House manager vs. stage manager

[avkid]

Originally Posted by Spikesgirl

Then, AV, you've never stood between our house manager and the stage manager when both are deterimined to get their own way. It is definitely a verses situation.

Which is exactly the opposite of how it should be.

[Spikesgirl]

And AV, we agree with you! There shouldn't be a division between the back and the front of the house, but that would be like saying that all actors/ actresses respect and admire us for what we do. It isn't the case in most theaters, although many of us strive to keep the tension to a minimum through communication and shared responsibilities.

However, being able to defuse the situation beforehand enables me to be more cognitive of what the HM sees as her responsibilities. This also gives me the necessary backing when confronted by the director or producer asking why the curtain is being held. I feel that we have a responsibility to both our patrons and actors to keep them safe before during and after a show.

Charlie

[Hughesie]

where i crew the FOH sound position is closest to the doors and when they feel everyone is seating they give us FOH clearence at this stage we pick up our comms and relay the message to the SM.

never fails

[tech2000]

Good thing I work in a high school where we don't have a house manager and our sound tech just turns around, observes the situation in the house, and then reports to the sm. Basically what Hughesie is saying.

[Clifford]

We have a HM, but they communicate with the SM. When the seating is done, doors close and the show starts. Because we call from the booth, it's easy for the SM to see the seats.

[lieperjp]

We don't have a house manager, but the person in charge of tickets usually has a walkie-talkie we can communicate with... Ironically, I'm usually the one as LB op who gives the call to start the show (by flipping the house lights switch off... yes, switch. No Dimmers.) Of course, as I give a countdown, I'm checking with the stage crew and tickets/ushers to make sure we can start. We have atomic clocks all over the building, so we use those to coordinate time.

[Fireguy551]

The only time I have ever have this get tricky is with symphonies or other shows what going into overtime is a large deal. You house should have a late seating policy established and if the show needs to start then the HM should have some kind of plan to deal with the straglers. In the case of a ticketing screwup then that shouldn't happen ever again. If it were me I (Being the house TD for a broadway/roadhouse) would have personally taken the production manager or money person out to the box office to help solve the problem.

I would suggest that the box office not make that huge of a mistake in the future haha.

[quarterfront]

In all of the professional theatres I've worked in the House Manager turns over the house to the SM.

Yup. HM deals with her problems and hands off to SM. At the same time, HM understands that SM is on a schedule, actors are "on the clock" and will only hold for so long before getting rolling and late seating the stragglers.

you've never stood between our house manager and the stage manager when both are deterimined to get their own way. It is definitely a verses situation.

Professionalism is what separates us from the animals.

[thenelsontwins]

As a sometimes AEA stage manager I am well aware that we are responsible for the health and welfare of the actors and performers. That situation is avoidable and should have been avoided. If the stage manager was aware of the problem and aware that the actor is to be walking that EXACT PATH to start the show, they should have waited.

If it were an Equity show and I were the actor, I would most assuredly be filing a complaint with the PSM and the Company Manager and any other person I can get in front of me.

We are technicians, yes, and we have this bad habit of sometimes falling under the impression that we are more important than the actors, that our rules are more important than others, and our schedules are the ones to follow.

But when safety and welfare is the issue, WE have a responsibility to protect the Actors as well as ourselves.


I don't know what level professional, union, non-union, academic, etc. But to knowingly put an actor at risk by the stage manager, who is to be their advocate, is negligent at best, if not downright reckless. No matter who made the ticketing error or whether it is "their problem" or "your problem" that was just plain dumb. If that extra 3 minutes to hold the house pushes everyone past their call and into overtime, your show is too long and that is someone else's problem entirely. Even if the director is breathing down your neck to GO and an actor or hand is in potential danger, YOU DO NOT GO. Deal with the producer, or the GM later. Explain the situation and why you waited. Put it in the show report, do whatever you have to do, but at no point do you GO in those kinds of situations.

Wait for the house to be released. When the house is safe to go, and you are safe to go, you GO.

[cdub260]

Originally Posted by thenelsontwins

But when safety and welfare is the issue, WE have a responsibility to protect the Actors as well as ourselves.

We are also responsible for the safety of our patrons.

A few years back, we had as our act II opening, a corvette drive through the house. My job was to spot for the 'vette at the bowl entrance. Three times during the run of the Pageant, some of our ushers took it upon themselves to let people in for late seating before the car had completed its run through the bowl, despite instructions from the house manger to wait for the car.

These ushers are now on the very short list of people who have seen me angry. Their actions in letting people into the house at a time when it was not safe to do so could have resulted in someone getting seriously injured or killed. Needless to say I chewed them out right there, on the spot, without taking the time to find the house manager. Granted, I later had to apologize to the house manager for interfering in a situation she should have handled, but the safety of our patrons is something we don't screw around with at the Pageant. I flat out refused to apologize to the ushers I chewed out, as they deserved every bit of it for putting our patrons in danger.

Fortunately, no one was hurt in these incidents. But we need to remember that as irritating as they can sometimes be, our patrons are the people we are in this industry for. These are the people who pay our salaries, and we need to be concerned for their welfare when they are in our facilities.