Topics

46

The Green Room / "I can't do that on stage."

« on: Sep 14, 2009, 04:18 pm »

It seems to happen every show.  There's one bit of stage business that, if it weren't stage business, no one would think twice about.  But somehow, once it's put on stage, the actor just can't manage to do it, and needs additional technical assistance, or long bouts of practice.

I can't remember all of the ones I've run across so far, but one of the more memorable was an actor (smoker) who couldn't strike a match on stage, to save his life.  In my current show, the mini Kit-Kat bar wrapper has to be pre-slit a specific way, otherwise, it becomes a scene about opening a candy-bar.

What's in your current show (or a favorite past one) that just seems impossible to do on stage?

47

The Green Room / Stage managing your life

« on: Jul 28, 2009, 11:55 am »

Are you OCD, or just a stage manager?  ;-)  I know we all utilize our SM skills in an attempt to make our day to day lives run as smoothly as our dream rehearsal.  What have you done lately that "normal" people would shake their head at, but just seems like common sense to you?

My mother is coming into town to celebrate her birthday later this week, and wants to do something fun.  I polled a local blog for ideas, sent her an e-mail with a list of suggestions, and then made a Google calendar with times of events, or times sites are open, addresses for each one, and how much they cost.  I printed this out.  Now, when my mom says, at 4:00 on Friday, "What should we do?" I can whip out the list and say, "Well, we can go here, here, here, or here, or see this show, or spend time at this museum, etc. and it will cost this much."
My husband thinks I'm OCD.  In my mind I'm saving an hour of "What do you want to do?"  "Well, what do you want to do?"  Followed by another half hour of, "Where is it?  Is it even open?  Can we afford it?"

48

Tools of the Trade / THE Sharpie topic

« on: Feb 12, 2009, 10:48 pm »

I searched and searched, and can you believe that there is NO thread devoted only to Sharpies?  How on earth can we have missed this?

Love 'em, hate 'em (?!), can't do a show with out them!  Sharpies rule the world.

However, did you know that if you mark white gaff with black sharpie and leave it on a wall for a while (like labeling a costume hook for a show), when you peel it off, the black paint that was under the sharpie will come with, leaving an outline of the words you wrote?  Use masking tape; it won't mess up your paint.
Or that if you mark on pale skin with (I think it was) green sharpie, and wash most of it off, the residue will glow under black light?  (I discovered that one doing marker tests on myself for a stage tattoo that had to be washed off between scenes, in a show that also had an, unrelated, black light.)  I'll bet someone will find that tidbit of trivia useful someday!
And of course, you can temporarily touch up any chips in black paint on the stage or walls.

This post brought to you by the fact that I just cleaned out the pen cup on my desk (procrastinating cleaning the hamster cage).  There were 8 Sharpies in 4 different colors and 3 different types.  No wonder I could never find a Sharpie around the house when I needed one, OR fit all my pens in the cup.  Gods, I am such an SM.

49

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / PEOPLE: The unwilling crew

« on: Jan 16, 2009, 10:58 am »

This show is now over, so I'm sort of looking for more of, "how would you have handled it," rather than, "what should I do?"

My Christmas show was six-seven shows a week, Tuesday through Sundays, including Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Years Eve and New Years Day.  It was a three actor/bazillion character show, with lots of props and costumes, and a lengthy, involved re-set every night.  We were also in rep with a kids show!  
The theatre I was working for (and work for frequently) doesn't hire backstage crew, or even employ volunteers.  They have an acting and playwriting apprenticeship program, and to pay for their apprenticeship, the apprentices are assigned to work a number of shows and strikes as crew.  The apprentices are assigned, they don't get to choose their shows.  And I don't get to choose my crew, either.  They're assigned to me, and I'm stuck with them for the duration, no swapsies.
One of my apprentices just did not want to be there.  She was a lady in her fifties, who was just doing the apprenticeship for fun, and working backstage was not fun.  She wined.  She complained about every little additional thing she was asked to do.  She was insubordinate, permanently modifying a costume piece after I had specifically told her not to (this is not the issue, I dealt with that.)  She kept reminding me that she wasn't really my crew, she was an apprentice, and so she didn't have to do this that and the other, because it wasn't an apprentice's job.  
I tried logic.  I tried duty.  I tried, "for the good of the show."  I tried, "you're taking care of the actors."  Finally, I just began ignoring her whinging, but it never did stop.
I think that part of the problem was that, in the beginning, I was helping with a lot of the preset and tear down.  On top of eveything else, she didn't have a very steep learning curve, so if I wanted things done, it frequently meant doing them myself, at least the first few times.  And the fact that later on, to her eyes, at least, I wasn't doing anything while she was "slaving away" with a broom, I believe, added to her persecution complex.
So, my questions are two-fold:
1) How would you deal with a reluctant crew member that you don't have the power to replace, and you need?
2) With a non-professional crew, how much do you help with preset and tear down?  I like to help when and where I can.  But I'm starting to think that, later, when I'm dealing with an emergency and not helping, my crew resents me for "being lazy," because it looks like I'm just gabbing with the house manager or goofing off on my computer, when I'm actually doing important work.  Is it better to just not help at all?

50

The Green Room / I can't believe I just had to do that...

« on: Nov 29, 2008, 12:59 pm »

Here's one sure to guarentee a few laughs: What's one of the weirdest/craziest/silliest things you've found yourself doing as part of you job?  On a regular basis, or just a one-time event?

My one time event was about a month ago.  At five 'til places, a small black kitten, from Goddess only knows where, suddenly decided that it wanted to hang out on stage.  This house didn't have a main rag, so the audience laughed themselves silly as I, the house manager, my ASM and both the crew bumbled around like the 5 Stooges, and chased the silly thing all over, under platforms, across stage, through cable tangles, etc.  We finally got a hold of it and kicked it out around places.  One of my actors asked me whht to do it it came back.  All I could do was stare at him a moment until I could finally say, "You're an actor, play off your new scene partner!"

The two repeating events both involved ceilings.  For one show, I had to put a shoe back in a box on the ceiling, every night, and for another, I had to scrub copious amounts of blood off the ceiling, every night.  Just one of those things you do, but occasionally think about and go, "What am I doing!?  This is my job?"

So, what's everyone else got?

51

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / PEOPLE: I am out of solutions (actor with anxiety)

« on: Nov 03, 2008, 12:01 pm »

Okay, guys, I've got a...unique problem that I'm at my wits end over.
I have an actor, well, acutally the understudy, in my current show who has an anxiety disorder and has either thrown up or visibly almost thrown up and had to stop singing every performance he's been in.  One night, he actually threw up on stage during the opening number.  
He's on medication for his anxiety, and his dosage has been adjusted, but this hasn't helped.  
I've fed him Tumms, I've fed him mint, I've fed him Pepto.  I've tried pumping him up, I've tried threatening, we've tried prayer, and we've tried new age calming techniques.  We've run a number or two before opening house, and we've let him wander out in street clothes before the performance and "get to know" the audience.  Nothing seems to work, and I'm getting really weary of worrying when it's going to happen every night.
We keep the mop and some rags ready backstage and I keep in continual contact with my crew and let them know what's going on on stage.  We're as prepared as we can be, but we never know when it's going to happen and disrupt the show.  My other actors are anxious all the time, wondering when it's going to happen and how they're going to cover.
He's scheduled to be in about eight more performances, and there's no way to get the original actor back in, as he's rehearsing for another show during these performances.
Anyone got any suggestions I haven't tried, yet?

52

SMNetwork Archives / I could have kissed them!

« on: Sep 04, 2008, 12:57 pm »

Along the lines of the "I was THISCLOSE to killing an actor" thread, but completely opposite, I wanted to start a thread where you could sing the praises of those who have made your lives a little easier.  Not as entertaining perhaps, as the other, but more heartwarming.
My recent examples:

I could have kissed my actor when, immediately after I announced a reminder not to leave your trash around the theatre, he stayed a few minutes after, of his own volition, to clean up the garbage his cast-mates had, again, left behind.

I could have kissed my TD when he took a minute out of his own hectic life in tech week to specifically ask me if there was anything I needed to make my life easier.

I could have kissed my lead, an actor who has some MAJOR work from all over the country on his resume, when he told me I was the best stage manager he ever worked with and thanked me for doing my job, even though I had just scolded the entire cast.


So, what has everyone else got?  I'm heading into tech week, and need a little hope!

53

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / MUSICALS: Get it out of my head!

« on: Aug 15, 2008, 09:21 pm »

I could use a bit of help from experienced musical SMs.  I have only done straight plays in the last ten years, but I just finished the first week of rehearsals for "Altar Boyz."  As far as doing my job goes, it's like I never left muscials; I've got it all under control.  My cast, director, music director and choreographer are all GREAT to work with.  And, I'm actually really digging the show, which is a pleasant surprise to me, as a Catholic Boy Band is not exactly what usually floats my boat.
I only have one problem, which I had forgottten about from my previous experience.  THE SHOW MUSIC WON'T GET OUT OF MY HEAD!  Any single second in time that I'm not listening to something else, the music just loops in my brain.  It's keeping me up at night!  In the car, I can listen to audio books, and when I'm home, I listen to the radio or have the TV on in the background, but when bed time comes around, I can't do anything: my husband needs quiet to sleep.  I've tried sleeping with my iPod on, and it worked but I nearly strangled myself on the headphone cord.
Has anyone got any suggestions on how to exorcise the soundtrack from my poor brain until I need it?  I'll try (nearly) anything at this point; I NEED to get some sleep.

54

Employment / Should I quit my day job?

« on: Jul 20, 2008, 11:53 am »

Hey, guys.  It's heavy duty, life changing, advice time.  I have a pretty spiffin' day job working at the local arts center, in the box office.  I've had this job for about 3 years.  So far, the hours (and my manager) have been wonderfully flexible enough to let me do, pretty much, as much work as I would like as a stage manager.  I could usually squeeze in about twenty hours a week at the day job, in addition to rehearsals and performances, and I could take a few months off SMing if I got too exhausted, but still make (barely) sufficient pay to get my bills paid.

I just got the rehearsal schedule for the new show, and for some reason, this theatre, which I've worked for several times before, has REALLY ramped up its rehearsal hours.  It also moved them from morning or evening, which I could work around, smack into the middle of the day.  Pretty much the only day I'm going to be able to work my day job, at least until we get into performances, is Monday, EDO.  I'm not sure my day job is willing to be that flexible.  We'll see, I'm going to call my manager first thing tomorrow morning, but I want to have a idea of what I should do BEFORE I talk to her.

The advice I need is, should I bother to try and work just one day a week, or talk them into a six week “leave of absence?”  Or, should I take this as a cosmic kick in the pants, take the Equity card they're going to offer me, and dive head-first into free-lancing completely?  I realize that you can't know my entire situation or tell me what to do with my life, but I'm looking for a “what would you do in this situation?” discussion to help me find thoughts I might not even have on my own.  A few bullet points about my situation:

*I'm 27 years old.  I've been working in professional theatres as a carpenter, stitcher and electrician since I was 16, stage managing for school and community shows since I was 15, and stage managing professionally since I was 20.

*I am married with no kids, but a very clingy husband, who isn't delighted about me possibly working out of town for long stints, but promises to support me in my career as much as he can.  His income alone cannot pay both our bills.

*I was planning on taking this step, eventually.  I'm sort of excited about the possibility, but not thrilled about having it forced on me.

*I have an hour long commute, both to the theatre, and to my day job.  Luckily, they're only about fifteen minutes apart.  Moving is not an option.

*I have about $4500 in credit card debt from repairs to my old car, and emergency home repairs.  I was going to wait to go completely free-lance until I paid it off, so I could make do on very low pay, if necessary.  Right now, I need to make  just under $400 a week to stay afloat on all my bills.  If that were paid off, it would be much closer to $300.

*I LIKE my day job and the people I work with there.

This all may be moot, as my manager might say, “We can't be that flexible.”  Then I've just got to hold my breath and jump!  I will quit the day job, if that's the only option; my career comes before my job.  I'm wondering if I shouldn't just quit, anyway.

So, what would you do, and why?  Help me examine this thing from all angles.

55

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / ASMS: Thoughts on ASMing

« on: Nov 21, 2007, 02:27 pm »

To get a little extra money for the holidays, I've taken an ASM job at a (wonderfully snarky) Christmas show.  I haven't ASMed in over 9 years.

I'm actually really enjoying it.  Tech was a wonder, since I wasn't panicking over light, sound, SFX cues.  I was just keeping track of my props and costume changes, and keeping the actor's reasonably comfortable.  I certainly had plenty to do, but it wasn't nearly the usual barely controlled panic.

I can go DO things during rehearsal.  If the director needs a drink tray for a prop on the bar, I can get up and go to props and PULL ONE!  If a new costume piece is needed, I can go find one!  Things get done!

I enjoy the challenge and stress of a usual SM job, but I just wanted to tell everyone how very much I'm enjoying my 'holiday job,' and for a short, seasonal gig, the cut in pay was more than worth the cut in stress!

56

Tools of the Trade / Squeaky shoes on stage? New trick!

« on: Feb 06, 2007, 12:06 pm »

When my cast can't use the stage for rehearsal, our theatre's rehearsal space is an abysmal little basement room with old fashioned school-tile type floors.  You know, the ones that EVERYONE'S shoes squeak on?  And one of our actresses was wearing new boots.  It got very distracting in rehearsal.
Solution?
Grab some spray-starch from the costume department, spray on bottom of shoes, allow to dry, viola!  Much fewer squeaks! Not slippery!  And leaves no residue on the floor!  If it works on those tiles, it's got to work on a stage surface. 
Thought I'd share!