Messages

1

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Invaluable Advice

« on: Jul 11, 2013, 10:31 pm »

Just do what you love. I may just be a high school SM, but that is one of the many things my director (a former professional stage manager) has taught me. She is an amazingly talented stage manager (with absolutely flawless paperwork might I add) and she knows so many people I am sure that she could be somewhere else making a heck of a lot more money than she is now instead of working a day job that I'm pretty sure she does not like in the slightest just to be with us at rehearsals and shows at the end of the day. She makes so many sacrifices to do what she loves: changing the lives of kids (including me) teaching them all she knows. She had her fill stage managing, and now she has chosen to pass her immense wisdom onto the next generation. Just do what is right for you and do not let anyone tell you that you are stupid for picking a less prestigious, lower paying gig. This sounds kind of cliché, but follow your heart.

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Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Student Stage Manager Challenge #18: Rated R for Adult Content

« on: Jul 11, 2013, 10:02 pm »

That would be beyond unacceptable, and I hope my actors would never do such a thing. At my school we did To Kill A Mocking Bird and my directors sat the entire cast down and had a discussion about what they felt comfortable saying and not saying, I am sure you know what I am referring to, and to my surprise most everybody was completely for censoring the offensive language. I know this is not exactly the same situation, but if someone were to go behind everyone's back and use the N word it would be over for them. I would put his double in for the rest of the night and all shows to follow, and if the show happened to not be double cast (which we do most of the time) the show would be over unless someone could step up and learn the lines in one night which may seem completely impossible but in emergency situations we have pulled it off. I'm sure my directors would agree with me as well, and that person would most likely be under severe punishment from the administration as well.

3

Introductions / Re: Just a young badger from Cleveland hoping to learn from all these amazing SM's

« on: Jul 11, 2013, 09:38 pm »

Thank you so much Maribeth! I Will!

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The Green Room / Re: SM Tumblr

« on: Jul 11, 2013, 12:27 am »

I Literally just read all 37 pages.....is that bad?

My favorite one is the one where after the show the audience wont leave "GET OUT" happens all the freaking time....

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The Green Room / Re: Things Stage Managers Say

« on: Jul 10, 2013, 11:12 pm »

"Do I need to separate you two?"

"No sorry we don't have spike tape" ~ referring to when outside companies rent our theatre.

"Standby"

"Oh Jesus..."

Actor: Do I have time to poop?
"I don't know DO you have time to poop?" ~ never in a million years did I think I would be asked that question...but then again...actors...

"Eh, It's a budget hotel" ~ During Thoroughly Modern Millie... This line became our go to excuse for everything.

Actor: Is that real water??
"No. It's stage water, it's less wet."

"What the %&#$@ page did he just go to??"

"Actors.."

"I really wish I drank coffee"

Actors: What time is it?
"Time for you to learn your #$%&@ lines!

This one really isn't a stage manager thing but birds tend to find their way into our auditorium and during our black box production of To Kill A Mockingbird we had the entire audience convinced that we had hired a trained bird, it was perfect this bird had some serious skills he only came out during the outdoor scenes, it was perfect.

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Introductions / Just a young badger from Cleveland hoping to learn from all these amazing SM's

« on: Jul 10, 2013, 09:45 pm »

I am  about to be a Junior in high school and I am both excited and scared at the same time. My school has an amazing drama program with extremely talented director's, it is honestly more of a family than a club (which is definitely not to say that we get along all the time).  Since seventh grade I was set on going into Law Enforcement, you know, the whole cop thing, but during my freshman year Kris, my director, got me into stage managing and deck crew and I absolutely loved it, mostly because I was good at it. I've always had a hobby or two but I've never been really good at something let alone someone telling me I was, and I most certainly have never let something consume my life nearly as much as theatre has. After about a year and a half I fell in love with everything about theatre: lighting, sound, set design, and of course stage managing. I am so lucky at my school to have all the resources we have, I have been able to get experience with professional equipment that most college's don't even have. My other director Joe, got me into the whole lighting and sound thing, and has taught me so much about programming lights, creating a show, running sound for a show, fixing microphones, and those annoying halos and so much more. I owe a lot to both of them, not only for introducing me to the infinite possibilities in theatre but also teaching me about life, they've been the best mentors (and sort of like parents sometimes) anyone could ever ask for. Because of them I have no idea what I want to do in life, but that's a good thing because they've opened my eyes to a whole new world of possibilities: lighting, sound, stage management, set designing, and I'm still sort of hung up on the whole law enforcement thing. But the reason why I am here is because I do truly love stage managing and I want to learn as much as I possibly can so even if I don't end up stage managing for a career I can do the best possible job for my school and my wonderful directors because they deserve that much and more.