Messages

1

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: How Many times have you stage managed?

« on: Aug 11, 2010, 03:00 am »

I was reworking my resume a few weeks ago and discovered that my upcoming show will be my 30th. That counts all my college productions, summer gigs and post-college work (so, not counting high school theatre). Crazy.

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Tools of the Trade / Re: Prop: Drugs on stage

« on: Feb 03, 2010, 11:52 pm »

During a production of HAIR we used a combo of dried sage and rosemary for the joints. The actors did not complain about it irritating their throats.

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The Green Room / Re: working with a significant other

« on: Dec 06, 2009, 05:47 pm »

My boyfriend choreographs stage combat and I've worked with him on numerous shows. A couple of times the company I was working with has needed a fight choreographer so I suggested my boyfriend since I know he does good work. We've never had a problem working together, but usually the actors don't know we're together, which makes it easier.  Another plus is that if I ever have questions about the fight, I can always just go home and ask!
I've also been his assistant on a couple of jobs he's taken for high school productions. I have a lot of experience working with that age group, so I helped him keep an eye on the kids to make sure they're safe and doing what they're supposed to be doing while he worked with smaller groups.

Sometimes I think we tend to get along better when we're working together professionally than we do at home!
As long as we keep it professional at work and don't let any of our relationship "baggage" get in the way, we've been fine.  We can just enjoy working with someone we know and understand.

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Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Choice of Stage Managment Colleges

« on: Oct 17, 2009, 10:45 pm »

If you have any questions about Ithaca College, I completed a B.A. in Drama with a concentration in Stage Management there recently and I'd love to chat with you about the school. Feel free to PM me.

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Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Offshoot from Are you always completely honest?

« on: Oct 13, 2009, 10:44 pm »

Definitely.  I'll note if I call a cue early/late. If I'm operating the sound and lights and the company knows that, I'll say something like "LX15 went early today due to operator error." If something wasn't pre-set correctly, I'll note that as well.  As was said before; if I'm noting all the mistakes that were made, mine should naturally be included!
I've had one producer say that he found it humorous that I included my own mistakes in the reports, especially since (for that particular company) I was the SM/ASM/Lightboard Op/Soundboard Op.  I told him that since I had so many duties, there would be nothing to put in the report if I never noted anything I did, right or wrong.
Having said that, if something was broken before the show/during intermission/what-have-you and it was fixed, I will also note who fixed/replaced it, even if it was me.  That way there is always a trail of who did what.  Do others do this as well?  I like to note the positive along with the errors (a Q sequence that went perfectly due to the efforts of many different parties, a quick prop/costume fix, etc.)

6

Employment / Re: Leaving my first job

« on: Aug 17, 2009, 06:52 pm »

Hello SMNetwork,

So I was finally able to get in touch with my bosses and let them know that I wouldn't be back for next season.  It actually ended up being pretty painless; the worry/stress/anticipation was MUCH worse than actually telling them.  As my boyfriend put it: "If the world doesn't stop for 15 minutes when you tell them, it's going to be a let down." He was right!
I attempted to schedule in person meetings with them, but this didn't end up working out on their end.  I ended up speaking with my direct boss (the producer, not the artistic dir.) over the phone and letting him know.  He was happy for me and glad I would be moving closer to family, etc.  He said he would love to be listed as a reference and said he was sure the artistic director would also be happy to give me a good reference.  We chatted for a couple of minutes, I let them know I was grateful for the opportunity and the work and that I would miss them, etc.  And then it was over!  Much less painless than anticipated. 
I followed up with an e-mail to both of them just re-stating my reason for not coming back and thanking them for everything. 

Thanks for all the support!
Britney

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Employment / Re: Leaving my first job

« on: Aug 02, 2009, 03:00 pm »

Thanks for the advice!

I go into tech this week and the shows open next weekend, so I will keep you updated on how my meeting goes. 

Britney

8

Employment / Leaving my first job

« on: Jul 31, 2009, 09:03 am »

Hi all,

I've been wrestling with this one for a few days, so I thought I'd post here to get some insight and advice.  Here's the background:

I've been working with my current company since October.  When I came to the company, it was just getting back up on its feet and I was one of three employees (aside from the Artistic Director and the Producer) who worked there.  I did the first show with them and they asked me back for the rest of their season and also offered me a job in their office so they could keep me between shows.  I accepted and signed separate Letters of Agreement for all of these things as they came up. I worked in the office while SMing their fall/spring season up until the end of June, whereupon I trained someone else to work in the office so I could stage manage for their summer season. At one point they were thinking of hiring me on as a full time employee (office work + stage management = full time) with benefits, etc., but at the very last minute (read: one day before I was supposed to sign the Letter of Agreement) they decided not to do this.  It was mostly mutual as I was not terribly fond of working in the office, but it was still unexpected and caused me to re-evaluate working for them. In that meeting, they asked if I was still interested in SMing their upcoming season and I said I was. This was in June.
A couple of the job prospects my boyfriend was looking into also have not panned out for him, so we began thinking about moving simply because this city isn't working for us (commute is too long, we can't afford to live closer, family is closer where we're thinking of moving to, etc.). It took us a month, but we gradually decided that we do want to move.
I know I need to let my current employers know that I won't be able to come back for the next season, but we are going into tech week on Monday.  Is it smarter to tell them earlier, during tech week, to give them an extra week of notice or should I wait until after we open the summer shows when they might be less harried and more relaxed?
I haven't signed anything for next season and my current Letter of Agreement runs out in the first week of August. Next season rehearsals don't start until October. I feel like this is still plenty of notice as it gives them essentially two months to find an SM for their first show.
On the other hand, I've been with them since the re-invention of the company and, even though that was only 9 months ago, I still feel guilty for some reason.  I know I need to make this move for my own personal sanity and mental health, but I don't know how to handle it. This is  one of my first jobs out of college and the first one that I've ever had to leave.  Do I need to write a letter of resignation or will just speaking with both of my employers face to face suffice? Is this normal or will they be angry that I said I was interested in SMing for them and my plans have changed?
I read some of the other threads on leaving a job, but most of those folks had to leave jobs at major companies they'd been with for many years so I wasn't sure if the same rules applied.
Thanks in advance for any advice!

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Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Requests for Electronic Scripts -- Post 'em here!

« on: May 05, 2009, 01:31 pm »

Hello All,

Does anyone have Word or PDF versions of RENT:School Edition, Into The Woods, or FAME?  We're licensed, but our packages don't ship until the 18th and my producer wants everyone to have a copy of them in the next week.  You can PM me or e-mail me at: britney.smallwood@gmail.com.

Thanks!
Britney

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Tools of the Trade / Re: Oops! I didn't mean to send that.

« on: Mar 27, 2009, 09:55 pm »

Apologies for the tangent. I suppose I can't resist telling a good "oops!" story!

For my part, I barely had time to react before the fall out started.  As soon as I started to receive the confused e-mails, I quickly drafted a blanket apology e-mail and each time I received a confused e-mail I copy/pasted the reply to each person (with a little personalization, of course).  Since I had gotten the correct e-mail out about 2 minutes after my goof and because the list was 100+ e-mail addresses, I decided to assume that if I didn't get a response to my goof e-mail that they had received the correct one and all was well.

This happened yesterday and so far, so good!

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The Hardline / Re: Theatres That Have Closed--Can You Say "Emergency?"

« on: Mar 27, 2009, 09:20 pm »

I recently heard that the Huntington Theatre in Boston, MA has been having some monetary issues (not enough people attending shows) and may be forced to either drastically downsize or close. Such a shame and very unexpected since this theatre is affiliated with/supported by Boston University!

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Tools of the Trade / Re: Oops! I didn't mean to send that.

« on: Mar 27, 2009, 09:18 pm »

I just had this happen. A tad different, but the same "Oops!" sentiment.
My theatre just got some new camp management software to help us manage our summer academy programs (we're a children's theatre). It's great software and it's really helped us out a lot so far. My producer wanted me to send out a tuition payment reminder e-mail to all the parents of the kids enrolled in our two older programs.  I was figuring it out and I thought I had it correct when I hit the E-MAIL button. I was sure it would give me a preview screen since it was essentially a mail merge, and then allow me to proof before I sent it to the 100+ people on our list.  It didn't.  Instead, it froze the machine and sent out an e-mail to every person that contained only their e-mail address.  Needless to say, for the next 2 hours I then received countless e-mails from worried parents asking if they "missed something" because the e-mail "didn't contain any information" and there was "nothing attached"
I eventually figured out the program, but felt foolish for mistakenly sending out such a strange e-mail to so many families.

Even small mistakes seem like HUGE mistakes when you're dealing with parents!

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Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Marking Out the Floor Without Tape

« on: Mar 23, 2009, 01:57 pm »

The tarps I've used are quite large. They are the type one might use to cover a structure to keep it out of the elements; it's not the slick plastic variety, but rather a different type of material. They can bunch on the floor, but since they are so large and heavy-duty I've never had trouble with them moving during rehearsal. When there is furniture and actors on the tarp, it stays put.  I have found them to be slippery if the actors are in their stocking feet, but the rubber soles of sneakers grab very well to the tarp and I've never had an actor fall.
The one downfall for anything that needs to be rolled up and off the floor at the end of the night is that the rolling action gives the tape more chance to come un-stuck.

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Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Marking Out the Floor Without Tape

« on: Mar 23, 2009, 09:05 am »

When I've rehearsed in dance studios we've been provided with a large tarp that covers the floor.  We can tape-out on the tarp and then unroll it to use for rehearsals. This is also handy because it means not having to take your shoes off to rehearse in the dance studio.  I would say tarp rather than carpet because it's not as heavy, but I'm sure carpets have their advantages as well.

Britney

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College and Graduate Studies / Re: Help choosing which college to attend!

« on: Mar 15, 2009, 03:24 pm »

I just recently graduated from Ithaca College with a BA in Drama. I spent all four years stage managing, went to London/Edinburgh Fringe Festival and interned at the Gate Theatre in Notting Hill, London while I was there. I've always been able to get work in summer stock (while I was in college) because IC has a lot of great alums and a wonderful reputation.  Since I graduated I've been working steadily.
Once you let the faculty/your advisor know you want to stage manage, they will make sure you get every opportunity to do so.  The policy at IC is generally you SM a No Bucks (small student-run black box production with no budget), then you ASM 2 mainstage shows (generally your freshman and sophomore years). Then you can SM your own mainstage shows (generally your junior and senior years). When you are doing a show, you attend weekly stage management meetings where you talk to the SM advisor about your shows and listen to what other SMs are doing.
It is a fantastic program and you learn a great deal. Not to mention the perks of being a part of the "Ithaca Mafia!"

Feel free to PM/e-mail me if you have any other questions. I'd be glad to answer them!

Britney