Messages

16

Tools of the Trade / Re: Creating a collapsing stone wall set.

« on: Jun 27, 2016, 02:02 am »

I was on run crew for a show a few years ago that was set in a bunker. We had a wall made of sandbags, and halfway through the show there was an explosion and the wall blew apart.

There was a 4 foot high (1.2m) platform across the back of the stage, and sandbags were built into the front of the platform as facing. Then on top of the platform there was a structure, I'm not really sure how to describe it other than a ladder. It was 12 feet tall (3.7m), still stretching the full width of the stage, with three "rungs." The rungs were maybe about 2 feet (0.6m) deep. The ladder structure was angled slightly toward upstage.

We started preset by draping a huge muslin drop over the second rung of the ladder, and then we packed it with sandbags (which btw were filled with granulated cork rather than sand - because sand is quite heavy and cork is very light and the cork-filled bags fly pretty well and won't kill you if they hit you), from the top of the platform up to the second rung of the ladder. I don't remember exactly how it was rigged... I believe the drop had pull-cords that came over the back of the second rung. We pulled the cords, the drop lifted up which threw all the sandbags off it and to the ground, and then the drop came through the ladder and fell to the floor behind the platform.

So maybe something similar to that, but obviously one for each section of the wall? If you have enough manpower on deck to run it. You'd have someone stationed behind the wall, and someone to pull the drop through the back of it which would knock down the stones in the wall. This would of course mean that the structure of the wall remains. I can't think of any way to do it that would make it so that once the walls fall down, you're left with absolutely nothing. If that's what you're going for, this may not be a helpful idea but maybe it's a jumping-off point.

I can't find any images of the actual moment of the explosion from my show, but I've found some press photos and video that show both before (fully built up with sandbags) and after (empty ladder structure). PM me if you're interested in seeing them.

17

Employment / Re: How far are you willing to travel?

« on: Jun 22, 2016, 12:41 am »

The furthest theatre I've ever worked at is... 28 miles from home. Which sounds not that bad, like 35 or 40 minutes. Except that it's actually almost 2 hours, because this is the DC area. It's a company I really love and I've done two shows there, but after doing that commute for several months, I've decided that I'm probably not going back unless the circumstances are very very special. I worked as wardrobe supervisor there so I was getting paid hourly rather than weekly, which definitely sweetened the deal a bit, but... it's hard. And particularly hard because even though I was spending all that time in the car I wasn't really going far enough to feel like I had gone anywhere at all. Like, I don't mind driving for two hours, but if I am it feels like I should be somewhere other than just on the other side of the city.

So at this point I can say I definitely won't commute further than 2 hours, and I'll only consider 1.5 to 2 hours if it's a really special project that I feel is worth the travel time (worth it in terms of money or in terms of getting something good out of the experience, or preferably both). In general I try to aim for 1 hour or less.

18

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: REPORTS: Report/Notes Language

« on: Jun 15, 2016, 10:41 am »

So - for audience notes, I don't think Jonas' and Leastlikely's statements are mutually exclusive.  I agree it's best to abstain for evaluative statements, but saying "the audience laughed" is a factual statement.  Saying "the audience found the line funny" is evaluative and makes assumptions as to the thoughts and emotions of individual audience members.  It's a subtle difference, but an important one.

Yes, understood and agreed. I'm just saying - I'll report if they reacted in a way that most audiences don't, but if everyone laughs at the same joke every day I don't bother.

19

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: REPORTS: Report/Notes Language

« on: Jun 13, 2016, 11:37 am »

I do comment about the audience to give an overall feel for how the performance went, but I only make specific notes about audience responses when it's something out of the ordinary. In the past week I've made notes about a line that normally gets a laugh but instead got applause, or at a different performance when there was no applause in the post-show blackout (they waited until lights came up for curtain call), and there was also a time that a patron asked at the end of the show if she could eat what was left of a prop ice cream sundae. I ASMed a TYA show a couple months ago and there was a "game show" scene where the host asked for audience input, so the SM included some of those responses in her report every day. I'll include stuff that changes day to day, but it doesn't seem worthwhile to me to say "they laughed at jokes x, y, and z" because... that's kind of the point of jokes. To make the audience laugh.

20

Tools of the Trade / Re: Scooped Ice Cream on stage

« on: Jun 06, 2016, 03:06 am »

I have ice cream in my show right now. Two different servings actually. One is a sundae on a dish so that's not a concern. But the other is in a waffle cone and is also on stage for a little over four pages like yours. And we've had no dripping problems.

We leave our ice cream in the freezer until a couple scenes before it needs to enter (off the top of my head I'm not sure of the exact timing) at which point the tub of ice cream gets transferred to the refrigerator, so it becomes just a tiny bit soft and very easy to scoop. So we scoop it into the cone while it's soft, then stick the completed cone in the freezer (standing up inside a glass) until immediately before its entrance.

We went back and forth about putting a paper wrapper on the bottom of the cone, but then decided to go with a folded paper napkin wrapped around it instead. That way if it starts dripping at all there's already a napkin onstage to clean it up with. But we haven't had any issues yet!

21

Tools of the Trade / Re: Kit Usage Statistics

« on: May 18, 2016, 12:12 pm »

Ooooh okay. I get it. I'll add stuff I've used in the last week or so.

bandaids- 30
binder clips- 2
blister plasters - 2
blu tac - 2
candles - 6
chewing gum - 30
contact solution - 3 uses
costume tape measure - 2
curvi grips / bobby pins - 20
deodorant - 3
elastic band - 3
eraser - 2
eyeglass repair kit- 1
Fork - 1
glow tape - 1
Hair ties - 5
hand fan - 30
highlighters - 6
holepunch - 3
lighter - 1 (birthday cake)
nail clippers  - 1
Pain Killers/ibuprofen - 12
paperclips - 20
Pencil - 6
pencil sharpener - 4
Scotch tape - 2
Scrap paper - 1
Sewing Needle - 2
Sharpie - 10
stapler - 6
Stopwatch - 1
superglue- 3

22

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: Joining a production as a replacement

« on: May 13, 2016, 02:26 pm »

Try to watch from the audience at least once before shadowing. Be familiar with the content and the shape of the show before you focus on the fiddly details of the calling script. Get a feel for the show beyond just cues - get copies of the report templates, learn about any strong personalities in the cast, lockup procedures, anything else you might need to know.

Observe the call first for at least one performance, and then switch (you call the show and the PSM observes you) so you can ask questions and get guidance as you go. I've done a show where the takeover PSM called for, I believe, a full week with the original PSM in the booth. For the first few performances he handed it off to the original PSM for a particularly complicated sequence until he got the hang of it. But you might not have the luxury of that kind of time.

Practice with the archival video if you can.

23

Tools of the Trade / Re: Kit Usage Statistics

« on: May 13, 2016, 02:03 pm »

Mostly office supplies: pencils, pencil sharpener, erasers, highlighters, sharpie, pens, scotch tape, post-its/flags, scissors, stapler, hole punch, scrap paper, straightedge. Hair tie. Safety pins.

24

Introductions / Re: Hello from Northern Virginia

« on: Apr 11, 2016, 01:16 pm »

Hello from a NoVA neighbor in Springfield!

This might not be practical for your needs, but you might want to look into show control software for your sound playback. Sounds like you use Windows? Some options to check out are Sound Cue System aka SCS (EDIT: Apparently they've changed the name to Show Cue System, my bad!), or Multiplay. Most theatrical sound these days uses QLab, which is a Mac-only show control software.

I've never heard "number one bar." I would call a lighting batten an electric. They're generally numbered starting from 1 closest to the proscenium. So if you only have one, it would be called the first electric. And then an electric over the audience is a front of house or FOH electric. Again, numbered from 1 closest to the proscenium.

While some of our members may have helpful info regarding lights and sound, our focus here is really stage management. You might have better luck checking out controlbooth.com, which has forums for all tech disciplines.

25

Job Postings / Seeking SM (AEA or non) immediately in Baltimore, through May

« on: Mar 04, 2016, 02:53 pm »

This is a courtesy posting - I have nothing to do with hiring for this job. If you are interested I will send you an email address to submit your resume. I imagine they probably want local only, but you can hammer that out with them.

Chesapeake Shakespeare Company in Baltimore, MD is seeking a stage manager (AEA or non) for their production of Romeo and Juliet. It's already in rehearsals (being run by the ASM, I think). The SM would join rehearsals as soon as possible. Tech is on Thursday and Friday, March 17 and 18. The show performs at 10am every weekday starting Monday March 21 - weekends are off. I'm honestly not sure about the closing date, because the body of the email I was sent says something different from the attached calendar - I think it's probably May 6, but it might also be May 20? It's a 90 minute play with no intermission. For Equity SMs, I don't know what contract it would be on.

26

Students and Novice Stage Managers / Re: EMail Request to Shadow?

« on: Mar 04, 2016, 12:40 pm »

Hi there - this topic has been discussed already, so you might find helpful info in older threads. Check out the Shadowing: General Q&A thread that's pinned at the top of this board, as well as the search bar in the upper right corner. Here are a few to get you started.

http://smnetwork.org/forum/students-and-novice-stage-managers/shadowing-general-qa/
http://smnetwork.org/forum/students-and-novice-stage-managers/shadowing-what-would-you-like-to-hear/
http://smnetwork.org/forum/students-and-novice-stage-managers/shadowing-etiquette/

27

Tools of the Trade / Re: PROPS: Putting out lit cigarettes placed in clear ashtrays

« on: Feb 29, 2016, 05:34 pm »

I've used KY Jelly for the same purposes. I don't know what the pros and cons are of KY over vaseline, but the tour came to me using KY, so that's what we used. Maybe the main pro is that you can squeeze it from a tube rather than needing to use fingers/popsicle stick etc. to glob it?

28

Stage Management: Other / Re: Pregnant Actress

« on: Feb 06, 2016, 02:59 pm »

Everything Meg said is true, for sure. It's her call. She's the one living in her body and you need to trust her to know what she can and can't do.

Let her tell people herself! The rest of the company doesn't need to know unless she chooses for them to know. There are good reasons why many people choose to not announce pregnancy until after the first trimester. I can think of only two people who you should suggest she tell: the ASM (because they will be on deck with her during performances) and the costume designer. Again, it's not generally for you to tell. Offer to tell the ASM/designer if she wants, but she's probably going to choose to do it herself. Feel free to accompany her on that discussion if she wants moral support, but it's her news to share.

If she's 10 weeks along at opening, she probably won't be showing her pregnancy yet... but if you've got a 4 week run, she might have a little a bump by the end of it. The costume designer can give her clothes with a little room for her body to grow, or a double in a larger size.

It's not likely that she'll have any sort of medical emergency (of course we don't want that to happen with anyone!) but if something comes up, if she passes out or something, it would be helpful if you can tell medical providers/EMTs that she is pregnant.

If she has morning sickness, it would be nice of you to keep small trashcans with extra liners on either side of backstage, in the green room, etc. If she gets sick, the bag can be tied off and thrown out, and just put a new liner in the can.

29

Stage Management: Plays & Musicals / Re: SHOWS: How many times have you Stage Managed the same play/musical?

« on: Jan 24, 2016, 02:41 pm »

I've done two Taming of the Shrews (Tamings of the Shrew?), two R&J's, and a first run and remount of A Commedia Christmas Carol. Christmas Carol 2.0, yes it was the same show with most of the same cast (2 had been replaced) and all of the same design... I returned as the ASM, but my SM and my 2-person deck crew were all new to the show. So that one kept me on my toes because even though I knew it very well and it was all routine for me, it was fresh and new for the rest of my team!

30

Introductions / Re: Community theatre stage manager dropping in

« on: Jan 23, 2016, 05:27 pm »

Welcome! (this is Katie)