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.
March 3, 2010 at 3:42 am
Hi Catherine,
To be honest with you…. I really don’t see what you problem is with writing your reflections down, what you have written is really good! You have identified area’s that you may need to work on along with strengths that can be shared (how you use pick up points in a score, for example).
I would have liked to have read a little analysis on the session about ASMs though (the 10 Commandments) as you brought up some very valid and constructive points during that session. These opinions are important, mainly because they are yours.
I hope that by the time the 10 days of Stage Management are over, you will have the courage to dig a little deeper within your reflections and maybe, just maybe become a more prolific reflector.
Good work!