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Topics - smejs

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1
Stage Management: Other / Quarter Marks and Number Lines
« on: May 19, 2019, 04:22 pm »
I just wrote a nerdy blog post about taping out markings for dance/musical theatre choreography. Even tips for a "quick and dirty" portable number line for about $10 and half an hour's time. Enjoy!
http://erinjoyswank.com/taping-the-set-for-choreography-quarter-marks-and-dance-numbers/
Erin

2
Hi all,

Are you headed to the USITT conference in a few weeks? Get PRIMPed for your next job interview with a FREE Portfolio Review & Interview Materials Prep session. Sign up by Feb 25 for a guaranteed slot - we may not have them left during the conference. This is NOT just for a students, but anyone can sign up (including students). Slots still available in Stage Management, Arts Management and Production Management, in addition to just about every area you can think of. 

If you have friends in other areas attending, have them start at the main website: https://www.usittshow.com/portfolio-reviews. Sorry, Sound slots are all full!

However, the direct link to Management reviews is http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f084ca9ab28a0f49-management2.

Meanwhile, I know there are plans to have a Stage Managers' Association "SM GO (Stage Managers Go Out)" gathering during the conference, so stay tuned for that.

3
The Hardline / Equity Current Issues: Dues Vote and SPT Update
« on: Aug 04, 2017, 12:55 am »
For those who aren't as involved with Facebook's various Equity groups (like Equity's Stage Door, or the Unoffficial AEA Stage Managers), two items have come up of recent notice.

  • There's a major dues cost increase up for a vote - both for annual dues as well as the initiation fee. There is MUCH discussion about it over on Facebook, but as background there has been no increase since 2002. If you are an Equity member,  you likely received an email saying the voting would be coming soon....but like me, may NOT have received the actual ballot, even by checking spam, etc. Check for trueballot@webvote.us as the sender, and that you are fully paid up. Otherwise, email 2020@actorsequity.org; adding your Member ID number will increase the speed of response to send you a new ballot.
  • The SPT agreement has just been updated on Equity's website. Recent other agreements have had Summaries written, so when I asked if there was one, a blog post was added today in the Member Portal as well. There are updates to housing requirements, added 401K deferment options, salary increases, and more. Two things not mentioned in the post are that straight sixes are now available for ALL tiers, and a runthrough is required with full tech in the space before a public audience.

If you are working an SPT at the moment or soon, be sure to familiarize yourself with the new items and options. For all members, regardless of your opinion, join in the voting process.

4
Hello all,

As a bunch of us just found out through the Facebook (unofficial) AEA SM group, the rulebooks are no longer available through the main section of the website. Active members can locate them through the member portal.

PSMs/SMs, be sure to download your copy of your appropriate contract, and pass along to your assistants, marketing folks, costumers, etc., unless you're sure the producer has already passed along the info!

Erin

5
Employment / USITT Portfolio Review Registration now online
« on: Dec 15, 2016, 02:05 pm »
Hello all,

If you are planning to attend the USITT 2017 Conference in St. Louis, I highly encourage you to take advantage of the FREE portfolio review options occurring Thursday, March 9 and Friday, March 10. These are available to anyone with full conference attendance, and to anyone at any point in your career. This year, Management has expanded our offerings to dedicate spots for Arts Management and Production Management in addition to our Stage Management slots. Each is for 30 minutes, and will be you presenting your portfolio (resume, etc., however you want to use the time) to two seasoned professionals for their helpful feedback. Get some practice on your job interview skills and preparation!

If you have friends who are attending the conference, there are of course portfolio reviews for all the other disciplines, too, as well as tenure candidacy review for professors.

Those who sign up online -http://www.usittshow.com/portfolio-review-sign-up - by February 19th will be guaranteed a slot. A select number of appointments may be available onsite in St. Louis, but may fill up quickly.

Hope to see you there!
Erin

6
It appears a private school in New Zealand was doing Sweeney Todd - and two boys' necks were actually injured. Yikes.

This site seems to have the most information right now, saying it was a knife wrapped in duct tape: http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11618132

7
Hi all,

Have any of you ever done this project before? The score is 309 pages (Bärenreiter edition), and I'm wondering whether to just buy a score, split the binding and put it in a ring binder, rather than try to make any copies or bother with single-siding it. I've seen people split the binding and then spiral bound it, but I think I want the flexibility to add pages in between. I tried once before to put a mini-blocking page in the middle of my score pages for double-sided music; maybe it's time to try this again.

Thoughts? It's 6 soli (principals), and two different choruses, from the little bit of information I've gotten so far. We're performing one night each in two different venues, the first has "lighting in house," the second no lights, so I'll mainly be tracking blocking.

Erin

8
This picture has already made the rounds on Facebook. It's attributed to PSM Kim Fisk and I'm told by another stage manager it's from the Book of Mormon tour which was playing in Seattle today.

Text from within the photo (which I'm not sure I'll figure out how to attach properly - I can't get the image to embed):

PERFORMANCE NOTES:
What a start to the matinee today! It timed out that Minnesota missed the field goal that lost them the Playoffs Wild Card spot to the Seahawks right as we ran our pre-show announcment. The crowd erupted into cheers and dancing and chanting and needless to say we had to hold for a couple of minutes. But it did put the house in great spirits for the show and they cheered for us too, as we began. Sloppy seconds, but we'll take it! And they stayed engaged and appreciative the whole afternoon.
Signers today.
Standing ovation.

9
Self-Promotion / My Fair Lady - Skylight
« on: Oct 23, 2015, 12:01 am »
I've finally made the leap BACK into freelancing, after being at my previous position 9 1/2 years with only a few off-site gigs between.

Just started prep week at the adorably European-style intimate Skylight Music Theatre (formerly known as Skylight Opera) in Milwaukee. My Fair Lady runs Nov. 20-Dec. 27. I'll also be back for Crowns in February/March.

Erin

10
Hi Everyone,

I haven't seen anyone else start a thread on this, and can see it being placed in several categories, so moderators, feel free to move.

I know several of us on here are planning to attend, whether students, professors or freelancers. There are of course numerous sessions pertaining to stage management. Check out the details at http://www.usittshow.com/#!session-schedule/c1a0c.

If you live in the Cincinnati area, but can't commit to the cost of attending the conference, you can get a free pass to the Expo, where numerous theatrical vendors show and sell their wares...and most give away free swag (and things like the opportunity to be flown by rigging companies, or prize giveaways). Just do a Google search with "USITT free expo pass" (minus the quotes) and you'll find several companies sharing codes. My parents even like to come check it out.

I'm also chairing the Portfolio Reviews, and I encourage anyone of any level (but particularly students and young professionals) to sign up for a free session. This year the sign up is available online, too! - Management Commission's is located here: http://www.signupgenius.com/go/20f084ca9ab28a0f49-management1. If you have friends attending in other disciplines (lighting, scenic, costumes, etc), the webpage with an overview of portfolio reviews for all of the commissions can be found at https://sites.google.com/site/usitt2015portfolioreviews/.

Also, I don't see it listed on the conference schedule yet, but I've been told that on Saturday, March 21st, at 2:30 pm the Stage Managers' Association will hold a combined members and informational meeting onsite in conference center room 212. In addition, the SMA will host a networking social event at a local establishment on Thursday evening following the Opera America reception; stay tuned to the Stage Managers’ Association Facebook page (https://www.facebook.com/stagemanagersassociation), or your email if a member, for the specific time and location of the get-together. You need not attend the conference or be an SMA member to attend the after-hours gathering.

Feel free to PM me with your cell phone and name, and I'll give you mine, and we can try to catch up!

Hope to see many of you -
Erin

11
For years now, there has been a document that the Denver liaison committee has had available to actors to get the smaller companies in the area to understand that they COULD hire a union actor for their shows. I've tried several times to get it to include stage management wording or to have a similar document for us. I just brought it up again to our local committee and while they admit they haven't overly pressed, there's been so much turnover in the LA office they're not sure who to go to.

Actors are certainly much more visible and easier to understand why a theatre would want to work with Equity on getting...but I just saw an audition notice for Special Appearance that was only $200 stipend and didn't appear to say a thing about health or pension. There are a few one-off gigs I'd love to be able to slip in, but still try to do legally....though I certainly don't want to kill myself working all $200 jobs!

Thoughts?

12
The Green Room / USITT 2013 (Milwaukee, March 20-23)
« on: Feb 12, 2013, 02:57 am »
I'm interested to know who else on here is planning to go?

I'm actually going a day early for the firearm safety workshop, too. Taught by one of the best prop guys I've ever worked with, Jim Guy from Milwaukee Rep.

13
Wasn't sure exactly where to post this one - it's a Stage Managers' Association event, but we're opening it up to nonmembers this time, so we hope you'll join us.

Save the Date for Monday November 15th. We are teaming up with the makers of VirtualCallboard software (http://www.virtualcallboard.com/) for an online demo/webinar of their software for stage managers and production managers from community theatres to the professional level. Come see what they've worked up and ask questions of the designers. Participation is welcome from those who've never heard of the software, those who are curious what it is, and those who use it but have questions or concerns about some features. For this particular webinar we will be using their chatroom, so are also opening this up to non-members. If any of you attended VirtualCallboard's past online Q&As, this will be a similar style where you call in to hear the audio, and watch the demonstration on your computer screen.

Registration is required...and free, of course!

November 15, 2010 6:00 pm, Pacific / 7:00 pm, Mountain /  8:00 pm, Central  /  9:00 pm, Eastern

-------------------------------------------------------
To register for the online event
-------------------------------------------------------
1. Go to https://cisco.webex.com/ciscosales/onstage/g.php?d=206221680&t=a
2. Click "Register".
3. On the registration form, enter your information and then click "Submit".

14
Okay, you know how NO ONE seems to realize that the water coolers (the ones with a big plastic jug on top) don't actually have a drain?  Whether planned (by dumping) or unplanned (by drippage), water ends up in those little grated areas below the spout, and if someone like us doesn't come through and clean out the moldy/slimy build up, in just stays there and is disgusting.

Well, at the last theatre I was in, someone had come up with what I thought was a brilliant idea.  They took a piece of Marley as wide as the "drain" area, and cut some holes (or at least a hanger area - it might have been more like a hook than a hole) to go around the spigots...and then the piece of Marley angled down and OVER the non-drain thing, and straight into a wastebasket they'd sat below it all.  I thought it was a FABULOUS solution and had to share.

Erin

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SMA New York City CPR Training Class - Free for Members! Non-Members welcome too!

The Stage Managers’ Association has coordinated with New York’s 
Bravest to provide a CPR training class for Stage Managers in the New 
York City Area.

Each Class is 1 hour and the N.Y.F.D. will provide an inflatible 
dummy, a training DVD, and a workbook for EACH participant to take 
home with them.  Please note that this is CPR training, and not a 
Certification class.

SMA Members will be able to attend this class for FREE. Non-Members 
can attend for $20.

SPECIAL OFFER:  For THIS EVENT ONLY Non-Members can join the SMA for 
the remainder of the year with a waiver of the $25 initiation Fee, 
and the $20 for the Event will be applied as your Membership Dues.   
So get a 6-Month Membership in the SMA (Renewable on Jan 1., 2008) 
and a CPR training class for only $20!

WHERE:   Studios 353
         353 West 48th Street (Between 8th & 9th Aves)
         Second Floor

WHEN:      Monday, July 30th, 2007
         4:30pm & 5:45pm

RSVP:      Send your Name & Desired class time to-
         nyc-cpr@stagemanagers.org
         [Please indicate membership status and intent to join]

~~ RESERVE YOUR SPACE NOW, ONLY 20 PARTICIPANTS PER CLASS! ~~

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