Hey everyone, Callie here. This is my first blog post, so hopefully it'll be interesting, and not boring as hell. Anyway, I'm stage managing my middle school's (grades 5-8) play, You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown. I've been working on this play for about 2 months now, since the beginning.
Now, what does it mean to be stage manager? I work closely with the directors and the man in charge of all things tech. I have to go to every rehearsal (which is usually from 3:30-6, and we even have a few weekend rehearsals), write down all of the blocking, help make rehearsal schedules, keep attendance every day for a cast of 60, make sure people have their props (or if the prop isn't made yet, make sure the actor has something in their hand), keep track of the props, be on book for people (meaning giving them their line if they forget), make announcements, get everyone to shut up when they talk too loud, fill people in who miss rehearsals, and even more things that I'll be finding out this week, because opening night is Wednesday.
WARNING: DRAMA TIME!
Now, this is a pretty big job, and originally they had 4 stage managers, but they all dropped out, leaving me. Well, a good friend of mine offered to co stage manage with me. I thought this would be great, because it'd be fun to work with him, and I'd have some help. Not the case. He almost never shows up to rehearsal, and when he does show, he rarely does anything useful. I can understand the days when he doesn't go for tutoring, but he often doesn't go because he "doesn't feel like it" or "he's hanging with a friend". Meanwhile I cancel plans with friends and go no matter what I feel like. Once I didn't get any sleep the night before, I still went. I was sick for one week, and I figured that he went to all the rehearsals and kept track of everything for me, but nope, he did nothing. He has done a few things, but I've done 98%, and he's done 2%. The man tech guy, Jim, is getting mad at him, and quite frankly, I have been too. But, he's my friend, and I've been very forgiving. But I was looking at the play bill, which is right now just a draft, and I saw my friend and I both listed as stage managers. This annoys me. He is getting credit for stuff he did not do. I'd be fine if he was listed as assistant stage manager, but nope, he and I are listed as having done completely equal jobs. But if I ask for them to change it, I'll feel guilty because my friend feels like now that he's started showing up for rehearsals (only 3 weeks before opening is when he started to come) that he's doing something and he'll be mad if I ask for him to be demoted. And also, I'll just feel like a jerk asking the director, "Yeah, can you put him lower on the chain? K thanks".
END DRAMA: NOW FOR WHAT WE DID TODAY
Well, today we had a weekend rehearsal. We're starting to get all the costumes together (Snoopy's is really adorable), and Snoopy's dog house is almost done with painting. We installed some floor mikes so that people can hear the singers better, which every one kept tripping over. One of the directors who can blow up easily, got really mad and told everyone that these mikes were worth more money than everyone in the room combined. Yeah, he blows up like that, but a lot of the time is really nice. Well, people dancing were having a problem with stomping too much on friday, and today that was cleared up. In this play, we have 7 principle characters who are all played by 8th graders, except Linus who is played by a 6th grader. (Snoopy, Charlie Brown, Schroeder, Lucy, Sally, Linus, and Peppermint Patty) and then their understudies, who get to preform one night. Today we ran through the entire show with the understudies, with little problems! There are also the characters with names (which are 7 and 8th graders) and then the ensemble (which is made of 5th 6th graders). About 20 of the 5th and 6th graders are woodstock siblings, who have really neat puppets! They still need eyes though...Also, almost no one was absent from rehearsal! We've never had someone not be missing.
Well, this blog would've been more interesting to follow if I started it from day one, but I didn't do so. So, tell me what you think. What was the most interesting part, and do you want me to update you guys all week with what's going on? It's gonna be hectic because this is opening week.
Now, what does it mean to be stage manager? I work closely with the directors and the man in charge of all things tech. I have to go to every rehearsal (which is usually from 3:30-6, and we even have a few weekend rehearsals), write down all of the blocking, help make rehearsal schedules, keep attendance every day for a cast of 60, make sure people have their props (or if the prop isn't made yet, make sure the actor has something in their hand), keep track of the props, be on book for people (meaning giving them their line if they forget), make announcements, get everyone to shut up when they talk too loud, fill people in who miss rehearsals, and even more things that I'll be finding out this week, because opening night is Wednesday.
WARNING: DRAMA TIME!
Now, this is a pretty big job, and originally they had 4 stage managers, but they all dropped out, leaving me. Well, a good friend of mine offered to co stage manage with me. I thought this would be great, because it'd be fun to work with him, and I'd have some help. Not the case. He almost never shows up to rehearsal, and when he does show, he rarely does anything useful. I can understand the days when he doesn't go for tutoring, but he often doesn't go because he "doesn't feel like it" or "he's hanging with a friend". Meanwhile I cancel plans with friends and go no matter what I feel like. Once I didn't get any sleep the night before, I still went. I was sick for one week, and I figured that he went to all the rehearsals and kept track of everything for me, but nope, he did nothing. He has done a few things, but I've done 98%, and he's done 2%. The man tech guy, Jim, is getting mad at him, and quite frankly, I have been too. But, he's my friend, and I've been very forgiving. But I was looking at the play bill, which is right now just a draft, and I saw my friend and I both listed as stage managers. This annoys me. He is getting credit for stuff he did not do. I'd be fine if he was listed as assistant stage manager, but nope, he and I are listed as having done completely equal jobs. But if I ask for them to change it, I'll feel guilty because my friend feels like now that he's started showing up for rehearsals (only 3 weeks before opening is when he started to come) that he's doing something and he'll be mad if I ask for him to be demoted. And also, I'll just feel like a jerk asking the director, "Yeah, can you put him lower on the chain? K thanks".
END DRAMA: NOW FOR WHAT WE DID TODAY
Well, today we had a weekend rehearsal. We're starting to get all the costumes together (Snoopy's is really adorable), and Snoopy's dog house is almost done with painting. We installed some floor mikes so that people can hear the singers better, which every one kept tripping over. One of the directors who can blow up easily, got really mad and told everyone that these mikes were worth more money than everyone in the room combined. Yeah, he blows up like that, but a lot of the time is really nice. Well, people dancing were having a problem with stomping too much on friday, and today that was cleared up. In this play, we have 7 principle characters who are all played by 8th graders, except Linus who is played by a 6th grader. (Snoopy, Charlie Brown, Schroeder, Lucy, Sally, Linus, and Peppermint Patty) and then their understudies, who get to preform one night. Today we ran through the entire show with the understudies, with little problems! There are also the characters with names (which are 7 and 8th graders) and then the ensemble (which is made of 5th 6th graders). About 20 of the 5th and 6th graders are woodstock siblings, who have really neat puppets! They still need eyes though...Also, almost no one was absent from rehearsal! We've never had someone not be missing.
Well, this blog would've been more interesting to follow if I started it from day one, but I didn't do so. So, tell me what you think. What was the most interesting part, and do you want me to update you guys all week with what's going on? It's gonna be hectic because this is opening week.
