Your Paranoia/Obsession

[RuthNY]

So, I admit, I have a Stage Management obsession/paranoia.

I'm never satisfied that all my actors are in the building. I check the sign-in sheet several times to make they're signed in, as I tend to do shows where I never see all of the actors prior to curtain, and indeed sometimes see none of the actors prior to curtain. I always worry, not that they haven't signed in, but that I've read the sheet incorrectly and someone is actually missing, no matter how careful I am.  It's like going back into your home and checking to see if the iron or oven is off, even when you know they are. (I don't do THAT, by the way...)

Do you have a Stage Management obsession/paranoia? And, what should I do about mine, lol?

[Maribeth]

Totally sympathize. I am a nut about doing blackout check. I have a huge fear that I am going to call a blackout cue, and realize that some work light, somewhere in the theatre, is still on.

[kellyaksm]

My paranoia is that my crew will be missing or not paying attention when I start the show. I always have to check with my crew on headset several times between the time they are asked to be on headset to the time we actually start the show. I am always afraid that someone will wander off to the bathroom really quick before curtain or something like that.
Granted the crew I work with is usually actors trying to fill a class credit so they don't really understand that they have to stay on headset the whole show. 

[BARussell]

I always think my headset is so loud that everyone, including actors onstage and the audience can hear it...I am constantly adjusting the volume, but then I think I can't hear so I turn it up and the cycle continues. I should point out I only use huge pretty-much noise canceling heavyweights, but I am still not satisfied.

I am only going to say that one because it is the biggest but I have a ton of others...

[MatthewShiner]

For a long time I had to make sure every page of the calling script was there.

(It's what I did between 15 minute call and 5 minute call)

[maximillionx]

Actors not being in their places or in the building is one of my SM nightmares...

For the show we just closed, the paranoia was about whether the projector was actually turned on.  There was only one projection cue in the show, but it was an important one. You couldn't tell if it was projecting any light onstage because of the particular light cue we were in, so right before the projection came on I would keep telling myself, I definitely turned it on two hours ago....right?

[DeeCap]

I'm paranoid about not having all the performance dates correct on my performance calendar.

[ejsmith3130]

I'm paranoid about not having all the performance dates correct on my performance calendar.

This is totally legit. I just realized that my calendar has a show on it that doesn't exist. Thankfully I've only ever shown up for shows that have been cancelled/didn't exist rather than the other way around. 

[RuthNY]

I usually have the Box Office proofread the calendar before I publish it.  But, even that's been known to fail...  Yes, this is another legit paranoia, I'm afraid...

I'm paranoid about not having all the performance dates correct on my performance calendar.

[cdavisnyc]

I'm paranoid about not having all the performance dates correct on my performance calendar.

We have public performances and education performances. I am paranoid that one day I will type "pubic performance."

[MatthewShiner]

Yeah - to battle the calendar issue - box office, house management and production management all need to sign off on the calendar before I send out . . . . if all four of us mess up, then perhaps that performance was just not meant to be.

[Maribeth]

Tagging on the calendar issues- on a couple of occasions, the performance schedule given to me by the theatre does not match what's in the schedule riders on the contracts. (Usually this happens when a student matinee is added or dropped). I like to compare the performance schedule with the schedule rider to make sure they match.

[BARussell]

For a long time I had to make sure every page of the calling script was there.

(It's what I did between 15 minute call and 5 minute call)

I had to scan a calling score for my PSM once, I checked it over twice, and somehow still ended up with two pages out of order when I put it back in...this was for an opera...I wanted to fire myself.