# any helpfull tips



## SBHSTECHIELB (Sep 7, 2003)

i was wondering if any one had any helpfull tips to stage managing or directing a play


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## ship (Sep 7, 2003)

Like what?
Tip one, write your cues in pencil.

There was a huge amount of discussion about stagemanagement techniques with the above posted on Stagecraft http://stagecraft.theprices.net/stagecraft/ you should join the list and do a search into that topic. It's well worth the time. It's a forum that is far different than this one - both have completely different value and thus it's important to take part in both, or at least read Stagecraft and take part in this forum.


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## Jo-JotheSoundDog (Sep 8, 2003)

Pay very close attention to detail. A good stage manager is expected to remember just about everything that happens on that stage.


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## wemeck (Sep 8, 2003)

When I worked summer stock and during college we had to submit reports to the Production manager especially if there was an incident or an altercation.


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## SBHSTECHIELB (Sep 8, 2003)

thanx


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## TechDirector (Sep 8, 2003)

ship said:


> Tip one, write your cues in pencil.



I use pen........lol!


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## SBHSTECHIELB (Sep 14, 2003)

thanx


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## wolf825 (Sep 14, 2003)

SBHSTECHIELB said:


> i was wondering if any one had any helpfull tips to stage managing or directing a play




Hiya, 
There's lots of helpful tips on SM'ing or directing--but which one are you doing cause each thing is not like the other. If you can narrow down your question to a more specific thing--i.e. notes, organization, things to think of while you are planning, tidbits of neato things to have to help organize your binders, etc etc. That could help us help you more directly. I mean, there are as many ways and tips on SM and Directing as there are ways to cook chicken... 

-wolf


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## wemeck (Sep 15, 2003)

There are books and materials available to read. Some of the directing materials are geared more toward an acting coach while other work on the complexity of the director and chasing the concept of the "unifying image" or concept. Both are a fine and elusive lines. Look at the Meisner Method or Lee Strasberg’s The Method for a little introduction.

There are a lot of famous actors for both methods. Al Pacino, Steve McQueen, Marlon Brando, etc.


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## teksalot (Sep 17, 2003)

Keep two prompt books (one for blocking, one for the cues for the run of the show)

Never criticize one of your techs in front of a group, take them someplace private.

DONT STRESS IF YOU MISS A CUE, you could wind up messing more things up if you dwell on it.

Everytime you mutter the phrase, I wish I had a ______ . Write it down and have it with you next time. 

Buy a very very good stop watch. And my friend leering over my shoulder says take time to write a lot of notes, and make sure you'll be able to read them later (he writes terribly and learned that the hard way).

Roxanne


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## TheatreTechie (Sep 17, 2003)

teksalot said:


> Keep two prompt books (one for blocking, one for the cues for the run of the show)



I usally have one for rehersals and then right before opening night use a clean book to put the cues in so its easy to read and im not stugguling over an old cue that wasnt completly erased or a cue i didnt wright in hard enough.


teksalot said:


> Never criticize one of your techs in front of a group, take them someplace private.



I usally take the crew out to the lobby while actors go over thier notes, this way the crew can talk while I find out anything the actors and director needs. Actors are usally more willing to discuss tech problems then.


teksalot said:


> DONT STRESS IF YOU MISS A CUE, you could wind up messing more things up if you dwell on it.



I've always been told get over it and move on. The more time you spend on something you messed up the better chance you have of messing something else up. And the cycle repeats.

Other suggestion besides theses and USE A PENCIL could include:
Have spike tape ready at all times.
Know where the first aid box is or bring your own.
Be friends with the actors AND technicians.
Make sure the crew knows that if you yell during a rehersal or show that its for the better of the show and not directed at the person specificly. (Like move that flat NOW!!!!)

You always finx tips and tricks the more you do it. Everytime I SM I think of something I should have done differently, but then again I didnt really learn alot from anyone at my high school, I had to pick it up on my own.


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## SBHSTECHIELB (Sep 18, 2003)

thanx alot


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## delnor (Sep 24, 2003)

I am a little anal, I write all my Qs down with notes in PENCIL so I can erase things. Then I type them all up, each scene on a different page so that I can flip the page at every blackout. That way if you have Qs close together you wont have to worry about when to flip the page and give yourself time to recollect your thoughts after a bunch of fast Qs. Anyway thats all I got for ya. If you have access to it, I would suggest keeping a laptop or desktop computer near by when going through the rehearsal so you can modify your prompt book.


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## megf (Nov 12, 2003)

About recording cues...
I prefer to keep one master book, with all blocking and cues written in - it helps me stay on top of what order things need to happen in, expecially when I have actors working in scene shifts (as I currently do). I use pencil religiously, and keep an eraser handy. I also use lots of post-it notes, so when there is a change in blocking, I can just write the date and layer it over the original blocking, in case the actors or director want to see what a scene started out as. 
I use the same method for light, sound, etc. At paper tech, I show up with a stack of post-it pads (the little strip-shaped ones, not the full squares) and write all my cues on those. That way, I can move them around easily during tech and the first few performances, and record them in the book when I am comfotable with where they fall. I also put my standbys and warnings on post-its...

Just a thought - it feels like a waste of paper the first time, but when your director asks you what you blocked three weeks ago, it's amazingly helpful. 

M


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## thorin81 (Dec 8, 2003)

I ussually keep one master prompt book, but it is pretty extensive. I copy on teh back of each page of the script about 3 mini ground plans so I can draw the blocking as well as write it all down. That way, if something happens and I have to give my Prompt Book to an ASM or another SM to run my show, they would know exactly what to expect. It might take a little time, but it has saved my butt more than once! :wink: 

Good Luck!!

Thorin81


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## megf (Dec 8, 2003)

Ah yes... groundplans. I love them!

For most of the musicals I have worked on, I wind up using large diagrams for mark start/end and any critical positions, and then just draw thumbnail sketches of the rest at the correct point in the lyrics or light cues. The one negative part of becoming dependent on the diagrams is when you SM a show that has no formal set design.... I just finished one of those 8) .


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## potsie (Jan 17, 2004)

when ever you are incharge of a large cast that requires you to do a roll call have everyone sign in, and remind them too, it will save alot of time before rehersals because you can deal with the attendence sheet during rehersal, also get a list of all of the casts and crews home and cell numbers and keep it with you at all times, make shure you bring enough pencils for atlest half the cast, you shouldnt have to but actors can never seem to remember that they need a pencil and if your like me and lose them atlest 4 times a day then tape one to a string attached to your book, also it helps if you write different cues in different colored pencil like all fly cues in green and all sound cues in red. and finally always have an extra script open on the table so that when actors come up to check their lines they will not have to look over your sholder and annoy you.


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## Nephilim (Jan 18, 2004)

potsie: Since I'm generally under red or blue light, I put boxes and circles and triangles around my numbers


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## megf (Jan 19, 2004)

Another useful way of "coding" Q's is highlighting them in diff colors - for ex., pink is a Sby, green is rail, etc. I always use yellow for lights; it stands out nicely in most booths. I also put all my cues on post-its (the little tabs, not full squares) so I can move them around until the show feels comfortable.


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## zac850 (Jan 19, 2004)

hummm, post-it notes, I like that idea....
I think im going to start using that.

As of now, i just write and scribble all over one script during all of the rehersals, and then get a new clean script, and write all of the cues the way they have been finalized...


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## megf (Jan 20, 2004)

Use the little tabs - full squares are too cumbersome, I have to slice them up with my Leatherman during paper tech - and then you can dispense with color-coding highlighting until after the show is set!

Hmmm... thinking of other ways to save time and trouble... How about blocking notation itself? Any really useful symbols?

And, since my mind is racing after rehearsal, another question... How about rehearsal reports? I never did them in high school, when I had a pro childrens' theatre job over the summer I used them for my own reference, and in university I get to send them out every night to the entire production and artistic staff. What (if anything) do you all do in lieu of reh reports and mass communication?


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## Nephilim (Jan 20, 2004)

megf said:


> What (if anything) do you all do in lieu of reh reports and mass communication?



Most of the production staff is at every rehearsal; it's my responsibility to fill in those who aren't and need to know something by whatever means necessary. The student director is keeping a rehearsal record, but it isn't being distributed - it's more as a reference.


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## Projectionist (Feb 9, 2004)

what would you say is the most efficient way to code Q's? i like the color/shape concept.


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## Nephilim (Feb 10, 2004)

Efficiency depends on the way your mind works (and whether you have white light to read by ).

Personally when I was doing multiple cuing, I used columns and relative spacing from the script to denote who was being cued; but I'm a spatial kind of thinker.


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## Projectionist (Feb 11, 2004)

yeah, true. I'm usually not the kind of person who would do such labeling as colors and shapes, just admire the concept. i'll probably end up just writing everything in the margins in a somewhat organized manner. :wink:


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## Patches (Jun 8, 2004)

I recently SM'd HAMLET, and our student teacher bought me the COOLEST stuff: @ packages of 4 different colored post-it flags, (about .5 inch by 1.5 inch), a highlighter to match each flag, and a fine tip sharpie to write on the flags... our director bought each person who holds onto a script 2 new pencils... it was wonderful.
this was also the frst time any of us had ever seen a shift sheet... with that, and a different color for each tech thing... (yellow=lights, green=sound, pink=anything that happens back stage [internals, fly, set], and blue=actor cues) WONDERFUL!!!


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## megf (Jun 8, 2004)

Speaking of shift sheets...

For the last few shows I've been printing out shift sheet "blanks" along with all the preshow paperwork - so that whenever an actor is directed to enter with a prop, or the director chooses to block actors into a scene change, I can write it directly onto the breakdown. After reh, I just type up the notes from the day, so that by tech I have half the shift sheet already done and (hopefully) all of my prop preset organized so it can be handed over the the deck crew and assigned as necessary.

(Keep in mind, I use this system primarily in shows that have only 20-30 hours of rehearsal, including tech/dress. As a rule, the ASM is the only deck crew member who handles props, while an additional crew member handles all mic and sound-related issues on the stage.)


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## SMTashi (Aug 15, 2004)

If you're going to be calling from backstage definatly have a mini sewing kit with you. I also tend to take an old Altoids tin and put in some small stuff there. Extra mini-post its, a very small pencil, some aspirin. That kind of thing. Bandaids and so on. Just in case something goes on with the actors during a show. 
For cues, definatly use the mini-post it's. You can get them in 4 different colors (I think) and they're great. Write on them with a black sharpie and you can't go wrong


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## Radman (Aug 15, 2004)

The SM for Wiz used 1 letter prefixes, like L135.7 for lights cue 135.7, or S35 for sound 35. You can have up to about 26 different cue types!


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