SM Classes Summary

Last week was all about performance and score reading. I think that my score reading has come on a lot since this time last year when I first started to learn it and its been really good that we have kept getting classes as the only way to get better at something is to practice it, so I have been working on it at home as well as it really is a skill I want to perfect. I have also been working on some languages as I have found that knowing the basics of a language helps me to follow the lyrics.

For me the 2 classes from outside people that I found the most useful were the one that Helen gave on opera stage management and the one that John gave on touring productions. I think that I felt this way as they are both stage managers and were able to speak about exactly how to stage manage these shows whereas the others could not. Helen also gave us a good look at the paperwork that is needed for being a DSM for opera and exactly how to set it all out  which will be really useful for next year. This class really made me think about next year which is something that I have not given much thought to until then. Johns class was also good as we got an insight into touring from a stage management point of view instead of just a general overview which I thought was good and maybe lacking in some of the other classes.

The bit of the 2 weeks that I did not enjoy at all was the performance aspect. The only one that I actually think that I got out of it what I was supposed to was the Hamlet exercise and that might have been because I got a real shock when I couldnt remember the lines as soon as the props were there and that made me really understand the importance of rehearsal props and I think that that was probably a good way to get the point across. The workshops with Ali and the voice class I felt were a bit of a waste of time. I dont think that I really got anything out of them that I could not have simply been told as this is kinda what happened anyway as I was told what I should have got out of it at the end and if this hadnt happened I wouldnt have really understood what  I was supposed to have learnt.

The 2nd week was started by observing a Stage and Piano for Kasper Houser which was really good to do as I have seen stage and pianos before but I have never sat and thought about it form a stage managers point of view and I think i did learn a lot from it like the stage manager should take charge of the stage right at the start and there needs to be constant communication between the stage manager and the DSM which are things that I will need to think about for Sweet Sorrow. I also learnt about the importance of detail in rehearsal notes like a bag needing to be shut easily which is something I would never have thought to put into the notes.

The main focus of the second week was the 10 minute plays that we had to stage manage.  It was really good to go through all the processes of a show and do things like a lighting and sound plot as they are not something that I have done before however I dont think that I found out enough of what is expected of me especially from a stage managers point of view- are stage managers supposed to be in charge of these sessions? Is it the stage manager or the DSM or someone else that calls breaks? I enjoyed the tech part of it I felt most comfortable being the DSM and really uncomfortable being the stage manager which is what I would have expected as I have been DSM for a few shows but never stage manager for a big show that involved proper techs. It also felt that I was acting and it didnt really feel like it was a real situation which couldnt really be helped. I feel that I did learn what a stage manager has to do in a tech though and it was really good to get the chance to try it out now as the next time I will get to stage manage will be in about a years time and by that point in 3rd year directors would expect you to know what you are doing.

SM Class 10

Yesterday was our last day of Stage Management classes and the day that we got to tech our plays. I really enjoyed cueing the show but I felt that it did not go as well as it could have and once it was finished I was a bit disappointed in it but i think that that came from not knowing the show as well as I would have if I had been in rehearsals for 4 weeks so im sure that it will be fine for Sweet Sorrow. Being the Stage Manager was a new experience for me and I didnt really enjoy it at all. It felt really awkward but that may have been because it wasnt a real situation. I am glad that I got the chance to be stage manager though as otherwise I wouldnt get a chance to until well into next year and I would have had no idea what I was doing.

In the afternoon we had a chat with Hugh about the Directors role which was good. It was interesting to hear about his experiences especially as someone who has a technical background. It was also good to find out a bit more about our director for sweet sorrow.

SM Classes 7 and 8

Yesterday we were only in in the afternoon to have a talk with John Duncan about touring. It was good to hear his perspective as someone who has spent years touring especially as he has done both opera and ballet and larger scale productions which is what im more interested in. Like Jarvis I wish that I had asked about the stresses touring puts on your personal life and how you deal with that as this is what would worry me the most about touring. It was also fun to hear about all the theatre going wrong moments and how he dealt with them as  probably what worries me the most about being stage manager is making the wrong decision and someone getting hurt so it was good to find out how to deal with this.

After that we had a quick refresher on cues and calls which I think im pretty comfortable with but its always good to be sure that you are doing it right and not in a way that no one but you can understand.

Today was the Lx rig, focus, plot and sound plot for both shows. Its been good to have Jonny and Barry here for the day as it has just been the 4 of us for the past week and a half and its been nice to have other people to talk to and work with for a bit. Being DSM for the plot was a new experience for me and although I really enjoyed it it was sometimes quite difficult to keep up especially the beginning lightning sequence as thats where most of the cues went and for me thats the most confusing bit but I think that I managed to do an ok job and got all the information down that I needed to.

I am defiantly starting to feel confident about Sweet Sorrow as I think that these classes are proving to me that I do know what im doing and that I can do it so thats really good.

SM Class Day 7

Today we were in classes all day rehearsing the 10 minute plays. In the morning we did the mark up which was quite fun although it would have been easier if we had had more time to prepare cause it was quite difficult to figure the plan out while everyone was waiting.

In the afternoon we blocked both plays. I feel quite confident at blocking and after a week of doing things im not comfortable doing it was really nice to get back to doing something that I know and I feel slightly better about starting rehearsals on Monday although I still dont feel that confident about being in rehearsals by myself but im sure it will be fine once I start. It was good to have a shot at doing everything that you do in rehearsals not just blocking and to have a shot at doing all the paperwork.

SM Class Day 6

Today was a really short day and I am finding it hard to come up with much to say.  We started by watching the first Stage and Piano for Opera 2 which turned into more of a what not to do than anything else which was a shame. It seamed like all departments were unprepared for the session and I defiantly picked up a lot of tips on what I should be doing although it is very easy to sit in the circle and criticize and if I was in Vickys position I probably wouldnt have done any better.

After that we had a class on rehearsal paperwork and did a read through of the plays. As I have never been in a read through before it was good to find out exactly what should happen in one and everything you need bring. Most of it is common sense but its still good to have it all written down. I am starting to get a bit nervous about going into rehearsals on Monday as I still not feel that prepared or that I have any real idea what im doing.

SM Class Day 5

Today we had a class on production management which was really interesting. Afterwards we had to make up a schedule for the Shakespeare’s which was a really good idea cause it has made me start to give some proper thought to them. It still feels like they are ages away and I have probably given more thought to the opera next year than to Sweet Sorrow so its been really good to actually be made to think about all the things that we will need to know before we start rehearsals. I think that I am still thinking like an ASM and I keep forgetting that I have to find out this information myself and I wont simply be told by my Stage Manager anymore.

In the afternoon we had a class on stage managing a CPP show which was ok. It was interesting to find out a bit more about CPP and all the different types of shows they do but I didnt really learn anything about how to stage manage them.

SM Class Day 4

Yesterday and today we had a performance class and although its not my thing it was much more enjoyable than I was expecting it to be. In a way it was really good for me maybe more than it was for the others as it took me really far outside of my comfort zone and into situations that im really not happy and uncomfortable being in and it wasnt as terrible as I thought it was going to be and I think that its been a confidence boost.

One thing that really surprised me was the Hamlet exercise as I have never had a problem remembering huge chunks of text as I can picture the page in my head and its just like reading from that but as soon as I had to make the tea the page just disappeared and i couldn’t remember anything which has never happened to me before so that really enforced the point about rehearsal props so that was good as it was kinda the point of the whole thing. I must admit I wasn’t really expecting to get much out of that exercise and so im really glad that i did.

Score reading is still going well which is good we did an exercise yesterday when we had to find our place in the score just from listening to the music which was really good as you were looking for pick up points which is useful when you are the DSM and I was really pleased that I could find my place quite quickly. I have also started to brush up on some basic French and Italian and I think that this has really been helpful to me as its a lot easier when you have even a basic understanding of the language to follow it.

SM Classes Day 3

Today was a really really crap day. The first class was my idea of a nightmare and after attending it I still dont really see what the point of it was or why I had to do it. I have always had a great respect for what actors do and know I could never do it so I do not need to play games, read lines or try to act to understand this. I also felt that 3 hours was way to long as I spent most of the last hour counting the minutes till we were done.

I really had trouble being motivated in the mark up class I have done fake ones so often that im just really sick of them. I dont think that we really collaborated much with the designers and I think that by this point most of us were tired and fed up that we didnt really care.

I am finding it really difficult to blog tonight all I can come up with is negative things and there were good things that happened today so I think that I will leave it tonight and do a full blog tomorrow as I dont think that I will come up with any real reflection or anything constructive tonight. Perhaps having to do a blog so soon after the class is not the best thing as i think you need at least a day to really process all that has happened that day.

SM Classes Day 2

Ok so since  my blog post yesterday was pretty crap I have decided that I will do a little bit of proper reflection on the classes yesterday as well as today.

Yesterday we began with score reading class. I have always struggled with these but since War and Peace I have started to find it much easier. I think that its because I have had so much practice during the opera and I had to figure out how to find my place in the score quickly which is something I have been able to use in the classes which has maybe given me the impression that I do not get lost anymore.

In the afternoon we had a class on Stage Managing opera which I briefly touched on in my previous post. It was good to have someone who has worked on a lot of opera come in and talk with us which is something that we have never had before. It also made me think a lot about all the responsibilities I will have next year and all the things that I will have to remember to do. The Plan B bit was especially scary to hear about as its not something that I have ever really thought about and the idea of having to make the decision to stop the show is a big thing as if you make the wrong decision someone could get really hurt or you could end up stopping the show for no reason which is not a good thing to happen. I am glad that all this has been brought to my attention now as its has given me plenty of time to get my head around it. I new opera 1 was going to be a lot of work but I had never really sat down and had a proper think about it. Having said that I am still looking forward to the whole thing.

On to today. In the morning we had to observe a voice class which was useful but a bit repetitive. It was interesting to see how much work actors have to put into a performance as I had never given it much thought. It also showed us how important it is for actors to have time on stage before each performance which is something that as a stage manager I will have to make time for. I did feel however that it got a little repetitive towards the end and we were just watching the same thing over and over as they went through the group.

In the afternoon we had a class on SM to AD which I really enjoyed im not sure if I will ever move into film or tv but its definatly something for me to think about.  It was good to learn what an AD does as I didnt really know and I think that what they do is something that I might be quite good at and enjoy but I dont think that I will ever want to give up doing theatre.

I think that for me anyway by the time it came to Martins class it was a case of one class to many and I was starting to feel really restless from just sitting around all day I was also struggling to stay focused on the class and thinking about it now im really struggling to remember what happened and what was said in it which is not good as I never purposefully zoned out and I was interested in the class as I think that I tend to lack patience when it comes to designers and I dont think that that is the best way to work.

Stage Management for Opera

Today we had our first day of Stage Management classes. I still really dislike blogging and really really hate being forced to do this so I will keep this short. The class on opera today was really good for me anyway as we went over all the paper work that I would need to do and got to look at proper opera paper work which was really useful. It was a bit of a wake up call really as I have not given much thought to what being opera 1  DSM next year will entail.