Running Through a Technical Rehearsal
A technical rehearsal is the first rehearsal where all of the technical elements are used together. It is usually the first time that all backstage elements are used in conjunction with one another, namely lighting and sound, but all props, costume and set pieces will also need to be complete and ready for action.
Before the tech rehearsal takes place, the rest of the cast will be walked around the auditorium and stage in order for the Stage Manager to point out any fire doors, hazards, such as trapdoors, wires and trucks, and any backstage areas that may be relevant to the actors, like common rooms, changing rooms, and bathrooms.
Monday, 29 May 2017
Sunday, 28 May 2017
It's all about Cueing!
Practical Cueing - Flowers in the Desert
Script included in physical hand in*
In the previous week's lesson we had all prepared our scripts by placing the first page face down before placing each successive page to the left of it and turning it on. This meant that each page in the script would have a blank right hand side on which to write on. Despite being left handed I found it much easier to have the blocking on my right as I had practiced writing on the right for previous projects.
Once all of our scripts were ready we went through the play and added in all the sound/lighting cues and blocking notation.
Unfortunately I was taken ill on the day of the practical blocking so I was unable to sit in the lighting desk and see the other side of the window.
Etiquette -
Once the Stage Manager gives the Deputy Stage Manager F.o.H clearance it is down for DSM to put the show on the road. The process of starting a show usually goes something like the following:
SM: Front of House Clearance. Put the reds up, DSM.
DSM: Thank you, SM. Stand by LQ 1-2
LT: Standing by.
DSM: Stand by SND Q 1
ST: Standing by.
DSM: Stand by USR W/ beginner
SM: Standing by
SM: Take it away
-- Start Stop Watch
DSM: LXQ 1 Go
DSM: SND Q 1 Go
Should you ever find yourself in the role of a DSM it is important to always remember your manners when you are able as it maintains a more pleasant and less stressful working environment, You must also always give your sound and lighting operatives a standby to give them time to get into position. However, it is bad etiquette to give them their standby call too far in advance as it will mean that they have their finger hovering over the go button for needlessly long amounts of time.
Evaluation
I found the process of putting in the notation and cues a much more enjoyable experience than it was to actually attempt cueing the show. I found it surprisingly difficult to keep up with the action while verbally giving cues than I did when I had to look out for the cues myself while simultaneously operating the lighting and sound desks. Early on in the session I made the mistake of reading out an LX cue when it should have been a SND cue. Although I didn't actually say 'Go,' the operative still went ahead. To me this highlighted the importance of staying on top of everything as even a single wrong word can throw the entire production off.
Despite my early failure, after the first page was complete I found that I settled into the flow of things and become more confident in my cueing, which led to a smoother transition from cue to cue. If I were to redo the project I would immediately attempt to relax more as feeling stressed was more likely to make me act up. Overall, I am generally happy with how I performed this task as it was my first time giving cues to other members of the team and I made it through with relatively few screw ups and learnt a lot in the process.
Cueing to a Score - Chasing Cars
Script included in physical hand in*
The process of cueing to music is very similar to cueing for regular performances except the DSM is looking for changes in music rather than for audible or visual cues. For this reason it is possible (and I use the term very loosely) to cue to music without being able to read music as you are largely looking out for changes in pitch and beat, which is doable although very tricky.
Script included in physical hand in*
In the previous week's lesson we had all prepared our scripts by placing the first page face down before placing each successive page to the left of it and turning it on. This meant that each page in the script would have a blank right hand side on which to write on. Despite being left handed I found it much easier to have the blocking on my right as I had practiced writing on the right for previous projects.
Once all of our scripts were ready we went through the play and added in all the sound/lighting cues and blocking notation.
Unfortunately I was taken ill on the day of the practical blocking so I was unable to sit in the lighting desk and see the other side of the window.
Etiquette -
Once the Stage Manager gives the Deputy Stage Manager F.o.H clearance it is down for DSM to put the show on the road. The process of starting a show usually goes something like the following:
SM: Front of House Clearance. Put the reds up, DSM.
DSM: Thank you, SM. Stand by LQ 1-2
LT: Standing by.
DSM: Stand by SND Q 1
ST: Standing by.
DSM: Stand by USR W/ beginner
SM: Standing by
SM: Take it away
-- Start Stop Watch
DSM: LXQ 1 Go
DSM: SND Q 1 Go
Should you ever find yourself in the role of a DSM it is important to always remember your manners when you are able as it maintains a more pleasant and less stressful working environment, You must also always give your sound and lighting operatives a standby to give them time to get into position. However, it is bad etiquette to give them their standby call too far in advance as it will mean that they have their finger hovering over the go button for needlessly long amounts of time.
Evaluation
I found the process of putting in the notation and cues a much more enjoyable experience than it was to actually attempt cueing the show. I found it surprisingly difficult to keep up with the action while verbally giving cues than I did when I had to look out for the cues myself while simultaneously operating the lighting and sound desks. Early on in the session I made the mistake of reading out an LX cue when it should have been a SND cue. Although I didn't actually say 'Go,' the operative still went ahead. To me this highlighted the importance of staying on top of everything as even a single wrong word can throw the entire production off.
Despite my early failure, after the first page was complete I found that I settled into the flow of things and become more confident in my cueing, which led to a smoother transition from cue to cue. If I were to redo the project I would immediately attempt to relax more as feeling stressed was more likely to make me act up. Overall, I am generally happy with how I performed this task as it was my first time giving cues to other members of the team and I made it through with relatively few screw ups and learnt a lot in the process.
Cueing to a Score - Chasing Cars
Script included in physical hand in*
The process of cueing to music is very similar to cueing for regular performances except the DSM is looking for changes in music rather than for audible or visual cues. For this reason it is possible (and I use the term very loosely) to cue to music without being able to read music as you are largely looking out for changes in pitch and beat, which is doable although very tricky.
Stage Management Week
Monday - 15/05/17
We began by marking out the designs onto the flats using masking tape, a ruler and pencil. This process was incredibly time consuming and we eventually decided to cut off into smaller groups in order to cover more ground. The design would go all round the flat and up along any windows it may pass. This was fine for all windowed flats except for the outermost flats on the stage left and right, which had the design alter course while on the window rather than just run straight along it.We used rollers to base coat the set in greenish brown colour that I initially didn't like at all as I found it a bleak, depressing colour that didn't represent what we were trying to create. I did end up eating my words as the project progressed and the marbling effect was applied as the mix of colours did go well together. However, I still maintain that the final version looked more a church than shopping centre.
Tuesday - 16/05/17Tuesday was largely focused on the marbling of the flats, with the frosting being applied to the windows later on in the night.
In order to achieve the marbling we experimented with three different ways of approaching the task. The first one involved us spraying the flats with coats of paint before sponging them in and then adding more specific line marks. This didn't work incredibly well as more often than not the paint dried before we had a chance to sponge. The second method involved more deliberate strikes of paint, which I found made the flat appear much more barren in places. To the right is an example of the texture we were going for. The third method is something I in part came up with but was not listened or unheard the first two times I suggested it. This method involved incorporating both the earlier ways and involved coating the flat in paint, sponging them in before going back and adding in the more detailed lines. I think that this was the ideal way of achieving the effect as we ensured that every part of the flat was painted but did not lost out on any of the additional detail.
Wednesday - 17/05/17Get in / Fit-up plan
All flats except the centre pieces were stacked vertically in the van. The first time we attempted to stack the pieces we had them stacked too diagonally and they all had to be re positioned to allow the rest of the pieces in. We stacked them back to back, and front to front, which hopefully ensured that scratching to both the marbling and the polycarbon was minimised.
The centre pieces were too large to be placed in the van and had to be carried manually from the workshop to the theatre. Due to the shortest route containing an alarming number of cars, we decided to take the pieces around the reception and up the road before coming down on the Haliwell. This was a slightly longer journey but had the added benefit of being much more open and car free.When carrying the flats we had initially held them vertically and found we struggled this approach. Once we were free from the road we were able to hold them horizontally and found this to be the far superior method as the weight was more evenly distributed and we had a better group.
Once all pieces had been gathered at the Haliwell we all banded together to get the centre back piece up before we could branch out into our individual groups
Thursday - 18/05/17
Friday - 19/05/17
9 am - 4 pm
9 am - 12 am
9 am - 2:00 am
Rehearsals
Line work
Frosting the glass
Patterns
I was primarily focused on the adding on of the patterns to the smaller flats. This was an incredible pain to do as I had no idea of how to go about it. My first attempt ended in absolute failure with gradual improvement as we went along. My final approach was to stick lines of masking tape onto the tape on which I could mark out the correct distances and locations for the patterns. I would then join up all the dots before using a scalpel to cut away all of the excess tape.
Redoing of props table
My initial marking out of the props table was a very rough interpretation of what it should be so that I could get all the props down in one place. I tried to do it alphabetically so that each actor would know immediately roughly where their prop would lie. While I worked on the patterns, Iona went and redid parts of the prop table so that everything appeared much more neat while still adhering to the same structure I had. I think that she did a much better job of it than I had and will be forever grateful that she did the job without me admitting defeat and asking.
Dog lead
The dog lead was initially the cause of some distress because I had thought that the entire think needed to be rigid and I was not sure how to accomplish this without it all looking a bit silly. My nerves were calmed after I was informed that only the collar section needed to be firm and the rest could still be loose. I achieved this by crudely stitching in armature wire that I had coloured in black around the inside of the collar. Although this worked quite well, the actors were not the most light handed and certain sections kept coming undone. This was all put to an end after I used the rest of my black thread to make certain that the wire was going no where.
Shoe box
The shoe box was relatively simple. I drew out a base design on a piece of paper before marking out the location of the letters and adding them in lightly with pencil. I then base coated the entire thing with 'burnt umber' Rosco paint. I used two coats of a 'pure, brilliant' white to colour in the letters and left the area immediately surrounding them orange in order to give all the paint some time to dry. Once completely dry I went back to the letters to fill in the gaps I had missed. However, much to my dismay I had failed to colour match the browns despite being certain that I had used two of the same colours. I got round this problem by creating a bubble like effect around the writing and added the new colour to key locations. I think that this worked out extremely well as it gave the box an added depth as well as looking intentional.Posters
We needed additional missing posters to add to the set as well as the immediate area surrounding the theatre. I would have done this using the A3 printer in the 24 hour computer room, but our head lecturer graciously allowed me to send her the picture so that she could print the images free of charge.
Newspaper
The newspaper was reserved the night before and collected in the morning.
Sign
The sign was probably my greatest struggle over the course of the production as it took a long time to source as we required it from the third year show, which only ended on Saturday. I then failed to find the correct sign but managed to locate some others I thought would be suitable. I did find a stand in sign until the correct one could be obtained but I did not know how to fix it to the stage and it kept coming apart so did not use it until requested.Once the sign had been found I base coated it with white paint at least five times in order to cover up the previous design. I then experimented with a stencil to come up with a style I was happy with before transferring the original design from paper to sign. A big shout out to Jordane who took over from me after I was called away to attend other matters. I could not have done it without her.m
Sunday - Pre technical technical rehearsal
Beginning and end of each scene to plot lights
General Tasks for the rest of the week:
Before each morning and afternoon rehearsal I would
During the show
- Cut and place the cheese on paper towel for the cheese board. Add in cocktail sticks for added effect.
- Meet Katyana after the second scene to collect props for prop table
- Act as stage hand to place and take away the sign for two scenes. Despite popular belief, it was only two scenes that the sign was wanted there and I did not miss any cues.
- Fix say cheese badge
- Maintain the dog lead
- Work on poster for the final show
After the show
- I would usually just throw out the old cheese and make sure the props table was neat and tidy for the next day's use
Stage Crew and Scene Change Protocol
Etiquette
Before the show
Mark out any and all sudden drops or hazards that could affect the safety of crew or the movement of trucks.
If possible make call out that you are moving any trucks so that people in the affected area know what's happening and have a chance to move out of harms way.
Only move large set pieces with the appropriate number of people so that nobody puts any unnecessary strain on them self.
Ensure that all backstage crew only move when the lights have gone down and music is playing. This distracts the audience and gives them something to enjoy.
Ensure that all necessary crew have a copy of the scene breakdown and a completed cue list for each need they are required.
All crew are to be in blacks so that they do not stand out on stage. It is better to be wearing long sleeved shirts if the crew member is to be visible at any time.
Evaluation
I would say that Stage Management is one of the few modules where I am satisfied with my performance during it, disregarding the 6 weeks or so where I really let myself down. It is the module that I think ties everything else together. Whereas some skills are only relevant to their own specific discipline, Stage Management encapsulates them all and takes elements from all other areas. A good stage manager is required to be a Jack of all trades, master of none. Over the course of their career as they progress through the ranks of assistant stage manager, deputy stage manager and eventually stage manager, may be tasked with assisting the get in, repairing clothing, maintaining scenic art and sourcing props. In this area I think that this has been an incredibly successful year as I have picked up on so many new skills and areas for improvement.
Stop
Stressing so much about everything. I
Putting everything off until last minute
Start
I would like to start taking a more active role on the productions I work on. Whereas before this year I was too hesitant to take up any major responsibilities (like cueing a show) I now find myself in a position where although I am not yet ready to jump at the chance, I am much more likely to grab every opportunity that comes my way. I am more confident in both myself and my abilities to get the job done. This is most evident in how I had previously worked on 'You Me Bum Bum Train', where although I was given the chance to cue, I was much too hesitant and let the opportunity pass me by.
Continue
Learning the trades of the different disciplines and applying them to a Stage Management role. For example, the work that we did in costume came in use during the final show where I had to construct the fixed dog lead.
What I will be taking forward
All of the skills I have learnt throughout this module and all of the others, from basic construction and costume maintenance, to improvements in scenic art and prop sourcing.
What went well
Smaller group work. One of the greatest strengths of our year as a whole is how well we all get on and work together. There is nobody within our year group that I wouldn't want to work with or that I feel wouldn't pull their weight. When working in smaller groups I know I am able to depend on my partner/s and we are able to properly communicate our thoughts and ideas. One of my favourite moments from the module was working into the night with Jamie, Iona and Autumn in order to get the set finished before the pre tech because I knew that I could depend on each one of them and that we were all in it together. Although I didn't get to stay until the end because I would have been locked outside all night had I tried, I still thoroughly enjoyed the experience and would have stayed had I been able.
What didn't go so well
Across the board I would say that my commitment to the process workbooks definitely lagged towards the end of the module and my main piece of advice to future first years is to keep on top of the study tasks as it is far easier to do them weekly than to try and fit them all in towards the end of the module.
I find that although I definitely learnt a lot from the module, I found it slightly more difficult than the other modules because it is more abstract and I found it much harder to write about.
In terms of the course as a whole I found that I was far more focused during the intensive work weeks and think that focusing on one module at a time would be a much better way of approaching the tasks as we are able to get so much more done and save a lot of time as opposed to spending every day focusing on different things. I think that the time we saved could be spent on weekly "production meetings" where we feedback on the study tasks and the lesson activities. This would not be dis-similar to working in an actual theatrical company where we would know we have to be at a certain standard on a week by week basis.
Baptism by Fire - SM for Acting Gymnasium
Romeo and Juliet, Three Sisters, Platonov, Lady Windemere
Background
I watched multiple videos and read a few online tutorials in order to get myself acquainted with Q-Lab.
Sunday 12th February - Get In
Background
I watched multiple videos and read a few online tutorials in order to get myself acquainted with Q-Lab.
Sunday 12th February - Get In
Duties for the day
I picked up a sofa ('Lady Windemere') and garden furniture ('Platonov') with the ASM. Once back at the venue I was told that I would be primarily working for the lighting guy, Liam. My daily responsibilities included footing the ladder, gathering lanterns, learning the basics to the lighting desk - Zero 88 Frog, storing the set and learning the cues.
I was informed that the first show for Platonov would take place the next morning and the first show for Lady Windemere would take place the following afternoon with the technician having to leave half way through. It was here that I learned my primary duty throughout the following two weeks would be operating the sound and lighting cues for all of the four shows. For the latter half of the afternoon I was to work with the ASM to gather names and contact numbers of each cast member while the director and technician plotted the lights. I was taught the basics to editing lights, creating channels, linking lanterns and setting scenes. At the day I was able to go into individual scenes to edit the lighting in addition to being able to create entirely new scenes. In the evening I assisted the on staff caretaker to lock up the building and was given a list of the things to do. I was given out of order scripts for Romeo and Juliet, and The Three Sisters.
I was informed that the first show for Platonov would take place the next morning and the first show for Lady Windemere would take place the following afternoon with the technician having to leave half way through. It was here that I learned my primary duty throughout the following two weeks would be operating the sound and lighting cues for all of the four shows. For the latter half of the afternoon I was to work with the ASM to gather names and contact numbers of each cast member while the director and technician plotted the lights. I was taught the basics to editing lights, creating channels, linking lanterns and setting scenes. At the day I was able to go into individual scenes to edit the lighting in addition to being able to create entirely new scenes. In the evening I assisted the on staff caretaker to lock up the building and was given a list of the things to do. I was given out of order scripts for Romeo and Juliet, and The Three Sisters.
Monday 13th February - Shows
In the morning I preset the stage for 'Platonov' with the ASM. As this was the first time the stage had been set we had to first fill thirty plant pots with soil before adding two fake flowers to each one. These were to be positioned along the front of the audience. The technician and director spent the morning plotting the lights for the show later that day. Due to the shortage of time I was unable to be taught any of the correct cues. The first tech was a complete shamble. There was a lot of miscommunication between myself and the technician, which led to increased tension and poor sound/lighting co-ordination. Fortunately, it was an early running and there were few spectators in the auditorium. As I had no script and there was no time to go through the cues beforehand, I had to rely on the technician to give me verbal cues, which often changed. There was also a delay in Q-Lab, which led to multiple silly errors and annoyance.
For the afternoon the show the set had to be completely changed. Once again, the ASM and I preset Lady Windemere by removing all of the previous set and bringing in a shez long, table, fireplace and drinks cabinet among others. Lady Windemere ran slightly more smoothly as although I didn't have a script, the only cues were the start and end of each scene. Rather than running sound through Q-Lab the director brought in his own CD and requested we run music through that. For the first act I merely turned the volume up and down before I was handed control of the lighting desk for the second half. Thankfully it wasn't too complicated and I managed to get to grips with it fairly easily.
Tuesday 14th February
First Show -Romeo & Juliet
I still hadn't been given any of the cues for Romeo & Juliet other than sheet of paper the lighting technician had given me more he left. This once again led to another poor performance in which I had no idea what I was doing. It was also the first time I had ever cued both the sound and lighting for a production from the beginning. I missed cues and went early on others. I think that this was the worst show of the entire two weeks. It was at this point that I was starting to believe I had made a terrible mistake in signing up for the project as I did not think I was up to the challenge.
Tech - Three Sisters
We began the day by finding out that all of the audio files for Three Sisters had been corrupted. It was then down to me to source the sound effects for the show later that day. Luckily there were only 8 - 10 or so effects and I was able to obtain most of them from Youtube before using a video converter to make them all an MP3 and inserting the new files into Q-Lab. However, I didn't have time to insert all of the cues within my lunch break so a few were missing. From this task I gained a more in depth knowledge of Q-Lab and feel more confident in the editing of programs to make them fit the task at hand. One aspect I found particularly difficult was the placing in of faders. I followed online tutorials but could not get them to work in the way I wanted to. I got around this problem by adjusting the master control during each fade. This led to a few mistakes where the music came in slightly late after I forgot to turn the volume back up before hitting play. On top of that, the script I was given was un-labelled, was from two different versions and had pages missing. I also lacked any cue list. This ultimately led to a fair few cues being missed. I finished the day down trodden and truly lacking any spirit.
Wednesday 15th February
Lady Windemere
One of the actors was unable to perform so his role was taken on by one of the directors. The director missed cues and said completely the wrong line. At one point stating confidently that Lady Windemere was still in the house when in fact she was supposed to have called a carriage and gone. I thought that the actors performed to the best of the ability and hardly let this phase them. It may have been at this point that the other co-director left the project and one of the actors took up the mantle. Having already successfully performed this play before I was fairly confident in my abilities and the play went smoothly. I was just starting to feel better about myself when we ran through Platonov for the first time with me being completely on my own.
Platonov
Although still far from perfect, I luckily had the director in with me during this run so that he was able to point out any cue I had not yet been given. We ran through the list with few issues. However, there was once again a slight communication error and I accidentally sent forth a few cues slightly early.
Thursday 16th February
Three Sisters' key actors and co-director dropped out of the project, which meant that we could no longer run it. There was now only of the original directors remaining to direct the last three plays.
Romeo & Juliet x 2
During the newly obtained time in the morning the director ran me 'cue to cue' for Romeo & Juliet for the first time. At this point I had managed to get the script in order and had already added a few of my cues so the task was fairly simple. By the end of the running I had managed to get a complete list of my cues in the script. Unfortunately I had to leave to catch my bus back up to university before the final show so I do not have the final script available. A segment will be written about it below as Romeo & Juliet was the most technical show. This was the first of the press nights so tensions were running high. We managed to run through the afternoon show with few technical difficulties on part and ironed out the others.
The press night went considerably well and I believe that it the review given on the night is the one I have linked to below.
Friday 17th February
Lady Windemere
The new director wanted a change of music for the second act of Lady Windemere, which was a party sequence. She also wanted the music to grow louder whenever the room to the party was opened. As there were no suitable tracks on the original track I had been given we were not able to do this for the current show. Other than that minor set back, there were no issues with this show. One of the actors was able to give me her script for the performance so I was now in possession of two complete scripts.
Platonov
Saturday 18th February -
Romeo and Juliet
Sunday 19th February
Lady Windemere
Platonov
Romeo and Juliet
Monday 20th February
Romeo and Juliet
Tuesday 21st February
Platonov Lady Windemere
Wednesday 22nd February
Lady Windemere
Thursday 23rd February
Platonov
Friday 24th February
Romeo and Juliet
Lady Windemere
Saturday 25th February - Platonov
Sunday 26th February - Platonov, Romeo and Juliet
General Duties
Clean and prepare the alcohol bottles for Platonov and Lady Windemere before each show.
Pre-set each production. Set layout included for Platonov. Romeo & Juliet had no set so the previous set just had to be cleared. Set for Lady Windemere already previously mentioned
Operate the FoH when the ASM and Director arrived late.
Go through and lock up the building at the end of the night.
Arrive early for each day to turn on all the lights, dimmers, and test sound.
Go to shops to source last minute props and refreshments.
Maintaining the shez long.
Review for Romeo & Juliet
https://www.londontheatre1.com/news/166976/romeo-and-juliet-theatro-technis-review/
Evaluation
I would say that although I could have done far better, I performed the task quite well considering I had no idea I would be cueing all four shows until the day before and had no previous experience in the subject.
What went well?
By the final week of the production I had a fairly comprehensive list of all of my cues and a description of where they appeared in each show. Although I would have liked the chance to learn the cues before the night of the first show, it did give me great first hand experience in learning on the spot and improvisation.
What did not go well?
I would say that a lack of communication was a definite flaw of the project as a whole. A lot of the time I was not told to changes to cues until after they were used in shows, namely Lady Windemere with the changes to set and the actors starting positions. This led to either lengthy periods of darkness or the actors rushing into place as the lights went up.
What do I want to take forward?
Strengths
I was almost always the first to arrive and one of the last to leave. I arrived each day committed to the task at hand and with a fully stocked tool kit that included but was not limited to pens, prompt copy, chewing gum, water, paper clips, gaffer tape. post it notes, safety pins and a miniature sewing kit.
Weakness
I would say that my overall weakness is that I would get incredibly stressed throughout the performances, which although did affect my performance slightly, it also meant that I lost all enjoyment for the project and my concentration may have lagged slightly towards the end of the project.
In the morning I preset the stage for 'Platonov' with the ASM. As this was the first time the stage had been set we had to first fill thirty plant pots with soil before adding two fake flowers to each one. These were to be positioned along the front of the audience. The technician and director spent the morning plotting the lights for the show later that day. Due to the shortage of time I was unable to be taught any of the correct cues. The first tech was a complete shamble. There was a lot of miscommunication between myself and the technician, which led to increased tension and poor sound/lighting co-ordination. Fortunately, it was an early running and there were few spectators in the auditorium. As I had no script and there was no time to go through the cues beforehand, I had to rely on the technician to give me verbal cues, which often changed. There was also a delay in Q-Lab, which led to multiple silly errors and annoyance.
For the afternoon the show the set had to be completely changed. Once again, the ASM and I preset Lady Windemere by removing all of the previous set and bringing in a shez long, table, fireplace and drinks cabinet among others. Lady Windemere ran slightly more smoothly as although I didn't have a script, the only cues were the start and end of each scene. Rather than running sound through Q-Lab the director brought in his own CD and requested we run music through that. For the first act I merely turned the volume up and down before I was handed control of the lighting desk for the second half. Thankfully it wasn't too complicated and I managed to get to grips with it fairly easily.
Tuesday 14th February
First Show -Romeo & Juliet
I still hadn't been given any of the cues for Romeo & Juliet other than sheet of paper the lighting technician had given me more he left. This once again led to another poor performance in which I had no idea what I was doing. It was also the first time I had ever cued both the sound and lighting for a production from the beginning. I missed cues and went early on others. I think that this was the worst show of the entire two weeks. It was at this point that I was starting to believe I had made a terrible mistake in signing up for the project as I did not think I was up to the challenge.
Tech - Three Sisters
We began the day by finding out that all of the audio files for Three Sisters had been corrupted. It was then down to me to source the sound effects for the show later that day. Luckily there were only 8 - 10 or so effects and I was able to obtain most of them from Youtube before using a video converter to make them all an MP3 and inserting the new files into Q-Lab. However, I didn't have time to insert all of the cues within my lunch break so a few were missing. From this task I gained a more in depth knowledge of Q-Lab and feel more confident in the editing of programs to make them fit the task at hand. One aspect I found particularly difficult was the placing in of faders. I followed online tutorials but could not get them to work in the way I wanted to. I got around this problem by adjusting the master control during each fade. This led to a few mistakes where the music came in slightly late after I forgot to turn the volume back up before hitting play. On top of that, the script I was given was un-labelled, was from two different versions and had pages missing. I also lacked any cue list. This ultimately led to a fair few cues being missed. I finished the day down trodden and truly lacking any spirit.
Wednesday 15th February
Lady Windemere
One of the actors was unable to perform so his role was taken on by one of the directors. The director missed cues and said completely the wrong line. At one point stating confidently that Lady Windemere was still in the house when in fact she was supposed to have called a carriage and gone. I thought that the actors performed to the best of the ability and hardly let this phase them. It may have been at this point that the other co-director left the project and one of the actors took up the mantle. Having already successfully performed this play before I was fairly confident in my abilities and the play went smoothly. I was just starting to feel better about myself when we ran through Platonov for the first time with me being completely on my own.
Platonov
Although still far from perfect, I luckily had the director in with me during this run so that he was able to point out any cue I had not yet been given. We ran through the list with few issues. However, there was once again a slight communication error and I accidentally sent forth a few cues slightly early.
Thursday 16th February
Three Sisters' key actors and co-director dropped out of the project, which meant that we could no longer run it. There was now only of the original directors remaining to direct the last three plays.
Romeo & Juliet x 2
During the newly obtained time in the morning the director ran me 'cue to cue' for Romeo & Juliet for the first time. At this point I had managed to get the script in order and had already added a few of my cues so the task was fairly simple. By the end of the running I had managed to get a complete list of my cues in the script. Unfortunately I had to leave to catch my bus back up to university before the final show so I do not have the final script available. A segment will be written about it below as Romeo & Juliet was the most technical show. This was the first of the press nights so tensions were running high. We managed to run through the afternoon show with few technical difficulties on part and ironed out the others.
The press night went considerably well and I believe that it the review given on the night is the one I have linked to below.
Friday 17th February
Lady Windemere
The new director wanted a change of music for the second act of Lady Windemere, which was a party sequence. She also wanted the music to grow louder whenever the room to the party was opened. As there were no suitable tracks on the original track I had been given we were not able to do this for the current show. Other than that minor set back, there were no issues with this show. One of the actors was able to give me her script for the performance so I was now in possession of two complete scripts.
Platonov
Saturday 18th February -
Romeo and Juliet
Sunday 19th February
Lady Windemere
Platonov
Romeo and Juliet
Monday 20th February
Romeo and Juliet
Tuesday 21st February
Platonov Lady Windemere
Wednesday 22nd February
Lady Windemere
Thursday 23rd February
Platonov
Friday 24th February
Romeo and Juliet
Lady Windemere
Saturday 25th February - Platonov
Sunday 26th February - Platonov, Romeo and Juliet
General Duties
Clean and prepare the alcohol bottles for Platonov and Lady Windemere before each show.
Pre-set each production. Set layout included for Platonov. Romeo & Juliet had no set so the previous set just had to be cleared. Set for Lady Windemere already previously mentioned
Operate the FoH when the ASM and Director arrived late.
Go through and lock up the building at the end of the night.
Arrive early for each day to turn on all the lights, dimmers, and test sound.
Go to shops to source last minute props and refreshments.
Maintaining the shez long.
Review for Romeo & Juliet
https://www.londontheatre1.com/news/166976/romeo-and-juliet-theatro-technis-review/
Evaluation
I would say that although I could have done far better, I performed the task quite well considering I had no idea I would be cueing all four shows until the day before and had no previous experience in the subject.
What went well?
By the final week of the production I had a fairly comprehensive list of all of my cues and a description of where they appeared in each show. Although I would have liked the chance to learn the cues before the night of the first show, it did give me great first hand experience in learning on the spot and improvisation.
What did not go well?
I would say that a lack of communication was a definite flaw of the project as a whole. A lot of the time I was not told to changes to cues until after they were used in shows, namely Lady Windemere with the changes to set and the actors starting positions. This led to either lengthy periods of darkness or the actors rushing into place as the lights went up.
What do I want to take forward?
Strengths
I was almost always the first to arrive and one of the last to leave. I arrived each day committed to the task at hand and with a fully stocked tool kit that included but was not limited to pens, prompt copy, chewing gum, water, paper clips, gaffer tape. post it notes, safety pins and a miniature sewing kit.
Weakness
I would say that my overall weakness is that I would get incredibly stressed throughout the performances, which although did affect my performance slightly, it also meant that I lost all enjoyment for the project and my concentration may have lagged slightly towards the end of the project.
Lesson 8 - Theatrical companies
Study Task - Write up notes on theatrical companies spoken about in class
ABTT - Association of British Theatre Technicians
They are a registered charity that push for legislation that relevant and appropriate to the industry's needs.
They also provide a safety helpline and courses that include pyrotechnics and Risk Management.
SBTD -Society of British Theatre Designers
It is the aim of the SBTD to "explore and further" the role of theatrical designers in arts. It provides educational resources and a catalogue of British theatre designer.
They provide a variety of courses that range between foundation courses, undergraduate and short courses and post graduate courses. They also throw events and provide exhibitions of their members' works.
World Stage Design
Word Stage Design is a yearly festival that takes place all round the world and celebrates the work of over 150 designers from 35 countries around the world.
A subgroup is known as Scenofest, which provides a series of workshops, lectures, activities, seminars and events all relevant to the amazing world of stage design (ha ha)
SMA - Stage Manager's Association
When looking at the SMA's website I found their description of what they do to be better than what I could do so I am sticking to it.
"We support, develop, represent and promote the work of members in the profession" - Website
"- to do your work to the highest possible standard: the SMA provides training, information resources, a quarterly magazine, advice and helplines, mentoring and career development
- to you as freelancer or employee around issues such as tax, contracts etc. as well as help finding work with the SMA's famous Freelist"
ABTT - Association of British Theatre Technicians
They are a registered charity that push for legislation that relevant and appropriate to the industry's needs.
They also provide a safety helpline and courses that include pyrotechnics and Risk Management.
SBTD -Society of British Theatre Designers
It is the aim of the SBTD to "explore and further" the role of theatrical designers in arts. It provides educational resources and a catalogue of British theatre designer.
They provide a variety of courses that range between foundation courses, undergraduate and short courses and post graduate courses. They also throw events and provide exhibitions of their members' works.
World Stage Design
Word Stage Design is a yearly festival that takes place all round the world and celebrates the work of over 150 designers from 35 countries around the world.
A subgroup is known as Scenofest, which provides a series of workshops, lectures, activities, seminars and events all relevant to the amazing world of stage design (ha ha)
SMA - Stage Manager's Association
When looking at the SMA's website I found their description of what they do to be better than what I could do so I am sticking to it.
"We support, develop, represent and promote the work of members in the profession" - Website
"- to do your work to the highest possible standard: the SMA provides training, information resources, a quarterly magazine, advice and helplines, mentoring and career development
- to you as freelancer or employee around issues such as tax, contracts etc. as well as help finding work with the SMA's famous Freelist"
Kev McCurdy
Kev McCurdy
Kev McCurdy is a fight choreographer for television, film and and theatre.
During the first half of the session he highlighted the importance of risk assessing everything that takes place during a fight scene to ensure that everything is fully covered and no harm is done to any of the participants. As a stage manager it may fall to them to write all the risk assessments, although Kev does them himself and then sends on to the company. Any alterations to the fight choreography must be mentioned to the fight director as they are the only ones who can make sure the fight is safe and risk assessed. Kev makes sure that he is available as often as possible so that he can approve and go over any differences. When running through a fight sequence it is a good idea to show each step in installments so that the cast have a chance to grasp each step individually before they move on to the next one. Once they have grasped all of the steps in the sequence the fight director is then able to get the cast to recount each step so that they are sure the fight is well known and that nothing can go wrong.
Below is two examples of risk assessments that Kev McCurdy showed us. I actually really like this format of risk assessment as they progress from one section to the other in a clear and concise manor. They give all of the information about the fight, the hazards and what the company / fight director has done in order to make it safe. I think that it could work as a general risk assessment for anything ranging from truck use to specific workrooms as you are able to include all of the same information while adding more detail to the operation or room in question.
Kev McCurdy is a fight choreographer for television, film and and theatre.
During the first half of the session he highlighted the importance of risk assessing everything that takes place during a fight scene to ensure that everything is fully covered and no harm is done to any of the participants. As a stage manager it may fall to them to write all the risk assessments, although Kev does them himself and then sends on to the company. Any alterations to the fight choreography must be mentioned to the fight director as they are the only ones who can make sure the fight is safe and risk assessed. Kev makes sure that he is available as often as possible so that he can approve and go over any differences. When running through a fight sequence it is a good idea to show each step in installments so that the cast have a chance to grasp each step individually before they move on to the next one. Once they have grasped all of the steps in the sequence the fight director is then able to get the cast to recount each step so that they are sure the fight is well known and that nothing can go wrong.
Below is two examples of risk assessments that Kev McCurdy showed us. I actually really like this format of risk assessment as they progress from one section to the other in a clear and concise manor. They give all of the information about the fight, the hazards and what the company / fight director has done in order to make it safe. I think that it could work as a general risk assessment for anything ranging from truck use to specific workrooms as you are able to include all of the same information while adding more detail to the operation or room in question.
Lesson 9 - Theatrical Genres
Theatrical Genres
Touring -Taking Flight
Unfortunately, Taking Flight did not get back to me after my email a few weeks ago so this is all information gained from both classwork and my independent study.
Children's theatrical entertainment company.
"Our aim with this company is to work with groups of people who have traditionally been under-represented in theatre, film and television." - Website
A large part of what they do is centered around working with physically or mentally impaired actors. This means that CRB check could be required and the SM may be the one responsible for making sure that they're done.
The fact that they are a touring
Run workshops
http://www.takingflighttheatre.co.uk/
Rep Theatre - National Theatre
SM Duties
- Hire out props and costumes
- Corporate meetings and Weddings - Sole caterer
- Free exhibitions - gather information, props, costumes, sets?
Scene set up, make tea, hand out, break downs, general conduit. centre piece spreads information about props costume sound around the company. supervisor - trucks, flying . lights up .
Actors are where they're supposed to be
Work with
Primary Schools
Young People
Secondary Schools
Platforms
Talks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sj6tvqQR5iw&index=7&list=PLJgBmjHpqgs5SvR8xSnvuHcFTbDl_hta6
Children' Theatre - Scene and Heard
Scene and Heard connect with various industry professionals and writers in order to put together workshops for underprivileged children within London. The workshops all eventually come together and a show is produced.
Children
Theatrical Professionals and Career Writers
The process of putting on each workshop and the overall show requires multiple people with different backgrounds to come together and work. It is down to the SM to ar
In addition to working with local children, Scene and Heard also collaborate with many different organisations. The Stage Manager would be the one to communicate with each organisation to arrange each project.
Birkbeck College, University Of LondonCase Study
Professional Work Placement SchemeCentral School of Speech and Drama
BBC World ServiceRecording Studios
National Theatre Of Scotland
Musical
Ballet
Opera
Dance
https://www.sceneandheard.org/
Touring -Taking Flight
Unfortunately, Taking Flight did not get back to me after my email a few weeks ago so this is all information gained from both classwork and my independent study.
Children's theatrical entertainment company.
"Our aim with this company is to work with groups of people who have traditionally been under-represented in theatre, film and television." - Website
A large part of what they do is centered around working with physically or mentally impaired actors. This means that CRB check could be required and the SM may be the one responsible for making sure that they're done.
The fact that they are a touring
Run workshops
http://www.takingflighttheatre.co.uk/
Rep Theatre - National Theatre
SM Duties
- Hire out props and costumes
- Corporate meetings and Weddings - Sole caterer
- Free exhibitions - gather information, props, costumes, sets?
Scene set up, make tea, hand out, break downs, general conduit. centre piece spreads information about props costume sound around the company. supervisor - trucks, flying . lights up .
Actors are where they're supposed to be
Work with
Primary Schools
Young People
Secondary Schools
Platforms
Talks
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sj6tvqQR5iw&index=7&list=PLJgBmjHpqgs5SvR8xSnvuHcFTbDl_hta6
Children' Theatre - Scene and Heard
Scene and Heard connect with various industry professionals and writers in order to put together workshops for underprivileged children within London. The workshops all eventually come together and a show is produced.
Children
Theatrical Professionals and Career Writers
The process of putting on each workshop and the overall show requires multiple people with different backgrounds to come together and work. It is down to the SM to ar
In addition to working with local children, Scene and Heard also collaborate with many different organisations. The Stage Manager would be the one to communicate with each organisation to arrange each project.
Birkbeck College, University Of LondonCase Study
Professional Work Placement SchemeCentral School of Speech and Drama
BBC World ServiceRecording Studios
National Theatre Of Scotland
Musical
Ballet
Opera
Dance
https://www.sceneandheard.org/
Lesson 7 - Production Manager - Unchecked
The Production Manager
The production manager liaisons with all other departments to ensure that everything runs smoothly and that no problems arise. They assist in the making of decisions regarding costume, budget, casting, lighting and other aspects of a theatrical production. They look into the rates of pay, maintain the budget, book tours and ensure that health & guidelines are being followed. In addition to this, they will check in on rehearsals and generally make sure that the theatrical ship sails smoothly. The production manager may be responsible for publicity but there is often a seperate role to handle this.
Production Meetings
During the pre production meeting the production manager will set the agenda, time, location and attendance.
Each production meeting will run through:
Department Reports - Design, Costume, Props, Construction, LX/ sound
Each department will go through any problems that have come up, discuss deadlines and the progress they have made.
Discussions, Questions, Concerns - Rehearsal schedule, future meetings, site visits, site access and transport
Budget - This is a general discussion about the distribution of the budget. The production manager would mention any changes to the budget that may have occurred. For example, in the production meeting I attended for the third year mainhouse production of 'The Elephant Man,' it was revealed that the construction budget had been increased to £700 while the props budget had been reduced to £200.
Publicity - Press, posters, tickets, program, box office split
Production Schedule - This segment handles the schedule for the production. It includes dates for the fit up, get in, rehearsals, tech rehearsals, press nights and the first show.
Any other business - This is a chance for anyone to raise any additional matters relating to the production that are not covered by the other sections.
The ideal production meeting last an hour, with one and a half hours being the absolute maximum.
The production manager liaisons with all other departments to ensure that everything runs smoothly and that no problems arise. They assist in the making of decisions regarding costume, budget, casting, lighting and other aspects of a theatrical production. They look into the rates of pay, maintain the budget, book tours and ensure that health & guidelines are being followed. In addition to this, they will check in on rehearsals and generally make sure that the theatrical ship sails smoothly. The production manager may be responsible for publicity but there is often a seperate role to handle this.
Production Meetings
During the pre production meeting the production manager will set the agenda, time, location and attendance.
Each production meeting will run through:
Department Reports - Design, Costume, Props, Construction, LX/ sound
Each department will go through any problems that have come up, discuss deadlines and the progress they have made.
Discussions, Questions, Concerns - Rehearsal schedule, future meetings, site visits, site access and transport
Budget - This is a general discussion about the distribution of the budget. The production manager would mention any changes to the budget that may have occurred. For example, in the production meeting I attended for the third year mainhouse production of 'The Elephant Man,' it was revealed that the construction budget had been increased to £700 while the props budget had been reduced to £200.
Publicity - Press, posters, tickets, program, box office split
Production Schedule - This segment handles the schedule for the production. It includes dates for the fit up, get in, rehearsals, tech rehearsals, press nights and the first show.
Any other business - This is a chance for anyone to raise any additional matters relating to the production that are not covered by the other sections.
The ideal production meeting last an hour, with one and a half hours being the absolute maximum.
Lines of Communication - DSM
Lines of Communication
During a production for a show the Deputy Stage Manager would typically sit at the prompt desk with a set of cans and/or a walkie talkie to use as their primary source of communication, with cue lights as a rudimentary way to ensure actors are in their starting positions.
Comms or Cans
Cans are used by the DSM to communicate with key members of the theatrical company. The sound and lighting technicians will almost definitely have a pair as they will need to be in constant communication with the DSM, as will the stage manager. During the running of the actual show they will almost exclusively be used by the DSM to give cues to the individual disciplines unless there is an emergency. There may also be an additional set of cans somewhere downstage or backstage in case there is an emergency.
When using cans it is helpful to remember a few key phrases as part of cans etiquette. They may range between wireless headsets that can be used anywhere within the auditorium, or a headset connected to a cable that removes interference but restricts movement.
Cue Lights
Cue lights have two settings; one for 'standing by', and one for 'go.' To use the cue lights the DSM would first place them in the 'standing by' setting by pressing a button. This causes the light at both the operating position and prompt desk. The actor then 'acknowledges' the cue by flipping a switch at their end. This causes the light to go steady. At the correct time of the cue the DSM would flip another switch to turn the light green, which signals the actor that it is time to go on.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0IMHHg68Yc - The first half of the video is most relevant
Theatre Relay
A theatre relay is not included in the arsenal of every DSM but basically consists of a few different buttons that allows the DSM to send out basic paging calls to areas around the auditorium, such as the F.O.H, bar and backstage areas.
References
Images
Backstage Balletomane. (2011). A Prompt Desk. [online] Available at: https://backstageballetomane.wordpress.com/2011/01/07/a-prompt-desk/ [Accessed 28 May 2017].
Sources
Theatrecrafts.com. (2017). Calls and Cans - Theatrecrafts.com. [online] Available at: http://www.theatrecrafts.com/pages/home/topics/stage-management/calls-and-cans/ [Accessed 28 May 2017].
Backstage Balletomane. (2011). A Prompt Desk. [online] Available at: https://backstageballetomane.wordpress.com/2011/01/07/a-prompt-desk/ [Accessed 28 May 2017].
During a production for a show the Deputy Stage Manager would typically sit at the prompt desk with a set of cans and/or a walkie talkie to use as their primary source of communication, with cue lights as a rudimentary way to ensure actors are in their starting positions.
Comms or CansCans are used by the DSM to communicate with key members of the theatrical company. The sound and lighting technicians will almost definitely have a pair as they will need to be in constant communication with the DSM, as will the stage manager. During the running of the actual show they will almost exclusively be used by the DSM to give cues to the individual disciplines unless there is an emergency. There may also be an additional set of cans somewhere downstage or backstage in case there is an emergency.
When using cans it is helpful to remember a few key phrases as part of cans etiquette. They may range between wireless headsets that can be used anywhere within the auditorium, or a headset connected to a cable that removes interference but restricts movement.
- “Quiet on cans please” other operators must respond by being quiet
- “Going off cans” when any operator leaves the headset
- “Standby LX Q 11” operator responds : “Standing By”
- “LX Q 11 Go” operator may respond “Running” if its a cue which is not obvious, or is a long fade.
(Theatrecrafts.com, 2017)
Cue Lights
Cue lights have two settings; one for 'standing by', and one for 'go.' To use the cue lights the DSM would first place them in the 'standing by' setting by pressing a button. This causes the light at both the operating position and prompt desk. The actor then 'acknowledges' the cue by flipping a switch at their end. This causes the light to go steady. At the correct time of the cue the DSM would flip another switch to turn the light green, which signals the actor that it is time to go on.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0IMHHg68Yc - The first half of the video is most relevant
Theatre Relay
A theatre relay is not included in the arsenal of every DSM but basically consists of a few different buttons that allows the DSM to send out basic paging calls to areas around the auditorium, such as the F.O.H, bar and backstage areas.
References
Images
Backstage Balletomane. (2011). A Prompt Desk. [online] Available at: https://backstageballetomane.wordpress.com/2011/01/07/a-prompt-desk/ [Accessed 28 May 2017].
Sources
Theatrecrafts.com. (2017). Calls and Cans - Theatrecrafts.com. [online] Available at: http://www.theatrecrafts.com/pages/home/topics/stage-management/calls-and-cans/ [Accessed 28 May 2017].
Backstage Balletomane. (2011). A Prompt Desk. [online] Available at: https://backstageballetomane.wordpress.com/2011/01/07/a-prompt-desk/ [Accessed 28 May 2017].
Wednesday, 11 January 2017
Previous Experience
You Me Bum Bum Train - YMBBT
When working as a volunteer ASM for YMBBT my chief responsibilities included scene resets. traps operation, food supply runs and other backstage work including forging signatures and pushing people down slides. While working for this production I quickly discovered why the su
Little Girl Inside of Me
After Hiroshima
------------------------------------ Ask About
When working as a volunteer ASM for YMBBT my chief responsibilities included scene resets. traps operation, food supply runs and other backstage work including forging signatures and pushing people down slides. While working for this production I quickly discovered why the su
Little Girl Inside of Me
After Hiroshima
------------------------------------ Ask About
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