Author Topic: [FAQ] What goes inside a SM Kit?  (Read 430944 times)

0 Members and 2 Guests are viewing this topic.

smejs

  • Permanent Resident
  • *****
  • Posts: 475
  • Gender: Female
    • View Profile
  • Affiliations: AEA, AGMA, SMA, USITT
  • Current Gig: Freelance SM in Denver
  • Experience: Professional
Re: What goes inside a SM Kit?
« Reply #30 on: Dec 11, 2006, 12:29 am »
Don't know what the original poster's reason is, but I can think of several...hand-strengthening exercises, a massage tool (put it between your aching back and a wall, and roll it up and down, or for dancers to work out leg kinks by rolling it on their muscles), or the simple stress-relieving game of catch!

Erin

Mac Calder

  • Moderator
  • *****
  • Posts: 977
  • Plan for the future, live for the now
    • View Profile
  • Affiliations: Live Performance Australia / Media Arts and Entertainment Alliance
  • Current Gig: Technical Director
  • Experience: Former SM
Re: What goes inside a SM Kit?
« Reply #31 on: Dec 11, 2006, 01:59 am »
It is also useful for getting peoples attention/relieving stress upon people... *Thwak*  ;D

Didaskalos

  • Contributor
  • ***
  • Posts: 71
    • View Profile
Re: What goes inside a SM Kit?
« Reply #32 on: Dec 24, 2006, 10:02 pm »
What is the Tennis Ball for?

Sorry for the delay in response, Hermie.  But no matter:  smjes is "on the ball."
Do it right the first time;  do it right every time.

MarcieA

  • Permanent Resident
  • *****
  • Posts: 371
  • Gender: Female
    • View Profile
  • Affiliations: AEA, AGMA, SMA
  • Current Gig: PSM, Lake George Dinner Theatre/Tri Cities Opera
  • Experience: Professional
Re: What goes inside a SM Kit?
« Reply #33 on: Dec 26, 2006, 01:46 am »
What is the Tennis Ball for?

Sorry for the delay in response, Hermie.  But no matter:  smjes is "on the ball."


They are great for getting scuffs off of painted floors without destroying the paint. (Just learned that one.)

Plus they are toys for fidgity directors.
Companions whom I loved and still love, tell them my song.

jalooz

  • New to Town
  • **
  • Posts: 7
  • Gender: Female
    • View Profile
Re: What goes inside a SM Kit?
« Reply #34 on: Jan 04, 2007, 02:43 pm »
In addition to the stuff usually listed, during rehearsals and shows, I take a wash cloth, get it wet and place it in a Ziploc plastic bag in our backstage freezer.  Comes in very handy for minor bumps and bruises, and most recently when one of our actors strained her back during a performance.  It works as well as the fancy store bought stuff, but is much cheaper.

Maribeth

  • Superstar!
  • *****
  • Posts: 1063
  • Gender: Female
    • View Profile
  • Affiliations: AEA
  • Experience: Former SM
Re: What goes inside a SM Kit?
« Reply #35 on: Feb 18, 2007, 01:32 am »
something i've found useful recently- a disposable camera. i've found that in rehearsal if you want to document the setup of furniture/props quickly, a disposable camera is invaluable. if you have one, a digital camera can be even better- on my current show i used it to send photos of changes to the furniture setup to the lighting designer, so he could adjust his lighting plot before hang. but with a show that has a ton of little hand props, having a photo of how the stage should look can be really useful.

Balletdork

  • Permanent Resident
  • *****
  • Posts: 210
  • Gender: Female
    • View Profile
  • Affiliations: AEA
  • Current Gig: PSM, The Human Race Theatre Company
  • Experience: Professional
Re: What goes inside a SM Kit?
« Reply #36 on: Feb 19, 2007, 10:22 am »
We've started using our cell phone's to take pictures... particularly of the Xmas tree set-up in Nutcracker...

Our Nutcracker has a "ground-row" of gifts in front of the Xmas tree to block sight-lines of the Act I Doll's entrances and also to block the piles of pre-grown Xmas tree branches.

SuperWench

  • Tourist
  • *
  • Posts: 1
    • View Profile
Re: What goes inside a SM Kit?
« Reply #37 on: Mar 01, 2007, 03:51 am »
The little clothy stickers that go around the holes in paper.  (that makes sense to me, but heres a newbielink:http://www.staples.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/StaplesProductDisplay?prodCatType=0&storeId=10001&catalogId=10051&langId=-1&productId=10391&cmArea=SEARCH [nonactive]

I've always got them.  Sometimes their used how their ment, some times I end up attacking the director with them. Either way, I use them A LOT!

Mac Calder

  • Moderator
  • *****
  • Posts: 977
  • Plan for the future, live for the now
    • View Profile
  • Affiliations: Live Performance Australia / Media Arts and Entertainment Alliance
  • Current Gig: Technical Director
  • Experience: Former SM
Re: What goes inside a SM Kit?
« Reply #38 on: Mar 01, 2007, 04:44 am »
if you have one, a digital camera can be even better

I am a bit of a photography enthusiast, but I just bought a cheap Point and Shoot camera for the reasons you mentioned - my dSLR cammera is too big to carry arround, but I bought an unbranded P&S for about AU$100 - 4 megapixels, came with a 256mb SD Card and conveniently has a belt holster. Whilst it is no good for show photos, it is great to be able to pull it out to photograph props etc. My phone does not have a camera (I spent yonks looking for one without a camera, as I am starting to see "No Camera Phones" signs at quite a few venues) - so this was an excellent (and affordable) solution.

birdie4113

  • New to Town
  • **
  • Posts: 19
  • Gender: Female
    • View Profile
Re: What goes inside a SM Kit?
« Reply #39 on: Mar 01, 2007, 11:00 am »
It is also useful for getting peoples attention/relieving stress upon people... *Thwak*  ;D

I will have to remember that when actors are being loud and obnoxious in the house while a scene is being rehearsed.   :P
Bridget

bdmovies

  • New to Town
  • **
  • Posts: 8
  • Gender: Male
  • Me after Charlie Brown...
    • View Profile
Re: What goes inside a SM Kit?
« Reply #40 on: Mar 23, 2007, 09:22 pm »
Yeah, I've been pretty bad during my current show about keeping a kit around. I was ok until this week (week of show) where I've been yelling across the room to my lighting guy "Sharpie!" and then watching said sharpie sail through the air to me.
Bobby D.

bdmovies

  • New to Town
  • **
  • Posts: 8
  • Gender: Male
  • Me after Charlie Brown...
    • View Profile
Re: What goes inside a SM Kit?
« Reply #41 on: Mar 26, 2007, 12:05 am »
...and alas, my lack of a kit has has come back and bit me in the butt. Countless times I needed a flashlight, pen, or tape and had to stop what I was doing and go find it. I also had an actress cut herself onstage and sure enough, not a first-aid kit to be found anywhere, my days of kit-less shows have officially come to an end.
« Last Edit: Mar 26, 2007, 12:11 am by bdmovies »
Bobby D.

KMC

  • Moderator
  • *****
  • Posts: 963
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
  • Current Gig: Project Manager, Systems Integration
  • Experience: Former SM
Re: What goes inside a SM Kit?
« Reply #42 on: Mar 26, 2007, 09:12 am »
Does anyone else carry the Stage Manager's prop?
Get action. Do things; be sane; don’t fritter away your time; create, act, take a place wherever you are and be somebody; get action. -T. Roosevelt

kjdiehl

  • Permanent Resident
  • *****
  • Posts: 201
  • Gender: Male
  • The Turtle Moves.
    • View Profile
  • Affiliations: AEA
Re: What goes inside a SM Kit?
« Reply #43 on: Mar 26, 2007, 12:02 pm »
"not a first aid kit to be found"..... aggghhhhhhh!!!!! Yes, a kit for personal office/etc supplies is essential, but g*dd@mn it, it is SOOOOO the theatre's responsibility to provide first aid kits backstage and in the other working environments in the building!!! If an actor or crew bleeds to death before the paramedics get there because there were no bandaids available, you can be damn sure the theatre will be sued and not the stage manager!!

That said, I do keep aspirin & ibuprofen on hand, mostly for my personal use, but it does get frequently loaned out.

Oh, and I like the use of the Force to grab Sharpies from across the room. :)
-Kris Diehl, AEA SM

"Somewhere in the city there's a stage manager waiting,
standing in the shadows with a clipboard in hand..."

zayit shachor

  • SM Expert
  • ****
  • Posts: 175
  • Gender: Female
    • View Profile
    • http://thankyouten.blogspot.com
Re: What goes inside a SM Kit?
« Reply #44 on: Mar 26, 2007, 01:30 pm »
Does anyone else carry the Stage Manager's prop?

Maybe I'm ignorant, but what do you mean?