#theatre advice

[thestarlightsapphic]

Hi you post sm stuff and I saw you post some stage management advice . I need help i need to make a detailed list of what I want my asm to do and I’m completely blanking so any help on anything would be greatly appreciated. Even though I’m a third year sm I’ve only ever had an asm for two shows and neither one of us can remember anything productive she did. Anyway I’m really sorry to bother you if this isn’t something you’re interested in but I’m just asking around tumbler bc I don’t have many other options

Thank you for reading

Hi! I’m so happy to answer this! Such good timing because I’m actually ASM’ing a show coming up soon!

So, there’s so many different ways that an ASM Role could go, it really depends on the theatre company that you’re working for, but let me type up my list that I have made for my own ASM’s in past shows!

My summary though is genuinely, your ASM is there for YOU! They are your support and your eyes backstage for when you can’t be there, especially once you get into tech and shows! They are your backbone to ensure that you aren’t bearing all the weight.

1. Rehearsal Support

• Setting up the rehearsal space: The ASM prepares the rehearsal room, ensuring all necessary props, costumes, and equipment are ready.

• Tracking blocking and notes: The ASM takes detailed notes of the actors’ blocking (positions and movements) during rehearsals. These notes are essential for the SM, who uses them to create the prompt book (the “bible” for the production)

• Managing rehearsal schedules: The SM and ASM help to organize the rehearsal schedule, making sure all departments are on track and that everyone is where they need to be at the right time.

2. Organizing and Managing Production Elements

• Props management: The ASM often handles the props, ensuring that they are in place for each scene, are in working order, and are returned after use.

• Costume coordination: Depending on the production, the ASM may assist the costume department by ensuring actors are dressed in the correct costumes and are ready for their cues.

• Set preparation and maintenance: The ASM ensures that set pieces are properly placed and maintained, and that all props or set items are ready for use in each scene.

3. Technical Rehearsals

• Supporting the SM in technical rehearsals: The ASM assists the SM in coordinating all departments during tech, helping to execute and fine-tune all cues, including lighting, sound, and set changes.

• Tracking and coordinating cues: The ASM helps track the technical elements (lighting, sound, effects) and makes sure all team members are aware of their cues and responsibilities.

• Prompting actors: If an actor forgets a line or a blocking move during rehearsals, the ASM may be called upon to prompt the actor, though this is not a primary role during performance.

4. Running the Show During Performances

• Assisting in show operations: The ASM is responsible for ensuring that everything runs according to plan during performances, including backstage management and ensuring all props, costumes, and set pieces are in place.

• Calling cues: The ASM may be responsible for calling specific cues for set changes during the performance (under the guidance of the Stage Manager).

• Managing the cast and crew backstage: The ASM ensures that all cast members and backstage crew are prepared for each scene. They may direct the crew in moving set pieces or handling props.

• Handling emergencies or changes: If anything goes wrong during the show, the ASM may be responsible for resolving issues quickly, whether it’s a technical problem, an actor’s injury, or any other unforeseen event. Let the SM know of any emergencies as soon as convenient for you SM

5. Maintaining Communication

• Liaising between departments: The ASM serves as a point of contact between various departments (costumes, props, lighting, sound, etc.) and ensures that any issues are communicated and resolved.

• Reporting to the Stage Manager: The ASM provides regular updates to the Stage Manager on any issues, updates, or problems that arise during rehearsals or performances.

• Communicating with actors: The ASM may also be the person to communicate specific notes to actors, especially for smaller issues that may not need the SM’s immediate attention.

6. Post-Performance Tasks

• Overseeing post-show duties: After a performance, the ASM helps ensure that the set is cleared, props are stored, and costumes are taken care of.

• Handling any actor or crew concerns: The ASM may assist with addressing any concerns or issues from the actors or crew that arise after a show.

7. Other Responsibilities

• Maintaining the prompt book: While the Stage Manager typically has the lead on this, the ASM may help maintain the prompt book, updating it with new changes to the blocking, cues, or other elements.

• Providing general support: The ASM’s role is ultimately to support the Stage Manager, actors, and production staff in any way necessary to ensure the show runs smoothly.

Skills and Qualities Required for an ASM:

• Organization and attention to detail: An ASM must be highly organized, keeping track of numerous moving parts within a production.

• Strong communication skills: The ASM needs to communicate effectively with the cast, crew, and Stage Manager.

• Flexibility and problem-solving: Things rarely go exactly as planned in theatre, so an ASM needs to be able to think on their feet and adjust quickly.

• Ability to multitask: The ASM must be able to manage multiple responsibilities at once, especially during performances and technical rehearsals.

• Team player: Theatre is a collaborative process, and the ASM needs to work well with a variety of people across different departments.

[littlethingwithfeathers]

Stage Manager career advice

(some of this probably works for other paths too... especially #1) -Never ever turn down going out for a drink or coffee. You never know who will be there or what opportunities the person inviting you has up their sleeve. In the same vein, if you're out at a theatre social gathering and you're thinking of making an early night of it for whatever reason... stay around for one more drink (even if it's water). When the crowd starts to thin is when you usually strike social/professional gold, because that’s when the more intimate conversations happen.

-Always keep a set of stage blacks in your car, along with updated copies of your resume, and a set of nice interview clothes (just like... a polo, button up, or tunic dress top to throw on over your jeans/leggings). You never know when you might get asked to help in a pinch or marched into someone’s office for an interview on the spot.

-While we're on resumes, email yourself a copy of your resume and keep that email in your favorites folder so you can find it easily and email it to a potential employer should they ask for it. Make sure to keep it updated.

-Things to keep in your SM kit that you might not think of, but I never go without: granola bars, glucose tablets (even non-diabetics can have blood-sugar emergencies), a decent camera (it can be your phone), work gloves, rubber gloves, and kneepads.

-Go the extra mile when it comes to your crew and your actors. Learn how they take their coffee. Find out what their favorite candies are. Make sure there's a bottle of water on every musician's stand. Stage managers get an awful rap for being these unyielding emotionless deities on high, but it's easy to dispel that with little gestures and it buys you a certain amount of leeway to be curt without hurting feelings.

-I always give the same speech to my cast and crew about a week out from the beginning of tech. It goes like this: "The next couple of weeks are going to be hectic. If I answer a question or give you an instruction and sound quick or brusque, pretend that I said one of the following: Please. Thank you. You're welcome." Like the advice about water/candy/coffee, it buys you a certain amount of grace from your cast if you can’t be polite or watch your tone.

-Every job you do is the interview for your next job, sometimes in totally different arenas of arts management. A local theatre director may be at a concert you're managing. A local ballet director might have dancers in the musical you're calling. The director of a major arts council might spy you working electrics for your local stage hand union. You can never guess what's coming or who it will come from. Assume everyone might have or know of work for you someday. 

-Do little jobs sometimes. Go usher for a theatre you don’t work for. Drop in to help with strike or build for a couple hours. You might even want to volunteer your time sometimes, especially if you’re new in town. It gets you into spaces so people meet you. This is especially true in a small town, and it goes along with my previous point. You never know where opportunities might come from, and you don't want to miss out.  -A note about volunteering. It’s a dirty word among professionals... never do anything for free. BUT! When you’re starting out, again especially in a smaller town, volunteering is a great way to pick up skills. Go be a wrench monkey for a lighting designer. Go be a hand at build. Go to the costume shop. They’ll be THRILLED for the help and will absolutely teach you shit. So... it’s not for free. I’ve gotten a tremendous amount of value from volunteering because once they know what you can do, you can start leveraging them to pay you for things you already know how to do. Just remember... keep strong boundaries. Ask to be paid if you’re not being compensated another way... and exposure doesn’t count.

-Conversely, learn to say no when you need to, be it for something in a show, or for your own health. You're not everyone's friend and you're not everyone's savior.

Skills to learn: Learn to drive a stick shift. Learn to drive a moving van. Learn to read music (just passably... you don’t have to be Mozart). Take a dance class. Go be in the chorus for a play/musical if you’ve never been on stage before. 

[average-emo-enigma]

Guys should I trust this one random Redditor? I feel like I could be safe trying whistle notes on my own as long as I trust my body and stay hydrated and work myself up safely

[studyingsocialjustice]

can you give any theatre/acting related advice that you have learnt through your studies as a theatre major? thanks

Anon I am SO sorry - this ask is from a year ago and I literally JUST saw this and I have absolutely no idea how that happened. I hope that you are still following me and will see this!

EDIT from May 2023: Haha. Oops. This ask is now from maybe like two years ago? Possibly almost three? I genuinely don't know. But I am so sorry that it's taken so long. I remember exactly what I was doing while typing my original response to this: I was folding laundry and trying to get ready to move back in to school, and I was procrastinating doing the folding by typing my response to this, and then my parents came in and were like "why aren't you folding laundry" and I remember saying to myself that I would come back to this ask and then I never did. But you probably don't care about that much, so here we go:

My top three things I have learned, in order:

Number One: Script analysis is everything. It will help you connect to and understand your character, it will help you to connect to and understand the world of the play - it is the foundation for understanding everything. Look at the historical context of when the play was written and where it stands in the playwright's repertoire chronologically. Look at word choice. Look at how the characters interact with each other. My favorite books I recommend for this are A Practical Handbook for the Actor by Melissa Bruder, Lee Michael Cohn, etc. and Backwards and Forwards by David Ball. I read these books in my senior year of high school, so four years ago now, and I still use their methodology for all of my script analysis. Their methods are incredibly useful and I highly highly recommend reading them. B&F was also required reading for my Script Analysis course at my university this year, and it is still just as useful. The books are old enough that they aren't too expensive to buy, and you could probably also find copies online, though I'm not sure of that.

Two: One of the best, and in my opinion most accessible methods of script analysis (especially if you don't want to read a whole book) is the Question Words Method: Who? What? Where? When? Why? How? This works for monologues as well as general script analysis, and is usually applied to one character at a time.

For monologues: Who is speaking? Who are they speaking to? What are they trying to achieve by speaking? Where are they while they're talking? When in the course of the story is this happening? Why are they talking about this now? Why not later, why not sooner? To quote one acting teacher I had, why are they opening their mouth? And finally, how are they going about getting what they want? What tactics are they using, what's their word choice? What actions are they taking as they speak?

For characters: Who are they? This includes, name, title, relationships, basic biographical information. What do they want? What is their goal throughout this story? Where does this story take place? When? For a particular scene, where and when does that scene take place (general setting) and when in the course of the story does it take place? Why do they want whatever it is that they want? And how are they working to achieve it?

The most essential part of this, in my opinion, is what does the character want, and how they are going about achieving that. It's the objective and the tactics.

Three: This comes from one of my professors from this past school year. There is this idea in the world of theatre that if there's anything else you can see yourself doing, you should go do that because acting is only for people who can see themselves doing nothing else and just really really want it. Which is stupid because just because you might be able to imagine yourself taking a different career path doesn't mean you would be happy doing it. So, from my professor: "If you could see yourself doing anything else, do this anyway, because it's better." Again: If you could see yourself doing anything else, do this anyway, because it's better. If this is what you love, who cares about what else you could be doing? Do the thing that is fulfilling and makes you happy. It doesn't matter if other people think that it isn't a good career or won't make you enough money. If this is what you love, do it, because it's better than anything else.

I sincerely hope that this advice was helpful to you! Again, I'm so sorry that it's taken me so long to answer your ask; time unfortunately is not my friend and I've had a lot of - for lack of a better word - bullshit happen to me this year. Best of luck going forward, and please know that although it may sometimes take me a while to respond, my inbox is always open! I love giving advice, and am always happy to provide it!

[vero-niche]

can i just say how much i adore how Nao-chan's gender is treated so casually in skip to loafer

like, as a white cis woman who is also quite tall and havent read the manga i didnt even realize she was trans until this scene in ep2:

and i didnt even have the time to get nervous how they would handle this as they already moved on, ignoring the comments (just like queer people learn to do so) except for Mitsumi's comforting touch (implying she also heard the comments):

and there were no sad words or anything about this either, it was just handled so.... normally. which should not be something worth highlighting, but, well, you know. also on that note, special shoutout to P.A. Works for casting a woman as her voice actor as well.

she's shown being the supportive and lively aunt and like seconds later in this scene she's back to being her usual self again:

in conclusion

[mira-likes]

I found the scene of Fan Xian and Fan Jian jumping around with the discipline ruler and putting on the anger/punishment act very entertaining, but I just saw someone’s comment that like “Fan Jian knows he can’t hit him” and that made me pause. Can Fan Jian get away with flogging Fan Xian (the emperor’s biological son) if he wants to? How much of his approach to parenting Fan Xian is down to him being well aware that the emperor is looking over his metaphorical shoulder?

[derseprinceoftbd]

This is a very good characterization metaphor. More people should do things like this.

Also, am I crazy or is this giving Theatre Of Coolty? Like... uA, man. Love her.

[eurydices-carnation]

now be honest if someone invited you to see hadestown with them would you fall in love with them?

[earl-of-221b]

Honestly, the most shocking part of this iwtv2 ep was that Louis announced truthfully he was real good at running things and then failed his social contract to Armand who pledged eternal loyalty to him by ruining the man’s two hundred year old business by giving shit business advice that allowed for a hostile takeover of a coup I’m—

[creatively-storm]

Hey, if anyone has any advice on doing an audition, I'd appreciate it! I'm doing my first audition! (Mrs. Potts/ensemble in the Beauty And The Beast musical a community center near me is putting on) and I have no clue how to do it lol. I do have stage experience, being in a couple plays and a skit for VBS before, but as I was reading the instructions, a resume and a headshot was mentioned and I have no idea how to go about that or what needs to be on it lol. Google was just confusing me, though I'll keep trying to research.

[filmcourage]

Writing A Stage Play Versus A Screenplay - Sarah T. Schwab

Watch the video interview on YouTube here.

[thestarlightsapphic]

Things I’ve learned as a stage manager that I would pass to future stage managers!

1. You will make mistakes!! Mistakes happen, all the time, we are quite literally human. No one is perfect. What’s really going to count when mistakes happen is how you decide to handle to problem! How you react, your problem solving, and your communication!

2. Not everyone is going to agree with you! Leadership is really tough because most of the time, the majority is going to respect you and follow your decisions! However, there’s always going to be those times when someone might not agree with you. They did things a different way with a different theatre, something doesn’t work for them, the schedule doesn’t make sense to them. Whatever it is, at the end of the day, it’s between you and the director to decide. Stay confident in your decisions honestly though. If you seriously think there is an issue, talk with your director or your team!

3. TRUST YOUR TEAM. Cannot emphasize this enough. Your ASM’s especially are your BACKBONE. Please do not take on more than you are capable!!! I really struggled with this one and wanted to handle every little thing and problem but I was getting burnt out! I was so worried during tech week about a million little things that I honestly couldn’t focus on my cues. I started eventually though, arriving to tech week and show days and taking 20 minutes to myself to meditate and focus. My team was able to handle conflict for me, set-up, and so much more. I had an awesome team that had my back and that I trusted to handle backstage while I called cues! There is so much that comes with stage management, and you’ll have your hand in every part, but share the load wherever you can!!

4. Have Fun! I feel like everyone always says this one, but seriously, have fun! I get very serious and in my head sometimes when I’m stage managing, but there’s so many times I wished I had relaxed a little more! Laugh with your team, make friends, strengthen the friendships you already had! Theatre can be a truly wonderful experience if you let go of unneeded stress (which can be EXTREMELY difficult, I absolutely understand)

Stage management is a tough position that doesn’t get a lot of recognition, but it’s always so thrilling to see those lights come up the first show! I always feel like I’m doing magic. I’m by no means a perfect stage manager, but I look forward to every opportunity I get to learn more!

[cyybrzz]

To anyone who sees this and does musical theater...

I need advice... again. this time it's a theater thing for all my musical theater performers out there who wanna help a girl out 😔🙏

🔮 I'm having an internal crisis.

So i've been into musicals for FOREVER and I love singing songs at karaoke and getting into character and stuff whatever THE POINT IS recently i've been considering actually trying out for a musical?? the last time i didn't theater was elementary school if that counts and i've never been apart of a choir so no i can't read sheet music or know what it means sos the closest i've gotten is orchestra. I'm just nervous because i've never done THEATER before and i would have no idea how to prepare and i feel like id make myself look stupid at any auditions if i did; now im here on tumblr again asking for advice!!

🔮 *googles how to get my voice to work*

i don't think i'm a BAD singer but i'm not anything out of this world, i think i'm anywhere from an alto to a mezzo-soprano?? (my most comfortable songs to sing are JD's songs from heathers or ngrom from waitress, i can also sing from like deja vu to 505 if that helps to any music nerds anywhere! thanks) anyway i don't even know my voice range and whether im a good singer; also i think that 99% of the time im singing with my head voice and idk how to belt or sing with chest voice so if anyone has any vocal advice on how to sing better and warmup my voice for stuff like this it'd be greatly appreciated i'm literally clueless when it comes to singing so if you think any piece of advice is stupid and common knowledge it's probably not for me and i'll gladly take it

🔮 fake it til you make it??

I DONT KNOW IF IM A GOOD ACTRESS EITHER UGH i don't really get stage fright bc i do multiple sports/activities that require me being in front of an audience i just don't want to look stupid 😓💔 I can memorize lines and stuff like that it's just the performance aspect in worried about so if anyone has tips on how to scope out my acting ability or how to improve it reach out please i #needthat

🔮 auditions exist... unfortunately

uhm how do auditions work bc i don't wanna embarrass myself if i even decide to go for it bc what if i make a fool of myself and ill have to fall off the face of the earth and no one will be able to see me again? what if i mess up at auditions and they think im terrible? what if i don't mess up and they still think im terrible? it's so scary as a newbie someone please sos

🔮 do i even go for it?

with all these issues and roadblocks do i even try to go for it... i have a friend that does theater and i'm scared they'll judge me if i mention trying out for it 😭 the urge to try theater again (kinda) has been so strong lately and me being watching musicals and singing songs doesn't help! please be brutally honest i need it, toodles!

[average-emo-enigma]

Y’all theatre actors got any tips for not having an identity crisis?

[hum-tittle]

As winter is coming, so is seasonal depression.

A recent study shows that one of the best exercises to combat this is dancing!

https://www.sydney.edu.au/news-opinion/news/2024/02/12/dancing-may-be-better-than-other-exercise-for-improving-mental-h.html

I just tap danced for the first time since my dad passed, and I haven't felt this good in months.

It was actually my first in-person lesson! And that sense of community with the dancing really made me feel peace and happiness.

But the studies show that it doesn't even have to be a group setting just dancing can help!

Not only does it help with mental health, but cognitive health (especially in older adults) and it is less physically stressful than other exercises.

So for your health, learn a TikTok dance, sign up for lessons, go to a social dance (this is pretty common in the swing dancing community and line dancing), or even pull out your old copies (or new) of Just Dance.

[sincerelyang3l]

Okay, I need real advice.

I’m the stage manager for my school play and I’m struggling.

We’re officially ONE MONTH from opening night and it’s no where near where it needs to be.

I’m struggling with distractions, non commitment, and I don’t know how to give constructive criticism without hurting anyone’s feelings.

Someone who’s been a stage manager or in a leadership position before, please give me some helpful tips/advice!! They would be very much appreciated!