Desperately Unrehearsed

Digital Story

jdub — Wed, 30 Apr 2008 19:01:20 +0000

This has been a great class! Enjoy everyone!

Long Time…No See

jdub — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 13:55:41 +0000

So its been a while since I’ve written, but I have just been sooo busy. Also, I am not so sure what to write about. I mean NY was AMAZING, but I have not done much out of the norm since then. I have been trying to keep this final project in my head so that I can come up with at least 1 idea. However, up to now nada, nothing, has even briefly creeped into my mind. The end of the semester is rapidly approaching and I KNOW that I need to get started on this digital story in order to have it completed on time. I just do not know what it should be about. Should it be about my trip, the people I met, my revelations???? Who knows! But I think my biggest problem is feeling frustrated that I do not have a lot of actual footage and so I don’t know how to take the next step.

Oh well, I guess I’ll just have to get over it and keep thinking.

Life Back at Home

jdub — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 14:21:21 +0000

I know that I have not blogged in a while, but I feel like up to now I have been trying to play catch-up/keep-up. Life since NYC has been absolutely…CRAZY. Our break although amazing did not allow for much resting and since returning I have been consumed with class work and rehearsals for The Tempest. The Tempest closed this past weekend and it was very successful, but now I am on to my next project, Baby with the Bathwater.

While working on these projects I am trying to keep in mind all the advice that I got in NYC, in order to apply and grow. I am also keeping this final digital story in mind, but at this point I am having a really hard time putting into words what I discovered about myself after this experience in NYC. I always knew that I wanted to eventually work on Broadway, but after this trip I know I want to go sooner rather than later. I love the city, the energy, the people, and if that is where I want to be…I should just throw myself into the industry. So now, rather than going to D.C. or somewhere else first, I am seriously considering heading straight to NY after graduation next May. Being in all of these theatres and meeting these people really got me excited to start working and making a career for myself. I feel ~~more~~ confident ~~now~~ that stage management is a job that I love. So I am going to keep thinking about everything and hopefully I will deveop an idea for this digital story, but I’ll keep you updated.

Tempest

jdub — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 14:08:43 +0000

I just finished my most recent stage management project, The Tempest by William Shakespeare, in Studio 115. This show was a whirlwind to put up due to limited time constraints, but the whole team worked hard and it all came together very well. The show closed this Saturday and it had a full house 2 out of the 3 nights it was performed. From a stage manager perspective, the show went very smoothly. We started at 7:00pm and ended at 8:30pm each night. Yay for consistency! Also, the actors maintained really high energy and the audience seemed to really enjoy the performance.

Sad to Leave…Sunday 3/9

jdub — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 01:48:35 +0000

The first challenge of the day was checking out. I really do not like checking out because I have to obsessively check everything and constantly fear that I am leaving or forgetting something significant. Anyways we managed to get out of the room successfully and on time. Next, we were all invited to lunch with Gregg before the show. He took us to this great pizza place that I really enjoyed. It was really great of him to do that for everyone. Once it was over we all split off into our different ways until we all ended up at the Lyceum Theatre to see Is He Dead?. This show was amazing! I loved it! It was absolutely hilarious, I mean seeing a man in a dress acting totally absurd was a marvelous. I was glad we got to see it because it was the last performance. After the show was over we had a little time before we all had to arrive at the bus stop, so we went over to the deli nearby the hotel and got sandwiches. Then we got our bags and headed over to 34st St. (Between 7^th and 8^th) to meet the DC2NY bus. However, when we got there at 6:15pm we were informed that the 7:00pm bus was nonexistent, so we had to wait for the 8:00pm bus to arrive. Eventually the bus got there and we all piled onto it. It was sad to finally leave NYC, but kind of nice to be heading home. It was nice until our bus blew out a tire and we all got to sit on the side of the road for 2 hours. Woo Hoo! We finally got home in Fredericksburg at 4:30am.

It was a great trip! I had an AMAZING time and would not have traded it for anything in the world! The people I met and the experiences that I had were outstanding!!! YAY for NYC!!

Last but Certainly NOT Least

jdub — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 01:22:53 +0000

Our last meeting on Saturday was with John Vivian, the PSM of Rent. He started as an actor, went to acting school and then started building sets in his free time. Then he got drafted and spent several years away from theatre. When he returned he started to stage manage at the American Academy and did acting & stage managing at the same time. This did not last very long and he eventually chose stage management because more work was available. He got his equity card while he was touring and he worked on his first Broadway show over 30 years ago. There are several things that he loves about stage management like the show itself, the energy, and the constant change. Some of the aspects of the job that he dislikes include how the job is overwhelming and it can be hard to maintain interest. We asked him whether or not he thought that graduate school was necessary and he responded that he himself had never had any college stage management training. However, he stated that he sees more and more people are getting graduate degrees, but it should be a personal choice. From a person of experience, we wanted a comparison between Broadway, regional theatre and touring. He stated that the demands for each job varys. On the road, the stage managers responsibilities become more technical; whereas, Broadway is a more daily job and requires more rehearsal time. Some good qualities that he admires in other stage managers is level-headedness, a sense of anticipation, the ability to see the large picture and details for all departments, and have a really great relationship with the actors. The advice that he passed on to us includes: look for all available work (take anything), learn a lot about acting and the technical aspect, keep ALL of your contacts, and remember that the NYC competition is stiff. Also, one of the last things that he said to us was that everyone has their own story, which I thought was kind of perfect. We have spent the past week listening to all the stories these professionals could tell and here our last contact is suggesting the same thing. Thank you.

Do It and Pursue It

jdub — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 17:06:29 +0000

A pattern here emerges…Ira Mont was our first interview and he started his career path to Broadway as an actor. He originally came to NYC as an actor and worked for a while. He had always been a very organized person who really enjoyed knowing how things worked; eventually more jobs began presenting themselves for stage management rather than acting. Since his career path altered, Ira Mont has worked on 9 different Broadway shows and he has been a professional stage manager for the past 20 years. The love of the job comes to him because it is easy, enjoyable, allows for a lot of interaction with people, and keeps him on his toes and ready for everything. However, he really hates it when people forget that they are just creating live theatre, shit happens. According to him a good SM should be able to understand the whole process, have great people skills and have a developed a good, balanced team. He gave us the advice to begin as an intern/PA, gain more experience, push without being abrasive and meet those people who can help bring you up the ladder. Thank you.

But some of advice I thought was interesting was the comment he made about, “It’s not a man’s club anymore.”

Fit It All In…Saturday 3/8

jdub — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 17:02:32 +0000

Saturday, March 8, was our last full day in NYC and we all decided to try and squeeze everything into our remaining time. First, Helena, Sommer, Karen and I went back to the Drama Book Shop. I was looking for the Theatrical Index, which is a resource that many of our contacts have recommended; however, because this publication is printed only every two weeks they were already sold out. Instead, I bought Spring Awakening and August: Osage County because I really loved seeing these plays and I wanted to add them to my own collection. Then Sommer and myself went in search of a post office, but it was closed. We headed over to the Hershey Store in Times Square but we could not stay there very long because we had to make it to our first meeting. Therefore, in the rain, we went to the Hilton Theatre to meet with Ira Mont, the PSM of Young Frankenstein. This was a really good interview because he was very friendly and welcoming, answered all of our questions, let us watch the preset (lightning and all), and took us on a backstage tour. Once this interview ended, we had to rush over the the Roundabout Theatre to see Sunday in the Park with George. This show was beautiful, but I had a very difficult time connecting to the production and/or performance. When the show ended Lucia, Sommer and I had to hurry over to the Nederlander Theatre in order to meet with John Vivian, the PSM of Rent. This was our last meeting but it was just as interesting and exciting as the first. Our interview on stage with John Vivian was fun to speak with because you could tell that he loved his work. After this meeting we realized that we had a lot more free time than we expected; so we decided to take advantage of it and squeeze as much in as possible before the show at 8pm. So Sommer and I went back the Hershey store to explore it more fully and really enjoy all the colors of M&M’s. Once we saw our fill we went to a store that sells Broadway memorabilia, Backstage Memories. Here I bought a birthday present for my sister and several souvenirs for myself. Next we wanted to find somewhere to rest and have dinner before the show and we ended up back at the West Side Cottage II, a place we had eaten earlier in the week with one of our contacts. We knew it was good, cheap and fast. Finally, we made our way to the Signature Theatre Company to see Paradise Park. I really did not like this show. It really made me feel uncomfortable and I got hit by cake!! Anyways, once it was over we all headed back to the hotel and really enjoyed our last night in the city!!

It’s Called a Play for a Reason…

jdub — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 22:50:18 +0000

Friday afternoon, Sommer, Lucia, and I went over to the Westside Theatre to meet William Lang, the PSM of I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change. He has been the PSM for this show for the past 9 of its 12 years on off-Broadway. A work week for him consists of about 40 hours unless it is a rehearsal period, then he adds 15 hours to his schedule. Even though, according to him, working off-Broadway offers more free time, he has never had to work a second job. William described to us that he got interested in theatre while he was in high school and then was a theatre major in college, SMing for all 4 years. Next, he was a student at the Yale School of Drama and from there he began his careerand where started to make his contacts with professionals in the business. Eventually he came with two shows to NY and one job seemed to lead to another. But he stated that to ensure this to happen, you have to be able to develop a good reputation and be great at networking. The things about being a Stage Manager that give him the most satisfaction is that he just loves theatre in general, loves the people, likes being behind the scenes and finds the whole process exciting. On the other hand, he thinks the hours are the worst part of the job because it makes it hard to have a social/personal life. We asked him to identify some really good qualities an SM should have in order to be successful: people person, authoritative tone, easy-going, friendly, outgoing, punctual, good time management, considerate, compassionate, good personality, and be able to assume responsibility. Also, he wanted us to know that we should be willing to work our way up through the ranks and definitely recommends graduate school. Meeting with William Lang was great, even though, at this point the information may be repetitive because we are still meeting people and it never hurts to hear another perspective. Thank you.

But overall remember, “It’s called a play for a reason…come in and PLAY!”

Monster Sushi, Rain and Fun!…Friday 3/7

jdub — Thu, 13 Mar 2008 14:17:53 +0000

Sommer and myself had a really nice morning on Friday, March 7. We went down to Grand Central Station right before lunch and observed all the people and the amazing architecture of the building. Next, we found the Whispering Corner where we were able to exchange a normal conversation while being on opposite sides of the room. After we explored the Whispering Room, Sommer and I headed off to meet David for lunch at Monster Sushi. This was by far my favorite meal while we were in NYC and it was the BEST sushi I have ever had to date. I had a rainbow roll, California Roll, Alaska Roll, and Unagi (eel) sashimi. It was amazing and so fresh!! Once lunch ended, we parted ways with David and headed up to the Performance Arts Library by the Lincoln Center. This library was very immense and had a wide, variety of everything about performance, from dance to backstage. I particularly set out to find the book that one of my contacts had written, The Backstage Guide to Stage Management by Tom Kelly. Now I unfortunately did not have enough time to read the book, but I was able to flip through and it was cool to see something that had been written on a topic that I am very interested about by someone I have just recently met. Once Sommer and I were done exploring the library, we got back on the 1 and headed down to Franklin St. to meet Jess and Lucia for coffee at Pecan.

Meeting and talking with Jess was really great because she understood better where we all are now; seeing is how she was in our position not long ago. To be able to talk with someone who recently came from college and threw herself into the business was encouraging. She seems to be having so much fun and really enjoying what she is doing while in NYC. We had a really nice talk about living in NYC and starting to meet people and develop those working relationships, but still had a little catch-up time. Once we finished our coffee she took us to The Flee, the theatre where she works. Right now she is SMing a show on their main stage. She gave us a tour of her booth, the stage, dressing rooms, the second stage, etc. Also, she introduced us to her boss who was very friendly and inviting. All the while she seemed so happy and proud of where she worked and I really appreciated seeing her joy.

When we left Jess and The Flee, we ventured out into the pouring rain to head back uptown to meet William Lang, the PSM of I Love You, You’re Perfect, Now Change, at the Westside Theatre. Our talk with him was interesting to me becasue he has been SMing for the same show for the past 9 years and I was fascinated with how it was he keeps the job interesting and exciting on a daily basis. After the interview ended we met Lindsay at Ellen’s Stardust Diner. I have been to this restaurant every time I’ve come to NY and it is just a fun, high energy dining experience. However, I was still really full from my amazing sushi lunch so I didn’t eat that much, but I really just enjoyed the atmosphere. Anyways, dinner was a little rushed because we had to move off into the rain again to get to the Ethel Barrymore Theatre to see Nathan Lane in November. This show was HILARIOUS! I really enjoyed how the show ridiculed and mocked almost every political view without really ever causing any offense. David Mamet was very clever and the actors did a great job in their comedic timing to enhance the humor. I really enjoyed this show, therefore even though it was still raining outside I stood at the stage door to wait for autographs. Laurie Metcalf and Dylan Butler were very kind and stopped to sign our programs but unfortunately Nathan Lane was unable to stop and chat. After we received our signatures, I booked it back to the hotel for our discussion and to just get out of the rain…finally!!