Lesson 3 - Assistant Stage Manager - 10/11/16

The Assistant Stage Manager - Rehearsal Period

Duties
Contact sheets
Prop and furniture lists
Attends production meetings and read through/s
Assists in the prepping of the rehearsal room
Works with production manager and stage manager over budget
Is responsible for the bulk of the research for any props/ set dressing required

After filling out the acquisitions chart a production meeting will be called to discuss the size and style of any larger props and set dressing. Props like writing paper, feathers, money and any other self explanatory props will largely be left to the initiative of the assistant stage manager. However, props such as cushions, suitcases and prams will always be discussed at length. By the end of the production meeting the ASM should have a comprehensive set of notes that they will be to use as guidelines when sourcing props.
During show nights the assistant stage manager will page the curtains and use their own set of prompts to pass props/costume pieces to the actors, and rearrange the set during scene changes.
Below



Marking Up a Props Table



Each prop is individually housed within squares of white LX tape. Below each prop will be the name of the prop. There may also be an indication of who the prop belongs to and what scene it is used for. This allows for quick and easy identification of props on show nights. Larger props like stools and chairs will typically be placed underneath the table with some above to indicate it's position.

Study Task
Source a prop from Danny the Champion of the Universe

Old hunting horn-
I looked at both buying hunting horns and hiring them.
I found one potential hunting horn on eBay for £12.90. It is described as having an "authentic sound."
I have also found examples of similar looking hunting horns that claim to be from the 1970s/80s but most appear to be curved. In the script it is used in reference to the BFG book by Roald Dahl. Ideally I would like to keep a similar aesthetic. However, I have found three examples of curved hunting horns for hire, which are pictured below. My personal favourite is HH3 but I don't think it would fit in well with the story, with the first two having a more fitting look.

HH1

HH3

HH2

Buggy

A buggy from the 1970s. I think that this would be a good choice.











Petrol Pumps - Shell Petrol. Shell Petrol have been around since 1897. I have been unable to find reliable sources of what petrol pumps looked like in the 1970s. Reference Image 1 is of an independent petrol station in England believed to have been built in 1935. RI2 is of an old Shell Petrol pump in the Scottish Highlands. The third image is the prop available for hire. Other makes are available but that one is the most fitting,
Additionally, depending on the style and time we have for the production, I believe a petrol pump could be created out of loose bits of scrap. This pump would not be operational and would require a separate sound effect.




Petrol cans - Set Dressing
To the right is an image of three petrol cans available to hire that could be use to give the set more character.


Also available - a set of coins that would be to the correct time period and location of the production.




Prop Source - http://themetraders.com - £250 minimum
3 x Petrol Pumps
1 x Hunting Horn
1 x Buggy
3? x Petrol Cans
1 x set of old coins

Petrol Cans - Assorted

PET84 - Assorted x Assorted x Assorted  1 x  30.00 each 

Baby buggies

BUG112 - 1.18m x 1.18m x 0.61m  1 x  95.00 each 

Hunting Horn

HORN27 - 0.50m x 1m x 0.13m  1 x  45.00 each 

Petrol Pumps

PE0016 - 1.65m x 0.65m x 0.30m  3 x  150.00 each 

Old british Coins

COIN11 - Assorted  1 x  20.00 each

Prices exclude VAT and are based on a 2 week hire and a min spend of £250 + VAT.