Messages

16

The Green Room / Re: Things Stage Managers Say

« on: Jan 28, 2012, 10:21 pm »

"Don't worry, after this, you never have to work with them again."

"This is the longest preshow speech ever."

"who needs sleep?"

"please restrict your naked time to inside the dressing room only please. "

"is that the fog machine or a fire backstage?"

17

Tools of the Trade / Re: hanging tool in Playbill.com pic?

« on: Aug 31, 2011, 04:31 pm »

awesome, thanks!!!

18

Tools of the Trade / hanging tool in Playbill.com pic?

« on: Aug 31, 2011, 01:44 pm »

Hey peeps,
One of my favorite parts of playbill.com's "a two-show day with..." photo series is the backstage and callboard pics, because we all like to see how other SMs work. In the recent photo series for Sister Act cast member Caesar Samayoa, there's a pic (found below) with one of the SMs in front of the callboards-- Does anyone know what the nifty grey hanging devices are and where you can get them?


thanks!
-J


http://bit.ly/rhrRKp

Photo by Caesar Samayoa

19

The Green Room / Re: show us your booth!

« on: Jun 06, 2011, 10:20 am »

"Skaters Care: A Benefit for Japan" at the Citizen's Business Bank arena in Ontario, CA.  On the ice below are such fine athletes as olympians Jeremy Abbott (men's figure skating) and JR Celski (Short Track Speedskating).

I have a nerd spot for figure skating. And I'm jealous of this gig.

20

The Green Room / Re: Who are we, anyway...?

« on: May 28, 2011, 01:51 pm »

if "creativity" implies wacky schemes

I would be the first to claim there should be no schemes in stage management, wacky or otherwise.

Isn't that a large part of what we do though?  Make sure that other people's wacky schemes can happen and not kill anyone?

yes, OTHER peoples wacky schemes, not our our own. Those creative decisions are never in response to what we want or feel would be best- it's what would be best for the whole of the production and the team.

That said, I think the whole of this discussion (far beyond the original grant question) will never have a solid black and white answer because there's always going to be a grey area. I personally believe that art and craft lay in how we maneuver in that gray area which is often filled with scheming ideas and crazy personalities. 

21

Employment / Re: Websites

« on: Mar 06, 2011, 11:53 am »

wow.

...I have seen much, much worse websites from "professional" stage managers.

22

Tools of the Trade / Re: Software for Stage Managers & Theatre Companies

« on: Mar 06, 2011, 11:48 am »

I agree with loebtmc.

I find it helpful to see other people's notes and I know many designers that prefer to see other's notes, just in case it affects their design in a way that no one else has thought of.

I don't think I'd ever break down my reports into individualized mini-reports for each designer. It's also easier to keep track of information this way and keep every one on the same page--literally.

23

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Preset before performance

« on: Feb 03, 2011, 11:29 pm »

You can also purchase "snap-in" sheet protectors, if you don't have the time (or money) to laminate lists. These easily pop out of a binder without opening the rings (and back in as easily). This could be helpful if you work with a rotating crew or if you like to use a clipboard during preshow checks.

24

The Green Room / Re: Dracula in NYC

« on: Jan 12, 2011, 05:40 pm »

..doomed from the beginning.

25

The Green Room / Re: Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark

« on: Jan 07, 2011, 04:21 pm »

Agreed with Tempest.

It's the Onion for god's sakes. You can't blame it for mocking Spiderman, because it mocks everything.

Sometimes it's nice to have a little humorous entertainment. If the article really offends someone on the show (or anyone for that matter) then they should get in a different business. ....because it's all about opinion anyway..

26

Employment / Re: Local and not so local job resource websites

« on: Dec 27, 2010, 12:37 pm »

This was one I'd never seen before.  Seems mostly NYC and area centric...

http://www.theproducersperspective.com/classifieds/production-staff/
[/quote

This is usually a nice mixture of what's listed on playbill, broadwayworld.com(now has job listings), and backstage(nyc area). Ken tends to weed out the not-so-interesting and blah jobs. Sometimes he has unique postings on their as well that aren't elsewhere.

27

The Green Room / Re: Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark

« on: Dec 23, 2010, 12:24 pm »

"My fear would be if the production somehow manages to turn this whole ordeal into a viable success, what does it do to the bar of modern musical theater? It may set it so high that the next show has to be bigger and bigger still and instead of a few broken ribs, and a concussion we have to read about someone dying for their art."


and/or it drives up the ticket price so only the lucky few can afford to see it, or it only allows for less than a handful of new shows a season, if that.

28

The Green Room / Re: Video / photos during performance

« on: Dec 23, 2010, 12:19 pm »

well, "ownership" is a matter of contractual legalities...sometimes the company owns the art after it's up running.

I think the video taping isn't just a problem with theatre, it's a social issue, a sign of the times.  People love to record things, everything. So much for relying on mental memory.  Many don't even give the thought of recording something a second thought, since it's so easy to do....and what's the worst that could happen?- an usher scolds them. That's not a punishment. 

Personally, I'm completely against recording theatre, even for "archival" purposes, but it's understandable why so many are easily doing it.

29

The Green Room / Re: Spider-Man: Turn off the Dark

« on: Dec 23, 2010, 12:06 pm »

hopefully this PR company will be with them for the entire ride and driven away by the craziness....since this is not the first they've been with.

And yes bad press is press and is getting people talking about live theatre. It's just a pity people aren't talking about good live theatre in a positive way.

30

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: PROFESSIONALISM: Managers in rehearsal?

« on: Dec 17, 2010, 10:49 am »

in the girls' dressing room?

...awkward.