The Incredibly Diverse Roles of the Stage Managers
I suspect that in other theatre groups a stage manager has a fairly finite job description: generally calling the cues (for set changes, lights, etc.), and ensuring that a long-open show continues to reflect the director's original intention. But having met with our stage management team last night, and looking over our former stage manager's notes (she was otherwise known as Mom, but she's chosen to fly to Europe during my next production) I realise how very very much else
Safety First
Trying to get all my lines down--I've kind-of-sort-of got them, but they jumble themselves up and crash each other's sentence, so to speak. Part of the problem is that Brother Eccentric is apparently very concerned with safety, and some days it seems half of his lines are a variation on "It's safe here," "It's safe there," "You'll be safe there," "It's the only safe place," etc. It makes me more appreciative of the difficulty of, for instance, Jesse Tyler Ferguson's job in F
Uncle Deadly and the Surge
Our next show (We're Doomed) opens on June 15th and rehearsals are going swimmingly--or at least well enough that I can start stepping back a bit as director and start working on finding a character for myself. At Tuesday's rehearsal I attempted to channel the Muppets' Uncle Deadly for inspiration and I think it might just work (I'm playing Brother Eccentric, and feel I should therefore come across as eccentric. Those who have met me may well be thinking "Ashley, just play y
