Messages

16

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: SM Team Hierarchy

« on: Jun 02, 2014, 11:44 pm »

I have questioned it myself, and have just been told "that's the way it is." So... yeah.
Contract's up in 27 days. Not that I'm counting.

17

Introductions / Re: I already love this place.

« on: May 29, 2014, 01:50 pm »

Welcome to the Forums & enjoy! Let us know how we can be of assistance!

18

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: SM Team Hierarchy

« on: May 28, 2014, 09:43 pm »

There's also my role - the SM Fellow... I serve as the only ASM, but cannot - according to AEA - be called an ASM in an Equity House.
So, the breakdown at my theatre is:

PSM
SM Fellow (ASM)
Deck Crew

It also gets messy when other departments are involved - i.e. when a Wardrobe Manager becomes part of a scene change, or when Board Operators and technicians become part of Intermission Shifts - who do they answer to? At our theatre, they answer to me but ONLY for the time that they are on the stage...

19

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: PROPS: Non-Dairy Stage Dip?

« on: May 28, 2014, 09:35 pm »

RESOLVED!
For our three dips, we are using: Vegenaise (which I may start using as a mayo replacement), vanilla Soygurt (with added pineapple), and watered-down Tofutti Sour Cream for the one that gets on clothes.

Thanks for all of your suggestions!

20

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: REPORTS: Including Human Error

« on: May 28, 2014, 09:31 pm »

Always always always...

On shows when I am not running a board, just calling, I note operator errors (i.e. SQ F fired with SQ E due to double-tap) so I also hold myself accountable (i.e. LQ 23 was called late - SM error). Occasionally I'll give a reason why it was late (I was watching the show, was having a sneezing fit), but more often than not, I don't.  I make sure to put my own errors in because my reports typically go to everybody running the show as well as the "higher-ups." I need to hold myself to the same standard I hold everyone else to.

When I'm an operator, though, it becomes doubly important to hold yourself accountable - you don't want to get lazy. But occasionally things happen. And yes, it should still be in the report - even if it was only by seconds. Seconds can make huge differences in some shows!

21

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: POLICIES: Actors TOO Early for Call?

« on: May 28, 2014, 09:20 pm »

My answer is to teach them how to make coffee - it's a good life skill anyway. ;-)

^^ I make sure everything is labelled in the Green Room so actors know how to get to things, and directions are posted on the Green Room bulletin board and the fridge on how to make the coffee, just in case. After tech week, I stop making coffee, because I hate making a pot and having it go to waste - especially when it seems most people pick up coffee on their way in, anyhow...

22

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: PROPS: Non-Dairy Stage Dip?

« on: May 13, 2014, 03:15 pm »

Oh thanks! Our mimosas won't be a problem - using real orange juice and ginger ale for these. We're making our wine with water and food coloring... trying to find records that match Henry's taste is harder, but our props master is pretty good at creating fake covers. We're taking a different approach than many productions, in that (outside of the 1st scene) everything else is happening in a "rehearsal room," so furniture is a little less specific than many productions. It's still a props nightmare, though. Who knew it would be so hard to track down a cheap, well-used cricket bat?

23

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: PROPS: Non-Dairy Stage Dip?

« on: May 12, 2014, 04:10 pm »

I would suggest a non-dip for the dumping, but it's in the lines...
I'm giving our props person a list of some non-dairy sour creams and mayos to check out.

Thanks everybody! I'll let you know what we come up with.

24

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: PROPS: Non-Dairy Stage Dip?

« on: May 11, 2014, 10:36 pm »

Oh - duh. Sometimes my mind jumps to things that are too-technical before thinking of the obvious! I'll propose this to them and see what they say.

25

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / PROPS: Non-Dairy Stage Dip?

« on: May 11, 2014, 09:42 pm »

This may be an IMPOSSIBLE feat, but our director wants us to try to make non-dairy dips for our production of "The Real Thing." There are three dips total - one "is" mayonnaise-based, one "is" yogurt-based, and the other is unspecified. AND they (at least the first two) have to be edible.

Edited to Add: The third dip gets dumped on an actor's head and should not damage his costume.

Is there any way to accomplish this and make them look good from a house that is just about on top of the stage?

Thanks in advance!

26

Introductions / Re: New here!

« on: May 08, 2014, 10:21 pm »

Welcome Swartz! Wishing you many broken legs. This community was a HUGE help for me when I first started Stage Managing. And several years later, I'm still here. You never stop learning!

The Forms section was incredibly helpful as I did my first musical and had NO clue what kind of paperwork would be needed.

Hope to hear from you as you progress. Don't be afraid to use any of us as resources. And WELCOME again!

27

Self-Promotion / Re: New Musical

« on: May 07, 2014, 07:18 pm »

Have fun with Joanna! She's currently in the room beside me auditioning for "Rapture, Blister, Burn" at The Wilma (coming Fall '14)!
And Stew!! That's awesome, Matthew!

28

Employment / Re: Putting ASM on Resume at Equity Theatre

« on: May 06, 2014, 06:08 pm »

But then I have a similar question...

I am currently the Stage Management Fellow at a LORT D theatre, but in the playbill, I am credited as ASM (which IS my function)... Is that going to bring me trouble at some point?

29

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Working on a "Work-In-Progress" Show

« on: May 06, 2014, 03:03 pm »

Having just worked on two work-in-progress world premieres (including one where line changes were still being written less than two hours before the official opening performance), I would say just be prepared for anything.
Some of my team's experiences in the past two shows:
- We had three or four preview performances with a certain sequence of scenes that got cut, so we had to re-tech everything.
- No Intermission at first preview (as we had teched it), Added an Intermission at second preview (had to retech everything), and then took the Intermission back out at third preview (had to retech everything AGAIN).
- Constantly changing (adding/deleting/revising) props, as we had no prior props lists to even base a first rehearsal prop pull from.
- Actor meltdowns about suddenly having significantly less (or more!) lines.
- Playwrights in tech... can become a battle between the director and the playwright about what the production should look like.

It's not all bad, though. I enjoyed working more closely with a dramaturgy team than I ever have before. We also had more support from our workplace for doing the premieres than we have on the other shows this season.

Break legs!

30

The Hardline / Re: AEA ASM & EMC

« on: Apr 18, 2014, 02:59 pm »

I assume you are working at a LORT level C or D (or LOA), where an AEA ASM is not required, and you are being their non-AEA ASM, right? My understanding is, if they are not required to have an AEA ASM your weeks should count.

This is what I thought when I accepted my position at a LORT D theatre, but the Philadelphia reps seem to think differently and that I am not eligible. My SM and Business Manager have tried fighting for me to earn EMC credit, but they have not been able to.