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Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: BLOCKING: Ensemble Blocking Taking Systems
« on: Jun 10, 2015, 01:57 pm »
Thanks Jerry!
14 Jan 2021: Happy 21st birthday, SMNetwork! I replaced the old broken mobile theme. -K
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Assign everyone in the cast a number and use that, instead of cast names or initials, in your blocking book. So F1, F2, F3...etc for female, and M1, M2, M3...for men. These assignments can be based on whatever makes the most sense: I've seen them done simply alphabetically, or in obvious casting (putting the principals as the 1,2,3, and lesser characters further down. Or clumping cast members you know will be staged in the same scenes numerically close - for example: you know there are featured tumblers for the big dance number - so assign them M7-M12).
1. Make "full-page" groundplans. If the ensemble ever has moments where they have to hit certain positions, draw those groupings onto the full-page GPs. Having these "landmarks" notated can go a long way.
3. Since you have 2 ASMs, use "zone defense" - have each of you take a certain section of the stage. ASM 1 covers SR ensemble, ASM 2 covers SL ensemble, and you cover principals. I have done this a lot in opera. In a big chorus staging rehearsal, when the chorus is in their first position, the SMs (with clipboard in hand) jump up and write down as much as they can on a fullpage GP. Mark that page as "position 1- top of page 3", and then when they hit the next position, make a new page.
4. Nametags! Make the names as big as possible so you can read them from far away. You can colorcode them according to voice part (sopranos pink, tenors yellow, etc)- that way you can tell at a glance if the different voice parts are evenly distributed across the stage.
My personal preference is to list calling stage manager and on deck crew (including ASM) on the bottom of every report as a footer.
Other than that I only list crew/etc if it is a shadowing, or an absence/put in "Michael shadowed Spot 1 today in preparation for running the show 2/28" or "Allie in for Amy as RONNIE, scheduled put in"