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Messages - JECSM

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Anyone have a digital copy of August Wilson's Fences? Please PM me!

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I think a Directing class would be really helpful as well. Improve communication with directors as well as give stage managers the tools to maintain their shows and direct understudies in the long term.

I also think some sort of performance class would be helpful for perspective and working with actors. Maybe not just Acting, but even some sort of Voice & Speech or Movement class. As a Stage Management student, I would be concerned about being graded on my acting ability, but having taken such classes with actors before college I do value the experience and even the skills I learned personally. And though we are not out on stage, stage manager's voices are an essential tool of the job, and being able to care for it is extremely valuable.

I second the suggestions of Music Theory, Communications/Psychology, and some sort of seminar/gathering. I have to agree with BARussell that drawing classes are really not as useful for stage managers--basic drafting is great to be able to understand and manipulate groundplans and plots, but otherwise it seems to take away from more applicable pursuits.

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I fell into it in high school, loved it, and am now in my first year of a BFA Stage Management program. Totally open for questions.

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Looking for an editable escript of A View from the Bridge by Arthur Miller. Anyone? PM me please!

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Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: College Questions
« on: Jul 22, 2010, 11:48 pm »
Hi Ryan,

I will actually be going to DePaul as a 1st year SM this fall, but I was accepted to UNCSA and several other similar programs as well! When I did my admissions interviews I came up with this list of questions for the faculty interviewers, but current students could probably answer them as well. Making a list of these also helped me realize what was most important to me about the schools, and when it came time to decide between them, I had concrete info to evaluate the pros and cons of each for me.

 How many students are typically accepted into the program each year/is there a limit?
 How many students are in the program total/graduate?
 Is there a graduate program? How does it effect/interact with the undergraduate program?
 What is the progression of courses/responsibilities? Is this fixed?
 How many shows a year/opportunities?
 How many faculty are in program/school?
 How close to the theatre buildings do students typically live/what are dorms like?
 Are there outside opportunities for work?
 What are typical internships/connections for students?
 What are the study-abroad options for the major/are there established programs?
 Are there summer programs/productions at the school?
 Is AP credit available/what are non-major requirements?
 Where are alumni now?
 What makes your school special/different/better?

For me, these questions pointed to DePaul. But make sure you're asking the questions that are important to you--there are a lot of great programs, but it won't be worth anything if it's not right for you.

Hope this helps!

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Stage Management: Other / Re: The Magic Flute: Recordings?
« on: May 07, 2010, 12:19 pm »
Thanks so much for the recommendations--I went with the Black Dog recording and it's everything I was looking for! I knew this would be a great place to go for this.  :)

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Stage Management: Other / The Magic Flute: Recordings?
« on: Apr 02, 2010, 06:30 pm »
Hey everyone! I'll be SMing The Magic Flute this summer and wanted to start familiarizing myself with the music--and am now totally freaked by the number of different recordings/opinions on them. Looking for a recording that has all the music and includes English translations in the liner notes. It'd also be cool if it doesn't cost $60. Can anyone point me in the right direction?

Thanks!

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The Green Room / Re: Best reason from an actor for being late
« on: Sep 28, 2009, 08:23 pm »
These are direct quotes of texts I've gotten from three different actors on my show this week:

1. "Finding shoes" He had actually come to rehearsal barefoot the day before.

2. "I will be 3 mins 12 seconds late" He was 10 minutes late.

3. The best one, sent 40 minutes before rehearsal: "Might be 15 or 20 late. My pants arent dry...and i cant rehearse pantless"

I love theatre. :D

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SMNetwork Archives / Re: 1880s Prompt Books Online
« on: Mar 28, 2009, 04:13 pm »
That is amazing! It always makes me happy when I see that another SM does something the same way I do, but it's even cooler coming from the 1800s!

Thanks so much for sharing these!

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Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: Shadowing: General Q&A
« on: Dec 27, 2008, 12:59 am »
Hi all, I have a question about something that hasn't come up in this discussion.
I'm a high school student looking to major in stage management. This is my junior year, and I'm starting to narrow down some colleges, and attend performances at the ones nearest me.
Is it possible or even a good idea to request to shadow an SM in a performance at one of the colleges near to me? The idea would be to learn some things from them, but also get a sense of that school's SM program and structure in action. Has anyone done this before, and what would be the best way to contact and set this up if I should?

Thanks!

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Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Help for On the Town!
« on: Dec 02, 2008, 07:27 pm »
Wow, thank you so much! I knew someone in this community would have what the world wide interwebs doesn't seem to!

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Trying to pitch "On the Town" to our director for our spring musical, but I don't have access to the script for full cast list.

If anyone has done the show before, and has a cast list of characters and parts, and size of ensemble you used, so I could give her an idea, I would be immensely grateful.

Thanks all!

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Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: A Sticky Situation
« on: Dec 01, 2008, 02:21 pm »
Wow, yeah, I've just had a similar situation in high school theatre...

Two students (seniors) who had only acted were directors of two one acts, and basically thrown in with no guidance. Lots of problems because of lack of experience and maturity.
One director would often casually start his rehearsals late, after playing soccer with his cast into rehearsal time, and watch only part of the rehearsal before wandering elsewhere to do "tech" work. The constant tardiness of the lead actor was often used as an excuse for rehearsal not to start, as he said he couldn't do anything without him. When trying to reinforce rehearsal times with him, or told by the other director to call the cast in, I would be met with the ultimatum "I'm the director." I tried to keep up the morale of the actors, do everything I could in my job to help maintain normalcy, and tried to pick up the slack wherever possible. At one point in frustration, I told him as a friend, "I'm not the director, but you need to be." A few weeks in, the other director began doing most of the directing for his play, because her play was already solid. This director took over again a week from performance, and replaced me with one of my stage crew as his SM in tech week, because of "power issues". My replacement was a great crew member, but as she admitted to me, completely unexperienced as an SM, so I spent the rest of the run guiding her through it. This was difficult, though, as the director did not want me even in the backstage area during his performance. Luckily I already had everything on-and backstage set up for the cast already, and the shows went off surprisingly well, considering everything.
 Several of the actors from this show, who I've worked with before, thanked me for what I did do and putting up with some of the petty behavior. One of them told me, "You're still my stage manager!" That felt good after everything.

What I've chosen to take from it, what I think we have to take from it, is that in these situations, all you can do is do your job well, and try to do everything possible to help others do the same. If you do that, I think the cast knows it and will respect you more for it.

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riotous