Messages

31

Self-Promotion / My first "real" gig!

« on: Dec 21, 2014, 01:11 am »

I'm working on my first non-educational (by this I mean not at my college) production!

We're a few rehearsals into "Clybourne Park" and it is going swimmingly.  First of all, it's a fantastic script.  One of my favorites.  Secondly, the cast is rocking it.  And third, my ASM and director are two of my favorite people to work with.  It's at a community theatre, and I'm excited to branch out into something besides my university.

That being said, I'm also ASM-ing "How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying" at my university.  They nearly overlap.  Thankfully(?) the director for Clybourne is also the stage manager for How to Succeed.  I also just finished working with the director of HTS on another show ("Blithe Spirit").

I'm ALSO preparing for KCACTF in January and USITT in March.  Oh, and I'm supposed to graduate in May.

CALL ME CRAZY. DO IT.

32

Employment / Re: WHAT NOT TO PUT ON YOUR RESUME . . .

« on: Dec 21, 2014, 12:18 am »

This is all really great advice for someone who's just starting (or going to be starting) in the professional world!  One thing I have heard both positive and negative feedback for is the idea of branding myself, or setting up a unique logo/using a unique font for my name at the top of my Resume/Cover letter.  My professor stated that he liked my font choice because it shows my personality off a bit.  For my senior seminar class, we had mock phone interviews (which I totally bombed) and a guest interviewer said she thought the font was childish and made me seem really young (ouch).

Any advice on fontage for resumes? 

(Also, to keep this relevant, someone in that same senior seminar class put an 'interests' section in which he stated the about me section of what sounded like a dating profile... awkward.)

33

Employment / Re: Which is better?

« on: Oct 21, 2014, 04:41 pm »

To clarify:
I've stage managed 4 shows.  I'm working on number five currently - these have all been at my university.

I guess what I'm really asking is this:
As someone hiring a young stage manager, would you be more impressed with a list of credits all from one place, or a list of credits mostly from one place and then one or two from community theatre?

I think the general consensus is variety is the spice of life.  I haven't been offered the gig at Community theatre yet, but I've expressed definite interest to the director that I would very much like to be involved in any way (the director and I have a fantastic working relationship - I've SMed for him before). 

Thanks for all your responses!

34

Employment / Which is better?

« on: Oct 19, 2014, 11:17 pm »

I'm currently working on my professional resume, and as I only have experience SM-ing at my college, I was wondering which is better:

7 or so SM positions from the same place (an educational setting)?
or
6 from the same place and then one or two at a community theatre?

We talk a lot about how community theatre isn't as... professional?  But then again, is it better to have worked with different people in different settings?


What are your thoughts?


(Also, if this is in the wrong board, feel free to move it or whatever - I wasn't sure if it should go here or in Employment)

35

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

« on: Sep 11, 2014, 06:48 pm »

Send crucial Email.
"I did not read my Email.
Are we supposed to?"

(the answer is YES.)

36

Introductions / Re: I'm Katie :)

« on: Sep 08, 2014, 03:48 pm »

Thank you both for the advice: I think anyone in theatre (even actors) should be at least educated on the lingo: it definitely makes the process smoother all around!

37

The Green Room / My favorite website, like, ever.

« on: Aug 29, 2014, 09:33 pm »

So, scheduling is the bane of our existence, right?
Scheduling takes more time than the meeting your scheduling for.
It's complicated and messy and annoying, right?

Not with whenisgood.net

It's my favorite tool for scheduling meetings.  You simply select the time period (for example, September 1st to September 8th) and the times of day (8 a.m to 10 p.m, for example).  Then you email the link to the participants, they paint the times they're available, and here's the best part:

The website will put together that data and tell YOU when everyone is available for the meeting!  It's magic!

What's your favorite website to utilize as a stage manager?

38

The Green Room / Re: Paperwork playlist

« on: Aug 29, 2014, 09:00 pm »

Personally I'm a HUGE fan of Superhero Soundtracks on Songza.  It's an app that will play songs that match your mood or activity, and the music is great.  Superhero Soundtracks is easily my favorite because often time there are no lyrics, it's just orchestral pieces so nothing too distracting.

I play that in conjunction with Rainymood (rainymood.com, it just sounds like rain, it's really precious and great) and I'm busting out paperwork like it's my job... Oh wait.  That is my job.

Songza is definitely my favorite listening platform, though.  Tons of great stuff.

39

Introductions / I'm Katie :)

« on: Aug 29, 2014, 07:02 pm »

Hey everyone!
I'm Katie, and I'm new to this forum.  I'm in my fifth year of university, studying stage management and lighting design.  I'm much more experienced in SM than I am in LD, but I love both too much to choose just one! 

I only got to ASM one time before I went on to attempt the job of Stage Manager, but I was really lucky to have great faculty members and fellow SM's rooting for me.  My first 'big girl' stage managing experience was Death of a Salesman by Arthur Miller.  What an experience.  There were 13 cast members, and that show is a beast no matter how you spin it.  But what a great first experience!

Since, I've Stage Managed 3 more shows and am designing lights for the second time for Frank Galati's John Steinbeck's The Grapes Of Wrath, which is another beast of a show.  Bring it on, I say!

Feel free to message me any time, I love talking strategy and organization tactics and swapping horror stories!

Thank you! :)