Topics

16

Tools of the Trade / Doodle

« on: Jan 28, 2010, 04:43 pm »

Has anyone ever used Doodle?  The producer at my theatre sent me a request to respond to a poll so that they could schedule a conference call, and I had never seen it before.  It allows you to create a poll with either times/dates or events/locations, your recipients respond, and then you close the poll and it sends out a notification with the "winning" response.  I can see its usefulness in terms of scheduling meetings.  It appears to be able to integrate with several other applications (Outlook, iCal, Google/Yahoo calendars) and has iPhone and other mobile apps.  If you have used it, have you found it useful?  Have you used it in other ways than to simply schedule meetings? 

17

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / COMMUNICATION: Describing Audience Reactions in Performance Reports

« on: Dec 14, 2009, 12:01 pm »

My producer requires me to describe how the audience reacts to each performance.  I find myself using the same phrases over and over as I have only come up with so many ways to say they enjoyed the show or were vocally responsive throughout or there was applause after each song or conversely that they were quiet and didn't seem to enjoy the show.  What phrases do you typically use in describing an audience?  What is your typical approach in describing the mood of the house? 

18

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / RUNNING: Plotting out scene shifts

« on: Nov 01, 2009, 08:53 am »

There was an interesting conversation in a recent production meeting for my current show.  We were talking about the set, and the scenic designer asked about the backstage crew so that he could start plotting the scene shifts and making assignments.  The producer stopped him and said that the stage manager (me) would create the run sheet and make all crew assignments.  The producer told the scenic designer that I would work with him and the director to make sure that I designed the shifts in such a way that fulfilled their artistic vision of what they were looking for in the shift but that I was the one ultimately responsible.  The scenic designer was delightfully surprised that I would be undertaking responsibility for plotting out the scene shifts.  This got me wondering if there was a standard for who is responsible for designing transitions/creating the run sheet.  I've always created the first draft of a run sheet based on conversations with the director and scenic designer, met with them to revise before tech, and then revise as necessary during tech.  What has been your experience in who plots out the scene shifts?  

Edit added label to subject line-Rebbe

19

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / PRE-PRODUCTION: What is your prep week style?

« on: Oct 23, 2009, 09:07 am »

I'm in the midst of my prep week for Camelot and recently I was a guest in an SM class that was discussing pre-production, so it got me wondering about other SM's approach to their prep week.  Do you work from home, the theatre, or a combo?  Do you work from a checklist?  How many hours would you estimate that you work during prep week?  Do you call your cast or just email them? 

I have a checklist that I've adapted from one I got from an SM I worked with when I was an intern.  I've added things throughout the years as new things have come up during the different shows I've worked on.  I tend to work primarily at the theatre, though I may spend a morning or two at home working in my pajamas before heading in for the day.  I would say I average about 25-30 hours of prep work (with an assistant) when I'm working on a straight play and around 45-50 when I'm working on a musical or a technically complicated play.  And I always call my actors but will also send the schedule by email. 

So what's your prep week style?

20

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / MORALE: Keeping up morale when the house is small

« on: Aug 30, 2009, 04:18 pm »

Whether the economy is keeping people home, the play is obscure, it wasn't marketed well, etc, I'm sure at some time we've all met with small houses and the disappointed actors that come with it.  How do you keep the morale up in a company when they're playing to a house that's only at 10-20% of capacity (or smaller)?  

Edit added label to subject line-Rebbe

21

The Green Room / Best reason from an actor for being late

« on: Jul 09, 2009, 01:48 am »

An actor in my show who also happens to be a very dear friend called me today hysterically laughing/crying.  Once I calmed him down enough to find out what was going on, he explained that a bird had flown into his open car window after first hitting his driver side mirror.  It bounced off the mirror onto the door level with the seat belt then flew over his head and hit the passenger window which was up.  I then proceeded to talk him through getting the bird out of the car and then calmed him down again so that he could drive.  He's fine and his car is fine, but I unfortunately can't say the same for the bird.  He made it to the theatre by the five minute call.  It is by far the craziest reason that I've ever received for why an actor was going to be late.  I heard/helped him retell the story several times today and I'm still shocked each time I hear it. 

So what is the best excuse you've ever gotten from an actor for why they are late to a rehearsal or performance? 

22

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / COMMUNICATION: What to include in a report vs when to send a private email

« on: Jul 02, 2009, 04:09 pm »

When writing your rehearsal and performance reports, where do you draw the line between what goes in the show report, which is commonly distributed to anywhere from 20-40 people, including the producer, director, designers, production staff, etc, and when to send a private note regarding the show to the technical director or production manager or applicable party?  Do you find it best to include everything in your report?  Do you feel you are editing your report or creating more work for yourself if you send a private note? 

23

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / PRE-PRODUCTION: Reading a play for the first time

« on: Jan 17, 2009, 07:43 pm »

I had some free time today so I decided that I would read one of the plays that I'm going to be stage managing later this season.  I sat down with the intention of merely reading for enjoyment and to get a sense of the show since it is a play that I'm not familiar with.  However, I wasn't even half-way through the stage directions on the first page of dialogue when my mind switched into SM mode.  I started taking mental notes of props, entrances and exits, even how I thought we would need to schedule scenes for costume fittings.  I'm doing this show four months from now and yet I couldn't stop thinking of the play from a stage management point of view.  

Has anyone else had this experience?  When do you usually do a first read of the plays you will be working on?   What is your typical approach to a first read?  

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Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / PROPS: Actor Cuts throat on Vienna Stage - BBC News

« on: Dec 11, 2008, 03:58 pm »

A colleague just sent me the the link to this story about an actor who cut his throat when his prop knife was replaced by a real knife.  The actor ultimately survived and even went on the next night.  Read the complete story here.  A frightening wake-up call and reminder of the importance of checking props and of securing stage weapons.  

25

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / RUNNING: Fight Call

« on: Nov 19, 2008, 09:32 am »

When working on a show with fights and you have a two show day, do you hold a fight call before both performances or only before the first performance of the day?  I have always made it a practice to do a fight call before both shows, but I have had a few actors question the need for two fight calls on my current production.  Due to the nature of the fight (it involves the full company and includes flying), I will be holding a fight call before each performance on two performance days and the producer supports this decision.  I was just curious as to what other SMs do.  

26

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Mentorship Program

« on: Oct 13, 2008, 08:00 pm »

As we continue to try to grow and improve SMNetwork, the moderator team has tossed around the idea of starting a mentorship program.  This could go in several directions, from shadowing opportunities to a mentor relationship in your area to one where you talk by email.  I would love input from the members of SMNetwork on whether this is something that would be of interest to you, what you would like to get out of a mentorship program, etc, to help guide us as we further develop this idea.   

27

The Hardline / Scheduling Actor Haircuts

« on: Feb 08, 2007, 08:47 am »

In your experience, do haircuts fall under the category of costume fittings when scheduling them for actors?  I fit in a couple of actors during the rehearsal day, so no problem there on the actors' hours for the week.  However I still have a couple of actors that I need to schedule haircuts for, and it would be much easier if I could schedule them outside of rehearsal.  I am curious as to whether that is considered to be part of the 60 minutes of fittings outside of rehearsal that they are allowed each week.  This is the first time I'm running into this because on my past shows the haircuts have either fit into rehearsal or the actor voluntary elected to go get their haircut on their own because they didn't want to use the theatre's stylist (theatre still covered the cost of the haircut, though). 

I am currently working under an AEA COST Tier 1 contract. 

Any insight is appreciated.  (and as always, I know that I can contact my rep for the most definitive answer). 

28

Uploaded Forms / Hours Tracking Forms

« on: Dec 09, 2006, 12:10 am »

I looked all through the forms forum and could not find a topic specifically related to hours tracking forms, so I'm starting this one. 

As I mentioned on the topic Interesting request for performance reports..., here is the the hours tracking form that I use to calculate rehearsal and performance hours.  I got it from another SM I have worked with, and made a few of my own modifications.  I have left an example of both a rehearsal week and a performance week. 

29

SMNetwork Archives / Essential Theatre Books

« on: Sep 11, 2006, 10:57 am »

I am always interested in expanding my theatrical vocabulary and knowledge and am curious about what others consider the essential, must read books about theatre.  Whether they be about acting, directing, stage craft, stage management, theatre history, etc, what books do you consider as fundamental reading about our craft? 

Thomas Kelly's Backstage Guide to Stage Management and Lawrence Stern's Stage Management top my list for SM books, and Uta Hagen's Respect for Acting is one of my favorite acting books.