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SMArts

Resources for Stage Managers

Jan 23rd, 2011
by Lois.
4 comments

I can always tell when it is the beginning of a semester by the number of searches that I see leading to www.LoisBackstage.com that involve the phrases “How to make a prompt book” “color coded prompt books” “how to write blocking” “prompt book examples” and others in the same vein.  Welcome young stage managers! The posts you are most likely looking for here are:

Calling the Show: Three C’s to Conquer – An in depth look at the tool necessary to effectively call a show.

The SM Prompt Book: The Show Bible Part 1 & Part 2 – A look at what goes into a prompt book and how to organize it efficiently

The Vancouver SMArts Conference 2010 – SMArts is a Canadian stage management conference that occurs every year in Toronto and one other major Canadian city.  In 2010 it was in Vancouver and these are my notes from the sessions I took in.

The SM Kit – A look at my SM kit and a list of all the things that have gone into it, along with where to find the items.

Other resources around the internet:

SM Network is a forum for stage managers old and new.  It is full of resources in the form of old posts with questions and the solutions that other stage managers have suggested and has a large base of users that can answer questions you may have.  But before you post, do a search and make sure someone else hasn’t already asked your question.  Better to continue an existing thread than to make a second one.

Trish Causey is a resident blogger at TheatreFace and has written a series on the role of the stage manager.  Part 1. Part 2. Part 3. Part 4, Part 5

Stage Managers Do Make Coffee is an article written by Carissa Dollar that is often used as a text book for beginning stage managers and is free online.  It has a good mix of practical advice, anecdotes & questions to ask yourself to help prepare for the job at hand.

There are a number of great books that you can pick up at a local bookstore, read in a library, or order online.  A few of my favourites are:

The Art & Craft of Stage Management by Doris Schneider

The Backstage Guide to Stage Management: Traditional and New Methods for Running a Show from First Rehearsal to Last Performance by Thomas A. Kelly

Stage Managing the Arts in Canada by Winston Morgan

SMArts: Safety

Jul 7th, 2010
by Lois.
No comments yet

I know that it has now been a while since the SMArts conference wrapped up in Vancouver, but I thought it was important to still relay this information on Health & Safety for Stage Management. If you have questions about safety practices in theatre, check out www.actsafe.ca for a number of online publications, courses & other resources.

When known safe procedures are ignored and nothing bad happens, the unsafe behaviour is reinforced and becomes the norm.

According to WCB, a supervisor is any person who instructs, directs or controls workers in the performance of their duties. By law, supervisors are responsible for health and safety. What this means is that every time a stage manager or director gives a direction, that person is responsible to ensure that the item can be completed safely. What does that look like? It means there must be reasonable caution and you must demonstrate due diligence. There needs to be a reporting system for health & safety and the supervisor must personally deal with health and safety & then document what has happened.

Supervisor Responsibilities include:

  • Being aware of the hazards of the job
  • Being responsible for ensuring the health and safety of all workers under their direct supervision
  • Being knowledgeable about those regulations applicable to the work being supervised
  • Ensuring proper evaluation and control of hazards

Everyone has the right to refuse unsafe work.

Steps to take:

  • Ensure that the SM is covered by extraordinary risk rider.
  • Make sure the company has policies for working alone
  • Ask all new companies engaging you whether or not you are covered by their worksafe BC insurance
  • If you report a health & safety concern and no one listens, Worksafe BC takes 24 hour calls with no name attached if you need to go to another level.

Here are a handful of stage management best practices for Health & Safety:

  • make sure company is well rested and well looked after
  • preparation
  • organization
  • cleanliness
  • do a safety walk with the PM & Cast

Remember: The show DOES NOT always have to go on.

SMArts: The Apprentice Stage Manager

May 30th, 2010
by Lois.
2 comments

This is the fourth post in a series of five about my experience at the SMArts conference in Vancouver. I’ve essentially taken my notes and turned them into these posts.  You can find my previous posts on Calling a show, the CTA agreement & the conference in general by clicking on those links.

One of the sessions that I attended was on being an equity apprentice and eventually joining. I have far fewer notes from that session because my focus at the time was asking questions and discussing specific situations. Here are the few notes that I did take that might be valuable to others contemplating whether joining Equity is going to be the right choice for them.

The benefits of joining equity:

  • Health Benefits
    • chiropractor, massage, acupuncture, etc
    • Disability up to one year
    • Death & dismemberment insurance
    • benefits are in effect starting one week before the contract starts until the contract end date.
  • RRSP
    • automatically deducts a percentage from each week’s pay towards retirement.
  • Other benefits include access to all areas of the equity website, magazines, political advocacy, & other equity publications
  • Equity maintains an availability list of stage managers which is provided to theatre’s looking for someone.

Costs of joining Equity

  • Cost of apprentice credits ($62.50 each for stage management, $112.50 each for actors)
  • Dues
  • a percentage from each paycheque
  • You cannot work on any non-Equity contracts

Define Stage Manager

May 23rd, 2010
by Lois.
No comments yet

Photo by Flickr user mars_discovery_district. Used under creative commons license.

Defining what exactly a stage manager is & does can be a difficult thing. I’ve blogged before about exactly what a single “day in the life” can look like, yet every time I attend a family event and someone asks what I do, I usually mumble something about “sitting in a little black room pushing buttons & making lists.”

One of the great things about the SMArts conference was hearing how some of the other stage managers describe their jobs. Here are a few of my favourite definitions that came from the weekend:

  1. The one who bridges the gap between the technical jargon and the artistic jargon and makes the whole thing pretty.
  2. A stage manager is like a conductor: The conductor doesn’t make the music, but no one else does either unless the conductor says it happens.
  3. A stage manager is like an air traffic controller: All those planes are flown by their own pilots, but none of them land or take off without the instruction of the tower.

SMArts: Calling A Show/The Prompt Script

May 21st, 2010
by Lois.
5 comments
This is the third post in a series of five about my experience at the SMArts conference in Vancouver. I’ve essentially taken my notes and turned them into these posts.  You can find my previous posts on the CTA agreement & the conference in general by clicking on those links.

Calling a show is one of the most public parts of the job of a stage manager and it is also one of the most creative parts of the job. Of course, for many people, it is the most terrifying part, too. It requires a steady voice, a well put together prompt script, & a plan for tech time to make sure you have all the time you need to learn the show.

When it comes to prompt scripts, one thing to remember is that every stage manager has their own way of keeping their prompt script and then important thing is to find one that works for you and then be ready to adapt. Each show has its own needs and sometimes the way you’ve “always done things” just won’t work. Here are a few ideas of things that can help keep a prompt script organized.

  • highlight character names & then use a different colour to highlight stage directions (this way you can ignore them while prompting)
  • track props & quick changes on the side of the page
  • create a space to track entrances and exits
  • use maps with the groundplan for the show (anywhere from 1-3 or more depending on what works for you)
  • write notes about specific character things from the director on the back of the script page (between the script page and the blocking page)
  • use post-it tabs to mark dance numbers or fight scenes on the top of the page
  • Tab the musical numbers & scenes down the side
  • use tear-away pages for original blocking with new copies for each version that you keep until opening when you can write out the finalized blocking

In a perfect, beautiful world the process of tech would look something like this:

1. Paper Tech with designers, director & SM

  • An opportunity to begin putting the cues into the SM’s book but also to talk through sequences, especially the beginning and end of the show and make sure that everyone is on the same page
  • It may seem like common sense, but it is very important that the director be a part of this meeting. This ensures that the vision the designers are sharing with the SM are the same vision the director has for the show.

2. Lighting level session with Lighting Designer, Director, & SM

  • The rule of thumb in this situation is that if the director is there, the SM should be too. If they say they are just going to check out some looks, then make sure that they mean that (and in that case the SM does not need to attend), but if they are going to set cues, the stage manager should be there. No matter how well the director thinks they know the show, there is always going to be that time when the director says, “So the scene plays out entirely in this small area” and you look at the blocking in your script and say “What about the actor you blocked to be on the opposite side of the stage?” The designer has probably only seen one run and chances are good that things have changed since then. Having the stage manager present for the setting of lighting levels & cues is just going to save time when you reach Cue to Cue.
  • If things are all going smoothly during the level session, this is a good time to confirm the calling points from the paper tech and to begin writing in standby cues. Here are some general rules for standby cues:
  • If you trust your operators, you can give them standbys as short as 6-7 lines ahead of the cue.
  • If the operator is really busy with cues (or say your sound operator has multiple CD players, a minidisc player & a laptop) they are going to need a longer standby.
  • Fly cues get a warning about two minutes ahead, then a standby & go
  • If you’re working with a new crew, ask them how they like their standbys
  • Always give your standbys in the same order: lights, sound, flys, extras, actors
  • Write out exact standby information – this is your script & ensures that you say exactly what you mean.

3. Hold a spacing rehearsal in the theatre under work lights

  • This is a time for the cast to get used to the set & the stage before they worry about being plunged into darkness & to discover any safety issues.
  • If you don’t have time to do a full run this way, give the actors 30 minutes to just step through their blocking.

4. Hold a Quick Change rehearsal

  • Cue to cue should not be the first time you tackle a quick change. Spend time on it in rehearsal making sure you have got it down to an art form and as tight as possible.

5. Q2Q

  • There are two primary ways to approach Q2Q
    1. Start at the top and jump from cue to cue (this is the traditional way & works really well for a straight play where cues are just at the top &
    bottom of a scene)
    2. Stumble through the show. Of course you are still going to start & stop to fix things, but for a show with a lot of cues (that are all pre-built) this
    is going to be the most time-efficient approach to tech.
  • Make sure you include quick changes during Q2Q but it should never be the first time
  • First make sure the tech for the transition works, then go back and actually do the quick change with the tech.
  • As you start to figure out the calls for the show, try to get each department down to one syllable (Lights as opposed to LX). This gives you an economy of speech in your calling.
  • Remember that there are some cues you SHOULDN’T call. Light switch cues or sound cues that are timed to actors pushing buttons on fake stereos should be taken visually by the operators. You should still be giving the standbys, but they should take it.
  • When you are deciding where to start tell the ASMs first so they can start pre-setting the stage, then inform the cast and politely ask them to wait until you are ready for them, and finally speak with your crew and make sure they are good with what you are running.
  • Don’t worry if the first page of the script takes an hour or more to work through. The top of the show is the first thing the audience is going to see and at the beginning of the day everyone’s a little on edge. If you can’t solve the opening sequence, move on and go back to it later when everyone has relaxed a little and settled into the way the day is working.
  • Remember that even though tech day is really about the stage manager, it is very important to keep morale up with the cast and one simple way to do this is with politeness. Make sure you continue to use your “please” “thank you” and “Ladies & Gentlemen”.
  • Be prepared. Simple things like having spike & glow tape pre-cut will make a huge difference over the course of the day.

6. Tech Runs

  • Now you are getting to practice calling your show & finding the rhythm of it. This is when you want to be shifting your standbys to make sure they are working best for everyone.
  • Limit the distribution of headsets to only those who need them. At this point your designers are still going to be on headset making changes to the looks of some of their cues with the operators. This is a good thing, but be up front with them about your headset protocol. A good place to start is the no one talks between the a standby and its go unless there is a fire, flood or blood.

7. Dress Rehearsal

  • Now you should be calling the show from your actually calling position and seeing the show as you will during the run.

8. Open the Show

Of course, that’s in a beautiful, perfect world and we don’t usually get that in theatre. But it is something to aspire to and gives a run down of things you need to cover in whatever time you do have.

A few notes on calling follow spots:

  • Each spot is given a number or letter (Spot 1, Spot A, etc)
  • Give a warning substantially ahead of time and give them a lot of information
  • Tell them who they are picking up
  • Tell them where they are picking that person up
  • Tell them what frame (color) they are using
  • A follow spots version of left/right is their own left or right hand. They still do up & down, but when you call a spot Down Right they hit DSL.
  • Before you start using spots, make sure you inform your spot ops:
  • try to keep spots of the soft goods & set pieces
  • douse down/douse up (get softer/brighter)
  • size of shot (waist up, full body, full full body)

Calling a show is something that most apprentices & assistants don’t really get a chance to practice. It is a skill that enables one to be the stage manager of a show and yet it is the one area that there is the least opportunity to train in. Whenever you have a chance to sit in the booth and observe a stage manager calling a show you should take it, even if you aren’t working on that show. One way you can practice calling a show that you aren’t working on is off of an old prompt script & an archival video. Because prompt books are the property of the theatre company when the show closes and because many companies take an archival video of the show, its a chance to see the book that was used to call that particular show. Another option is to watch a movie version of a musical (a good example of this is Joseph & the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat which is very theatrical in its presentation) and figure out where you would have to call the cues to have them turn out as they do.

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Note: this post does not necessarily reflect the personal opinion of the writer. It is a summary of the SMArts session.

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For more on how to build your own prompt script, check out this post: The Show Bible.

SMARTS: Vancouver 2010 Stage Management Conference

May 19th, 2010
by Lois.
2 comments

Last week the SMArts conference came to Vancouver.  Never heard of SMArts? If you’re a stage manager in Canada you should have.  Make sure you check out their website: http://stagemanagingthearts.ca/ They run a 10 day conference in Toronto every year that covers everything from Scheduling & Planning to Television (and how stage management skills transfer) to Job Interviews & Contract Negotiating to Financial Planning to a master class in Stage Managing for the Opera. In addition to the Toronto based conference, they hit the road each year and do a shortened conference in another major Canadian city.  In addition to the conferences they run, they are the people behind the book Stage Managing the Arts in Canada which is one of the best purchases I have made in recent years.

Luckily for me, this year they came to Vancouver and I had the opportunity to attend four of their sessions: CTA SM Clauses, Safety, Apprentice Stage Manager, & Calling a Show/The Prompt Script.  I had a fabulous time at the conference, learned a lot & made good connections. I am in the process of converting some of my notes into blog posts, so keep your eyes open for those.

I learned a lot of concrete things from the conference, but even more valuable than that were two seemingly small things.  The first was an opportunity to meet some of the other apprentice stage managers in Vancouver.  There were four of us who attended most of the sessions and then a couple of others who were at one or two.  We are all at different stages in our careers, but the ability to compare notes about what’s happening in theatre in Vancouver, in regards to hiring practise, availability or not of opportunities, and just general networking was invaluable.  The second thing that seems small but was incredibly valuable to me was a conversation that happened one night at the bar after the day’s sessions were complete.  There were only five of us present: two apprentices (myself included) and three Equity SM’s and we began to talk about the issue of mental health in stage management and the severe stress we put ourselves under on a regular basis.  While we did not come to any conclusions or solutions, the ability to sit along someone and realize “oh, it’s not just me? You experience that too.” was a great strength.  On the last day of the conference they passed around a paper so that we could sign up for a social list and I truly hope that there will be some good social opportunities that arise from that.  If nothing else came from the conference, that alone would have made it worthwhile.  And in my case, that wasn’t the only thing I got from the conference.  But there will be more on that subject in upcoming posts.