Messages

1

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: SMing Musicals

« on: Jun 28, 2007, 12:58 pm »

I have always pasted the score into script....however - I am doing Side Show right now and because the show is only about 5 % book and the rest music - I may need to reverse my usual methods. I am also finding that the 'book' script has differences with the 'vocal score' book which has differences with the 'piano/conductor's score'....Bottom line- be flexible based on what your material requires.

2

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Do you call from house or backstage?

« on: May 18, 2007, 11:46 am »

I prefer to call from Backstage .....dance & musicals from Backstage....always.
I will call plays from booth or front of house if I have limited sight lines & a good, experienced ASM on the deck.

3

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Weapons on Stage - Saftey and Legality

« on: Apr 11, 2007, 01:43 pm »

I've used a similar knife as described below by kaitlinmarie "It was supposed to be a switchblade, but they're illegal in Ohio (and most places I believe). So, we used a pocket knife type of knife that had one of those release buttons that you pressed as you sort of swung/popped in open. I hope you all kind of get what I'm saying...it gave the illusion of being a switchblade without breaking the law, and was dull enough that it still did it's job ". We dulled the blade and it did the trick. I agree with MatthewShiner - dull the blade & rig the effects and tell the director now- sooner is always better than later. If you can find this kind of knife- it will give him the effect he needs. Hopefully, it will make him amenable to the dulling & rigging.
If not- in this situation, your job isn't to make the director happy- it's to abide by the law and keep your cast & crew safe.

4

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: How to:

« on: Mar 13, 2007, 12:59 pm »

WRT- the know-it-all. I agree with Mac. I have a know it all actor in my current cast. During notes one night - with Daylight Savings time approaching - he suggested that I might want to start my phone calls to missing cast members early so we would have everyone in time for curtain. I took a breath- looked over the top of my glasses and said NOTHING....for about 3 seconds....worked like a charm.
However- your guy sounds like a harder case. I'd be firm- educate the cast on the protocols you expect if necessary. I would refuse to acknowlege any disrepect- respond with silence and move on. Of course, what kind of theatre program educates anyone to be disrespectful of stage managers??? I'd love to know from which school he holds his masters. Also- not a director any SM would want to work for- ever !!!!!
So, I guess what I would recommend is that you be as professional as possible whether you are treated that way or not. In the end- the only person's behaviour you can control is your own. Break-a-leg....
 

5

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Wish Me Luck!

« on: Feb 15, 2007, 01:17 pm »

Oh- break a leg....I am headed into tech on Seussical in 3 days so I understand ...
Re: warm-ups-
I have always provided small blocks of time for warm-ups (in non professional shows- of course) onstage before the house opens. The theatres I work in do not generally have seperate spaces for these activities. I post the schedule after consulting with director- musical director and choreographer as necessary and then it's up to the actors to avail themselves of the time. Fight calls (if required) are mandatory.
A sample schedule for a play would be as follows:
7:00pm- Fight call
7:15pm- Physical warmup
8:00pm - Curtain
For a musical:
7:00pm - Fight call
7:10pm - Dance Warm-up (led by Dance captains)
7:25pm - vocal warm-ups as necessary
8:00pm - Curtain
This has generally worked pretty well. Most of my casts appreciate the structure and the voluntary nature of the warm-ups. Hope this helps.

6

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: help with "real" stage management

« on: Jan 19, 2007, 02:20 pm »

I second that :
Get the Thomas Kelley book .
I started out as an SM in much the same way- being thrown into a production of The Secret Garden.
The Thomas Kelley book was the perfect resource. Run- do not walk- and pick up this book.

Break a leg on ALL your shows.

7

SMNetwork Archives / Re: True to Life SM Anecdote

« on: Dec 15, 2006, 02:57 pm »

Boy, I just laughted out loud on reading that. I will be sharing that sory with a few fellow SM's.

8

SMNetwork Archives / Re: Happy Stage Management Memories?

« on: Dec 15, 2006, 02:56 pm »

I have been bringing my 3 daughters to the theatre with me since they were very young- my oldest (now 26 yrs old) has done set building and running , the middle daughter just earned her BFA in performance (and dabbles in SM- she's very good at it) and the youngest simply enjoys theatre. When she was in kindergarten, I was working on a production of McBeth. Her father was cast as a soldier & the McDuff child's murderer. For 'show & share' one day- she stood up and very proudly announced to the class that "her Father was a soldier & a murderer". Oh- did I mention that we live about 20 miles from the Pentagon? Needless to say- I got a phone call from the teacher.
Sharing your work & your passion for theatre with your child is wonderful- I wish you all the best.

9

SMNetwork Archives / Re: Who makes the best SM's?

« on: Nov 10, 2006, 03:19 pm »

An anecdote. After a recent performance of "The Full Monty"- which I was stage managing - I was introduced to a young man who very proudly proclaimed he was a Stage Manager as well - he even had a hat he wore- emblazoned with the label "GOD". I told him I didn't need a hat... Enough said.

10

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Splitting the jobs between co stage managers

« on: Oct 03, 2006, 04:42 pm »

I have recently been working with a theatre where they often have 2 SM's on a show.
I, too, was wondering how this would work. I decided to talk to my co-SM. I felt I had to find out her expectations for the rehearsal process, tech rehearsals and calling the shows. This worked very well. We split rehearsals (prompt book lived at the theatre). Prior to tech- we sat down with the Tech director to discuss how we would run the rehearsals as a team. When the TD handed the show over- my co & I switched back & forth between calling and overseeing the deck (we each had a dedicated ASM to run for us). Communication, communication is the key.

11

Tools of the Trade / Re: What is Gaffer Tape?

« on: Sep 20, 2006, 05:16 pm »

Gaff does it all... For 10 years my day job was at a radio station that broadcast NFL football games. At the end of every football season, the station enginneers- really wonderful guys- would gift me with all the rolls of gaff tape that had less than 1" depth of tape remaining on the roll. I left that job about a year ago but I still have a bit of gaff left in my kit.

12

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: How to keep kids *quietly* busy at rehearsal when they're not needed onstage?

« on: Sep 18, 2006, 04:05 pm »

My 1st Community theatre experience was a production of Annie. One hundred & fifty  auditionees later- we had a cast of 12 kids aged 5-13. We required as a condition of auditioning/casting- a commitment by the parents to sign up as BSP's- Backstage Parents. As this was community theatre- we had the parents sign the agreement at auditions- it layed out what we were requiring from the parents. It worked very well. Most parents were more than willing to be involved. They were the BSP's. They reported to the ASM. I think giving them a 'title' helped.
We used books, video games, 'homework', cards and 'quiet games' such as chess & checkers. However- we still needed to have an occasions 'chat' to remind the cast (as a whole) about the 'quiet during rehearsal & backstage' etiquette.

13

SMNetwork Archives / Re: Happy Stage Management Memories?

« on: Jul 31, 2006, 02:36 pm »

I have many happy memories- but one stands out in particular.
Several years ago, I stage managed a production of A Chorus Line. The show sold out it's entire run- with critical accolades all around. That alone made all the hard work worthwhile. At the closing night party- the cast serenaded me with a personalized 'ONE- singular Stage Manager". I was very touched.

14

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Working with nudity

« on: Jun 27, 2006, 12:58 pm »

I stage managed Love, Valour, Compassion by Terence McNally in a 117 seat black box theatre a few years ago. All the actors are nude at some point throughout the play. The producer, director & I had many conversations on the issues that nudity in a production entail well before auditions.
We made the following decisions and these were communicated to the cast from the beginning:
#1- the actors were required to become nude at the callback. The call back audtion was closed. Only the actors, the producer, the director and I were at the table. This was to insure all actors cast were comfortable in front of both men & women being nude. 
#2- no nudity in rehearsal until we moved into the theatre. Our rehearsals were off site in a venue where we could not have the actors nude. All rehearsal runs in the theatre with nudity were closed until final dress.
#3- Robes SL & SR for all actors. This was for during the run as well as for the curtain call as the last scene of the play has all the men nude.
#4- Most importantly- I made sure all the actors felt comfortable coming to me with any concerns regarding the nudity.
Being sensitive & pro-active is important when dealing with this issue. I wa surprised- all the actors who were called back were comforatble being nude. I found the tricky part comes in the handling of the rehearsals & the performances. Rather than waiting for the actor to ask for a robe- tell him there will be one on each side of the stage. Work with the director on open/closed rehearsals - they are his /her call anyway.
 
The production was a critical success- one of those shows you are profoundly sad to have close.
Break a leg!

15

SMNetwork Archives / No, really they said this..

« on: May 29, 2006, 10:12 am »

A story-
My mother began taking me to musical theatre (her particular love) when I was very young. I have seen Pearl Bailey & Cab Calloway in "Hello Dolly", the original Broadway productions of "Evita", "Into the Woods", and numerous National touring productions- most memorably "Hair" in Boston.  I had the great, good fortune to attend numerous productions at Trinity Square Rep when the great Adrian Hall was the Artistic Director.
I carried that tradition on with my children- one loves Shakespeare- could quote the witch's "bubble" speech in kindergarten, the second has her BFA in performance and is a working actress, locally and the third is a techie- for fun. Most of their friends have never seen theatre unless they come along with us. If seeing a fun production of "Menopause" can excite someone to attend another production- bringing family & friends-
it's a very good thing - for the art form & for all of us- sooner or later they will see that  great production of "Lear".
I've been working in theatre for over 20 years as a designer & SM.
I've had my really good shows & really not so good shows. Even the not so good shows had their fans- the show got them to think and to feel-
I think that's the point.