Trying this again

[k8cre8]

The last few days, every time I've had a chance to update, they've had the site read-only, I even lost yesterday's post, since I neglected to copy it offline, which is something I always do. Oh well. Not a complaint, exactly, just an FYI.

It's kinda been a busy week, so I'll put it
behind a cut...

Yesterday,  still without a music director, we decided to record the show, and do it without live music. So, I arranged some studio time to make use of her last rehearsal, which was last night, moved the clavinova to the studio, and lined up the sound guy to do the recording.

During the next few hours, it became even more blatantly obvious how useful it is, as Stage Manager, to be familiar with the basics of all areas of the production of a play. In those few hours, I also clarified the set designer's drawings for the Tech Director, made some design suggestions based upon something new the director wanted in the set, and started to try and find a person to run sound. Pretty much, was a quintessential Stage Manager for the morning.  Granted, all this is pretty much often an assumption of a Stage Manager's qualifications, but, it's never been this obvious to me.

The best part? They all think I'm great, and are appreciative. It's really nice to be appreciated.

Case in point: while I was working with the Producer/ACC Theater director on all of this yesterday she asked me if I could read music/scores. I told her I could, not musical director level, and not "Play the piece credibly on a first read" type of thing,  but, I could read them (I was, for a moment, afraid she was going to want me to be the musical director...). She told me that I could make a "quite a bit of money" just Stage Managing musical theater, opera and the like, and that I should think about it. She said it's pretty rare to have a Stage Manager that could read a score. I was a bit surprised. For one, I figured that this couldn't be that rare an ability, and for another, I've never really thought about being a professional Stage Manager full-time before. I'm still coping with the fact that I'm actually getting paid to do this.

And, after all that, a few hours later, we had a music director. But, we're still going to do the show off of a CD. With less than 3 weeks until we open, and the fact that the piano takes so much room on stage, and a few other things, it's probably for the best.

And then, last night, after introducing the cast to the new Musical Director, and getting things all set to record specific bits for the choreographer on Saturday, I left rehearsal a bit early, and went to see Julius Ceaser, at the Buell, courtesy of byrree . My sister came with me, and since it was open seating, I let her pick our seats. She, interestingly enough, picked seats in the center, a few rows behind the folks running lights, subtitles, etc. so, when I wasn't watching the stage, I watched them running the show.

First, I will mention that I would kill to have like just the budget for the curtains. Heck, I'd take half their curtain budget in a heartbeat. In fact, I'd bet that the cost of one just of those curtains would likely be about equal to our whole budget on this show. And that's just the curtains. The costumes were incredible, the lighting, on the whole was amazing (I noticed a couple weirdo-things, but, nothing major), the sets were awesome, and the voice talent great. Yes. Jealousy reigned.

I also am itching to go see Oedipus Rex, on ng_nighthawk 's recommendation, and, well, out of some sense of "professional courtesy" or something. 

And all the while, I'm thinking: Huh. Would I enjoy being a Stage Manager full-time? Could I actually make a living at it? Am I even qualified for this?

Anyway, those were, and currently are, my thoughts.

Comments

[drdeleto.livejournal.com]

From the sound of it, you're like me: In big collaborative kind of situations (usually work), I always tend to absorb the needs and procedures of all the groups involved. I can't compartmentalize my job and pretend not to care that this decision that department A just made is totally going to screw up department B (nevermind the fact that, being in department C, I shouldn't care about this stuff).

Wish I had time to get out to the theater. Both Julius Caesar and Oedipus would be awesome to see. I've never ever seen an opera! The best I'll be able to do is likely to be The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe with Andrew at the Arvada Center...

...And Seussical, of course!

Don't you just love theatre? I wish I was dead.

[portlandpiglet.livejournal.com]

Ah, there's nothing like the world of small theater and it's total lack of job descriptions. Sounds like you're really more of a production manager. Chris says that you would probably be a great professional stage manager, as long as you don't mind only having Mondays off. I would add, "and as long as you don't mind working evenings." Many professional SMs don't have a theater degree. Like most of the job world, experience is what really counts.

I'm musical directing a high school production of "once on this island" right now. My friend, Ginnie is the new drama teacher there. We're also using a recorded score -- from another youth theater's previous production, so it's full of cues that I have to decode. But it's better than the last show, where we didn't have the recorded score until tech. I am not a pianist, let alone an accompanist. Luckily, for this show I have a student whose really good at sight reading voice parts and plucking them out on piano, even in a key with 6 sharps and then, inexplicably, flat accidentals. My point is, I feel your pain.

One of the best thing about having a husband in theatre is that I see a lot of it for free. Don't feel professionally obligated to see stuff unless you're getting comps at least some of the time.

Re: Don't you just love theatre? I wish I was dead.

[k8cre8.livejournal.com]

It's true. And, strangely, since most of the others are *real* professionals, and they really aren't interested in doing anything outside their contracts. And, what that means seems to be vaguely mutable, and interpreted as "gosh, I'll do what I feel like, but, otherwise, I'm not so much inclined." It makes me laugh.

And, thank Chris for me. That's a very nice comment, and means a bit more to me than her comment.

I've really no idea if I even want to pursue this. I prefer working nights, admittedly, and, really, having only one day off a week has been the story of my life for the past year (and sometimes not even that). Despite some of the production challanges, I've really been enjoying this. And, I'm not sure if it's mostly because it's so different from my regular job, which has me burned out, whereas here I'm actually feeling appreciated and involved and needed, or if it's because this is something that could actually make me happy about work again.

And, it's good to know that experience is really what counts. I will probably need more padding on my resume yet. But, all the others on the show seem to think I'm quite the "old hand" at this. And, that's okay with me.

6 sharps and flat accidentals?! That's insane. That strikes me as lazy composing, in a way. I'm actually grateful then. The music for this show is not really that complicated. Wow. I'm sorta grouchy with the new muscial director now, who seems to be hinting that he won't be able to record the tracks, and that we should be finding someone else, in addition to him. And the student we had to help record the tracks bowed out, too. Oh well. I'm not *yet* panicked. Although, I guess I don't really get panicked, so that may not be a valid measure. Hmm.

[k8cre8.livejournal.com]

In most respects, yeah, that's pretty much how I tend to work. It's odd, but, one of the titles of my Myers-Briggs personality type (and, you can take that however you'd like) is "Field-Marshal." Big picture, but, also good at re-evaluating quickly, and assessing what needs to go where, and who's affected.

I'd realized I'd forgotten there was theater. I've been so busy that it's not even entered my brain. In the last year, I think I only went to like 15 movies (have all the Oscar movies from this year left to see, still). And, I think before that, the last play I saw was, well, the one I worked on with Josh.

The Arvada Center is really always great. I remember quite vividly the first show I saw there as a child, probably no more than 6 or 7. It was Snow White. And, it was magical to me.

And, I'll post some dates/times for Suessical soon. I think we've only got one preview showing, and it's at night.

[drdeleto.livejournal.com]

We're happy to pay for tickets, by the way.

[k8cre8.livejournal.com]

I know. But, I'm feeling a bit guilty about that, since the show seems a tad pricier than I'd have guessed. I think the price is going to be $15 for adults (or $10 for students/ACC folks) and $5 for kids.