# Stage Management question for school



## CMulligan (Oct 4, 2009)

Hi everyone. I'm a student at the University of Windsor. I have to do a school project about stage management. I was wondering if anyone has any opinion on how to deal with problem actors, whether they're divas or late or if they have terrible hygiene. How do you tell them what they need to be told, or should you at all?


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## ScottT (Oct 4, 2009)

It like a lot of other people have started doing this same project as well....

I would recommend running a search as it is a very useful function and will turn up probably everything you need. Also try posting/searching at SMNetwork.org - Index which is a forum dedicated to SMs.


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## CMulligan (Oct 4, 2009)

I've already posted there, and we're supposed to have our own conversations, not search through others. Thanks though! Is there anything besides that amazing quote that you can tell me?


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## ScottT (Oct 4, 2009)

Comming from a High School setting it's really different then at a professional level but I would guess that the SM would have to tell them straight out. If it's hampering the production then a stern word putting them in place is probably all that's needed, and after that getting the Producer or Director involved.

As for personal hygiene, if it doesn't affect the production, then it probably doesn't matter.


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## rochem (Oct 4, 2009)

Just always be diplomatic whenever you're talking to anyone involved in the production, whether they be actors, designers, department heads, or whatever. Rather than saying "Why are you always late", try saying "Is there anything we can do to help you arrive on time?". Actors will almost always say no, and the actor will likely start to show up on time. If they actually do say yes, then find out what the problem is and do whatever you're allowed to (within AEA rules if applicable) to help them get to rehearsals. Just always be non-threatening and non-confrontational.

Bad hygiene - I can't really see it ever affecting a production, so it's not your job to worry about it. The only time you would ever need to do something about it would be if many other actors were complaining, and then you'd just say something non-confrontational and try to help out however you can.

EDIT: What's with the sudden influx of questions like this? Are all these people at the same school taking the same class, or is it totally random that professors around the world are assigning the same thing? Is your professor actually sending you to this site, or are you all finding it on your own?


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## CMulligan (Oct 4, 2009)

We're all in the same class. And it was a suggested site. Thanks so much for your answer!


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## ScottT (Oct 4, 2009)

Good advice Michael. I forgot the "be diplomatic" part...

But actually your teacher told you to do your research here? Not contact a local theatre for an interview on site, or even over the phone?


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## CMulligan (Oct 4, 2009)

No, we have to have written proof of our conversations. She said forums were the best way to go. I tried emailing a couple of theatres, but I haven't gotten any answers back yet. So, here I am, desperately trying to get answers. Thanks for helping!


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## rochem (Oct 4, 2009)

CMulligan said:


> No, we have to have written proof of our conversations. She said forums were the best way to go. I tried emailing a couple of theatres, but I haven't gotten any answers back yet. So, here I am, desperately trying to get answers. Thanks for helping!



Seems like an odd method of teaching - send your students off to a public forum to see if anyone can tell them the answers. My answer is about 10% personal experience and 90% straight-from-the-textbook. And yet she won't accept "I read the Stern book" or "I read the Kelly book" as a valid answer? I'm a senior in high school, and I pulled that definition basically out of one or both of those texts. Seems kinda counterproductive to me. But I digress.


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## CMulligan (Oct 4, 2009)

I'm a senior in university and I have also read the Stern book and I work as a Stage Manager. I still have to do it as part of my class, so I don't ask questions. It's worth 20% of my mark, so it needs to be done. It's more of an exercise in getting us to find our own information rather than whether the answers are by the book. To be honest, I have a good idea of how to answer this question. 

Thanks for your input guys. It's going to be a good help in my presentation.


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## waynehoskins (Oct 5, 2009)

Jeesh, how many of you guys are there?

I can't speak for anyone else, but I find it just slightly obnoxious when I check the forum and there are several stage management question threads that are your homework, mostly asking the same question. Maybe it would be better if your prof would allow you all to create only one thread for each topic or question for the entire class, that way we're less inundated here.

And you of course know we're not so much stage managementy here as we are design and tech, mainly lighting. While we're all about education, I'm not sure how I feel about being a mass homework resource.


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## cdub260 (Oct 5, 2009)

waynehoskins said:


> Jeesh, how many of you guys are there?
> 
> I can't speak for anyone else, but I find it just slightly obnoxious when I check the forum and there are several stage management question threads that are your homework, mostly asking the same question. Maybe it would be better if your prof would allow you all to create only one thread for each topic or question for the entire class, that way we're less inundated here.
> 
> And you of course know we're not so much stage managementy here as we are design and tech, mainly lighting. While we're all about education, I'm not sure how I feel about being a mass homework resource.



At this time, the CBmods and Senior Team are discussing how to address this very subject. We're trying to strike a balance between our desire to be a viable resource for the educational theatre community and the need to attract working professionals who can then become a part of that valued resource. We have a few ideas in the works, but nothing finalized as yet. Should any CBers out there have any questions, comments or suggestions on this subject please feel free to contact any CBmod or a member of the Senior Team.


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## JChenault (Oct 5, 2009)

CMulligan said:


> Hi everyone. I'm a student at the University of Windsor. I have to do a school project about stage management. I was wondering if anyone has any opinion on how to deal with problem actors, whether they're divas or late or if they have terrible hygiene. How do you tell them what they need to be told, or should you at all?



Tongue firmly in cheek. 
The same way you would handle a professor who sends his students ( all of them) to an online forum to get answers worth 20% of their grade for vaguely formed questions about stage management.

Any chance we could get the Prof's e-mail in order to ask him why he choose this mode of instruction? From what I can see at this time it seems not too solid to me. I am wondering what I am missing.

John


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## waynehoskins (Oct 5, 2009)

cdub260 said:


> At this time, the CBmods and Senior Team are discussing how to address this very subject. We're trying to strike a balance between our desire to be a viable resource for the educational theatre community and the need to attract working professionals who can then become a part of that valued resource. We have a few ideas in the works, but nothing finalized as yet. Should any CBers out there have any questions, comments or suggestions on this subject please feel free to contact any CBmod or a member of the Senior Team.



I figured you guys had to be working on a plan.

It's a tough balance to strike, the one between being a resource and being used as a replacement for the library and the phone, as an appliance to be used on homework assignments.

This whole homework forum discussion thing is interesting. A buddy of mine is taking a class at the local Baptist university, something about philosophy or theology or some such, and the assignment is to discuss the topic or answer the questions on the forum -- but theirs is a forum specifically for the class, so they're not interrupting anybody else. The class he's taking is a 1000-level, and many of the class are good Baptist girls only there for the "MRS" degree, and it's interesting to see how many of the answers are the "party line" answer and how few actually involve critical thinking -- and how that probably falls along age lines.

Best of luck to you guys in coming up with a solution. Better you than me.


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## waynehoskins (Oct 5, 2009)

JChenault said:


> Any chance we could get the Prof's e-mail in order to ask him why he choose this mode of instruction?



Tongue also in cheek:

... and all of us on the forum email the prof individually?

You know, it occurs to me that we could JFGI and get an address pretty quickly .. not that I advocate that, you know.


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## JChenault (Oct 5, 2009)

waynehoskins said:


> Tongue also in cheek:
> 
> ... and all of us on the forum email the prof individually?
> 
> You know, it occurs to me that we could JFGI and get an address pretty quickly .. not that I advocate that, you know.



Exposing my ignorance.

JFGI ??

John


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## cdub260 (Oct 5, 2009)

JChenault said:


> Tongue firmly in cheek.
> The same way you would handle a professor who sends his students ( all of them) to an online forum to get answers worth 20% of their grade for vaguely formed questions about stage management.
> 
> Any chance we could get the Prof's e-mail in order to ask him why he choose this mode of instruction? From what I can see at this time it seems not too solid to me. I am wondering what I am missing.
> ...



Be nice John.

Frankly, I think we should be flattered that we would be thought of highly enough to be considered a valid source for a college level Stage Management course. This is new territory for us and as mentioned in my previous post, the CBmods and Senior team are looking in how best to address this type of situation. I expect that this is just the beginning of a growing trend among the theatre education community and hopefully we can find a way to address the issue that allows us to become a better resource for that community while still attracting professionals.


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## waynehoskins (Oct 5, 2009)

JChenault said:


> Exposing my ignorance.
> 
> JFGI ??
> 
> John



"just freaking google it"


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## BDS0111 (Oct 5, 2009)

I have a simple solution for those of you who have a problem with these questions... DON'T READ THEM! If they are such a waste of time for you, then why do you continue to read and post in the thread? These guys are just trying to learn...they ask a question and then get it thrown back in their face. How would you feel if you came here to learn and that happened to you? The number of topics they are starting does not matter...you don't have to read every word, if you are too "inundated" here because of them, then don't read them! If you are more design and tech then don't read the sm discussions. If you don't want to be a mass homework resource, then don't write anything... Thanks.


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## JChenault (Oct 5, 2009)

BDS0111 said:


> I have a simple solution for those of you who have a problem with these questions... DON'T READ THEM! If they are such a waste of time for you, then why do you continue to read and post in the thread? These guys are just trying to learn...they ask a question and then get it thrown back in their face. How would you feel if you came here to learn and that happened to you? The number of topics they are starting does not matter...you don't have to read every word, if you are too "inundated" here because of them, then don't read them! If you are more design and tech then don't read the sm discussions. If you don't want to be a mass homework resource, then don't write anything... Thanks.




I can't speak for anyone else - but I have no problem with any student who wants to ask a question for a class. If I think I have something to say that will help, I will contribute to the conversation.

I do have a problem with a student who pretends they have a real world problem they are trying to solve when, in fact, it is a class exercise, and I do have pedagogical issues with some of the things the professor in this class is purported to have said. 

My tongue in cheek proposal to contact the professor was to understand what he was trying to accomplish by this approach (and what he really said as opposed to what his students heard ) - not to punish him or inundate him with e-mail.

John


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## CMulligan (Oct 5, 2009)

I think this is getting blown out of proportion. I apologize if anyone thought I was asking a real world problem when it's for class. I said it was a project. I do actually stage manage outside of this class, and the idea is for us to go out into the real world and find our own answers to a problem we have thought up. It's supposed to be vague so that we can get a variety of answers. I just wanted some real world advice for my class project. The professor is letting us explore. We have textbooks and lectures. This is for us, the students. Sorry to bother anyone.


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## photoatdv (Oct 5, 2009)

I stage managed several high school productions while I was there. Biggest issues I had to deal with were keeping talent far enough back in the wings, clear of moving set pieces, to not put their costumes in the middle of technical equipment, not touch the cyc as they walked behind it, and treat out techs appropriately.

Far enough back in the wings-- full time job for the teacher and I. I'd suggest putting down some sort of tape line/marking and telling them to stay behind it.

Moving set pieces-- make it clear they WILL get hurt if they are in the way. But then YOU MUST use spotters. I'd say using graphic detail (within reason) as to what will happen to then if they stay in the way works well too (our TD would politely tell people when we were reweighting that it we dropped a weight they'd be hurt, as in dead hurt).

Costumes-- Clear signs that this IS NOT an area for costumes/props. Also tell them at a meeting that the costumes/props could be damaged if they put them... x and the technicians need immediate access to the equipment and will not hesitate to throw the props out of the way. My biggest issue was when they'd throw stuff on the flies, and I was afraid they'd accidentally unlock one or a prop/costume would get caught if my crew didn't notice it.

Touching cyc-- I put some risers and racks of chairs behind it and roped them off with caution tape. This took up about 1.5' of the isle leaving enough room for them to walk by, but keeping them from touching it.

As for treating tech's appropriately-- I never had much luck with that one. Most were great and loved us, but there were a few. They'd *generally* treat the professionals okay, but the students were a whole 'nother ball game. If it was just a little bit of crap with one of the volunteers, I'd talk the the talent. If it continued, or it was a senior tech they were hastling, I'd report it to the teachers. They generally had very little tolerance for it. However, I was actually slapped by a dancer once-- for being in her way as I was running to fix something! Unfortunately I couldn't identify her b/c it was dark, so she never got in trouble.


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## Van (Oct 5, 2009)

waynehoskins said:


> Jeesh, how many of you guys are there?
> 
> I can't speak for anyone else, but I find it just slightly obnoxious when I check the forum and there are several stage management question threads that are your homework, mostly asking the same question. Maybe it would be better if your prof would allow you all to create only one thread for each topic or question for the entire class, that way we're less inundated here.
> 
> And you of course know we're not so much stage managementy here as we are design and tech, mainly lighting. While we're all about education, I'm not sure how I feel about being a mass homework resource.


 
While I can understand some frustration over the amount of SM questions we have experienced over the last week, I cannot support the notion that we are only a design and tech site.
ControlBooth.com is dedicate to all areas of technical theater and this includes Stage Management. I understand frustration over being mislead by some posters into believing that "real World" issues are being discussed but at the same time I believe CMulligan was very up front about stating their intentions. As to being a "mass homework resource" I can only respond with, " What else are we ?" Even on a Peer to Peer Professional level we are requesting "home work" help. 
As posted earlier The Senior Team and Mods are trying to develop a strategy for interfacing with Educators to deal with the potentials of flood such as these. We request patience and understanding as this strategy is being formed. 


CMulligan said:


> I think this is getting blown out of proportion. I apologize if anyone thought I was asking a real world problem when it's for class. I said it was a project. I do actually stage manage outside of this class, and the idea is for us to go out into the real world and find our own answers to a problem we have thought up. It's supposed to be vague so that we can get a variety of answers. I just wanted some real world advice for my class project. The professor is letting us explore. We have textbooks and lectures. This is for us, the students. Sorry to bother anyone.


 
As Stated Above: I believe you were very straight forward in your original post. I think part of the strategy development that we work out with Educators will be dealing with the one-on-one aspects of assignments like these. Do not take any admonishments personally, I believe what you are seeing is simply a little "early stage" backlash against a massive influx of student type question. Remember the best thing about us old technicians, we're Gruff but lovable.


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## CMulligan (Oct 5, 2009)

Thank you so much. And I do know a lot of gruff but loveable stage managers, I just wasn't expecting this.


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## photoatdv (Oct 6, 2009)

I'd say in general maybe something should be added to the posting guidelines or FAQ's that if something is for a homework/ theoretical project it needs to be clearly stated at the beginning of the post. If this keeps happening maybe creating a homework help forum would be a solution. Don't know what to call it though .


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## cdub260 (Oct 6, 2009)

Getting back to the question at hand, The Pageant of the Masters has a system in place for dealing with problem cast members. Unless the behavior in question creates a safety hazard, when a cast member or backstage volunteer crosses the invisible line into bad behavior, we give them a warning. Three warnings and they're out of the show. We usually have one or two instances of a third warning each season, but given that we have two full casts for the show, ranging in size from 100 to 150, that's not too bad. Now if the behavior is especially egregious or creates some type of safety hazard, we'll bypass the warning system and simply give them the boot. To the best of my knowledge, this has only happened once in the ten years I've been on staff at the Pageant.

In order to prevent abuse of the warning system there are only a handful of staff who have the authority to give warnings. In the last ten years, I've given out two warnings as most behavior problems among our cast can be corrected with a chewing out or a glare.

I hope this helps.


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## Sayen (Oct 13, 2009)

If it wasn't posted as homework, that is to say no one knew where the question was coming from, wouldn't it still be an interesting discussion? Who in the technical field hasn't had to deal with troublesome performers?

As a teacher, I dislike how actors are babied. Too many theaters, agents, and parents simply enable 'artists' to behave this way. I'll brag and say I don't have that many problems with my students because I train them to have different expectations. Short of headlining professionals, the average performer simply isn't important enough to be as demanding as many think they should be. As a building manager I politely and professionally don't allow poor behavior from renters either.

Start with written policies, including call times, conduct, and forbidden actions like playing with props and touching the cyc. These should be presented to the cast at some point, preferably from someone in charge. If you or the director do this at an early meeting you'll solve the majority of problems, since most people are programmed to follow the rules. If someone breaks a rule, have a policy you can't point them to ("Hey, remember what we talked about at that first meeting last week?").

When someone breaks the rules, use the theater chain of command. Whoever is overseeing the actor at that time (costumes, props, SM, director, etc.) needs to politely and respectfully call them on their mistake. If that doesn't correct the problem, pass it up to the next person in charge (probably SM or director). Third time in my theater is typically a "Come to Jesus meeting." That is to say, it's our way or the high way. All of this depends on the nature of the infraction, of course. Reinforce the authority of the person overseeing the problem.

It helps to talk to people one on one, so they don't lose face with their peers. If you respect them and explain why a rule exists, I find that most of the time they understand why they need to comply. Make sure there is some sort of consequence - we make late performers sweep and mop the stage, or sort screws where they can't hang out with their friends.

That sounds really grumpy, but I find that I typically have a much smoother rehearsal and production period, and generally a more positive and professional attitude backstage than I would if I didn't set policies. We rarely have equipment misused, or actors fooling with things they shouldn't, and I like to believe my actors go out into the world and impress future technicians and SMs with their behavior.


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