Messages

16

College and Graduate Studies / Re: SUNY Purchase vs. Emerson: Outside Perspectives?

« on: Apr 03, 2010, 12:38 am »

I don't have any direct experience with either Emerson or SUNY Purchase, but I am from New York (right outside the city) and went to school right outside of Boston (Brandeis).  I originally really wanted to be at a university that was either in NYC or was very close, but I chose Brandeis for a couple of other reasons.  A great side effect was that it got me out of New York.  Having grown up here, I think that it's a really valuable experience to see something else and experience that kind of change.  So, if you're from downstate New York, I say take that into consideration as well.

17

The Green Room / Re: Thread to vent about / Actors behaving badly / As haiku only

« on: Feb 16, 2010, 10:41 pm »

Always early but
never bring your own lunch.  why?
I'm not a waitress.

18

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Making coffee (and other novice assignments)

« on: Jun 28, 2009, 12:44 am »

This is nowhere near as silly as some of these things, but I can say that I spent a lot of time last summer making coffee, sweeping, mopping, doing line notes, and folding origami rabbits.  (The show was about origami and we basically killed a rabbit a night, usually by accidentally spilling tea on it during a cleanup sequence.)

19

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Student SM Challenge #5: Critical Paperwork

« on: Feb 05, 2009, 10:43 pm »

Hypothetical question - how do you make a contact sheet before acquiring the actors' contact information?

My answer is the same as NomieRae.  Through facebook and my school's directory, I can usually put together a pretty decent first draft.  Plus, through the directory, I could probably find (almost) everybody's e-mail addresses which would enable me to e-mail for any other information that I needed.

20

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Student SM Challenge #5: Critical Paperwork

« on: Feb 05, 2009, 12:43 pm »

Contact sheet, calendar, emergency information form, contact card.

And I would also probably put together my e-mail lists, one for the production team and one for the cast.

I would also want my script copied and hole punched, and would definitely have that going first.  (Especially if I could just leave the contact sheet, calender, etc. on the copy machine and have an asm get it during the morning or run to grab it on the first break.)

21

Employment / Re: Facebook through an Employer's eyes?

« on: Feb 03, 2009, 01:37 pm »

Instructions are somewhere in the "help" section of the site.  I haven't had to use it since the change over, so I can't be too helpful on specifics.

22

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Working with a Russian Director

« on: Feb 02, 2009, 06:32 pm »

In terms of blocking, do you notice actors doing similar things every time you do a scene?  Even if the blocking is not officially set, if the actor has a basic routine, you will at least have something to write down and work off of. 

Also, is there someone you can go to about being expected to skip classes.  In an academic situation, even if the department head is the playwright, there has to be someone looking out for the students.  If not the department head, how about the dean?

Good luck.

23

Employment / Re: Facebook through an Employer's eyes?

« on: Feb 02, 2009, 06:26 pm »

The article also failed to mention one of my favorite Facebook features, the limited profile.  I like the option of not having to worry about the awkwardness of not friending someone who I "should" friend, but I also don't have to worry about them seeing anything of any real substance.

24

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

« on: Dec 01, 2008, 10:23 am »

None of my moments have been quite that crazy, but it's fun to watch peoples' faces when they ask you what you've been up to at work and you tell them that you sweep, mop, make coffee, and fold origami rabbits. 

25

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Hell Week...?

« on: Oct 25, 2008, 11:57 am »

I finished teching a show last week with the theatre department at my college and found it interesting that many of the actors who had never been in a department show before went in calling it hell week, but mostly used tech after we got going and they realized that it was no different from regular rehearsals in amount of time spent and how strenuous rehearsals were.  On the other hand, the student run shows do tend to have "hell week."  I think that the term comes into play when the actors are doing things other than their job of performing.  When the actors are not being forced to rehearse longer hours than they are used to, but also building and painting, while trying to get all of their school work done, that's when it becomes hell.

26

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: "Blood" cleaning techniques

« on: May 27, 2008, 11:37 pm »

I don't know the actual formula that the show I did used, but I'm pretty sure that the ingredients were red food coloring, corn syrup, and laundry detergent.  The detergent in the blood itself helped it not set in to the clothing and made it easier to get out by just sticking the dress in question in a bucket off soapy water and then with some extra scrubbing.  The clothing could probably be put in a washing machine and dryer (the dress I dealt with was hand wash only).

27

SMNetwork Archives / Re: Does anyone know the SM of the Scottish play on B'way?

« on: Apr 17, 2008, 12:04 am »

IBDB is usually pretty accurate, especially for the first few months of a shows' run.  That's how I've gotten names of SMs and it has always worked very well for me in the past.

28

Employment / What to wear to an interview.

« on: Mar 10, 2008, 05:07 pm »

Hi guys.  I have applied to a number of internships for the summer and one of them has asked me to come in for an interview.  The company is a fairly large off-Broadway company and I don't want to be over or under dressed.  Any suggestions?

29

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Cabaret Prairie Oysters - thoughts and ideas?

« on: Jan 20, 2008, 06:28 pm »

I just stage managed Cabaret, and we didn't use any liquid, but before we came to that decision, we tried a couple of things (and brainstormed a few more that you could possibly try).  We just blew out the eggs and Sally cracked them and mimed pouring the Worcestershire Sauce every night

First of all, blow out the eggs.

Once they are blown out, you wash them out with water (just put running water over one of the holes).  You can use opaque cups and then break the eggs and only have liquid in the Worcestershire Sauce bottle. 

You can also try to find a way to plug up the bottom hole in the egg, fill it with some sort of egg colored liquid (orange juice isn't bad, plus it tastes good) and then plug the top hole.  Then you can put whatever you want in the Worcestershire Sauce bottle and pour that.

The best idea is to use opaque cups because then its easier to fudge whether or not you use liquid.

30

College and Graduate Studies / Re: Colleges with well-rounded theatre programs (Was: school.)

« on: Nov 05, 2007, 10:58 am »

I'm at Brandeis University right now and our program has one (two semester) stage management class that is basically an overview.  The rest of the major includes two technical classes (you can pick from 5 or 6 including lights, sound, directing, scenic painting, scenic construction, and maybe one or two others), at least one acting class, and a couple of theatre history/dramatic literature classes.  We also have practicums through the department and a huge student run theatre community.  I'm really happy here and I love that I can (and have to) take some non theatre classes.  PM me if you have any questions.