Codes and union rules for Stage Managers

[Sayen]

I'm working on revising some of my teaching units, and was wondering if folks here might be able to point me in the right direction. Google is failing me (or more likely, my keywords are wrong...).

I'm looking for professional policies governing stage managers and those under them. Because I live in a right to work state I've only crossed paths with union SM's a few times, but the rumors/traditions regarding their roles abound. For example, it's common place to lose your job if you take a cue without an SM's permission or break the chain of command during a show...but is there a professional group policy that addresses this? Or what about the director who hangs around a community theater during production, nagging staff and SMs? I know what's considered "appropriate", I'm just not sure where those traditions originate.

 

[BanditRO]

I'm working on revising some of my teaching units, and was wondering if folks here might be able to point me in the right direction. Google is failing me (or more likely, my keywords are wrong...).

I'm looking for professional policies governing stage managers and those under them. Because I live in a right to work state I've only crossed paths with union SM's a few times, but the rumors/traditions regarding their roles abound. For example, it's common place to lose your job if you take a cue without an SM's permission or break the chain of command during a show...but is there a professional group policy that addresses this? Or what about the director who hangs around a community theater during production, nagging staff and SMs? I know what's considered "appropriate", I'm just not sure where those traditions originate.

See what you can find at Actors Equity

 

[shiben]

For example, it's common place to lose your job if you take a cue without an SM's permission or break the chain of command during a show...

I dont know that this is necessarily accurate... Could it happen sure but "common place" would be an overestimation in my view. Normally your looking at a small cue jump on LX or sound, thats not really a job killer so much as a a** reaming. As for breaking chain of command... I guess I just dont now how much it really happens? I have never really been on a show where someone has gone "over" the SM's head unless its the producer or director, and they usually get to, or for an emergency situation where reaction needs to be taken to ensure safety/security, without time to communicate up CoC. Most people I have worked with are fine with someone else calling cues and making a schedule and sticking with it. Most of the other issues are mistakes or accidents. Firing is rarely the first/best call when dealing with professionals, once informed most all will correct and not make the same mistake twice...

 

[Sayen]

I agree-I wasn't clear. I've seen technicians dismissed because they routinely took cues on their own against the SM's calls. It wasn't a first time offense, I mistakenly exaggerated.

 

[BanditRO]

I agree-I wasn't clear. I've seen technicians dismissed because they routinely took cues on their own against the SM's calls. It wasn't a first time offense, I mistakenly exaggerated.

LOL!! I was going to say!! I worked with a stage manager many years back who had worked for 30+ years as a Production Manager on Broadway. He was calling his first show in 30+ years and I ended up memorizing the sounds happening when each light cue had to run as he would often skip the "GO" for cues!!! I would have been horribly upset to get fired for running a light cue that the SM plain forgto to call!!!

I had to memorize the sounds as the light booth was in an attic with the console facing AWAY from the tiny little window available. BIG FUN!!!

 

[derekleffew]

The professional union for stage managers is AEA, for technicians, IATSE. A production can have both, one without the other, or none.

I'd ask the question at SMNetwork.org - Index .

 

[tjrobb]

And then there are the two groups allowed to skip cues - pyros and flies. But only ever because of safety. Had to do this once when the SM didn't see an actor under a fly I was bringing in.

 

[shiben]

I agree-I wasn't clear. I've seen technicians dismissed because they routinely took cues on their own against the SM's calls. It wasn't a first time offense, I mistakenly exaggerated.

Oh got ya. That would be really crappy of a SM. Oops you missed a cue out of 700 on LX, you are done. But yeah, unless you are supposed to take your own cues, might as well listen. Lets you play more Angry Birds that way.

 

[shiben]

And then there are the two groups allowed to skip cues - pyros and flies. But only ever because of safety. Had to do this once when the SM didn't see an actor under a fly I was bringing in.

Probably Automation as well?

 

[Sayen]

Both cases were more where the technician decided, continously, that they knew better where the cue should be. If I remember right one was brought in late in production, the other was just a little bit of a goon. Their bad cues were causing issues in the production, and they would NOT wait for go. Community theater.

And then there are the two groups allowed to skip cues - pyros and flies. But only ever because of safety. Had to do this once when the SM didn't see an actor under a fly I was bringing in.

When you say allowed...where is that listed?

I've gone through AEA previously, but I'll dig through IATSE and the SMNetwork next.

 

[shiben]

Both cases were more where the technician decided, continously, that they knew better where the cue should be. If I remember right one was brought in late in production, the other was just a little bit of a goon. Their bad cues were causing issues in the production, and they would NOT wait for go. Community theater.



When you say allowed...where is that listed?

I've gone through AEA previously, but I'll dig through IATSE and the SMNetwork next.

I dont know if this kind of thing is listed anywhere. Its just kind of a thing. If pyro or flies sees a safety hazard and decides not to go, no one is gonna yell at them.

 

[rochem]

There's no written rule (with the possible exception of house rules) anywhere that says "the fly operator can ignore cues" or "the board operator gets fired if he jumps 3 cues in one show" or anything like that. Codifying that kind of thing would just be impractical and useless. Rather, it's just something that you as a technician know and follow because that's how it's done. As a fly operator, and even just as a caring human being, you have a responsibility to be watching the stage when you're flying something in that could injure someone. Yes, the SM is doing so as well, but you should never rely on their judgement alone. Don't have a view of the stage from the rail? Talk to audio about getting a FOH and side video feed at the fly rail - more and more shows are starting to do this. Even more true with automation - you have a responsibility to the show to execute the cues faithfully as called, but you also have the moral and professional responsibility to do everything in your power to maintain safety and not injure the actors. If you execute a cue and your platform breaks an actor's leg, you're going to get chewed out even if you took the cue right off the SM's cue light.

It's a basic safety principle that the person who's physically allowing an action to happen (whether that be pressing a Go button or holding a deadman's switch or flying a piece) must be able to see what's going on and have the ability to reject the cue if needed. Generally speaking, a lighting cue isn't going to cause physical harm - but if, for example, you saw that an actor was stumbling and in danger of falling into the pit, you probably shouldn't take that bump to blackout cue the SM just called. Billy Elliot had a toast pop effect that was triggered through the lighting console, and because of that, the electrician had a video shot at his console so he could hold the cue if needed. There are many shows have effects or actions triggered from the light console (with a deadmans switch in line, just DMX triggered for timing), and if there's an actor standing on the flash pot, you wouldn't take the cue.

 

[Dylandtech]

I constantly tell my board and spot ops, that even if they think they are right with what they are doing, never take a go without me or another person who may be calling the show's actually GO. I do alot of shows with schools and things can, and often do change without it ever being communicated thoroughly to everyone, (A Major flaw if I may say so myself) and that something may have been changed. I would rather myself be getting yelled at for something I didn't call, than to have someone else get yelled at for defying my call. I am still young and up and coming within the business, but that is my general feeling on it. I just had a long conversation yesterday during a show, in which I was running spot light (it was an Equity show with an Equity SM), who forgot to call the final spot out cue as the curtain was closing, and I left the spot on the curtain while asking her if she wanted it out. Though I knew it was supposed to be out, I had to leave it on because I didnt get a GO. The SM and I spoke about it after the show and we had agreed that it was the proper thing to do.