Stage Management

Comment

Comment by Bo Metzler 1 day ago

Welcome to all of the newbies. Sharing info and asking/answering questions is the best way to gain knowledge.
Then there are books . . .
Mine is based on 40 years of theatrical experience in college, community, stock, tours and on Broadway for 20 years.
Give it a read.
"What We Do - Working in the Theatre"
The ONLY book about everything in theatre -- written by someone who has actually DONE everything in theatre.
http://www.whatwedo-book.com
Enjoy!

Comment by Trish Causey 1 day ago

Hey, everybody!

Just wanted to chime in and let you know about my TheatreFace.com blog posts re: "Stage Managing 101" and "Basic SM Duties." This Monday, I'll post Part III: "SM Tools of the Trade."

• http://www.theatreface.com/profiles/blogs/stage-managing-101
• http://www.theatreface.com/profiles/blogs/basic-stage-managing-duties

Enjoy, and feel free to leave comments on the blog post pages. Thank you!

trish

http://www.TrishCausey.com

http://theater.about.com

http://www.MusicalTheatreTalk.com

Comment by Kayla Koester on January 21, 2011 at 1:39pm

Hi everyone, I been a part of this group for almost a year but I have never made a post. I am a Junior at Northwest Missouri State University. Now I am finally getting to take a stage management class, in my class we are getting to email professional stage managers and ask them questions about topics we are talking about. I thought it would be cool to bring some of the questions to this group so everyone else can benefit from the experience also. But I need your help. If you want to talk part in this or just to read the responses. I will be posting them in the discussions that way it is not taking up as much space on the wall and it is easier to follow. You don't need to be a professional I think learning about what other schools/people do is a great way to learn. So question one will be in the discussion. I can't wait to see what you all have to say!

thanks a bunch and lets make this a fun learning project!

~Kayla

Comment by Christine on December 15, 2010 at 8:59pm

And welcome to you, too, Sara.

Comment by Sara Furmato on December 15, 2010 at 12:00pm

Hi,
I'm Sara Furmato and I love anything involved with theatre. My dad started me in it when I was 14 and since then never wanted to quit. I adore acting on stage but also in love with the backstage. Two years ago I was asked at my local civic theatre to be the assistant stage manager for their adult show and this past year I "graduated" to being The stage manager for their teen show. I love it. I am hoping to continue with doing jobs like that throughout the coming years.

Comment by Christine on December 6, 2010 at 7:22pm

Welcome, Elizabeth.

Comment by Elizabeth jay LeBLanc on December 5, 2010 at 8:19pm

Hello Everyone,
I am Elizabeth LeBlanc. This is my first year in stage management and I adore it already. Yes, I am still a student, but I have been to plenty of workshops and a Super Conference to be taught by my elders in theater. I have always loved the arts. When I was little I learned most every line of The Sound of Music. When I got a bit older I took on the piano and now the flute. I enjoy singing but will never admit it. I took to stage managing this year when I saw a workshop on it at the UIL Super Conference. My friends were all intimidated of the instructor by the end but I was awestruck. I told her that she had changed my perspective when it came to the arts and she replied, "Good. When your my age I want you to do that to somebody else." Well. I'm on my way.
-Lizzy Leblanc

Comment by Jeremy Fiebig on September 26, 2010 at 8:00am

Lighting folks,

I am proposing a conference panel/working session for ATHE 2011 in Chicago involving green lighting design. The tentative title of the panel is "Green Design in Lighting." The panel will explore green design with a focus on lighting for the stage and the house.

The panel, if accepted, may address any of the following areas:

-Strategies for green lighting design
-Capabilities in LED lighting or other "green" instruments and systems (suppliers, we'd love some demos)
-What current "green" instruments can serve as suitable replacements for more traditional lighting? What are the limitations?
-Federal standards for incandescent lighting, particularly solutions for practical and house lighting
-Strategies for obtaining institutional funds and grants designated for green initiatives, including "greening" renovations, retrofitting, and instrument buys.
-More broadly: how do theater programs contribute to overall green initiatives and strategic planning at the institutional level?
-Green design as good marketing
-Even more broadly: Negotiating a green approach in theatre design and operations generally: how do theaters overcome their image as "consumers" of gels, lamps, hazardous materials, electricity, lumber, and other resources?
-What are "best practices" in green design?

Please note that this list is not exclusive. Please feel free to suggest other related issues.

Panel contribution is open to lighting designers, lighting professionals, teachers, theatre and production managers, electricians, suppliers, green thinkers in theatre, and others with interest. Contributions may involve lighting demonstrations, brief presentations or white papers, production photos from green designs, lighting plots and paperwork from green designs, example policy, strategy, or funding documents (implemented or proposed), tip sheets, surveys of current green instruments and their traditional counterparts, etc. Ideally, the panel will provide participants with a robust set of model/working documents they may use when implementing green approaches to lighting design and electrics, institutional planning and funding, etc.

To propose a contribution, please submit the following:

-Brief proposal outlining your approach to the panel topic (less than 250 words)
-Brief bio, with special attention to work you have completed or plan to complete as related to the panel topic (less than 200 words)
-Description of at least one working document (partial list above) you plan to provide at the session (very brief)

If invited and accepted, panel participants will attend the panel ATHE 2011 in Chicago (August 11-14), which requires registration and conference fees. Grants for those not involved in higher education may be requested and are subject to approval.

To submit a proposal or inquire about the proposed panel, please email Jeremy Fiebig at jfiebig@uncfsu.edu. Proposals are due by October 18, 2010. Accepted proposals will become part of the panel proposal, which is submitted by November 1 for ATHE Design & Technology Focus Group approval. Notification of acceptance will occur no later than March 1, 2011.

Best regards,
Jeremy

-----
Jeremy Fiebig
Assistant Professor of Theatre
Performing and Fine Arts Department
Fayetteville State University
1200 Murchison Road
Fayetteville, NC 28301
http://www.uncfsu.edu/theatre/
http://www.facebook.com/FSUTheatre
jfiebig@uncfsu.edu

"This may sound strange, but it's time to make more mistakes... more I say." -- Richard Keith Blunt

http://faculty.uncfsu.edu/jfiebig

Comment by Rob Scott on August 24, 2010 at 2:53pm

I will chime in since I don't believe that I've ever written a proper introduction here.

I did a lot of theater (acting and tech) in high school in addition to being a band geek, then pretty much dropped out of both to be somebody's idea of an adult by raising a family and building a career (in computer and network administration). Along the way my daughter (now a junior at U of Washington) began participating heavily in the local children's theater programs run by a local woman. Seven years ago I and a number of other parents of her program took her vision and created a sustainable 501(C)(3) non-profit theater organization and I served on the board for five years as well as served as the volunteer technical director of the children's theater facility.

I started acting again seriously 3 years ago when I was cast in a major role in Enchanted April at our 260-seat community theater, and have since been in a number of productions. I've been volunteering for anything tech at the community theater as well as children's theater for the past ten years, and two years ago I tried my hand at stage management and found a real affinity for it. It turns out that many years of technical project management and professional communications in the computer field combined with an "If it's theater tech I've done it as a volunteer" and time on stage as an actor all fit well together as a skillset for stage management. I have been the production SM for four shows and both rehearsal and production SM for an additional show since I began.

I am in the process now of strategically building my stage management experience and resume as a volunteer locally in my community (on Whidbey Island north of Seattle). I am also making connections into the Seattle theater scene to work as SM or ASM either paid or unpaid to continue to get exposure in different venues and to build my resume. The ultimate goal is being able to semi-retire from the computer business and carry on as a professional stage manager. I look forward to learning from the ideas and wisdom on this list.

Comment by Lynna on August 24, 2010 at 1:39pm

Hi, all you newbies! I'm Lynna and I have been doing theater since I was in junior high...I got recruited by the local community theater group for a youngster part, then started taking theater classes in high school, then got my B.A. in Theater (Acting) at UCRiverside. After college, my now-hus and I moved from CA to MA. I got real jobs and did community theater at night. I took some time off when my daughter was born, then my son, then moving around the east coast kept me offstage. When my kids got older, I went back to community theater in my new hometown. I've been on the Board for 15 years, President for the last 4...I act, direct, stage manage, do the program...I do whatever needs to be done and that is usually a bit of everything. I guess I consider myself a professional community theater member. I'm on the Actor and Director forums (among others), but by far, the most conversation is here. I love it!

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