Messages

1

Introductions / Re: Semi-Retired SM But Still Teaching!

« on: Mar 01, 2021, 10:33 am »

Welcome!!

2

Introductions / Re: What an AWESOME resource

« on: Jan 06, 2021, 10:26 am »

Welcome, Kyle!

3

Introductions / Re: I've finally joined!!

« on: Sep 10, 2020, 09:21 am »

Welcome, Lily!

My name is Lily and I'm a stage manager in the United States for now. I'm a nomad that moves around wherever the wind takes me, and I hope to move to the U.K. to go to grad school in the next year. I've been using the SMNetwork as a guest to find answers to questions for so many years, but I only just now signed up, and I'm glad I did! Hoping now I can provide answers for others on their SM journey too. In my free time (which is abundant nowadays) I like to read and write, and I even have a blog dedicated to stage management & travel! One piece of trivia I recently learned is that Traverse City, Michigan is the Cherry Capital of the World and it produces 40 percent of tart cherries in the U.S.!

4

Employment / Re: Covid-19 cancelled job on resume?

« on: Apr 16, 2020, 10:59 am »

I would choose to discuss that in my cover letter but NOT include it on my resume.

Most of my students have lost their summer stock positions for this summer because of Covid-19.  Should they still list the job on their resumes since they did get the job but were unable to work?  Should they indicate that it was cancelled due to Covid-19?

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The Hardline / Re: AEA handbook SPT new rule book

« on: Jan 11, 2020, 09:28 am »

Are you having trouble accessing it?  PM me your email address, please.

6

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: How to help actors be word-specific in line notes?

« on: Oct 21, 2019, 10:34 am »

Leave this one to the Stage Manager and the Director!

I am currently working as an ASM for my college's fall production. We are taking line notes, as we have been off-book for about a month. For the most part, we are not having too much trouble. However, some actors struggle with word order and specificity on very specific lines.

For example, one actor's lines utilize simile, but she has consistently spoken the words out of order, so the lines don't make sense. This note has been included in her line notes for weeks. The other ASMs and I have gone so far as to indicate that this is a repeated error, but she has not taken time to fix the line.

I'd like to ask her in-person about the line, as it may be effective, but I don't know what to do. As an ASM, we have some authority over actors in the rehearsal room. However, I don't want to do anything that may be interpreted as passive-aggressive or bitchy - I have a lot of classes with this girl and don't want to strain our relationship. Should I ask the SM to tell her? How might I make this mistake more apparent to her in line notes?

7

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Difficult director

« on: Oct 03, 2019, 09:40 am »

Call your union Business Rep. immediately!

its a union company

At this point I have had an actor and a designer come to me with complaints about the directors behavior. Both related to feeling like they werent being heard and that they were being punished when they brought up concerns or questions. I have tried to talk to the director about this and their response was that the two people who complained are making things up and that the rehearsal room is "perfect." I see her shutting people down and not listening and think these complaints are very real.

In terms of telling her how we do things it's in response to requests that are either unsafe or violate our policies never about designer or direction.

8

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Difficult director

« on: Oct 01, 2019, 10:42 am »

From the Stage Manager there is NO telling a director "how I and the company do things."  Only the employer/producer can tell the director that. The SMs job is to support the director and report all requests in the Rehearsal Notes, which hopefully the employer will read.

I am working with a director who is very micromanaging and often changes her mind in the moment to do something different then we had discussed. She interrupts me and my team, designers and cast members frequently. I am feeling very undermined in my ability to do my job and help others do theirs because of the my way is best attitude. This director is new to directing and often doesn't know how things are normally done. When I try to tell her how I and the company do things she gets angry and says she feels like she is being questioned by me and the company but she tends to undermine me in front of the entire team. Does anyone have any advice with how to deal with this situation.

9

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Matilda The Musical

« on: Sep 03, 2019, 08:44 am »

We did it with a projection. But we did much of the show with projections as the scenery anyway.

Ruth

Hello SM friends,

Has anyone done Matilda the Musical? Went to BTDT but Matilda didn't show up in the search.  Wondering if the magic chalk board scene really can be accomplished with a large piece of chalk with a metal insert and a magnet on the back of the board? The chalk has to write a few sentances that the audience needs to be able to see.  (I'd prefer video image of this myself.) I'm helping with some advice on the show.

Thanks in advance for any help you can offer.

10

The Hardline / Re: List an NDA Show on a Resume?

« on: Aug 04, 2019, 09:53 am »

Read these sections carefully:

Definition of Confidential Information
Exclusions from Confidential Information
Obligations of Receiving Party

If the agreement itself doesn't answer your questions, then ask the party that is holding the information confidential, for a more detailed, plain-English explanation. In other words, ask THEM the question you are asking here, for the actual acccurate answer.

(I am not a lawyer and am NOT giving you legal advice.)

Short but sweet -  A high profile show I'm working on has every member of the production sign an NDA. I'd love to list this on my resume, but don't want to do anything that goes against the agreement. Has anyone had this problem? Is there anything preventing you from saying you've worked on the show itself? Any advice would be appreciated. (Please feel free to move this if it's in the wrong spot, thanks!)

11

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: reporting incidents

« on: Jun 28, 2019, 08:21 am »

The only additional thing I would do is send a private email to "the powers that be," with a fuller explanation.

Tonight our PA had a minor medical issue that required sending him home and having someone who knew the show take his place. He has a small speaking part as well as run crew duties in the show. I felt unsure how to note this in my report tonight so I didn't divulge any sensitive information or alarm anyone. I ended up reporting it like I would an understudy stepping in by simply saying that X person went on for Y person tonight.

Curious if this is how others would do this or if you have any other insight into this.

12

The Hardline / Re: Malcolm Ewen

« on: Jun 09, 2019, 09:47 am »

Malcolm is "In Memoriam" this year, as he should be.

https://www.tonyawards.com/news/memoriam-2019/?fbclid=IwAR2tJ583roUZF6juLyTSrYvJsP_VqaYnj0N7okcMKhMyiqe1dIVA1_BBgjw

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The Green Room / Re: ARTICLE: WHO recognizes burnout as a medical condition

« on: Jun 01, 2019, 08:40 am »

I'd love to hear more details please, about the new processes you and your AD created to decrease stress!!
Thanks!

Having just recently done some research on it for a project, it's astonishing how much of burnout's description and characteristics you personally recognize working in theatre.

I was doing personal research earlier this year due to a stressful spring of overlapping shows, and was quite disheartened to see a term called the "stage manager syndrome" in a businsess manager help article. It made me really step back and think about what I consider my job, and what I should consider my job. My AD and I have worked through some new processes that will hopefully decrease the stress in our next season. Reaching out and clearly articulating when you need help is difficult, but vital.

14

The Hardline / Malcolm Ewen

« on: May 21, 2019, 11:15 am »

Malcolm Ewen, Stage Manager, first SM to be named as a member of the Steppenwolf Ensemble, Equity Councillor, Artistic Director, Director, Negotiator, Mentor, Friend, and all around best person ever, has passed away.  He was a member of this board, although in recent years he didn't post often.  Malcolm was a Titan of our industry and will be missed forever.

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Employment / Re: Offstagejobs.com Not Working

« on: Apr 27, 2019, 10:59 am »

Try clearing your browser cache.