Messages

46

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: As a student, have you shadowed any SMs? Any cool stories?

« on: Jun 25, 2017, 07:03 pm »

Two decades ago - cough - when I was in college, our school would take a yearly trip to the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Canada. It was great to get master classes/discussions with the performers, etc., as a lot of actors went, but I was absolutely over the moon that I got to sit in the booth during Amadeus. While everyone else was talking about the fantastic acting, I was gushing over how cuelights worked and "standby for the figure" and trying to figure out what it was in advance and where it might come from.

47

Stage Management: Other / Re: Paging Calls in Opera

« on: May 25, 2017, 11:40 pm »

Principals and a featured role or two would get "This is a places call for Mr./Mrs. Lastname, please." (And often that sentence is repeated if it's not a tight sequence.) At the two minute if needed as mentioned above, it would be "Again, Mr. Lastname to stage right, please." If it's been an incredibly short rehearsal time, the side of the stage might be important for the preliminary call. Chorus gets called as a group if all of them, supers may get called by joint title, like Fighters or Bagpipers, etc. And I've definitely had a "Places call for the Cart Entrance" (which was a huge group of people and they knew what I meant). Preshow I might call something like a Places call for Act One Starters, making sure people knew who was needed.

Meanwhile, since I do musicals as well as opera, I find it so funny that theatre folks will often get annoyed if called to places too early (especially top of show), yet in opera if we don't see someone two minutes before their entrance, they feel rushed.

48

The Hardline / Re: Handbook

« on: Apr 17, 2017, 10:35 pm »

Is there anyway to acquire a hard copy of the handbook? I work with a local non-profit theatre company but we have an equity actor from the ASC coming to work with us. I'd prefer to not have to print the entire handbook out and to have a copy to reference. Thanks in advance.

Actually, I rather love having it in PDF version, so you can search for things by word instead of trying to figure what category a rule fits under, or what handful of keywords they chose to put in the back index. Very easily accessible on my computer.

49

Introductions / Re: greetings from a delicate cast iron SM flower

« on: Apr 01, 2017, 11:42 pm »

i've hung on to what i want out of my career, but sometimes how educated and grounded professionals treat me really stings.

I'm not really sure what this means. I didn't see your original post, but this appears to be your edited version. I've noticed your sentences (still) do not use capital letters. If you are implying that "educated and grounded professionals" don't treat you well, perhaps it's because they don't feel like you're responding to them professionally.

That said, you mentioned that you're here to learn, so I hope you take in everything you see, read our spirited discussions, and know that ultimately we are all trying to make us all the best stage managers we can be. Being self-taught can be extremely rough - I didn't have that much direct guidance in college, but I interned and assisted many stage managers, read what books I could find, and also found this website to be one of the best SM resources out there. Perhaps you can find a stage manager to shadow, whether on a tour or at a local theatre, to get some one-on-one observation experience.

Good luck,
Erin

50

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Designing/Running a SM internship

« on: Dec 29, 2016, 09:07 pm »

I'm sure others will have better answers than I will, but I want to comment that a true internship is supposed to be about helping the intern learn the job/craft/field - not about cheap labor, as some (not necessarily you) forget. With my last intern, for instance, I had her sit in on a paper tech, so she could see what it was like - simply observing, and she was released after half an hour or so, to work on some other project. She didn't need to "do" anything during the paper tech, but I wanted her to see how it progressed. As she was a college student, attending classes during the day, I also much more made sure that she didn't stay as late as the others if at all possible, to accomplish the rest of her homework. Meanwhile, the other ASM(s) were getting paid, so they got more of the paperwork responsibilities.

Also, with an intern even more so than with assistants (though I like to do the same with others), I try to go into more of the "why" I'm doing something, rather than just doing it. There will also likely be more "how can we help you with the next step of your career" discussions, and I try to have more of a grain of salt if they don't "get" something the first...or second...time around.

Yours is a bit different of a situation from many, given that you have no ASM, nor anyone planning to stay for the performance part, so the idea of training them as your replacement seems a good way to have worked part of it.

As for a past "scar" - on the closing interview of one internship, I was told several things that I really wish had been brought up earlier, so I could have shown my ability to adapt/change/learn. In fact, one item I learned during that exit interview is something I've held really dearly and now often mention in the first discussion with any new assistants/interns (having to do with how you present yourself). I guess the short version is, "check in" with each other as needed, especially if you feel you have any issues.

Oh, and since the other departments have been doing this, see if there's anything specific to add. Some theatres have an overall "intern meeting" once a week or whatever, so they can all check in with each other and do more of the professional learning opportunity type things.

51

The Hardline / Re: AEA rulebooks no longer publicly available on website

« on: Dec 28, 2016, 02:02 pm »

There's only speculation at this point, other than that it was a council-driven decision. Someone (not on council) suggested the decision was made to keep the contracts a little more out of the public (i.e. producers') eye - so producers are only privy to their own contract. It was also discussed that AGMA contracts are behind the member wall.

It should be noted the Special Agreement and Guest Artist contracts (usually done with non-Equity theatres on a "special" basis) are indeed still public right now, likely with powers that be hoping that Equity seems more approachable to theatres that wouldn't normally hire Equity actors.

However, I've found it hard enough to get producers to share the rules within companes (especially on SPTs), so I'll be prepared now to have it ready to email to marketing folks, costumes, etc., let alone my assistant(s). It's actually so much easier now that they're in PDF form than those old books. The "find" feature is my friend.

52

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Finding work

« on: Dec 27, 2016, 09:08 pm »

Check out this thread: http://smnetwork.org/forum/employment/local-and-not-so-local-job-resource-websites/msg33926/#msg33926

53

The Hardline / AEA rulebooks no longer publicly available on website

« on: Dec 21, 2016, 08:26 pm »

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

54

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

55

Introductions / Re: Kentucky to Seattle!

« on: Nov 10, 2016, 12:49 pm »

Welcome!

As you move on to other theatres, be sure to travel with your own light, so that you know for sure what colors those various cues will end up in. (I once had a theatre provide me a blue-gelled light for instance.) I have a Littlite that is dimmable. Highly worth it.

Erin

56

The Green Room / Re: Kay

« on: Nov 09, 2016, 08:48 am »

Agreed. I've come and gone in the frequency I've posted over the years, but I still think this is about the best resource for stage management out there. Thanks for what you do. Please continue to bring us together!

Erin

57

The Green Room / Re: PSA: Daylight Savings ends tonight!

« on: Nov 07, 2016, 01:09 pm »

I had several people telling me to make sure to remind the cast this weekend. When it was time, I said, "actually, this is the one stage manager's don't care about as much....because if you forget to change, you'll be early!"

58

Stage Management: Other / Re: Blocking Notation for Opera

« on: Nov 03, 2016, 11:34 pm »

Agree with what's been written, and would add that often opera stage management is about putting all the puzzle pieces together for everyone, as you may not get the entire full cast together until the final room run the day before you move into the theatre. So if a supernumerary carries on the tray of glasses, a chorus member gets two glasses from it, and hands one off to the principal who gives the toast, then the ASM may likely be filling for any and all of those three performers before the rehearsal period is over. Being able to fill in for those situations and to know the blocking of the props and all character entrance/exits are the biggest priorities in my opinion.

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The Hardline / Re: Name change?

« on: Oct 29, 2016, 10:42 pm »

Slight sidebar, but Equity doesn't actually track "SM" vs "Actor" members, since members can take either contract. They can only ever tell you how many work weeks were observed in each category, but don't take stock of how someone "self-identifies."

Erin

60

The Hardline / Re: Name change?

« on: Oct 07, 2016, 01:20 pm »

I didn't get married until my later 30s, and ultimately didn't change my name either with AEA or legally. Have only had a few times it mattered...and I can tell when "close personal friends" (spammers, and occasionally utility companies) contact me calling me Mrs. His Name. I actually did debate it, and my husband was one of the first to say it sounded like a big pain to change it. Meanwhile, I know many people who professionally go by their ex's name because that was how they were known in the business.

You do have to make sure your name is listed along with your spouse's on utility contracts (if legally you DON'T change yours)...and that ultimately your paycheck goes to the right legal name if you do have a difference. It gets trickier for me when people use their married name for publicity, introductions, etc, and then their maiden name is still connected to their email address. But it's a personal decision, and I can see both sides of whether to change your Equity name. Just hope for the chance to be able to proof your bio/program info. (Yes, it's in the Equity contract, but still one I have to fight to remind companies of...didn't happen on my last one for instance. Luckily the typo was just an errant set of italics in mine.)

Editing to add more thoughts: As another thought, maybe you can have parentheses around your "other" last name in your email signature? Including however you list yourself in a given program like Gmail? If you do use the email for both work and personal, especially.

I do think it would be kind of nice to have different names for different "worlds" - there are some folks who call me by my initials versus first and/or middle name, and I don't "mind" being called Mrs. His Name most of the time. I certainly introduce myself as His Full Name's wife when I meet someone who may not get the connection, but I know we have one. Certainly Mr and Mrs. His Name is easier to write on invitations. I do love when spam/bulk mail goes to The My Name Family, or he's occasionally called by my last name.

I think the big thing to do is make a decision and stick to it. I had one singer friend who - after being married for a while - kept changing whether she then wanted to be listed professionally (non-union) with or without her husband's name. I still don't remember which is the "right" one now. Certainly anyone has the right at any time to change their name, but right at marriage to me is the most understandable time to do it if you're going to. And as I mentioned earlier, I have several friends who are "stuck" using their ex's last names as that's how everyone knows them professionally - they tried to change back and it was too confusing they found. I think our business is much more understanding of having a difference in names than some other areas, too, simply for the whole stage name factor, regardless of whether someone is married.

Erin