(Part 2) Best products from r/techtheatre

Hey friend! Before I start, let me just say I know where you're coming from. When I SM'd in High School, it was very different from what an SM would do on a Regional or Broadway caliber show. The important thing is to realize that that is ok. Community and High School theatre SMs must have a 'the show must go on' mentality, and do a lot of what you described, that is, running the deck, supervising tech. I did a lot of this in High School when I would SM, and it's very different from the real world. However, I now go to college in NYC in an incredible SM program, where I study under Broadway SMs and have shadowed Broadway shows. And you can too, but you need to know how to use your High School's theatre to your advantage.

• Question 1: Like I said, absolutely. The major difference between HS and Broadway is scale. While a large venue may have a Master Electrician, Carpenter team, Shop supervisor and a Production Manager, HS will definitely not (if they did, I want to go!). So, you will find that a lot of this work will fall on you, the SM. While in the world of Equity Stage Management, it is actually against the rules for SMs to be doing the 'dirty work' like construction and stage hand jobs, keep in mind that you aren't there yet.
  
  A huge thing to realize here is that while it seems like a good idea to try to run your SM program like a Broadway show, or like how the text books say, it isn't. High School theatre is its own type of production. Just like Regional Theatre is extremely different from Broadway, HS theatre is different as well. The appropriate way to SM Broadway isn't exactly the same on a LORT show, and furthermore, not the same as HS theatre. What this means is, you need to calmly figure out exactly what functions a Stage Manager needs to fulfill to best serve your HS productions, not if your HS was Broadway.
  
  
• Question 2: There are so, so, so many resources out there for you! First and foremost, books! I got my hands on as many SM textbooks I could find when I was in HS, and they were a TREMENDOUS help to me. I recommend this, this, and this. The Backstage Handbook is a great resource too. There's also a great website called http://smnetwork.org/forum/ which is a forum for stage managers from students to the pros. It's not as active as it used to be, but the info archived on there is invaluable. This subreddit is a great place as well!
  
  
• Question 3: Ok, first the AP thing. Take the courses. It's really going to help to have those credits in college, and I took just as many in HS. If you are dedicated, and can budget your time well (as all SMs should be able to), it will be doable. Now, as for fixing your program:
  
  Ask yourself if going against the grain and uprooting an old system is necessary. It seems that what you have going on is similar to most High Schools, and those systems are usually built out of necessity, or rather, what the HS needs out of an SM. So would you be bettering you HS by making the SM program more like what a Broadway show would be like, or would it impede the production running smoothly. Also, would you be paving the way for future SMs in your school, or just shaping what you want from your school. There isn't a right answer, and it can't and shouldn't fall completely on you to fix everything.
  
  When I was in HS, I knew that I needed to work on skills that I wasn't using in HS, but would need in college. Instead of changing the entire production, I pretended. So while I never really needed a full contact sheet, rehearsal and performance reports, or scene tracking, or properly formatted schedules, I would make this paperwork anyway, and keep it for myself. I made full show bibles, even though I didn't need to, and just kept them for my portfolio. I never called a full show in high school, and I can call a pretty tight show nowadays. Calling is an important skill, but keep in mind that it's only like, 1/10th of what we do as SMs.
  
  The skills you are acquiring while working with the crew and construction will be invaluable to you later on as you do less of that kind of work, but still need to know about it. When it comes time for college, you need to understand the difference between 'real world' stage management and what you do now, and figure out if it's still the job you want (I guarantee, it is very different from what you'll be used to). Also, keep in mind, no one expects you to be able to Stage Manage an Off-Broadway show by now. Keep in mind that you're here to learn just as much as anyone else, and you're allowed to make mistakes.
  
  I hope that covered everything. I would be happy to answer other questions you may have. Best of Luck, and Break Legs!
  
  Edit: formatting

The basic thing you'll need is for your script to tell you when to call each cue, and for it to be clear enough that someone else could call off of it in a pinch. There are some overall standards for how it should look, but the details are up to you.

The standard format is to have your script printed single-sided, usually on the right side of your binder. Cues should sit in the righthand margin with a horizontal line connecting them to the moment in the script they happen. If your show is super cue-heavy, it may help to reprint the script with more space between the lines, but if this is the first show you're calling, it's unlikely you've got so many cues that they won't fit on a standard page.

The details of what you do are up to you and what works best for you. I mark the moment where the cue happens by putting a little carrot (\^) under the appropriate word and then connecting my horizontal line to that. You can also circle the word, put a box around it, whatever is easy for you to look at. If the cue is called on an action rather than a word, I generally write that action in where it happens in the script and draw a line under that text as I would for spoken text.

The cue should be written in the right margin, right above the horizontal line from where it's called. You can write cues directly on the page, or you can use tabs. It sounds like the color-coding is useful to you, so tabs may be the way to go. I like these best because they're matte and don't smear, and they're not too wide. The one drawback of tabs is that they're a set width, so if you have a ton of cues on one page, they might start running into each other. But again, that's unlikely at this point.

Each cue should be written with the department and then the cue number (or letter). Standard abbreviations are LX or LQ for lights, SQ or SFX for sound, PQ or VX for projections/video, etc. If multiple cues are called at the same time, they should be stacked close together. Make sure you write them in the same order every time for maximum clarity.

With as many types of cues as you've got, presumably you're calling the show over headset to board ops and crew rather than doing it all yourself. You'll also want to put standbys in your script. A standby is just a heads up for your operators that a cue is coming. It should happen early enough that they have time to tell you if there's an issue, but not so early that they're sitting in anticipation forever. My general guideline is about half a page, adjusted for how dense the text is (half a page monologue is forever; half a page snappy dialogue is not). Standbys should also be written in the margin, but without the horizontal line connecting them to a specific point. Write the letters STBY followed by the departments and cue numbers. You can standby a single cue or a range. If you're giving a standby for multiple departments, it should happen in the same order that you call those departments, and each department should hear all their cues at once. So you wouldn't say "Standby lights 24, sound 10 and lights 25," even if that's the order they happen in; instead you'd say "Standby lights 24-25 and sound 10."

Calling your first show is pretty terrifying, but also really exciting. Break a leg, and feel free to ask if you've got any other questions!

Scene Design and Stage Lighting is an often-used text-book from what I can tell. I have an old version myself, but can't attest to the current version. Design and Drawing for the Theatre is also an old standby (and denser), though it appears it's out of print.

If you want something lighter and less expensive, perhaps Fundamentals of Theatrical Design or An Introduction to Theatre Design, though they aren't limited to just scenery. I haven't read the former, but the I've taught from the latter in an intro to design course. It's rather light, but that can be good for a first book.

You can also go the more theoretical route, and pick up the classic Dramatic Imagination by Robert Edmund Jones. What is Scenography? and Scenographic Imagination are chock-full of great theoretical discussion for the long term, but not suited for your first dip into the pool. Might be worth bookmarking for down the road, though.

And sometimes it's good to just have a survey of other's work. American Set Design isn't a bad place to start for that. I recently picked up World Scenography, and while I haven't had the chance to sit down extensively with it, it's a gorgeous book.

This is of course just going from scene design, there's also options out there about the history of design, useful technical handbooks for the craft, or even more specific things like model-making.

If you're already generally familiar with theater and roughly understand the production process, maybe grab one of the two in the first paragraph. If you're coming in completely fresh, starting with one of the cheaper super-introductory books in the second paragraph might be better to ease in. If you have the funds, I'd suggest one from each paragraph. Perhaps others in this sub have more specific choices they feel are definitively superior than other options.

Also, I'm guessing your university may not have a design professor, but you might suggest an independent study in scene design as a course. Hope this helps!

For engineering concepts, and a great general reference on sound systems and how they work, the Yamaha Sound Reinforcement Handbook

For sound system design, the best reference is Bob McCarthy's Sound Systems: Design and Optimization

For another great book that discusses both system design as well as artistic sound design, John Leondard's Theatre Sound is top notch.

Shannon Slaton's Mixing a Musical: Broadway Theatrical Sound Techniques is a great picture of how the "big shows" are run.

For a beginner's guide to sound, the [http://www.soundcraft.com/support/gtm_booklet.aspx](Soundcraft Guide to Mixing) is a good primer: not as technically dense as the Yamaha book.

There are others out there, these are my favorite.

Someone else mentioned a ProTac by Streamlight, but I want to expand. Take a look here: http://www.amazon.com/Streamlight-88030-Tactical-Flashlight-Includes/dp/B003GXF9MW/ It's the best $40 tool I've ever bought.

I've found this little guy to be the perfect "sound guy" flashlight. It's little, low profile, rugged and plenty bright to look inside a rack or behind a console -- you're not going to spot points on the grid with this model. I use the "1L" model (one Lithium 123 battery) because my work always has 123's around for the crew. If you prefer, they have models that take AA's too. The thing has a couple different modes too -- you can go HI-LOW-STROBE, or LOW-HIGH only, etc... pretty fancy stuff.

Personally, I use this pelican style case. It is ideal for safety and security. Keeps my whole console setup in one box too.

https://www.amazon.com/SKB-3i-1510-6B-L-iSeries-Waterproof-layered/dp/B00ICTSSL4/ref=sr_1_3?gclid=CjwKCAjwmZbpBRAGEiwADrmVXnTmfBodKgwP2xATCPdw5-J3zekB45GGeVfKm5buzYr8Q5gxr9VCoBoCid4QAvD_BwE&hvadid=233980589476&hvdev=c&hvlocphy=9022863&hvnetw=g&hvpos=1t1&hvqmt=e&hvrand=10274973511672349541&hvtargid=aud-649564993678%3Akwd-384394945573&hydadcr=18448_9455940&keywords=skb+iseries+1510-6&qid=1562811822&s=gateway&sr=8-3

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Admittedly, I mostly need the space in that case because I also use a keyboard for Eos that fits in there with my other nomad gear. However if you bought the ETC student package, I HIGHLY recommend getting this keyboard as well. you will never find some of this keyboards functions in the nomad keyboard shortcuts. It gives you access to a lot of programming power.

https://www.cmd-key.com/product-page/cmd-key-keyboard

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That was more then you asked for, but I hope its helpful. :)

I like the Coast PX20 when working backstage. Not too bright and the red option is a great feature. I hate lights that make you cycle through different brightness levels so the single option is great for me. Battery life is also great.

I quite enjoy Making the Scene. It's just a general history of the craft, but it's a gorgeous book and exceedingly well thought out.

Read these books. They won't make you a rigger but you'll have a better appreciation of what you are dealing with.

The Arena Riggers' Handbook

Rigging Math Made Simple

Stage Rigging Handbook

Entertainment Rigging for the 21st Century

The Theatre Riggers' Handbook

Structural Design for the Stage

The Physics of Theatre: Mechanics

Electricity for the Entertainment Electrician & Technician by Richard Cadena. Understanding electricity and electrical safety is big, and a shocking number of technicians lack what I consider crucial basic knowledge.

Also, if you have interest in automated lighting, a decent grounding in electronics can be useful for troubleshooting and maintenance, and I'd start with Introductory Circuit Analysis by Robert Boylestad for this - you'll get a much more thorough grounding in circuit analysis than from Cadena, even if you don't work your way through the whole text.

The minimum requirement is just a vest, like this: https://www.amazon.com/GripGlo-Reflective-Safety-Bright-Strips/dp/B00N39F68G/ref=sr_1_1?qid=1569497490&refinements=p_n_feature_keywords_browse-bin%3A7804000011&s=hi&sr=1-1 -- I have a thin one from Ikea that actually pack up into its breast pocket, and that generally lives in my bag.

Many folks just wear a fluorescent-colored t-shirt, which works fine in daylight/worklight.

It's generally better to be wearing high vis except when you can't (i.e., only wear blacks during the show), but theatrical culture still tends to lean towards dark colors.

I've often felt there's a market for "dressy" high vis (like button down shirts, ties, etc.) for lighting designers/directors, but I really don't want to get into finding fluorescent colored shirting... =)

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00GGGQHHC/ref=ox_sc_saved_title_7?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

This is a good reliable and bright projector for a reasonable price. Make sure you have the room to get the coverage you need. As this is not a wide angle projector the ratio is 1:1.8. For every 1' of screen width you need 1.8' feet of distance.

I just got the flat focus tool. It's fantastic for stage lights and definitely worth it for the low price.

Ultimate Flat Focus Tool Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004HPZZSG/ref=cm_sw_r_awd_k7cXub10SSE03

While developing this mount, I stumbled across the Quickfinder, also from Company7. Same idea, smaller form factor as the Telrad. Seems like it would be more convenient for most fixtures than the long Telrad. I'm hoping to get one in the building over the summer when we're back to using 10-degree S4's as spots.

Im not sure how good this book is but I have it in my wish list on Amazon

https://smile.amazon.com/dp/0415702747/?coliid=IPZNL7UTTFS0S&colid=CYNSYUKT0VH&psc=0&ref_=lv_ov_lig_dp_it

We blackout these paper masks and keep them handy incase we need to move something and there is a chance to be seen. Usually just in the wings or moving a unit in a semi blackout.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QWeaikAOvjiAZtanotFFochmAwg7B_88/view?usp=sharing

And we also keep a bag of these gloves handy just to help mask hands if they have hide them: We sharpie out the logo.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B075WDF26J/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_image?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Photo sleeves - similar to floppy disk sleeves, but more easily available today https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000IKDC9I/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I'd much rather have the Ultimate Flat Focus Tool with me than the Altman wrench. I usually carry one at work because it's smaller than all the others and it's handy to slip into a back pocket. It wouldn't necessarily be my first choice for a long hang and focus, but I'd definitely take it over the Altman.

This is a good one.
https://www.amazon.com/Stage-Managers-Toolkit-Communication-Performance/dp/1138183776

As a sort of general book, I highly recommend "The Dramatic Imagination" by Robert Edmond Jones

The little Coast dual color LED flashlight, because I don't need super-bright, but I do sometimes want red and I really wanted a flashlight that I could carry 24/7 in a pocket.

https://www.amazon.com/Sound-Systems-Optimization-Techniques-Alignment/dp/0240521560 If you want to get REALLY in the weeds about audio system setup and theory

This one was the one we used in college, and it was fairly in-depth. http://www.amazon.com/Stage-Management-Handbook-Daniel-Ionazzi/dp/1558702350/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1409457455&sr=1-1&keywords=stage+management+handbook

Few books that helped me get started:
https://www.amazon.com/Stage-Managers-Toolkit-Communication-Performance/dp/1138183776/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1542608132&sr=8-7&keywords=stage+manager

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https://www.amazon.com/Back-Stage-Guide-Management-3rd/dp/0823098028/ref=pd_bxgy_14_img_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0823098028&pd_rd_r=8bc387b0-ebc2-11e8-ae28-63a19228e702&pd_rd_w=z03gC&pd_rd_wg=p4c6y&pf_rd_i=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_p=6725dbd6-9917-451d-beba-16af7874e407&pf_rd_r=BFK34PJ5BZQ4P1BDVYTQ&pf_rd_s=desktop-dp-sims&pf_rd_t=40701&psc=1&refRID=BFK34PJ5BZQ4P1BDVYTQ

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https://www.amazon.com/Stage-Manager-Experience_Refreshed-Larry-Fazio/dp/1138195073/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1542608202&sr=1-1&keywords=The+professional+stage+manager

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