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Messages - reneelibra

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Employment / Hiring a rehearsal SM and performance SM
« on: Feb 26, 2014, 01:30 pm »
I had a phone interview for a Gillbert and Sullivan show and although it went well the production manager says the company may want an old SM who did this exact show four years ago, but at press time, they had not yet spoken to said SM.
I've followed up on the situation and the production manager says they are discussing the possibility of a SM for rehearsals and one for performance. This particular show will move to four theatres in the local area. I've never worked for companies where this happens. I can only assume and so can you, but can someone elaborate as to why a company would explore this option? Is it because of the challenges of "touring" a show, long rehearsal periods, scheduling conflicts, or to have a familiar face? 
Anything helps!

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Hello!

'Tis the season for applying to summer programs! I am a young stage manager who studied music in college for undergrad. Obviously, I do not have the same education as someone with a degree in theatre. For the time being, I am putting off graduate school but I am very interested in still acquiring skills to set me up for the future. My goal is to work towards being an opera stage manager, but I am not opposed to dance, circus, or musicals.  I cannot seem to find the old internship page that reviewed each for educational value. What skills are very important to pick up as you are just starting out? Also, if anyone has shout outs for awesome internships in foreign lands I am interested!

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Stage Management: Other / Re: Tosca Recording
« on: Nov 30, 2013, 02:30 pm »
Let me know how it goes!
I will be doing my first Tosca in January. Gotta love that Puccini, killing everyone off. :)

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Stage Management: Other / Re: Teaching Score Reading
« on: Nov 30, 2013, 02:26 pm »
Also be sure to highlight tempo changes and time signature changes, those can be crucial in difficult pieces, notably large choruses!

I highly recommend, especially for opera, that stage managers follow the music rather than the singers. Singers sometimes mark (sing lightly), forget the words, and sometimes sing in languages you are not familiar with (also the accompanist has to be the most reliable person you have in the rehearsal process).

I studied music in college and work on opera and I still find I can always learn to read music better whether it's interpreting chords or intervals, or following difficult meters.  Good luck!

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Stage Management: Other / Re: Opera tips
« on: Nov 30, 2013, 02:22 pm »
About cough drops and you would have to be a singer to know...

Singers do not like menthol, its the agent that numbs the voice, giving it that minty feeling, and singers can damage their voices more easily after using cough drops that are heavy in menthol.

Ricola's are great because they have a lower menthol level than most conventional cough drops, please note that sugar free cough drops have the least amount of menthol and sugar is also not so great for singers.
Ideally, zinc lozenges with no menthol at all would be best,obviously the ones with no menthol, they keep the voice moist but can be expensive because you find them at health food stores or whole foods. Alternatively, vitamin C drops can be used, but sometimes the acidity level may be too much.

In opera, everything runs by the WWW. The ASMs have all the information about who enters, wearing what, carrying what, on which page/system/measure/and sometimes beat. In large companies every entrance is cued by the asms. Assistant directors use a WWW to keep track of onstage action. The running sheets for scene shifts or rails use something similar to a WWW.

Timings are imperative to opera. Yes, everyone in the production team will have notated in their score every 15 seconds in their book. The SM calls places to actors at 5 min and the ASM asks for people to be repaged if they do not have singers by the 2 minute mark. So ASMS, have in their book 5 min warns, 2 min warns, for entrances on their side, or to warn crew members of upcoming action.

Principal singers are accompanied by their dresser in opera and are given water backstage. Wigs are huge in opera, as well as the skirts and swords in sword belts.

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Employment / Re: Advice or moving cross country to stage manage
« on: Nov 30, 2013, 01:59 pm »
Hello,

I had all my connections in the lower bay area so I ended up moving to Oakland to stage manage opera right out of college. I would suggest applying to Opera San Jose, they would love to have you and are a large resident theatre, I am not sure how the pay but I have observed many of there rehearsals. The Bay Area in California (near SF) has lots of opera: West Bay Opera, West Edge (Berkeley Opera), Festival Opera, Pop up Opera, Opera Parallele (the fastest growing opera company in the U.S), and over 200 other theatre companies. My experience has been that the smaller opera companies here do not provide housing nor pay much (you would be making more at Subway than in opera). I do know that San Francisco is hard to get in, and that at times employees can get very competitive to put it nicely, but that was like four years ago.

Good luck! I was very proud of my decision to move to the bay area for opera experience and will be returning soon. PM if you have questions.

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It's about time to be thinking of summer internships. 

What should I be looking for in a summer internship?  Smnetwork seems to only have reviewed a few internships and Santa Fe is the only one related to opera.  I know that internships are invaluable to stage managers to learn more about the field and network.  I am excited about moving to a new place and being completely absorbed in a production.  If you have any words of advice about internships, please pass it along. 

Thanks!

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Employment / Re: Phone interview for opera company
« on: Dec 04, 2012, 08:11 pm »
Had my interview today.

The stage manager was very nice, we went through my resume he told me that I did not have enough experience yet.  He wants to see that some experience working in union theatres with union stage hands.  He gave me feedback, explaining that he liked that he found out that I have been a performer in opera and thinks that I should add that to my resume.  He said it stands out and balances his team because everyone comes from a different background.   (I used to have that in my resume but I assumed it made me look unprofessional and was excited when I finally had enough stage management experience to remove it).  Anywho, he told me to do summer internships and I asked can I ask for your opinion on that?  We talked about a few opera summer programs.  He told me to keep his number and call me in the future.   

He also said my reference gave a 'glowing' recommendation of me.  Although, I did not get the job I feel a little more support to send out my resume to some more local companies in the hopes of gaining experience.  Thank you everyone for your advice and support!

9
I enjoyed reading the binder clip article. 
Gaff tape is so very useful.  Especially, when you have both black and white gaff.

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Employment / Re: Phone interview for opera company
« on: Nov 29, 2012, 09:13 pm »
Thanks for the advice everyone!

My phone interview is set for next week, we had to do some planning because we are in different time zones! (I can only imagine how terrible that scenario would be).  I suppose that means I have time to plan, I will write down my questions, because I will get nervous.  I just hope none of them are 'dumb' questions that put me in a negative light to not be taken seriously.  It's hard not to be overwhelmed and jump too far ahead.  My mind keeps wondering about the future if this became more than a what-if scenario.  Moving away?  Getting a chance to work in what I want to do? 

:)

11
Employment / Phone interview for opera company
« on: Nov 28, 2012, 01:31 am »
My stage manager mentor suggested I apply for an ASM position at an opera company out of state.  I graduated from school very recently (spring) and am surprised to see an email asking for a phone interview.  I stage managed four operas at the university and was an ASM for two other productions with local opera companies. 
I am nervous because I still feel very inexperienced even if I am very capable.  I am asking if anyone has any advice for phone interviews, (I have never done one), if it is different because I currently live out of state, and if there are any questions I should not forget to ask.   Very excited, but incredibly nervous.  :) 


12
Thank you all for the advice. 

After consulting with my stage management mentor and reading these posts, I do think that I am going to go opera companies and drop off my resume and cover letter.  I like Julie what you had to say about being a salesperson or working the whole "I'm new", thing.  Though, if I do not get success, I may email someone asking about ways of getting involved.  Some kind soul, would love to have an enthusiastic and capable worker. 

 "We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us." 
I love it, that is how I have gotten where I am today by saying yes to an opportunity. 

Thank you all for your words of advice!

13
Thanks Julie! 

That was very enlightening.  I am doing cold letters, not applying for a specific position that I know of.  I am not sure if you know or not, are there specific positions I should be tailoring these letters for that are safe and unassuming?  At the college level, I have stage managed four operas, and I have assisted or been an ASM for two opera companies.  I read your current gig is La Boheme, I was one of the ASMs for that production this summer!   I know I am capable, but I feel very daunted by the fact that their are many people who are much more qualified than I.  I want to start somewhere, I plan on doing summer internships, but in the meantime, I am very motivated to learn.  If you have any suggestions, do let me know, I appreciate it.

14
Hi,

I was searching the boards and although I found much information about cover letters, I never found out if any were tailored specifically to gaining experience, rather than applying for a job.   

I just moved to the bay area, I have mostly stage managing experience in college, with a few asm jobs outside of school.  I do want asm work, production assistant work, but I mostly want to be involved in theatre.  I want to network and gain more skills.  Should my cover letter be reflected in this?  I am not sure if I should get into details of what my skills are, or what they have been in the past.  I am ideally looking for work with opera companies.  Any advice?  Also, just to make sure, I send my cover letter and resume to the production manager, correct? 

Thank you, I just want to make a strong first impression. 

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