NYCPlaywrights September 14, 2019
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NYCPlaywrights
Sep 14, 2019, 6:34:18 PM9/14/19
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Greetings NYCPlaywrights
*** FREE THEATER IN NYC ***
September 27, 2019
1PM
THE MIDDLEMAN: A STAGED READING
By Marlin Thomas
Directed by Ashley Griffin
Near the end of the Second World War, a pawnbroker in Zurich arranges an arms deal between two adversaries in Palestine. They achieve everything they wanted and everything they didn’t want. A year later they return.
Talk back with author and director to follow
Penthouse 2
Shetler Studios
244 West 54th Street
*** PLAYWRIGHTS WELCOME OFFER ***
If you are a member of the Dramatists Guild you might want to check out the complimentary ticket that Roundabout Theatre is offering through the Playwrights Welcome program, for a play called SCOTLAND PA
More about the Playwrights Welcome program here:
*** BYLINES ~ LITERARY OPPORTUNITIES ~ NO FEES ***
More opportunities that pay at BYLINES
Join the BYLINES mailing list
*** OPPORTUNITIES FOR PLAYWRIGHTS ***
Cape Cod Theater Project seeks plays
Playwrights may send one play per season for consideration. The proposed play must still be in development and cannot have received a professional production, or a production that has been reviewed, prior to August 2020.
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EAST VILLAGE CHRONICLES, VOLUME 15 Call for New One-Act Play Scripts
Now entering our 28th season, Obie Award-winning Metropolitan Playhouse is currently accepting submissions for its 15th presentation of East Village Chronicles, a festival of previously un-produced, one-act plays inspired by the diverse population, culture and history of Manhattan’s Lower East Side. Playwrights of all races, religions, ethnicities, nationalities, gender identities, backgrounds, and political views are encouraged to submit.
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TARGET MARGIN THEATER INSTITUTE 2020
The Institute is a year-long fellowship (January – December) that harnesses Target Margin Theater’s history of nurturing emerging talent, providing a $1,000 stipend, support and space for five diverse artists to challenge themselves and their art-making practices. The Institute is a place for open-ended questioning and experimentation within, and at the edges of, the form of theater.
*** FOR MORE INFORMATION about these and other opportunities see the web site at https://www.nycplaywrights.org ***
*** STAGE MANAGERS ***
Stage managers typically provide practical and organizational support to the director, actors, designers, stage crew and technicians throughout the production process. They also are the director's representative during performances, making sure that the production runs smoothly.
The role of the stage manager is especially important to the director in rehearsals. Here the director and the stage manager work side by side, with the stage manager recording the director's decisions about blocking and notes for the actors, keeping track of logistical and scheduling details and communicating what goes on in rehearsals to the rest of the team. This enables the director to concentrate his or her full attention on directing.
More...
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I’ve often wondered why stage managers are included in the actors' union. Wouldn’t it be more fittingvfor the stage managers to join the directors’ union? Or even the producers’ union? And yet, even from its founding, stage managers have always been included under the umbrella of AEA.
In 1913, at the beginning of Actors’ Equity Association, theatre artists often changed hats, or donned multiple hats at the same time. The stage manager was often part-technical director, part-designer, and part-actor. Like today, actors often stage manage between contracts and stage managers act. Unlike today, the stage managers sometimes also acted in the shows they managed. This mentality of “jack-of-all-trades” wasn’t limited to stage managers, but also included directors, choreographers, designers, crew, etc.
In the 1919 constitution, Actors’ Equity defined their membership as:
those that acted in the theatrical profession,
those that supported the objectives of the association, and
those elected by the council
A stage manager could join as an actor, or with a lay membership (support), or thru election. This loophole also applied to directors, choreographers, designers, etc. The only unwritten exclusions included Chorus members, as Chorus Equity was a sister union at the time; and producers, as their business associations were thought to be antagonistic with AEA membership.
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Stage Managers' Association
The Stage Managers’ Association of the United States is the only professional organization for working stage managers across the United States. Our mission is to recognize, advocate for, and provide continuing education and networking opportunities for stage managers across the USA.
A BRIEF HISTORY OF THE STAGE MANAGERS’ ASSOCIATION:
In the fall of 1981, a group of New York stage managers held a get-together with the stage managers of the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Nicholas Nickleby. That get-together was the inspiration for us to start regular meetings; at first on a social basis, then as an official Business Meeting in February 1982.
Common concerns raised at those first meetings included:
Lack of representation in our unions;
The need to meet other stage managers on a regular basis to exchange ideas, contacts, and job opportunities; and
A desire to educate others about the work we do.
Networking and Education remain an important part of our mission today.
More...
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The 10 Commandments of Stage Management
If you're looking to become a stage manager, you're in for a terrific ride! The stage manager is often described as being the glue of any production, the person who always knows what's going on, where it's happening, and how things are actually progressing.
A great stage manager is typically a calm, professional, and organized person with a good base knowledge of stagecraft, and an ability to courteously manage others. To help you in honing your skills and approaches for that next upcoming production, following is a brief list of "10 Commandments" for great stage management:
1. Thou Shalt Be Prepared.
Begin your preparations before your very first production meeting, jotting notes on what you'll need, as well as on preliminary scheduling or contacts. As some productions are always more challenging than others, it never hurts to do a little research on Google, as well, to get a feel for any common hurdles ahead. And once the rehearsal period begins, make sure you always have a toolbox of essentials with you, including everything from administrative stuff (pencils, chalk, tape, highlighters), to tools (flashlights, penlights, batteries of all kinds, and more), first aid basics, emergency sewing supplies (especially buttons and snaps), and more. (I'll talk more about stocking the stage manager's toolbox in an upcoming article -- stay tuned!)
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https://jaccandthebeanstock.files.wordpress.com/2014/10/the-10-commandments-of-stage-management1.pdf
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Stage management is one of those crucial behind-the-scenes professions. People who attend a performance may never realize that the stage manager was hard at work the whole time, but the show just couldn't go on without an expert in that key role.
A stage manager keeps a show running smoothly and makes sure that all the props and actors are where they should be. They keep the director well-informed, and they handle any issues that crop up during the performance.
I'd like to be able to offer you a stage manager for your life — but that would be tricky. So I'm doing the next best thing. I talked to Jaimie Tait, who's been a professional stage manager for the past 13 years, about what skills she uses and how they could make your work life or home life a lot smoother.
Jaimie Tait has been a stage manager for 13 years. (@RCOatLSPUHall/Twitter)
1. Prepare as much as possible — including an 'emergency kit'
Like all stage managers, Tait starts a new project by communicating with the production team and getting her work materials ready. She makes rehearsal schedules, contact sheets and breakdowns of each scene in the show. She makes blocking pages of the set drawing so she can take notes. She tapes out the ground plan of the set onto the floor of the rehearsal room. She knows she'll add more as rehearsals go on, but she likes to do what she can right away.
Laying that foundation allows her to be effective and efficient in her work, and it gives her freedom to deal with other situations as they arise.
More...
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Meet Family Feud’s amazing stage managers!
There’s no question that the families on Family Feud’s center stage exemplify the show’s namesake, but backstage and in the wings is another type of family, one that keeps the show running on point and who fuel long days with laughter. Two essential members of this dynamic and dedicated Family Feud crew are stage managers extraordinaire Tanya Person-Irby and Terelle Johnson. We caught up with these two to dig a little deeper into their stories.
More..
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Timothy Semon, the stage manager for the Broadway adaptation of “Network,” is used to operating the spotlight. But being on the receiving end of its bright glare?
Not so much.
“I don’t think I’ve ever heard of someone calling the show from onstage before,” Mr. Semon said.
He was sitting on the Belasco Theater’s stage two hours before showtime earlier this month, in a glass box that serves as the broadcast control room for Howard Beale, the pugnacious, mad-as-hell news anchor played by Bryan Cranston. It’s also where he remains throughout the show itself.
“Network” is directed by Ivo van Hove, who is no stranger to immersive and experimental works, including the 2015 adaptation of the Arthur Miller play “A View From the Bridge.”
More...
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Lightbulb Jokes
Q: How many directors does it take to change a light bulb?
A: 4... no, make that 3... on second thought 4... well, better make it
5, just to be safe.
Q: How many producers does it take to change a light bulb?
A: None. Why do we need another light bulb?
Q: How many playwrights does it take to change a light bulb?
A: Change? Why does to have to change? No changes, it's perfect the way it is.
Q: How many actors does it take to change a light bulb?
A: None. "Doesn't the stage manager do that?"
Q: How many stage managers does it take to -
A. Done.
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Theatrical Structure:
Producer-
Leaps tall buildings in a single bound.
Is more powerful than a locomotive.
Is faster than a speeding bullet.
Walks on water.
Gives policy to God.
Director-
Leaps short buildings in a single bound.
Is more powerful than a switch engine.
Is just as fast as a speeding bullet.
Walks on water if the sea is calm.
Talks with God.
Playwright-
Leaps short buildings with a running start.
Is almost as powerful as a switch engine.
Is faster than a speeding BB.
Swims well.
Is occasionally addressed by God.
Actor-
Makes high marks on the wall when trying to leap
buildings.
Is run over by locomotives.
Can sometimes handle a gun without inflicting self-injury.
Dog paddles.
Talks to animals.
Chorus Member-
Falls over doorsteps when trying to enter buildings.
Says "Look at the choo-choo."
Wets himself with a water pistol.
Plays in mud puddles.
Mumbles to himself.
Stage Manager-
Lifts buildings and walks under them.
Kicks locomotives off the track.
Catches speeding bullets in his teeth and eats
them.
Freezes water with a single glance.
*IS* God.
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