's "fine to use equity actors" for non-union, uncontracted work on small workshops and readings, and that "we pay them all the same." They are very firm in their belief that they are doing nothing wrong, and I'm casting a wide net to get quotes from AEA members on their thoughts regarding this, and will be bringing anonymous quoted opinions to their next board meeting.

Can you please respond to this post with your thoughts? If you don't want to be quoted, I will absolutely not use your words. This is an older company who tends to use the same people over and over, and I think outside voices would do them some good.

If you could voice your thoughts on this with your reasoning and experience in the industry (which can be as vague as "I work as an AEA stage manager"), I would deeply appreciate it.

Many thanks.

2

The Hardline / Re: AEA rulebooks no longer publicly available on website

« on: Feb 26, 2017, 08:58 pm »

Just learned this the hard way - I'm non-eq and am stage managing an AEA Showcase. Was searching for the code and deputy election forms and had to get an equity friend to send them to me... could they be hosted here? As someone who's looking to turn equity I really want to acquaint myself with this and it will be harder to do that without the actual handbooks there.

3

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: PEOPLE: How to keep kids *quietly* busy at rehearsal?

« on: Feb 27, 2012, 10:37 am »

We recently finished up a production of "A Little Princess", which included a five-year-old and a seven-year-old. They both had big problems with noise, and tried to sit next to me in the audience while I took blocking notes. So, I made them a little slip-table from scrap wood in the shop that fits over two of our seats, gave them a pack of markers, and let them scribble all over it. No clue why it worked so well, but it kept them busy for the rest of the week!

4

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Perspective Please! <(^_^<)

« on: Dec 22, 2011, 04:44 pm »

I've contacted one of the SM's at Playhouse, and she is willing to allow me to shadow her later this year..
Gil, I'm going to print out your three rules.
Thanks so much, everyone. I really appreciate the input; the different perspectives helped tremendously!
Happy Holidays!

5

Tools of the Trade / Health Products

« on: Dec 15, 2011, 04:48 pm »

I head construction crew as well as SM-ing, and my hands tend to get callouses/tears/cuts during shows. Normally, I never use lotion or creams, but I was working in class last month when a girl next to me saw my hands, gasped in horror, dove into her bag, and resurfaced with a little plastic container of Paula's Choice (apparently it is a makeup brand) lip and body balm. I tried to refuse her, but ended up applying a dab to a small burn on my finger that I received from a stubborn light two days earlier. At the end of the day I checked on it, and it was almost completely healed!
I ordered some for myself (not gonna lie, it's a bit expensive, fifteen bucks for a tube of lotion and a jar for lips) but have used it every time I've gotten a small injury and found it worth it; everything heals at a freaking amazing rate when I use it.
Does anyone else have health products they like to use? My old TD would swear on Dr. Schol's shoe inserts...

6

Tools of the Trade / Re: [FAQ] Electronic Prompt Copies

« on: Dec 15, 2011, 04:38 pm »

I called my first show two months ago, and had the script and all cue sheets electronically formatted. My handwriting is awful, and I found it easier to email notes. It's probably worth noting that our program isn't professional (high school), so the director kept deciding to add new cues up to two days before the performance...

However, I'm a complete worrywart when it comes to my important info, especially as the only laptop available to me was a five-year-old Mac named Martha with no Internet availability and only able to manage Word and Excel. So, in an attempt to be completely prepared, I had a printed copy with me at all times (black and white, even though my call book as color-coded), a USB with the updated sheet, a backup on my home computer, and a copy-pasted version saved to Google Docs.
Luckily, good 'ol Martha got me through without a hitch, and I didn't need a single backup.

7

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Perspective Please! <(^_^<)

« on: Dec 14, 2011, 05:00 pm »

Hello Ninjas!

I'm a senior in high school, and while I've been involved with technical theater since fall of freshman year, this is my first time actually "stage managing", and I'm mainly learning on the fly. I have a few concerns that I wanted to talk to ya'll about. I'm considering going to school for Stage Management, but I'm worried that there will be a very big divide from what I have been doing in my high school and what the professionals do. To tell the truth, I also think that if professional management is TOO much like what I've been doing, I may not want to go into it.
The main problem this year is that not as many experienced kids have signed on for various crews. Our Backstage Head for the last show had never done a single production before, the running crew was brand new, and in short only three experienced kids (lighting and sound) came back. The Technical Director is also new, and while she's very nice, she is just out of college and seems a little uneasy.
So far this year, here's what I've been doing:

-attending auditions and rehearsals, taking blocking notes, lighting/sound/running crew/acting notes for the director
-collecting all contact information (the last show, of the 3 adult heads we hired, including the Technical Director, I was the only one with their kid's info)
-attending all set construction meetings, teaching the newbies, and heading the build days (including taking down sixteen foot flats... TIMBER)
-for school events, setting up lights/sound/crew for concerts, recitals, and sports events in the auditorium (the Director is actually being paid to do this, but she has not contacted anyone so far to set up lights/sound for any of the concerts, and we've actually had to pull kids out of class three times now to set for concerts with a two-hour warning)
-designing the current set (the due date has changed four times, and the two adults I communicate to aren't working together well)
-calling all shows (I suppose that's a given), training all running crew kids and potential leaders (such as SPIKE TAPE DAY)
-attending production meetings with the adults
-making cue sheets for the different departments, getting scripts for the adult heads (our paid sound head didn't have one two weeks before opening)

I guess I'm wondering if this is a normal workload/whether these problems with other heads are typical. I know that as a Stage Manager it's my job to make things run as smoothly as possible, but I also don't want to "yell" or kvetch at the adults when I'm just an unpaid seventeen-year-old. I'd really appreciate your thoughts/advice; sorry this is so long!

8

The Green Room / Re: Thread to vent about / Actors behaving badly / As haiku only

« on: Dec 10, 2011, 10:02 pm »

For four years haikus
Have been my art medium.
You folks are awesome.

Incredibly, sir,
I do not find your dance skills
Worthy of spotlight.

"C means D happens"
"Yeah, D will never happen"
"... Ah, God, D happened!"