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Topics - JPL

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The Green Room / A Sticky Wicket
« on: Mar 22, 2012, 12:23 pm »
I did an opera last year with a small company who put their singers up in host housing.  One of our singers had to be moved when his host left town for a few days and did not want him there in her absence.  It turns out that he was trolling for sex partners on the internet and bringing them to his host's home for, um, quick encounters.  She objected to this, and the company had to find new quarters for him.  They wound up putting him in a hotel, at added expense to an already slim budget.  Needless to say, he won't be hired back at that company.

I just got the cast list for my next show with a different company, and this singer's name is on it.  This is a company I've worked with before, so I know the people there.  The question is, do I tell them what I know of this singer's problem elsewhere?  If I do, am I forewarning them and heading off a potential problem, or am I spreading tales needlessly?  If I don't, am I at risk of causing the company problems which could have been, if not avoided, at least anticipated?

If this were a question of professional behavior I would have no problem warning them up-front of what I know.  If it were purely personal behavior it would obviously be none of my business.  But what about personal behavior which could affect the company, even if it's in an area which is not part of my responsibilities?

Your advice, and especially your experiences with analogous situations, would be welcome.

Thanks.

3
Stage Management: Other / Finding ASMs
« on: Nov 06, 2007, 10:50 pm »
I am a freelance stage manager working for opera companies across the country.  I mostly work for small to medium sized companies, and I keep running into the same situation everywhere I go.  Sometime before I arrive, I ask about the ASM.  I am, as often as not, told that they haven’t found one yet, but “we’re looking everywhere.”  The ASM is hired just before, and not infrequently after, rehearsals begin.  My show just finished, the ASM was hired after the first week of rehearsal.

Now I understand that companies are not rich, and they don’t have the resources to bring in an ASM from outside, so they have to hire locally.  Otherwise, I’d give them a very short list and tell them to hire someone on it.  Still, it’s always the same line.  “we’ve been trying, but there’s just no one out there.”

Poppycock.

My latest ASM (the one who started the second week of rehearsal) told me that there were a dozen students at her university who would have jumped at the chance to work on a professional show and earn a few shekels in the process.  She happened to be the first to respond after they heard about it.

So my question is this:  what is the best way to get the word out to those of you in colleges and in the community that your local opera company needs an ASM for their upcoming production?  I’m asking so that the next time I get the “we’ve looked everywhere” speech, I can reply, “Well, what you ought to do is….”  . 

What does it take?  Signs on the bulletin boards?  Notice given by your teachers?  Posting to a local web site? 

Give it to me chapter and verse.  Tell me how you would best find out about the job, and how it ought to be worded to get your attention. No, you won’t get in the door this way at the Met or the Lyric.  But I’ve faced this issue in Fargo, Reno, Albuquerque, Birmingham, Shreveport, Tampa, and I’m betting I’m not the only SM who has faced this.

And, on a side note, those of you looking for work could do worse than to contact your local opera company and ask about working as an ASM.  The small-to-medium-sized companies might very well be delighted to not have to look for someone. This assumes, in addition to the basic skills required of an ASM, the ability to read music, foreign language skill helpful (but not obligatory) and a willingness to learn how things are done differently in opera than in theater.

So please, help me help you get hired.  Tell me how to tell my bosses how to get the word out to you so you can come work with me.

Thanks,

John

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