Messages

16

The Green Room / Re: Introducing the Unicorn Rainbow Sparkly Theatre Company!

« on: Dec 06, 2012, 04:05 pm »

If the URSTC has two-show days, there will be enough time between the shows for the SMs and crew to reset and have a full hour dinner break. The DSM will not reset on stage and then walk through to the green room, rummage in the fridge for their sandwiches, and then stand up and shout to those in the room, 'This is your fifteen-minute call'.

The URSTC will not perform panto. Ever.

17

The Green Room / 'Young Apprentice' UK, Propping

« on: Nov 20, 2012, 12:39 pm »

I'm not sure if readers based outside of the UK will be able to watch this online, but the latest issue of the UK TV show 'Young Apprentice' had the contestants set a task to obtain props, ostensibly for the English National Opera. It's pretty unrealistic, as their budget seems to be huuuuuuuge, and they are chauffeured around London rather than shlepping around on the tube, and they don't have access to the internet, only the Yellow Pages and mobile phones, but it's worth a giggle.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b01nyrzt/Young_Apprentice_Series_3_Theatre_Props/

Disclaimer : I didn't watch the whole programme as the contestants seem to spend more time arguing and blaming each other for failure than they do actually sourcing props. Maybe they need to spend a bit of time in theatre learning what teamwork is !

Lizzie

18

The Green Room / Re: Inside the SM Office

« on: Nov 13, 2012, 11:55 am »

1. What is your favorite word?
Ergo. I use it far too much

2. What is your least favorite word?
Gusset

3. What turns you on?
Experience and competence

4. What turns you off?
Whining

5. What sound do you love?
The overture

6. What sound do you hate?
A ticking clock when I'm trying to sleep

7. What is your favorite curse word?
P*ssflaps. I don't use it often, but save it for particularly hideous moments like when I've hit my thumb with a hammer

8. What profession other than yours would you like to attempt?
Costuming historical drama/film

9. What profession would you not like to do?
Sales

10. If heaven exists, what would you like to hear God say when you arrive at the pearly gates?
Don't worry, we have chocolate here too.

19

The Green Room / Re: SM: WORST THINGS

« on: Jun 27, 2012, 11:05 am »

The kicker, though, was him wondering why it sounded like the Northern end of a Southbound donkey. 
[/quote]

  Thank you very much for this phrase, KMC. It's one of those I'd like to store up and use on appropriate occasions.

20

The Green Room / Re: Introducing the Unicorn Rainbow Sparkly Theatre Company!

« on: Jun 05, 2012, 11:09 am »

In productions with a large cast, when the director is discussing a scene closely with one or two actors, everyone else in the room will sit quietly and wait, and not wander off/start looking at their phone/start chatting about anything but the show.

21

The Green Room / Re: Introducing the Unicorn Rainbow Sparkly Theatre Company!

« on: May 22, 2012, 05:52 pm »

Essential stationery supplies for the rehearsal and show process (blu-tac for sticking up actor research on the rehearsal room walls, post-its for the book, highlighters for the book, paper and card for paper props) will be paid for out of the company/show budget, and not the SM team's pocket.

Ditto painkillers for actors ('have you got anything in your kit ?'), first aid supplies, tampax, hairbands ...

22

Tools of the Trade / Re: Prop: Throwable Real Eggs

« on: May 20, 2012, 05:41 am »

I did a show recently where a character dropped a fresh egg, and we had the same dilemma. The director and I did an 'egg call' with the actor where we tried fresh, soft-boiled and hard-boiled, and decided that soft-boiled was the way to go, as the result was still a little bit 'splatty' but didn't leak everywhere.

You might want to try getting a very cheap box of eggs and boiling them for multiples of time, eg 4 mins, 6 mins and so on, to find the degree of 'cookedness' that would work for your show ?

Lizzie

23

The Green Room / Re: Production Haikus

« on: May 15, 2012, 06:40 pm »

You asked me to help
Out by hemming some gauzes
There is no-one else..

I'm happy to help
But you left out half the task
Now I look a fool

The designer is
Asking why it isn't done
You're not here in tech

Yes, I'm a bit cross
You dropped me in the poop, and
My props aren't ready

So next time you want
Help from me, you can take a
Running jump, so there.

24

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: PROPS : Biscuits

« on: Apr 23, 2012, 09:50 am »

Many thanks for the replies and suggestions.

As there are only 4 performances, I think we'll be going with bought scones from the local supermarket 'budget' range, which probably works out cheaper than baking them.

I would be interested to see a recipe, though, EFMcMullen, to see how it differs from a UK scone recipe.

Lizzie

25

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / PROPS : Biscuits

« on: Apr 19, 2012, 10:03 am »

I'm ASMing on a production of 'Vieux Carré' by Tennessee Williams, in the UK, and came across a slightly odd props query. The script refers to a character bringing in a coffee tray and talking about 'hot coffee and cold biscuits'. Now I know that in the US, biscuits are more like what we in the UK would refer to as scones, and what we call biscuits, you would call cookies. (There's a useful pic at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biscuit ).

Having done some research, I can't figure out if the same terminology was used when the play was set (1938/39). Does anyone here know, or have you worked on the play ?

Many thanks
Lizzie

26

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: PROPS: Break a wine glass with voice effect

« on: Feb 08, 2012, 12:50 pm »

At Opera Holland Park in London last summer, props maestro Carter Eastis set up a mechanism whereby a sugar-glass beer tankard was shattered in a performer's hand, as if it had been shot by another performer. He modified an old-fashioned mousetrap which could be held in the hand to break the glass - I don't know if this would work for your situation ?

His website with a picture is at http://cartereastis.carbonmade.com/projects/3960898#2 - maybe give him a call and see what he can devise you for ?

Lizzie

27

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

« on: Feb 01, 2012, 03:35 pm »

The venue is cold.
Building is Victorian
We're doing our best

To keep you all warm.
Please work with me a little.
Maybe you could bring

A coat or robe or
Wrap. Instead of demanding
Blankets in the wings.

28

The Green Room / Pavlovian Response ?

« on: Dec 03, 2011, 12:57 pm »

Amazing how stressful bits of shows get ingrained in your subsconscious - my choice of music listening at home is generally classical, and I often tune into Classic FM (UK commercial radio-station playing the lighter end of the classical repertoire). Today whilst doing some chores I found myself feeling distinctly edgy, as if there was something vitally important I should be doing right then and there.

Only after a few moments of wondering if I'd missed an appointment or someone's birthday did I realise that playing on the radio was a waltz which had been used in play I worked on a couple of years ago, and during the track we had about 1m30s to get 5 actors round from the USR exit, across the foyer to the auditorium L entrance, and quick-change them into balldresses with hoop skirts, gloves and jewellery.

Quite a relief when I realised it was just a reaction to the music !

Lizzie

29

The Green Room / Re: The Great SM Gift List

« on: Nov 16, 2011, 03:42 pm »

For an SM-related gift, I'd like the SMAs Paper Props CDs http://www.stagemanagementassociation.co.uk/index.php?menu=376&carry=:7&
I love making paper props, but sometimes when you've spent 3 hours tidying up a 1950s Marmite label on photoshop, it all feels like a bit much ...

I think a lot of my gifts to others this year are going to involve home-made sweets and cakes - I love to cook, and am not working panto this year, so will have a bit of time on my hands in December.

30

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

« on: Nov 09, 2011, 05:28 am »

No script, no props list
"Devised work is organic"
That's all fine with me

When you want some props
Don't be shocked that I can't get
It all on Tech day