Messages

31

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: LAUNDRY!?!!?

« on: Jan 06, 2007, 02:30 am »

The previous posters are right - you shouldn't do the laundry.  Drop this issue into the producer's lap - maybe one of the crew people would like an extra few dollars a week to take the laundry out.  If you do end up having to do it you should get paid extra for your trouble.  Stage managers tend to be problem solvers and often we take on job responsibilities that aren't ours but you need to stand up for your rights on this one.  I haven't done a showcase in years but I never did the laundry back when I did them.  And yes, I do remember that there often aren't a lot of resources when you're doing a showcase.

32

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Who runs your production meetings?

« on: Jan 06, 2007, 02:22 am »

In most regional theatres that I have worked in it is the PM who runs the production meetings.  There have been some occasions in regional theatre where I did run the meeting, but those were the exceptions to the rule (like the PM was delayed in traffic or I was bringing an existing show into a new theatre.  One time when I did Broadway as the PSM it turned out that everyone expected me to run the meeting.  Needless to say I wasn't as prepared as I would have been if someone had clued me in before the meeting.  I have also worked as the PM at a regional theatre for a few years so I have enough experience doing it if need be.

Not that you don't know this but if you do have to run the meetings the easy format is just to ask the director what topics or issues that she/he would like to discuss and then go department by department.  Try to keep the conversation to interdepartmental concerns - the set designer and the prop person can have their own meeting unless what they are going to discuss has some impact on another department (like the color of the sofa has changed radically because that's all they could find/afford).  Keep a list of your topics for discussion at the end of the interdepartmental time.  The load-in schedule (like who gets primary use of the stage at what time - when is the focus - does the sound designer get any quiet time - when is there enough time to paint the floor so it will be dry when the carpenters come in - etc.) is the one area that you should hope that the TD steps up to the plate.

Good luck, it isn't so bad to run these meetings but you do need to prep for them.

33

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Hi from the deep South....

« on: Jan 04, 2007, 03:11 am »

Hi there, I'm an Equity stage manager that works in a theatre with an active apprentice/intern program.  I don't think that your age will be a hindrance in getting an internship.  When the SM staff looks through the applications for the program we often are looking for maturity in the candidates.  As long as you realize that almost all internships involve hard work (mostly in the lower skill kind of work like making the coffee or doing a lot of xeroxing) you'll be fine.  I am guessing that you understand this from your post. 

I would try to find a copy of ArtSearch (which is published by the Theatre Communications Group or TCG) because it has a section on internships/apprenticeships.  You could then look to see if there is a theatre near you or in a part of the country that you'd like to be in.  Choose a few programs that interest you and check out each theatre's web site - many give a pretty clear indication of the requirements and if there are any perks (like housing) or if they pay.  There is a surprising range of benefits offered with some programs offering basically nothing and others offering all kinds of things.

I think you should go for it - there's a lot that you can learn from doing an internship about how other stage managers work -all that it requires is concentration and a good attitude.  Good luck in your search.

34

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: I need everyones opinon...

« on: Dec 28, 2006, 03:33 am »

Your instinct seems to be to call the show from backstage - so I would encourage you to follow it.  It's often best to trust your gut feelings rather than overthink the issue and then regret it later.  It sounds like you have the main ingredients for success in calling the show from backstage - a good view, a view over a CCTV system and just enough space.  The other issues to consider are how much activity needs to take place in the wing that you are planning on using - are there a lot of props that have to shift on/off from that side; are there a lot of quick costume changes there; what kind of headset system is in place and so on.  I think that the greatest advantage of calling from the wings is that you can really feel the running of the show in a way that you can't from an enclosed booth at the back of the house and where you listen to the show on a speaker.  It is easier to call the cues precisely from a rear house position but I think that you'll find that you can learn a way to call any cue properly from backstage too.  As others have said almost all  the giant Broadway musicals are called from backstage (and it probably is every one of them but as soon as I might say that someone will point out the exception).  Good luck!

35

Tools of the Trade / Re: Headset Headaches?

« on: Dec 19, 2006, 01:11 am »

I don't get headaches but my ears get pretty uncomfortable (feeling pressured or squashed) when I have to wear them for a long time like at tech or when I call two shows in a day.  I always wear the headset on my left ear so I get less tangled up with the cable - I'm right handed and use that hand a lot to write notes, run the cuelights, etc.  As philimbesi suggests, I try to shift the headset around on my ear to spread out the pressure.  I should note that I use a double muff headset with one muff pivoted up - I can pivot the unused muff either toward the front or back of my head which changes the pressure pattern on my ear significantly.  Other thoughts to help you might be to try turning the volume in your earpiece down a bit or try a different kind of headset.  A lot of SMs I know love to wear lightweight models (they often do let in some ambient noise but it is usually manageable unless you're in a really high volume environment).