PTT Program 5 Day 3 Video 1.txt

A big part of stage managing is showing the actors and the other crew members that they're in good hands. You don't want anyone spending any energy wondering if you're up to your job as a stage manager. You wanna make it possible for them to concentrate on their responsibilities and not worry about...

A big part of stage managing is showing the actors and the other crew members that they're in good hands. You don't want anyone spending any energy wondering if you're up to your job as a stage manager. You wanna make it possible for them to concentrate on their responsibilities and not worry about you. You can allow them to focus on their duties and their art by showing them right off the bat that you have stage management covered. And one of the first things they will see from you is the tape job on the floor. As a stage manager, it's one of your more important duties in the time before rehearsal, commonly called prep week. It's important for several reasons. The first being it's the only full scale representation of the set the actors will see until they move on stage, and also, because it's often the first thing from your hands that the actors see. Of all the prep week duties, taping the floor floor is one of the more time consuming and tedious chores. Doing it right takes preparation, a few materials, and some of your time. Most theater companies have the ground plan available to you at least 1 week before the first rehearsal. It's much easier to tape the floor before you begin rehearsals. Once you're in rehearsal, your time will be eaten up rather quickly. For this program, we are very fortunate to have the ground plan, model, and pictures of the completed set of the Shakespeare Festival of Saint Louis' production of Macbeth, which is performed outdoors in Forest Park in Saint Louis, Missouri. This set was designed by an excellent designer named Christopher Pickert, who has designed over 100 and 50 productions nationwide. 1st, we'll take a look at the design for his set for Macbeth, then show you how the rehearsal area at nearby Fontbonne University was taped out, and finally, the finished product. This set design is about 70 feet wide and 50 feet deep to the upstage walls of the set and plays on 7 different levels, not including the ground in front of the stage. This design includes a trap door on the stage, a witch's pit that features a cauldron spewing fog, and special lighting effects. Once the design is on paper, it's transferred to a three-dimensional model so that everyone can visualize the designer's concept. I like to grid the ground plan. I draw a line parallel to the center line every 10 feet using an architect's rule. I also use either an existing line on the drawing or draw 1 in myself that runs perpendicular to the center line running stage left to stage right. Take your time with these. You'll be using them to measure from, so if these lines are off, then everything about your tape will be off. Let's get started out by taking the ground plant and identify every major point, not line, but point where a wall ends, where the door is, where the corner of the room is, where the platform ends. Start on either stage left or stage right. For the sake of this demo, I'll start on the stage right. Give each point on the stage right side a number on the ground plan. It's best to start on the downstage side, then work your way upstage as you measure because this is the order you will eventually lay them out. If you move downstage to upstage, you'll waste less movement. Now on the ground plan, measure how far upstage by how far stage right. Once you have measured and listed all the coordinates for the stage right side, do the stage left side. After you have finished the stage left side, you should have 2 good sized list of coordinates. Start on one side of the stage and number all the coordinates all the way down the page, then continue the numbering down the other column. Now you're ready to tape the floor. 1st, sweep and mop. It's difficult for the tape to stick if the floor is dirty. The tools you'll need for the actual taping include 3 tape measures at least 25 feet long and the tape itself. I prefer the cloth back type. It sticks well and comes in an assortment of colors. Some places use masking tape, which works well until you have to pull it up. I've also seen some theaters use electrical tape that comes in several colors as well. This process works best if you have 3 people involved, but you can do it with 2. 1st, lay one tape measure out 0 feet, 0 inches all the way up the center line and tape it to the floor. You won't need much tape, just a tab every 10 feet usually does it. Then, be very careful not to kick or step on the tape. They break easily and you don't want it to move. If you're doing stage right first, lay a second tape measure exactly 10 feet to the right of the first tape measure. This second tape measure make makes sure that when you measure from center, you don't have to guess at making right angles. Once your tape measures are taped down to the floor, you're ready to put some tabs of tape on the floor. 1 of you will call out the distance upstage. Upstage, 2 feet 3 inches. And the other 2, 1 on center and the other stage right, move the 3rd tape to the distance called out. The person on center holds the 3rd tape measure to the middle of the center line. The person with the list of coordinates calls out how far stage right of center the point is. Stage right, 5 feet 7 inches. Then you measure from center stage to stage right. Make sure your tape measure is on the 2 foot 3 inches both on the center line tape and the tape that's 10 feet stage right of center. Once you find where 5 feet 7 inches is, place a small square of tape on the point with the same number as the point on the ground plan. Once you have finished stage right, pull up the tape measure that's 10 feet from center and lay it down 10 feet left of center on the stage left side and repeat the process for the stage left side. When you get to this point, you will have a rehearsal hall full of tabs of tape with numbers. Now it's time to connect the dots. Using the ground plan as a guide, connect all the dots you have plotted on the ground plan. The completed taping will look something like this. If you're using platforms, you will want to label the elevations by saying how high the platform is from the 0 feet, 0 inches level. Pick a standard size for your numbers. I use 4 inches by 8 inches. Then place your numbers in a standard place on each platform, say, the furthest downstage corner of each platform. Any doors and hinges are indicated by hash lines on the floor like this trap door. If you've taped out your set right by the time you're done, your floor should need no explanation. It's important to remember that if you spend an extra 30 minutes taping a floor in order to save just 30 seconds of explanation, then by all means, take the extra time. You want it to speak for itself. Remember, rehearsal time is precious. So if you have the opportunity to save rehearsal time by doing more work now, do the work now. Depending upon the show you're doing, you might not be able to fit the entire set into the rehearsal hall. Measure ahead of time so that you know the best way to orient your tape to make the most out of the space you do have, then you'll know how much of the set will not fit into the room. I often make a mark in the wall and say, if you fold the wall down, the corner should be here. That way, it's visual and always available. If you have multiple sets, you might want to mark each in a different color. For instance, act 1 scene 1 in yellow, act 1 scene 2 in orange, act 1 scene 3 in red, and on around the color wheel. Your taping needs to be as exact as you can make it. Actors will be using your measurements to find out how many steps it takes to reach another character, an exit, or a piece of furniture. This can be critical to the actor's timing in the play. Don't give them bad information. In order for a stage manager to keep all of the information organized, you'll need to have 2 copies of the script. One copy is for blocking notation and rehearsals. The other is for calling the show. Now it's time to use those other items you picked up at the office supply store. Take your dividers and label 1 divider for each act. So your divider will say act 1 and act 2 and act 3, if you have an act 3. Put your rehearsal script into these dividers according to the act. Then label the divider calling text and place that divider and the second copy of the script right behind the first copy. You won't have to label the acts in this copy. You won't need the calling text until you're ready to put the cues into your book. Keep it clean and free from marks. We'll talk more about that later. Take the rest of your dividers and label them for each department, props, costumes, sets, sound, and electrics. Then add a divider for daily notes. Put 3 clear plastic page protectors at the beginning of your book. Into the first, put your contact sheet. Into the second, put your French scene breakdown. Into the 3rd, put your performance calendar. Put your prop list into the props section and your costume piece list into the costumes section. You will want a rehearsal calendar to keep track of special rehearsals like field trips or guests coming into rehearsal for research. You'll also need to keep track of rehearsal conflicts. Since there will be a lot of writing on this calendar, don't put it in a plastic cover. Now it's time for mini ground plans. Take the ground plan and reduce it on a copier. You're going to want to get the entire ground plan down to a size that easily fits into the top quarter of an 8 and a half by 11 sheet of paper. These mini ground plans are an easy way to keep track of blocking. You will need one for every page of the script, then make about 20 more. Now 3 hole punch them so that the holes are on the right side. In your rehearsal text, put 1 mini ground plan opposite each page of dialogue. I wouldn't advise you to attach them to the back of your script. Blocking changes constantly, and sometimes you need to throw out the old blocking. Now if it's attached to the back of your script, you're stuck. Then put the extras into the sets section of your book. You won't need to put many ground plans into your calling text. Every stage manager has a slightly different way to build the book. If you find a better way for yourself, by all means, go ahead and do it the way that's best for you. Every theater organization has a slightly different way to arrange the furniture for the first rehearsal. Ask your director how he or she wants the room set up. Chances are, they will want an arrangement where all the actors can sit together and all the actors can see each other. It also depends on the kind of tables and chairs that you have available. Occasionally, the director wants to start with an improv or a video. Check with the director before setting up the room.