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.
March 16, 2010 at 4:24 am
A really good summary Catherine, which has given me an insight into how your mind works. The difference between a good Stage Manager and an excellent one is the ability to analyse problems and situations very quickly, on-the-spot quality decisions are often required. Being told exactly how to do something is a luxury that we often don’t have as practitioners and though you aren’t expected to be able to do this at this point in your learning, it is hoped that you at least have a recognition that it is a requirement. You seem to be quite meticulous in your approach to Stage Management, though not in your analytical approach towards it (i.e. these reflections) and I feel more time is required developing this essential cognitive skill.
To answer you question on whether a Stage Manager should be in charge of a LX and/or Sound Plot, the answer is no. The LX Designer is in charge of the LX plot and the Sound Designer is in charge of the Sound Plot. However, the SM is expected to facilitate these sessions i.e. provide walkers, ensure silence during the Sound Plot, communicate with the TSM to carry out Scene Changes when required etc… The DSM again can be used as a conduit for communication between the auditorium and the stage.
Your comment on being a Stage Manager and the feeling that you were acting, is absolutely correct. We have to be actors to a degree, otherwise how do we deal with the myriad of disciplines that surround us in our working environments each day? We encounter Designers, Actors, Directors, LX & Sound, Publicity and (yes) Cleaners etc… All of these need to be approached differently, so we adjust our management style accordingly to suit the requirement at the time. We also need to manage large environments that often contain a lot of people i.e Opera or Panto, another, much firmer, act (role) is needed in these situations. You cant escape performance in this business, its all around you and has to be in you as well.