It all went horribly wrong

[Dustincoc]

I'm "PSM"ing a short play festival. We have 3 groups of 7 shows each over 2 weekends. Each group gets 2 preformances. In Group C which we're doing now, I'm SMing 2 shows in groups C which opened tonight, one before intermission and one after intermission.

The first show went reasonably well, although on my way to the booth to call the pre-intermission show, I learn that someone had locked the crossover door, which goes through a dining room downstairs that I don't have a key to. I have checked and they were open when I got to the theatre. We end up having the actor cross the stage in a blackout before my first show and have campus security open the crossover doors which are open by the beginning of intermission.

The opening of the second act is where all the problems happened. I call my actors to places as the house closes. I call my APSM on cans to confirm that we have actors, nothing. I keep calling here every 10-20 seconds for about 3 minutes, no response, I get no-one backstage. I decide to go ahead with the show since the other APSM is never on headset, and figuring the the APSM I'm trying to get is busy getting ready for the next show. The actor were in places but since I'd only called the show once before, I called the lights up too close to the blackout and the actors hadn't had time to get on stage. Seeing this they decide to enter at a different location and run backstage to enter through the curtain.

Once they get on and get started, The APSM that had been missing got on headset and I asked where she had been. My APSM for some reason had decided to help take down the concessions stand after intermission. As I do this, the light board op starts to reprimand her and I, stupidly, don't stop him. This messes with the APSM's nerves and during the scene change into the next show, she drops one of the blocks being used as part of the set. The audience laughs at this, seeing it all because they are less they 10 feet away. All during this change, I'm on my way down from the booth and the APSM is in tears because of all of it. I tell her not to worry about it, that things happen but don't get anywhere. I go out into the lobby and see one of the other SM's who is a girl and ask here to go talk to the APSM since I'm not very good at dealing with this type of thing. As I return backstage the director of the show shows up freaking out and throwing my nerves out too.

The APSM is an actor who has no experience backstage, and no desire to learn allthough she does or gives her best try at everything asked of her. This is both my first time SMing and PSMing although I have APSM'ed this festival twice. It kind of just fell to me being th only one left that had any experience doing the festival in the past and no-one else with SM experience wanting to do it. I don't believe in saying anything about issues that arise during a preformance until after the preformance to keep from affecting anyones feelings/nerves and messing with the remainder of the preformance. I did say something to the Light Op after the show but didn't say alot to the APSM although she did gert the message and I'll probably say something tomorrow. I did ask the APSM that's usually not on headset to be on headset during/after intermission tomorrow.

[derekleffew]

"Praise in public; discipline in private." Where have I heard that? You're the first person I've seen use a position as APSM. Is that position above/below the SM? And can you define your understanding of the difference between PSM and SM?

The most important take-away I see is
Never start an act without hearing from backstage.

[Dustincoc]

This show is a series of 7 short plays, each play has its own stage manager. The PSM and APSM's are basicly there to set-up / tear down the space before each show. We also act as the deck crew changing the set between the shows in full view of the audience. In relation to the SM, their about the same or slightly above.

[Dustincoc]

Also, in the opening number in this set, one of the actors gives an open beer to another actor on stage. I have no clue where it goes after the preformance, it just sort of disappears, thankfully, the director provided a 6-pack for 3 shows.

[bobgaggle]

Originally Posted by Dustincoc

I have no clue where it goes after the performance, it just sort of disappears

Is there any question where it goes....didn't think so.

[avkid]

Originally Posted by Dustincoc

Also, in the opening number in this set, one of the actors gives an open beer to another actor on stage. I have no clue where it goes after the preformance, it just sort of disappears, thankfully, the director provided a 6-pack for 3 shows.

Send someone to the store for really cheap non-alcoholic beer.
I have a feeling it might end up back on the prop table.

[Dustincoc]

I won't be doing that. The show closed Sunday, we just had a dry tech a tech/dress and 2 preformances. I'm not doing props. I'm the PSM aka. the deck boss with a really big title.

[Hughesie]

reminds me of terrible thing we did to a actor, in the scene he is meant to take a swig of "beer" and then spit it out because it tastes terrible. but he wasn't getting it quite right.

so last rehersal we confered with the director and we agreed to put straight lemon juice in the bottle.

it got the required effect

[soundlight]

Originally Posted by Hughesie89

reminds me of terrible thing we did to a actor, in the scene he is meant to take a swig of "beer" and then spit it out because it tastes terrible. but he wasn't getting it quite right.

so last rehersal we confered with the director and we agreed to put straight lemon juice in the bottle.

it got the required effect

That would do it perfectly, wouldn't it!

[Hughesie]

yes they didn't expect it and it worked like a treat, after that i think we reverted to water but the guy knew to perform well otherwise more would end up in his "beer"