In a show with a lot of blocking (usually a musical for me) I take my blocked script to paper tech. If LD asks "Where is XY when he says Blah blah?", I have the information and write the cue there. Once we've run our cue to cue I transfer my cues (in pencil) in to a clean copy of the final script. From then on I use the clean script as a prompt script, moving only blocking notes that I find I need for one reason or another. ( ex: XY x to door L 31) I call the first couple of shows from the penciled cues, refining where each warning and standby should go, once I am calling the script consistently, I start inking in my cues.
Having just the prompt script safely in the booth during the run of the show saves space there and keeps it available to anyone who might need it were I hit by the Proverbial Bus. I'm working more and more from my laptop. I scan in audition forms resumes, headshots, receipts, notes, etc. I get CAD scenic drawings, costume and props plots as PDFs, and create calendars, attendance forms, rehearsal schedules, etc. on the computer to email and print. I print out everything and make a production book for the company. I like to leave it in the theater office if there is a place for it. I keep my laptop with me at all times, am accessible by phone or email most of the time, and have everything that is in my book in the computer, as well as loaded on a 1 GB jump drive, AND saved on a separate hard drive at home.
I'm excessive. Even so, if there is a computer and scanner available at the theater, or at home, doing as much of the paperwork as possible on computer will save you much stress and angst in the long run. I'm not to a point of being able or willing to call a show from a computer, but I do see a time coming when I may well be ready to do all of my paperwork digitally, archived to CD or some other media at the close of the production, with a print out of the prompt script being the only paper I need to keep.
