We have begun. After a long week of preparations, worry and anticipation, the first day arrived yesterday. Our rehearsal process for Cat is a little modified from what would be considered the norm. First days usually begin with a big meet and greet when all of the cast members, designers, technicians, theatre administration gather together to meet as a team for the first time. For this show, we are starting our first week with the three primary characters....Maggie, Brick and Big Daddy. The bulk of this play rests on the shoulders of these three characters and our director wanted to take the first week to really concentrate on their journeys through the story and get a solid basis upon which to build the entire play. On the second week, we add 3 more characters...Big Mamma, Gooper and Mae. In the third week, we will finally have all of our cast members joining us...Doc Baugh, Reverend Tooker, Sookey & Lacey who are the house servants and then the children...all 15 of `em!!
It is on the Monday of that third week when we will finally have our meet & greet and the whole team from Artistic Director on down will all be in the same room. So...it felt a little strange yesterday when the 3 actors, the director, myself and my assistant gathered in the rehearsal room to begin. But what a beginning! My present cast members are just lovely folks...I am always amazed at this life in theatre. It seems that no matter what the show, what the circumstances, we all have this familiarity whether we have met before or not. It`s like that with each production a bond is formed incredibly quickly. I have always felt that it is like a little family is formed with each show...that somehow we know what we are in for and that we need each other to get through it. I truly believe that theatre people are all cut from the same cloth. We may be very, very different with our quirks and styles but on some internal plane, we seem to recognize each other and open ourselves up to each other very quickly.
For example...I have a TERRIBLE singing voice. You will never catch me singing in public... (unless I am very, very drunk and then you would still need to work hard at getting me to just hum a tune). Yesterday, we did a read-through of the script and of course we had many parts not covered with only three of the cast in the room. The director was going to read in the other parts, but as we began, it became apparent that it was just too confusing for him to do all of them...so myself and the assistant director hopped in. I played Big Mamma and Reverend Tooker as well as some of the children. The children sing. Without even thinking about it, I sang the songs at full voice.... and I felt ok about it...completely safe...among friends. When I step back from it I realize that I had only met most of these folks hours before and here I am doing something I am totally insecure about without hesitation. For me, this is such a beautiful thing and one of the reasons I continue to do this work. Now, I did apologize for my southern drawl when doing Big Mamma...I did feel a little self-conscious about that....accents are always a tricky thing and usually I would just read it straight. But with Tennesse Williams` work, especially this play, the accent is (as I see it) crucial to the story... I guess it wasn`t too bad though. Everyone was very complimentary afterwards. As a child, my parents had friends from Memphis and I heard that drawl quite a bit during my formative years. Maybe that is one reason I find Williams` plays resonate so much with me.
Hearing the three principals put voice to the words was just magical....even with our attempts, odd as they may have been, to carry the whole story along and without any rehearsal, you could hear the absolute beauty of these tragic and deeply enmeshed characters very clearly. It is a powerful and deeply moving play... at times, hysterically funny and others, shocking and disturbing. And mostly....deeply human....real....familiar. Hmm....there is that word again...familiar....family.
This play is very much about a family. And as I sit here, typing and drinking in my caffeine to get the day started, I feel thankful. Thankful that I get a chance to join this family of artists who are gathering to tell this story, this family from the playwright`s mind and get to play with them...for a little while anyway. That`s the other thing about theatre. It is brief and fleeting and it is very important for me to savour each moment while we are all in the room together.
Thankful.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Preparations
I am just over half-way through my preparation week for Cat On A Hot Tin Roof and, I must say I`m feeling pretty good. Now, I`ve been around this block quite a few times and realize that this feeling has a good chance of turning around and biting me in the ass... but it`s a tough old ass with plenty of scar tissue.
Prep week is a funny thing. I find that, although the basics of what I need to accomplish prior to each show that is heading into the rehearsal hall are basically the same, each prep week has a character of it`s own. It definitely changes with each theatre company as each company has its own set of standards as far as protocol...ie: who gets what type of communication and how. I find that some stage managers attempt to apply a universal To Do checklist to every company that they are employed by. Now, I am a big fan of To Do lists....my 41 year old brain isn`t what it once was and I am never too far from my notebook at all times. But I have found over the years that sitting down and talking with the departments about their needs and modifying my list is essential. I am a big fan of talking....face to face, live communication....there is nothing like it. The To Do list should be modified for each show. This is my 8th production at the Segal and I guess I know the system here well. There has been some fairly major changes to the company in the last year with new players in key positions and new positions as well. Still...I feel like I am on the right track...so far. (knocking wood!)
So I have been busily assembling things like a contact list (I think this production is totalling around 50 or so names of folks that I need to communicate with on some level daily), a rehearsal and performance calendar, templates for things like production notes, daily schedules, show reports with distribution lists for each...nothing that feels terribly artistic on the surface. Yet I do see the art in these duties. First of all, the use of discretion and sensitivity to each individual on the production needs to be reflected in any document that I send off. Is the name spelled correctly? Are the names ordered in a way that is respectful to everyone`s role in the process? Am I invading someone`s privacy with the information that I am distributing?...things like that. Anticipating and understanding the sensitivities of each player, from the director to the dresser should inform how the stage manager creates their paperwork. I believe that there is a real art to this in terms of all communication, written and verbal.
So, as I go into my 4th day of prep, I feel like my paperwork is in good shape. And I am prepared for changing and editing each document, as changes are guaranteed. (A word of advice: Always add SUBJECT TO CHANGE on your calendar and have a date of REVISAL on your documents!!) The next batch of work to accomplish has to do with the script and the rehearsal hall. The fun part of this is shopping. I have received my petty cash and am off to every stage manager`s favourite playground....the office supply store. I swear, its like a form of soft pornography getting to walk up and down the aisles and checking out all the various fun gadgets and supplies that will hopefully make all the paper-shuffling fun and more efficient. As well, the purchasing of basic rehearsal hall supplies is pretty fun too....things like kleenex, hand sanitizer....coffee supplies.... It may sound a bit boring, but really, come on! It`s shopping!!! One of my favourite pass-times.
Once I`ve recovered from the over-stimulation of the office supply store I can begin assembling the prompt script. For those that are new to the business, the prompt script is also known as the bible. Once the show opens, this script will contain a record of all things that make up the production as a whole....all of the accurate and correct lines the actors say, the blocking (movements the actors make on stage), all of the cues including lights, sound, special effects, actor entrances etc. This becomes the most important batch of papers for the whole production. It also is retained by the theatre company as a permanent archive of the event. This script needs lots of tender loving care and should always be kept safe and secure. I have heard nightmares of colleagues losing the prompt script on the subway and stories of having to re-do much of the script due to disasterous coffee spills....don`t let this happen to you. My advice is to keep the script at the theatre in a safe place....don`t lug it around with you if at all possible.
Once I have the script pulled together and ready for the inputting of information, I need to concentrate on the rehearsal hall. I have an assistant stage manager on this show (the lovely Lori) and I only have her for one day of preparation. On this show, we have a fairly complicated and intricate set. Most of Lori`s prep day will be spent working on the rehearsal hall with me. We need to take the floorplan of the set and re-create it with spike tape on the floor of the rehearsal hall....this should take several hours and I am sure that I will be bleeding from the eyes before we get it right...but it`ll be alright. At the very least, we don`t have any circular portions of the set or revolving sections to re-create. As well, Lori has to get her own script set up and ready for all of the backstage specific information that needs to be recorded.
During the last few days of this week, I also need to have conversations with all of the actors....or the actor`s parents considering that I have 15 individuals on my cast list that are between the ages of 6 and 12!!! A good chunk of yesterday was spent trying to track down busy Moms and Dads so that I can get them up to speed with what`s happening. The biggest part of these conversations is centered around the fact that we need to go from 15 kids (there are 5 kids required per show) down to 10 kids, giving us two teams of 5, rather than 3. This is a bit tricky and a great deal of sensitivity had to be employed while having these conversations. Most of the kids have been very excited to be a part of the show and I know that we will have 5 of them relegated to an understudy role with no guarantee of getting to perform in front of the audience. Logistically, rehearsing 3 teams into the show once we hit tech week would mean a huge loss of time when time is of the essence. This script contains several scenes in which the kids appear, and not all of the kids appear at the same time. We just cannot afford to do each of these scenes 3 times over. What will happen is that we will rehearse with all 15 for a week and during that week, the director will choose who will be in the two performing teams. Informing the families of this change in plans normally would fall outside the definitions of my job. As there are several factors that are playing on this issue such as deadlines for the program booklet, the designing, building and fitting of costumes etc. these conversations needed to happen sooner rather than later. We need to know if anyone is going to back out if this plan isn`t acceptable to them. Plus, gaining the trust of the parents and ensuring that accurate information is being relayed to them all play into making my life easier. So far, after speaking with the guardians of 11 of the kids, everyone is up for the challenge and the experience, no matter what the outcome. And it has been a good stretching exercise for my diplomatic legs.
After all of this, with any luck, we should be ready for the arrival of the actors and the director. I am always at the ready to fix what I discover I have missed or screwed up and offer apologies if needed. I am definitely not the perfect stage manager. I definitely make mistakes. Paperwork and logistical thinking aren`t my strongest qualities. And I am fine with that...I strive to get it right on the first go, but over the years have worked to tenderize my ego and accept my mistakes.... I feel that taking ownership for all that you do, whether it is right or wrong, is the biggest key to success. Success....hmmm...now there is an interesting topic. I think a good subject for a future blog. Suffice to say for now, that I consider that my success is simply that I keep being offered opportunities to come play in the theatre...I may do some things wrong or be bad at certain things, but in someway I think I am doing something right because here I am...working with some of my favourite folks on one of my all time favourite shows. And that is a pretty great thing for me.
Prep week is a funny thing. I find that, although the basics of what I need to accomplish prior to each show that is heading into the rehearsal hall are basically the same, each prep week has a character of it`s own. It definitely changes with each theatre company as each company has its own set of standards as far as protocol...ie: who gets what type of communication and how. I find that some stage managers attempt to apply a universal To Do checklist to every company that they are employed by. Now, I am a big fan of To Do lists....my 41 year old brain isn`t what it once was and I am never too far from my notebook at all times. But I have found over the years that sitting down and talking with the departments about their needs and modifying my list is essential. I am a big fan of talking....face to face, live communication....there is nothing like it. The To Do list should be modified for each show. This is my 8th production at the Segal and I guess I know the system here well. There has been some fairly major changes to the company in the last year with new players in key positions and new positions as well. Still...I feel like I am on the right track...so far. (knocking wood!)
So I have been busily assembling things like a contact list (I think this production is totalling around 50 or so names of folks that I need to communicate with on some level daily), a rehearsal and performance calendar, templates for things like production notes, daily schedules, show reports with distribution lists for each...nothing that feels terribly artistic on the surface. Yet I do see the art in these duties. First of all, the use of discretion and sensitivity to each individual on the production needs to be reflected in any document that I send off. Is the name spelled correctly? Are the names ordered in a way that is respectful to everyone`s role in the process? Am I invading someone`s privacy with the information that I am distributing?...things like that. Anticipating and understanding the sensitivities of each player, from the director to the dresser should inform how the stage manager creates their paperwork. I believe that there is a real art to this in terms of all communication, written and verbal.
So, as I go into my 4th day of prep, I feel like my paperwork is in good shape. And I am prepared for changing and editing each document, as changes are guaranteed. (A word of advice: Always add SUBJECT TO CHANGE on your calendar and have a date of REVISAL on your documents!!) The next batch of work to accomplish has to do with the script and the rehearsal hall. The fun part of this is shopping. I have received my petty cash and am off to every stage manager`s favourite playground....the office supply store. I swear, its like a form of soft pornography getting to walk up and down the aisles and checking out all the various fun gadgets and supplies that will hopefully make all the paper-shuffling fun and more efficient. As well, the purchasing of basic rehearsal hall supplies is pretty fun too....things like kleenex, hand sanitizer....coffee supplies.... It may sound a bit boring, but really, come on! It`s shopping!!! One of my favourite pass-times.
Once I`ve recovered from the over-stimulation of the office supply store I can begin assembling the prompt script. For those that are new to the business, the prompt script is also known as the bible. Once the show opens, this script will contain a record of all things that make up the production as a whole....all of the accurate and correct lines the actors say, the blocking (movements the actors make on stage), all of the cues including lights, sound, special effects, actor entrances etc. This becomes the most important batch of papers for the whole production. It also is retained by the theatre company as a permanent archive of the event. This script needs lots of tender loving care and should always be kept safe and secure. I have heard nightmares of colleagues losing the prompt script on the subway and stories of having to re-do much of the script due to disasterous coffee spills....don`t let this happen to you. My advice is to keep the script at the theatre in a safe place....don`t lug it around with you if at all possible.
Once I have the script pulled together and ready for the inputting of information, I need to concentrate on the rehearsal hall. I have an assistant stage manager on this show (the lovely Lori) and I only have her for one day of preparation. On this show, we have a fairly complicated and intricate set. Most of Lori`s prep day will be spent working on the rehearsal hall with me. We need to take the floorplan of the set and re-create it with spike tape on the floor of the rehearsal hall....this should take several hours and I am sure that I will be bleeding from the eyes before we get it right...but it`ll be alright. At the very least, we don`t have any circular portions of the set or revolving sections to re-create. As well, Lori has to get her own script set up and ready for all of the backstage specific information that needs to be recorded.
During the last few days of this week, I also need to have conversations with all of the actors....or the actor`s parents considering that I have 15 individuals on my cast list that are between the ages of 6 and 12!!! A good chunk of yesterday was spent trying to track down busy Moms and Dads so that I can get them up to speed with what`s happening. The biggest part of these conversations is centered around the fact that we need to go from 15 kids (there are 5 kids required per show) down to 10 kids, giving us two teams of 5, rather than 3. This is a bit tricky and a great deal of sensitivity had to be employed while having these conversations. Most of the kids have been very excited to be a part of the show and I know that we will have 5 of them relegated to an understudy role with no guarantee of getting to perform in front of the audience. Logistically, rehearsing 3 teams into the show once we hit tech week would mean a huge loss of time when time is of the essence. This script contains several scenes in which the kids appear, and not all of the kids appear at the same time. We just cannot afford to do each of these scenes 3 times over. What will happen is that we will rehearse with all 15 for a week and during that week, the director will choose who will be in the two performing teams. Informing the families of this change in plans normally would fall outside the definitions of my job. As there are several factors that are playing on this issue such as deadlines for the program booklet, the designing, building and fitting of costumes etc. these conversations needed to happen sooner rather than later. We need to know if anyone is going to back out if this plan isn`t acceptable to them. Plus, gaining the trust of the parents and ensuring that accurate information is being relayed to them all play into making my life easier. So far, after speaking with the guardians of 11 of the kids, everyone is up for the challenge and the experience, no matter what the outcome. And it has been a good stretching exercise for my diplomatic legs.
After all of this, with any luck, we should be ready for the arrival of the actors and the director. I am always at the ready to fix what I discover I have missed or screwed up and offer apologies if needed. I am definitely not the perfect stage manager. I definitely make mistakes. Paperwork and logistical thinking aren`t my strongest qualities. And I am fine with that...I strive to get it right on the first go, but over the years have worked to tenderize my ego and accept my mistakes.... I feel that taking ownership for all that you do, whether it is right or wrong, is the biggest key to success. Success....hmmm...now there is an interesting topic. I think a good subject for a future blog. Suffice to say for now, that I consider that my success is simply that I keep being offered opportunities to come play in the theatre...I may do some things wrong or be bad at certain things, but in someway I think I am doing something right because here I am...working with some of my favourite folks on one of my all time favourite shows. And that is a pretty great thing for me.
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Odd Jobs
I just completed a week of ushering for two wonderful shows.... Ooooo! by Sidemart Theatrical Grocery and Dangerous Liasons by the Segal Theatre. As I have no doubt stated already, a large part of my life in the theatre has been dealing with issues of unemployment.
Upon moving to Montreal, I discovered that this issue was doubly complicated due to a few reasons. Although I studied french in school for about 8 years and I live with a francophone in a primarily francophone neighbourhood, my french is trés mauvais. In the past, in tough times I would try to pick up odd jobs here and there to pay the bills when I wasn`t lucky enough to be plying my craft. Here in Montreal, to even serve coffee you need to be bilingual...way more bilingual than I am now. I know I am making progress with the french but it still seems a huge mountain to climb.
Some would say, well why don`t you apply for unemployment insurance? I am eligible for this and the truthful answer is yes, I should. And have in the past. That`s part of my issue I think. In the years when I would collect UI (which is now called EI, I believe) it was always a humiliating experience...I felt like I was automatically assumed to be cheating the system rather than using a protection plan that I have been paying into my whole working life. As well, with recent changes to the EI system, I have to log all of my hours on a sheet that Equity sends me with each contract. Now, I will deal with my paperwork issues in future blogs, but I can simply say that I have never done this....I hate paperwork and so far the thought of filling these shitty things out when I`m rocking and rolling with a show just makes my head want to explode. Still... I think I need to get on this horse and ride it.... my partner is, and rightly so, getting frustrated that I`ve been so stubborn in not persuing this option.
As well, Montreal has a very small english theatre scene...there are only so many companies and so many stage management contracts available. Doing summer stock has not been an option for me at this time mainly because...well, frankly, I`m old and don`t want to spend the summer in some small town, away from my guy and my pets, boarding with a lonely widow or sleeping in someone`s 12 year old daughter`s pretty and pink bedroom (that`s just creepy). I have weathered these situations countless times in my career and I just can`t do it anymore! Being afraid to have a good fart after a 13 hour work day makes me stressed out just thinking of it.
Luckily, here in Montreal other options have been opened to me, largely due to some wonderful friends. Now, when unemployed, I do crew calls and some ushering. Prior to moving here, I had never really touched a lighting instrument or was lucky to find the business end of a screw gun. We have really wonderful technicians here and through getting to know them, I was brought on to a few crews for set ups, tear downs and lighting hangs and have slowly begun to build up some skill in this area. I am nowhere near having the knowledge and talent of most guys and gals on a crew but I can hold my own these days and I actually really love the work. This, along with the ushering have been godsends to me....I`m not really pulling in living wages with it, but it certainly helps out in lean times and the best thing of all for me is that I am still working in the world of theatre. My comfort zone.
As I start my final weekend of unemployment for the next 5 months or so, I look forward to getting back into the chair I`m very used to sitting in... and pulling in some better cash so I can contribute more meaningfully to the cost of my life with S again. But I do miss these odd jobs... this last week of ushering has been quite wonderful. A little melancholy, as one of my good friends who took pity on me and hired me to work during lean times, has left her position, but a great week none-the-less. Just being in the theatre and breathing in that nurishing atmosphere in which we bravely attempt to transport people from their daily lives into other worlds, other times, other lives has rejeuvenated my resolve.... has charged my battery once again and I feel ready to begin.
Bring on the no-neck monsters!!!
(if this reference confuses you...read Cat On a Hot Tin Roof, or better yet...come see it!)
Upon moving to Montreal, I discovered that this issue was doubly complicated due to a few reasons. Although I studied french in school for about 8 years and I live with a francophone in a primarily francophone neighbourhood, my french is trés mauvais. In the past, in tough times I would try to pick up odd jobs here and there to pay the bills when I wasn`t lucky enough to be plying my craft. Here in Montreal, to even serve coffee you need to be bilingual...way more bilingual than I am now. I know I am making progress with the french but it still seems a huge mountain to climb.
Some would say, well why don`t you apply for unemployment insurance? I am eligible for this and the truthful answer is yes, I should. And have in the past. That`s part of my issue I think. In the years when I would collect UI (which is now called EI, I believe) it was always a humiliating experience...I felt like I was automatically assumed to be cheating the system rather than using a protection plan that I have been paying into my whole working life. As well, with recent changes to the EI system, I have to log all of my hours on a sheet that Equity sends me with each contract. Now, I will deal with my paperwork issues in future blogs, but I can simply say that I have never done this....I hate paperwork and so far the thought of filling these shitty things out when I`m rocking and rolling with a show just makes my head want to explode. Still... I think I need to get on this horse and ride it.... my partner is, and rightly so, getting frustrated that I`ve been so stubborn in not persuing this option.
As well, Montreal has a very small english theatre scene...there are only so many companies and so many stage management contracts available. Doing summer stock has not been an option for me at this time mainly because...well, frankly, I`m old and don`t want to spend the summer in some small town, away from my guy and my pets, boarding with a lonely widow or sleeping in someone`s 12 year old daughter`s pretty and pink bedroom (that`s just creepy). I have weathered these situations countless times in my career and I just can`t do it anymore! Being afraid to have a good fart after a 13 hour work day makes me stressed out just thinking of it.
Luckily, here in Montreal other options have been opened to me, largely due to some wonderful friends. Now, when unemployed, I do crew calls and some ushering. Prior to moving here, I had never really touched a lighting instrument or was lucky to find the business end of a screw gun. We have really wonderful technicians here and through getting to know them, I was brought on to a few crews for set ups, tear downs and lighting hangs and have slowly begun to build up some skill in this area. I am nowhere near having the knowledge and talent of most guys and gals on a crew but I can hold my own these days and I actually really love the work. This, along with the ushering have been godsends to me....I`m not really pulling in living wages with it, but it certainly helps out in lean times and the best thing of all for me is that I am still working in the world of theatre. My comfort zone.
As I start my final weekend of unemployment for the next 5 months or so, I look forward to getting back into the chair I`m very used to sitting in... and pulling in some better cash so I can contribute more meaningfully to the cost of my life with S again. But I do miss these odd jobs... this last week of ushering has been quite wonderful. A little melancholy, as one of my good friends who took pity on me and hired me to work during lean times, has left her position, but a great week none-the-less. Just being in the theatre and breathing in that nurishing atmosphere in which we bravely attempt to transport people from their daily lives into other worlds, other times, other lives has rejeuvenated my resolve.... has charged my battery once again and I feel ready to begin.
Bring on the no-neck monsters!!!
(if this reference confuses you...read Cat On a Hot Tin Roof, or better yet...come see it!)
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Beginnings
Well... here we go!
I have never written a blog prior to this and to be honest, I`ve never really looked at any before. (and I have to say, I`m feeling a little nervous) I am an avid CBC radio listener and after hearing a story about blogging on a radio show called Spark, I realized that I would love to give it a shot. I have always wanted to write.... but have never really had the courage to do so. I looked into what I actually had to do to begin and was very suprised at how effortless it was to get set up. So I guess we`ll see how this goes...
First of all, I guess I should explain a little about why I have decided to write about my career and my life, which are so intertwined there is little room left for distinction.
Next week, I begin work on my next show, after a long summer of unemployment. The show is Tennessee Williams` Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, a play that I have wanted to perform since my teenage years. During a long stretch of unemployment, I spend a great deal of time thinking about my choices and questioning why the hell I work in such a crazy field....no job security, low salaries, long hours and sometimes really hard, hard work!! Somehow, in some way, something happens... the phone rings or an email drops in my inbox, an offer occurs and bingo! - I am inspired and excited to carry on. (Maybe I am a glutton for punishment). I think the simple answer is that simply, I love what I do. It is my hope that through this little blog that I will be able to share that love with anyone who is interested, whether they are just curious as to what the people do behind the scenes or they are considering a career as a stage manager for live theatre.
I believe that there are many stereotypes as to what a stage manager is like and how they should approach the work. I think that many people see the job as strictly technical or clerical in nature. And yes, there are definitely technical and clerical aspects to the job but I believe it is much more than that. I consider myself an artist. I consider the job highly artistic. Hopefully through these writings, I will be able to explain why and how. It`s a funny job... on the surface it looks as if you are only there to protect and administer someone else`s art. And yes, you are definitely doing that...but I think that a good stage manager can apply their own art and vision to keep a show on line without dampening or stopping the process of growth that all productions inevitably go through after the opening night. As well, it takes an artistic eye to understand the intentions of the director, the designers and the actors in order to guide the production through the rehearsal process to the end of the run.
As well, I have already indicated that my life and my career are highly intertwined, and it is not always a happy marriage. So I guess through this blog I will be dealing with my issues and experiences outside of the theatre as well. I will try very hard to keep this entertaining and interesting and not just a forum in which I am looking for therapy. I will also work to maintain the privacy of those I love and those I work with... I haven`t quite figured out how I am going to do this but whatever I decide will be apparent....I might only use initials or nicknames....I am not sure yet.
That said, I guess I should say a little bit about myself. Let`s see....well.... I am Canadian. I am 41 years old (but honestly, I still feel like I`m 21). I live in a fantastic city with my partner of 5 years and our puppy and crazy cat. My hubby, (S will be how he`s referred to) is not a theatre person. He works in the corporate world and has, as I say, a real job. By that I guess I mean that he has things like benefits, paid vacation and somewhat regular work hours....things that I can only dream of. He is French Canadian but speaks perfect english. I am working on my french but it is a slow process and I am very lazy. The one thing that helps is that we live in a very francophone neighbourhood and I am forced to communicate en francais quite a bit. I think sometimes that he thinks I am completely insane working in theatre. He is such a wonderful guy and has been incredibly supportive, especially when work has been scarce and money even scarcer. But he does question why. I think it is hard for him to understand why I live with incredible job insecurity, no savings and in highly stressful situations, but I do know that he respects that this is my passion. It has been a long, lean summer for us as a couple with me not bringing in a regular salary but he has weathered it well and I am so grateful to him. It may have been long and lean, but it was a lovely summer, especially as we have begun the raising of our now 7 month old puppy together. What joy and energy he has brought to our lives.
I never considered theatre as a viable career option for me when I was in high school (and I still wonder if it is really viable on a daily basis!!). I was an incredibly shy kid but came out of my shell when I was cast as chorus and lead dancer for my school`s production of West Side Story. I just loved it! And suddenly, I had really cool friends and felt a part of something. But I never took art classes... I did the productions and my school work but they were always seperate things. I went to college and began a career working with mentally challenged adults and children and later, street kids and sexual abuse survivors. It was challenging and very fufulling work. It was also very, very hard work. After about 5 years or so in that field, I began to burn out fast. I was working with some of the most challenging individuals in that city and it got harder and harder for me to get up and get to work each day. During this time, I had a close friend from my high school days who had followed his heart and was working as a stage manager. When finally I felt I could no longer take it anymore, he suggested that I take a chance...come volunteer for a summer as a production assistant for a summer stock theatre company he was working for and see if I like it. So, I quit my job and off I went. The funny thing was that it was the most troubled theatre company and most of the staff had quit by the end of the season but I had had my taste of the backstage and I was smitten. I enrolled in a college theatre program that fall and began classes in things like lighting, set design but I knew my heart was in stage management. I knew that I couldn`t act or sing but at least with stage management I could still touch the art... still be a part of the story telling. Good fortune was smiling on me... I had applied for a stage management apprenticeship at The Shaw Festival and two or three months into my theatre program, they hired me. So I left college and went to Niagara-On-The-Lake for the next 4 years and received the best education I could have ever wanted. I am a very hands-on sort of learner and I did better here that I ever would have in a classroom setting.
Since then, I`ve been hammering away at my career... I moved to the west coast for about 8 years after The Shaw. It was during this time that I lost my drive.... I was only getting assistant stage management jobs and had some bad experiences...poor judgements on my part mainly and working with some pretty messed up stage managers all lead to this. So, I put my career aside for about 3 years and went back to working with street youth again. The kids were great and the work satisfying to a point, but so hard and just chuck full of government bullshit... I had a major life crisis at this time....my 6 year relationship came to an end, I got involved with crystal meth and basically started flushing my life down the toilet. It was at my darkest time during this period that one of those magical moments happened... I recieved an email from an actor friend of mine that stated he was looking for a stage manager to tour a large, non-professional musical across the USA and he thought that I would be perfect. What was perfect was his timing... I put the drugs aside and did the tour. I always say, cheesily, that that is when theatre saved my life...it was somewhere on some interstate in Texas in a truck filled with set pieces and costumes that I realized what had been missing in my life. Theatre. Simply that. I ended up returning east and have resumed my life as a stage manager. It`s never boring, it`s always challenging and it is intregal to my life. And I feel like I have made my peace with that.... mostly. (I am a bit more optimistic at the moment as I have 3 shows lined up for this season so I know we won`t starve!)
So....
There is the beginning. As the weeks progress, I will try to regularily document my experiences and musings as I enter into what appears to be an exciting theatre season ahead. Thanks for reading....
I have never written a blog prior to this and to be honest, I`ve never really looked at any before. (and I have to say, I`m feeling a little nervous) I am an avid CBC radio listener and after hearing a story about blogging on a radio show called Spark, I realized that I would love to give it a shot. I have always wanted to write.... but have never really had the courage to do so. I looked into what I actually had to do to begin and was very suprised at how effortless it was to get set up. So I guess we`ll see how this goes...
First of all, I guess I should explain a little about why I have decided to write about my career and my life, which are so intertwined there is little room left for distinction.
Next week, I begin work on my next show, after a long summer of unemployment. The show is Tennessee Williams` Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, a play that I have wanted to perform since my teenage years. During a long stretch of unemployment, I spend a great deal of time thinking about my choices and questioning why the hell I work in such a crazy field....no job security, low salaries, long hours and sometimes really hard, hard work!! Somehow, in some way, something happens... the phone rings or an email drops in my inbox, an offer occurs and bingo! - I am inspired and excited to carry on. (Maybe I am a glutton for punishment). I think the simple answer is that simply, I love what I do. It is my hope that through this little blog that I will be able to share that love with anyone who is interested, whether they are just curious as to what the people do behind the scenes or they are considering a career as a stage manager for live theatre.
I believe that there are many stereotypes as to what a stage manager is like and how they should approach the work. I think that many people see the job as strictly technical or clerical in nature. And yes, there are definitely technical and clerical aspects to the job but I believe it is much more than that. I consider myself an artist. I consider the job highly artistic. Hopefully through these writings, I will be able to explain why and how. It`s a funny job... on the surface it looks as if you are only there to protect and administer someone else`s art. And yes, you are definitely doing that...but I think that a good stage manager can apply their own art and vision to keep a show on line without dampening or stopping the process of growth that all productions inevitably go through after the opening night. As well, it takes an artistic eye to understand the intentions of the director, the designers and the actors in order to guide the production through the rehearsal process to the end of the run.
As well, I have already indicated that my life and my career are highly intertwined, and it is not always a happy marriage. So I guess through this blog I will be dealing with my issues and experiences outside of the theatre as well. I will try very hard to keep this entertaining and interesting and not just a forum in which I am looking for therapy. I will also work to maintain the privacy of those I love and those I work with... I haven`t quite figured out how I am going to do this but whatever I decide will be apparent....I might only use initials or nicknames....I am not sure yet.
That said, I guess I should say a little bit about myself. Let`s see....well.... I am Canadian. I am 41 years old (but honestly, I still feel like I`m 21). I live in a fantastic city with my partner of 5 years and our puppy and crazy cat. My hubby, (S will be how he`s referred to) is not a theatre person. He works in the corporate world and has, as I say, a real job. By that I guess I mean that he has things like benefits, paid vacation and somewhat regular work hours....things that I can only dream of. He is French Canadian but speaks perfect english. I am working on my french but it is a slow process and I am very lazy. The one thing that helps is that we live in a very francophone neighbourhood and I am forced to communicate en francais quite a bit. I think sometimes that he thinks I am completely insane working in theatre. He is such a wonderful guy and has been incredibly supportive, especially when work has been scarce and money even scarcer. But he does question why. I think it is hard for him to understand why I live with incredible job insecurity, no savings and in highly stressful situations, but I do know that he respects that this is my passion. It has been a long, lean summer for us as a couple with me not bringing in a regular salary but he has weathered it well and I am so grateful to him. It may have been long and lean, but it was a lovely summer, especially as we have begun the raising of our now 7 month old puppy together. What joy and energy he has brought to our lives.
I never considered theatre as a viable career option for me when I was in high school (and I still wonder if it is really viable on a daily basis!!). I was an incredibly shy kid but came out of my shell when I was cast as chorus and lead dancer for my school`s production of West Side Story. I just loved it! And suddenly, I had really cool friends and felt a part of something. But I never took art classes... I did the productions and my school work but they were always seperate things. I went to college and began a career working with mentally challenged adults and children and later, street kids and sexual abuse survivors. It was challenging and very fufulling work. It was also very, very hard work. After about 5 years or so in that field, I began to burn out fast. I was working with some of the most challenging individuals in that city and it got harder and harder for me to get up and get to work each day. During this time, I had a close friend from my high school days who had followed his heart and was working as a stage manager. When finally I felt I could no longer take it anymore, he suggested that I take a chance...come volunteer for a summer as a production assistant for a summer stock theatre company he was working for and see if I like it. So, I quit my job and off I went. The funny thing was that it was the most troubled theatre company and most of the staff had quit by the end of the season but I had had my taste of the backstage and I was smitten. I enrolled in a college theatre program that fall and began classes in things like lighting, set design but I knew my heart was in stage management. I knew that I couldn`t act or sing but at least with stage management I could still touch the art... still be a part of the story telling. Good fortune was smiling on me... I had applied for a stage management apprenticeship at The Shaw Festival and two or three months into my theatre program, they hired me. So I left college and went to Niagara-On-The-Lake for the next 4 years and received the best education I could have ever wanted. I am a very hands-on sort of learner and I did better here that I ever would have in a classroom setting.
Since then, I`ve been hammering away at my career... I moved to the west coast for about 8 years after The Shaw. It was during this time that I lost my drive.... I was only getting assistant stage management jobs and had some bad experiences...poor judgements on my part mainly and working with some pretty messed up stage managers all lead to this. So, I put my career aside for about 3 years and went back to working with street youth again. The kids were great and the work satisfying to a point, but so hard and just chuck full of government bullshit... I had a major life crisis at this time....my 6 year relationship came to an end, I got involved with crystal meth and basically started flushing my life down the toilet. It was at my darkest time during this period that one of those magical moments happened... I recieved an email from an actor friend of mine that stated he was looking for a stage manager to tour a large, non-professional musical across the USA and he thought that I would be perfect. What was perfect was his timing... I put the drugs aside and did the tour. I always say, cheesily, that that is when theatre saved my life...it was somewhere on some interstate in Texas in a truck filled with set pieces and costumes that I realized what had been missing in my life. Theatre. Simply that. I ended up returning east and have resumed my life as a stage manager. It`s never boring, it`s always challenging and it is intregal to my life. And I feel like I have made my peace with that.... mostly. (I am a bit more optimistic at the moment as I have 3 shows lined up for this season so I know we won`t starve!)
So....
There is the beginning. As the weeks progress, I will try to regularily document my experiences and musings as I enter into what appears to be an exciting theatre season ahead. Thanks for reading....
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