Poll

How difficult is it to be in school full-time and also stage manage large-scale productions?

Help! My head is spinning from all the stress!
18 (27.7%)
Its somewhat difficult
37 (56.9%)
It's not very difficult
9 (13.8%)
Are you crazy? I don't even attempt to do a show when I'm busy with school!
1 (1.5%)

Total Members Voted: 63

Author Topic: New Poll: Students and Stage Managing  (Read 7060 times)

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KC_SM_0807

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New Poll: Students and Stage Managing
« on: May 02, 2007, 10:28 am »
I'm in school full-time and in the middle of final exams and also in the middle of tech week.  I just wanted to see how other students felt during this crazy time of year!
"Perhaps, therefore, Stage Managers not only need to be calm and meticulous professionals who know their craft, but masochists who feel pride in rising above impossible odds."

lauria

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Re: New Poll: Students and Stage Managing
« Reply #1 on: May 02, 2007, 07:45 pm »
I'm a full time student, stage managing a show with 24 cast members (which is ALMOST done. YAY!), work at least 20-25 hours / week (although I DID cut back because of tech and the show, heh: can't do BOTH the performances AND work!), and I'm married.

I feel like I never see my husband, I'm completely behind on all school work, I need to make more money, and I'd like to be able to spend more time working on my show. But that's life. You can only do so much.

But thank God I'm graduating in just a few weeks!!!!!!! Now if only I had a job lined up already. *eep*

KC_SM_0807

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Re: New Poll: Students and Stage Managing
« Reply #2 on: May 02, 2007, 11:01 pm »
I know how that feels! Sometimes I am so overwhelmed... with school full time, another part time job where I work 20-25 hours a week, and then I'm always doing a show (right now I'm going into tech for Beauty and the Beast and am about to rip my hair out!) ... I just wanted to make sure I wasn't alone  :D
"Perhaps, therefore, Stage Managers not only need to be calm and meticulous professionals who know their craft, but masochists who feel pride in rising above impossible odds."

Balletdork

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Re: New Poll: Students and Stage Managing
« Reply #3 on: May 03, 2007, 12:24 pm »
Yeah- the whole in school situation is probably the toughest part of your life- at least it was for me!

The only advice I can give is make sure you're taking care of yourself physically in order that your mental state be the best it can be!! Stiff upper lip & all that...

 Cheers!  ;)

Keebles

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Re: New Poll: Students and Stage Managing
« Reply #4 on: May 03, 2007, 03:00 pm »
I'm a high school junior, going to school full time, lighting designer for my high school show, also the only person on lighting crew, I'm a carpenter, master electrician and a stage manager for 3 different professional companies. And I have a mentally-handicapped cat. Welcome, my friends, to Theater.
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SummerShakespeare

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Re: New Poll: Students and Stage Managing
« Reply #5 on: May 04, 2007, 01:27 am »
fianls week and tonight I just opened Oklahoma! with 150 light cues a 2 story house, one story smokehouse, barn frames, corn field,trashing machine, windmill, wather tower, and you cannnot forget the surry with a fringe on top, 
All on the same G.O.

stopthekitty

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Re: New Poll: Students and Stage Managing
« Reply #6 on: May 08, 2007, 04:20 am »
i notice when i'm in school and doing a play that the closer i get to tech week, the more of a shift you can see in my priorities. this has a pretty big impact on my grades.

but hey, the show must go on! right?

Tempest

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Re: New Poll: Students and Stage Managing
« Reply #7 on: May 08, 2007, 11:33 am »
I remember my senior year of college I was SM AND master carpenter for Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.  (praise goddess for a the carp crew from heaven!)  I also worked a third shift security job three nights a week, and two mornings a week as an electrician at the road house.
During tech week, I also had a major assignment due in my scenic design class, which was obviously not getting done.  It was about 85% done.  The professor was also the designer for Cat, so I asked him for an extension.  He refused to grant one, saying something along the lines of I needed to get my priorities straight and get my act together a little more; he tried to give me a dressing down in front of the whole class (which was ridiculous, since they knew how hard I was working, and were actually conspiring to make sure I was being fed, or were in the cast).  I was furious.  My response made the class cheer (he was a great designer but a REALLY rotten professor):
"I have my priorities straight.  My first priority is to get the show up and running, including getting your design, which was two weeks late, built.  Now, you get yours straight.  Is it more important to you to get off on being a hard ass and pulling a powertrip on your most competent student, or getting Cat up?  No extension, fine.  Grade this."  I dropped my assignment on his desk and walked out of the class (down the hall to the scene shop where I took my anger out on building some more set).  I heard the cheers following me down the hall, and passed another (tenured) professor going to investigate.
When I got the assignment back, I had an 85, and a note attached that he'd be willing to regrade if I completed the work.
I'm not advising this approach at all, but it felt damn good to hit him with the clue stick.  (Please note this professor was asked not to return next semester due to him treating all sorts of students just like that.)
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colum07

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Re: New Poll: Students and Stage Managing
« Reply #8 on: May 28, 2007, 05:10 pm »
i notice when i'm in school and doing a play that the closer i get to tech week, the more of a shift you can see in my priorities. this has a pretty big impact on my grades.

but hey, the show must go on! right?

im totally the same way. i was sm for my school's musical this year, "The Pajama Game," and it was crazy! Recovering from knee surgery, working (cut down to 1 day a week), having set builds all day saturday and sunday, school during the day, and then rehearsal late every night. my grades slipped from all a's 1 be to all b's (1 79.5 that got bumped) and a c (a 69 that got bumped). During a show, hw and grades arent important. i think i've skipped half of the week for techweeks, no classes just rehearsal!

JenniferS.

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Re: New Poll: Students and Stage Managing
« Reply #9 on: May 29, 2007, 09:23 pm »
My priorities definitely shift come tech/hell week. Homework goes on hold, classes become optional, and anyone who needs to see me (including all my teachers) knows that I am most likely running back and forth between the theater and my director's room (and sometimes the counseling center if I'm really stressed out!).

It's really amazing how understanding some of my teachers can be come showtime. I get extensions on homework, they don't mind if I skip class to do last minute set/tech stuff. It's nice. Then again, it could be because they are afraid of facing the wrath of my director (who becomes a fire breathing monster from hell right before the show) if I can't do work for her because I have to, gasp, go to class.

That being said, even with classes everyday from 7-2 and then rehearsal 3-1(ish), plus work and such for two weeks...I sorta like the high intensity stress. Maybe I'm a masicist?

Caroline Naveen

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Re: New Poll: Students and Stage Managing
« Reply #10 on: May 07, 2013, 06:29 pm »
I totally know what you mean. For me It's help! Head spinning from the stress. The worse part is after a show getting yourself back in the swing of school studying for those tests and getting the homework done that just didn't happen during a show. My parents are such sticklers for straight A's literal quote: "Your theatre life will stop if your grades go down." I have to take and pass 2 CLEP exams (AP type tests) in about three weeks if I'd like to continue with my theatre....thoughts on how to really get yourself to get it done and study hard? Sometimes when I sit down to study I find myself staring at the book more than actually learning the information....Anyone else have this problem? What are some study tips you use to learn info quickly?