What did I agree to and where do I start
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Category: Producing Theater
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URL: http://www.communitytheater.org/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=2729
Printed Date: 11/24/24 at 9:04pm
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Topic: What did I agree to and where do I start
Posted By: Davef
Subject: What did I agree to and where do I start
Date Posted: 10/10/07 at 2:17am
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I just agree to be stage manger/set design/builder for a small theater group (6 actors and a director). I have no experience in theater except the "skits" I just did with a local group. I just ended up organizing things for that two day show. No big on the stage but I love the prep work. I have a basic understanding but is there a good brief book that can get me started. "Stage Manger for Dummies" type thing?
Thanks,
Dave
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Replies:
Posted By: Gaafa
Date Posted: 10/10/07 at 3:48am
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G'day Dave Check out the 'Book Nook' on this site, there are even some special prices. I think this might be what your after;- What is the show your doing, as I'm sure there are heaps of members here, that will help you step by step thru this pleasurable ordeal!   Just ask as that's what we are all about. To manage your stage, without norses, coach or even a whip?  {The Whip! The whip but I'm only thirteen! This is no time to be superstitious! Anything but the whip? ANYTHING? The whip the whip!}  ------------- Joe Western Gondawandaland turn right @ Perth. Hear the light & see the sound. Toi Toi Toi Chookas {{"chook [chicken] it is"} May you always play to a full house} |
Posted By: Gaafa
Date Posted: 10/15/07 at 10:13am
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Sorry Dave I ment to mention about assembling a show 'bible'. Nearly every SM adopt thier own method, which works for them. The way I work, because I'm Right handed, is with the script page on the left & a blank sheet of paper on the right, for cue & notes. If some how or other you can obtain a typed computer copy, all the better [I have never - but hey stange things happen from time to time & they misteriously appear?] A lot of purchased scripts are printed on both sides of a the paper, so I guess you get 2 copies, ensure you stick them down in page order. In the loose leaf ring binder. With musicals I normally use index tabs to seperate scenes, also with some plays, that have far too many scenes. Some SM'shaveablockingbookaswell, but this method handles blocking diagrams & notations on the right hand blank sheet. [ruled sheets work as well - though I prefer to rule up my own] With musicals I use a ruled up rumming sheet into cue colums. Lighting - Music - Moves - Audio - Remarks. With the cues I used numerical for lighting & alphabetical for audio effects. Music cues are numerical in line with score & Moves, stage scene settings are numerical & resart for each scene [most scenes only go Move1, 2 & 3./ scene ] Basicly the largest numbers of cues are for lighting & if there are a lot of audio cues, these can be restarted for each act. {Act 1 21 cues from A-R [cue Q is not used] Act 2 17 cues A-R [again Q is dropped out]} But this rarely happens! I use 3 types of cues;- 'Stand By', 'OnCue' & 'GO'. There are heaps of ways to mark & highlight cues in the Bible. In a play the cue load generaly is light so you can give the 'standBy'1/2 a page before the cue 'go', with musicals a lot of times the cues are too close to afford that. So I give a linked 'StandBy'which could cover multiple cues happening one after the other. Where I have a number of things happening at once, after I give the cue stand by. instead of giving all the seperate cues again before the 'GO'.I just give "All On Cue ......GO"! But others will do it differently - I'msure! ------------- Joe Western Gondawandaland turn right @ Perth. Hear the light & see the sound. Toi Toi Toi Chookas {{"chook [chicken] it is"} May you always play to a full house} |
Posted By: Davef
Date Posted: 10/15/07 at 6:15pm
| Thanks for the info. Funny thing I tried to scan then edit the script for that purpous... man was that a waist of time!!!!! endless hours and still not done. Then it hit me on the way into work, I cut the binding off of the script, then copied it at 150% It is perfect. Now I need to use it lol. |
Posted By: Gaafa
Date Posted: 10/15/07 at 11:27pm
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So I have been told? [I have not tried it, so I lead myself to believe! Besides photo copies, typing it into the PC is much better. As you can edit the black bits in the white spaces, not the black bits of the script text, but all the parts added by the production notes much easier. Having a loose leaf binder, the 5 ring type hold the paper square, which makes your life easier. After all the cues are put to bed, I produce a running sheet of all the cues. The format is as explained in the previous post, take the lighting cues as the primary indicator in numerical order, adding the others as they happen, with the column system. This assists the crew as they are able to realise where their cue is in the script, at any time, by the number of the lighting cue. I head the columns off with the show & act. Page No - scene No- Scene - Light cue - Audio/Music - Move - Preset - Remarks. I have found it easier especialy with musicals, for each crew or operation station to have a copy pasted on the wall. This way you get a picture of the whole show, which helps with set, props & costumes as well. others will have other things they do & would like to share, but as I say you will develop your own system of what works for you. There are heaps of fluro indicators you can get from the local office stationary supliers, that will make it easier. In the initail stages stick to useing pencil & hang on to any reworked sheets, during tech, dress or even the show. As you may have to reinstate the orginal at some time or other. i draw lines on the right hand sheet. when a cue state runs for some time & follows on to the next page, with an arrow down the margin - only for my info. so on any page I know what cue we are in at any time. Further use a star or mark to indicate the exact cue word or line a cue is to happen. Along with with the preshow cues, such as calling Beginners [or as remonder for cast members stand by's, in the script, to the stage] Such as ;- House clearance from FOH, House lights to half, Conductors Dome [Lime] to the pit. Curtain warmers, House out, presets & warmers out. Prior to the Rag going up & the show begins & the same with Interval & after Finarle, Curtain calls - as a standard for the show. But this is usualy worked out with the Director &/or production team. ------------- Joe Western Gondawandaland turn right @ Perth. Hear the light & see the sound. Toi Toi Toi Chookas {{"chook [chicken] it is"} May you always play to a full house} |