Script Smart, Set Smart

With this pre-production time having been extended to two weeks, the SM can now do the work that had to be done even before being put on the payroll—namely, becoming script smart and set smart. Before doing anything else, the SM needs to read over the script several times. The script is the foundation to everything that is about to happen. It is the reason the SM is working and why the show is being

produced. The SM needs to have in mind all that is within the script so he or she can better understand the casting and the design elements, and begin to answer the barrage of questions that will be asked. To not know the script will be like working half blind.

In conjunction with becoming script smart, the SM also needs to get with the set designer to generally go over the set, discussing the various parts, especially features that are unique to the design. As soon as possible, the SM needs to begin marrying the set to the script. From this meeting, the SM should also get a set of blueprints/floor plans and ask if the designer can email or put into Dropbox downsized, eight-by-ten floor plans for the various scenes/scene changes.

On the First Day at the Production Office

Having a workspace on the first day is probably the most important thing the SM needs within the first hour of being at the production offices. The SM already has a phone, the laptop, and the script. Sometimes the workspace given will be makeshift, created on the SM’s arrival with maybe an office staff member giving up some or all of their own workspace. The SM must be very flexible, work with whatever is provided, and most of all be thankful to those who are providing, putting themselves forward in setting up space. Even with the most ill-equipped office and marginal workspace, the SM has the office-in-a-bag and can begin work and do the job effectively.

The business on the first day will feel scattered, unfocused, unproductive, and perhaps a bit overwhelming. A good part of the day will be spent setting up the office space, gathering information, meeting people, and making telephone calls.

At this early stage in the production, people will have many questions and concerns that they expect the SM to address. More than likely the SM will not have the information or answers. This is when the SM needs to take good notes and promise to get back to people with the answers. Different bits of information will begin to fill the workspace. Some stacked up on the desk in the form of hard copy, while other information will be a transfer of electronic files. This is where the thumb drive comes in handy—moving information from one person’s computer to the SM’s laptop. This information will come mostly from the producer’s production assistant, including such things as the names of cast members, heads of the technical departments, addresses, and contact numbers. The SM will also be given a list of scripts already given out, time frames of people who cannot meet up with parts of the schedule, perhaps special conditions to a contract of which the SM should be aware, and whatever else that might have piled up and now the production assistant is glad to turn over with relief.

Within a short time, a disabling feeling can consume the SM, a feeling that this load of work is insurmountable. It is at this time the SM must become bipolar, ambidextrous, multitasking, a micromanager, or whatever else it takes to zero in on one thing and yet continue working and dealing with all the other things that will pour in on this day.

Getting Information from the Production Office

Once the script and the set design are somewhat committed to memory, the SM needs to move on and zero in on the block calendar, as presented in Chapter 6, “Hard Copy,” Figure 6-11. Without the information contained in this calendar, the SM is unable to answer a large number of questions that will be asked by the people the SM contacts. In creating the block calendar, the SM starts by gathering information from the producer’s production assistant, sometimes the producer himself. The SM takes the information, transposing it on to the block calendar template already on file in the laptop.

Gathering Information from the Director

Once that segment of information is entered into the computer, the SM calls the director to gather rehearsal information. At this time the SM brings up the idea of having a production meeting with the technical and creative staff. Also, the SM asks if the director wants a table read of the play and, if so, will it be just the performers and the SMing staff or can the creative heads and technical heads sit in on the reading, too. If the show is a musical, the SM also talks with the choreographer and music director.

Gathering Information from the Rest of the Staff

With the information gathered from the director, music director, and choreographer, the SM can now talk with the technical director (TD), mostly to verify time frames and get any additional information. Also, a call to the lighting designer is beneficial so that this person feels included, and at the same time the SM can get confirmation and approval on whatever information is being included in the block calendar.

Talking with the Costume Shop

In completing this block calendar, it is imperative that the SM also talk with the costume shop to coordinate measurements of the performers. The SM asks if the costume people can come to the rehearsal hall on the first day of rehearsals to get whatever measurements are needed. If the costume shop needs a performer to go to the costume shop before rehearsals, the SM makes a note to call and talk with the performer.

After working out costume measurements and fitting times, the SM also has a conversation with the costume shop about when the costumes need to be finished and in the theatre. This date is entered into the block calendar… but it is not etched in stone. Seldom are the costumes ready before time, and more than likely the shop will struggle to be on time.

Talking with Publicity/Public Relations

Last, the SM talks with the publicity department to note any publicity events or photo sessions that require time

during the rehearsal period and should be entered on to the block calendar. Also, the SM discusses the performers’ bios and pictures: How should they be handled? Can they be sent electronically by the performer, or do they need to be in the hard copies, brought to the SM on the first day of rehearsals, who in turn gets them to the publicity department?

If any of the information gathered from the various departments is in conflict with anything else on the schedule, the SM is quick to see it and work it out. If the SM is unable to resolve any differences, the matter goes to the producer. The producer will dictate the course of action and the final schedule on the block calendar.

Key Information to Include in the Block Calendar

• The rehearsal dates, times, and major run-throughs of acts or the entire play
• The technical rehearsal periods, to include the load-in, invited guest dress rehearsals, preview performances, and opening performance
• Costume measurements and fittings
• Publicity events scheduled at the same time as the rehearsals
• The run of the show, including dates and times for all evening and matinee performances
• Name and address of the rehearsal hall and theatre
• Key contact information: landline, cell phone, fax, and email

Under the SM’s Watchful Eyes

The SM watches for the following things on the block schedule:

• Unreasonable time frames for work to be done
• Conflicts or overlaps in schedule
• Events interfering with each other
• Union rules governing the actors’ and technicians’ workdays, call times, days off, and overtime or penalties

While still in draft form, the calendar is sent out via email to the producer, director, and TD for final approval, asking for a response or approval or disapproval asap. Upon total approval, the final draft is sent out in groupings: to the production staff, the heads of the technical departments, and the cast members. However, the SM also makes hard copies, most of which will be distributed to the cast members on the first day of rehearsals (even though they have been sent a copy via email) for them to put at the beginning of their scripts. The rest are kept on file in a manila folder for anyone who might need a copy at a moment’s notice. This may be the final draft of the block calendar or it may be the beginning of many changes to come. Upon completion of this first major project, the SM has taken the first step in getting the company organized and working in the same direction.

Video Chat, Webcam Broadcasting

By other names, a video chat or webcam broadcast is Skype, Facetime, or any of the other programs that will allow for electronic, face-to-face conversation between people who are distances apart. With the advancement of technology, what is favored today can suddenly become yesterday’s dinosaurs. So as an SM, if this sort of communication is necessary in getting the designing and technical elements of the show together, then talk with your colleagues or go on the Internet to see the latest and what is being offered.

If there is a production manager (PM) on staff and it is necessary to video chat one or more designing or technical heads, the PM more than likely will have a working knowledge of setting up and using any one of the programs available. If as an SM you are confronted with having to set up one, let’s hope it can be simple with only one or two people in conference with only the producer, director, yourself, and the TD. Otherwise, for a meeting with a large group where all can communicate effectively, a much more sophisticated setup is needed.

If the show is a major production or is being produced for the first time, and especially if it is intended for Broadway, most likely all artistic and technical departments are in the same city/town and are geared to be called in for meetings. In regional and smaller theatres where productions are still substantial, but the budgets are less than desirable, known or favored designers from other areas may be asked to work on a production electronically; then any one of the video-chat programs available are an excellent tool.

Enter Ms. Cynthia R. Stillings

For a strong academic view on how video chatting can work, here is someone who has worked the program, failing and succeeding as the technology came into existence: Cynthia R. Stillings, professor of theatre at Kent State University. A professional stage manager early in her theatrical experience, she has taught SM courses and trained SMs for over twenty-five years, is a USA lighting designer, and was the resident lighting designer for a number of years at the Cleveland Opera. She is the former director of the School of Theatre and Dance and currently serves as the associate dean of the College of the Arts at Kent State.

Here is her thumbnail list for having a successful video chat/webcam broadcast meeting:

• Your laptop is not a sound system. It is not meant to broadcast to a room of people. Get speakers.
• Everyone in the conference needs to see everyone else on the other end of the meeting. You need webcams on both ends to take in each grouping.
• Get a good projector and screen (a small boardroom type is good). Having seven or eight people huddled around a laptop screen is futile and unproductive.
• Position the webcam or laptop so the remote participant has a full view of the participants on the other end.
• If a number of remote participants are part of the chat, consider getting a program that allows for a web meeting.
• Make sure the Internet connection is robust enough to deal with video and audio.
• Set up the system and make connections in advance before all are gathered.
• Have the SM or the PM act as the moderator to field questions, keep all on track, and keep conversations clear and separated.
• Establish a protocol for speaking and asking questions so there is no overlapping of conversations: have everyone identify themselves before speaking; ask them to speak a little slower, being a little clearer in their enunciation than they would normally be in conversation.
• What can go wrong… will go wrong.

The First-Contact Email

To get all the information needed for the cast and staff address lists, and if the show is a musical with a large cast, the SM could easily spend two or three days calling cast members. Once again technology has come to the aid of the SM and made things easier. Now to gather all that is needed the SM can send out what I like to call the first-contact email. In it the SM welcomes everyone and lays out some general information:

1. Time and date of the first rehearsal
2. The hours the cast will generally be rehearsing throughout the rehearsal period (i.e. morning–afternoon or afternoon–evening)
3. Place of rehearsals (address, phone number, directions)
4. Parking information (facilities or accommodations)
5. What the cast will be doing on the first day (and if there is anything specific the performers need to do or bring to the rehearsal)
6. Costume measurements will be taken on the first day of rehearsals. Please wear clothing that will make it easy for the costumers to take the measurements.
7. The SM includes the email address of the publicity department, instructing each performer to send a brief biography along with a picture for the program. For those who are not set up to do this electronically, they are asked to bring in this material on the first day of rehearsals.
8. Performers must sign contracts before they can begin rehearsing. The contracts will be signed in the first hours of the first rehearsal.
9. The SM also asks if anyone wants to be included on the contact sheet and if so to list only the information they choose to share, with the understanding that the list will be generally distributed to other cast members.

In the next part of this first-contact email, the SM asks performers to respond to each point below:

1. Professional name—the name as listed with Equity and as it will appear in the program. They should be the same. If not, contact Equity to get the matter straightened out.
2. Performer’s home address (this information will remain confidential and is only for the producer, director, and SM). This information is optional.
3. I already have your email address, but please list any other contact information such as landline, cell phone, and any other number at which you can be reached, including agent, manager, or nearby relative.
4. Confirm role(s) contracted to play (and/or understudy).
5. Have you received a script? If not, one will be given to you on the first day of rehearsals. If it is absolutely necessary to have one before then one will be mailed or delivered.
6. Your union status (Equity?, non-Equity?). Up-to-date on dues? In good standing with the union? If the answer is no to any of these questions, contact Equity to get business completed before the first day of rehearsals.
7. Stage management will be creating a contact list. If you want to be included on this list, please send the information you choose to have on this contact sheet. Know that the contact sheet will be distributed only to the members of the company.

Upon closing, the SM asks for a quick response to this email. This response ensures that the SM is in direct contact with each performer and aids in completing this part of the job in a timely fashion.

In putting together for the staff address list, the SM needs less information: only their names and correct spelling, business addresses, position as it will be noted in the program, and cell/landline/office phone number. The SM also asks this group if they too would like to be included on the contact sheet, giving them the same explanation and assurances as with the cast members.

This electronic way of gathering and delivering information is certainly a great help to the SM, but at one time or another there will be a performer (maybe even two) who live by land phones and snail mail. With these individuals it is back to the old-school way of communicating.

Receiving an Electronic Script

If the show is brand new, never having been produced before, more than likely the script will come to the SM electronically and is usually in some script-writing program such as Final Draft. This means the SM too must have the same script-writing program. Today, this is the most advantageous way of getting the script because copies are easily made from it, as are changes, which are a certainty with a new show.

Scripts and Scores Purchased from a Publisher

Most times, while licensing the play, the producer can purchase or rent scripts and scores. Whether purchased or rented, you can be sure the producer will get only the number required from the publisher. So more scripts will definitely need to be generated. This too is easily done by the SM on the office copying machine, at some commercial copying service, or as a last resort on a scanner/printer. Also, if the scripts and scores are rented, they must be returned to the publisher in good condition or the producer will pay a stiff penalty for which the producer, somewhere in the dark recesses of his mind, will hold the SM responsible.

The Paperback, Booklet-Size Playbook

Worst of all for the SM to receive is the five-by-seven paperback, booklet-size script. While this may be workable for the cast members, even with having to note their blocking, the SM must have the script in manuscript form. Receiving scripts in booklet size does not happen often, but when it does the SM needs to do some serious copying to enlarge the pages and make them into manuscript size to make clear blocking notes and the cueing script. In making these manuscript-sized copies, the SM will need to make copies for the ASM, director, lighting designer, and possibly star performer and other actors playing major roles.

Making the Script into an Editable Document

At present it seems there is no easy way to scan the pages of a manuscript to first get the consecutive pages into one document and also have the ability to edit should changes need to be made. With conventional scans, individual pages are saved either as a PDF file or JPEG with no possibility of editing the pages. There are optical character recognition programs (OCRs) (easily found on the Internet) that can save the scans into a word-processing program such as Word or a spreadsheet program such as Excel. But a lot of editing and shifting on each page usually needs to be done to get the text into standard script form. In time, software will be available to make this job easier. It just depends on the demand. So be on the lookout.

Distribution of Scripts

All performers playing a role of course need to have a full script, and not just a copy of the pages of dialogue their character speaks (sides).

The Rented Script List

At the beginning of this section on scripts, I said that if the producer “rents” the scripts and scores, they must be returned to the publisher in “very good” condition. This means that they must be bound as they were when first given by the publisher, have no dog-eared pages, be free of penciled blocking or notations, and have no torn, tattered, or food-stained pages. If in any way the publisher is dissatisfied, by contractual agreement the producer pays a stiff fine.

To protect the producer from this expense, during this SM’s pre-production time, the SM creates the Rented Script List.

First the SM:

1. Lightly numbers each rented script (if they are not already permanently numbered by the publisher).
2. Makes a list of each script.
3. When distributed to a performer places their name alongside that number.

Considering How Many Copies of the Script Are Needed

Before deciding how many scripts are needed to be copied:

• With the scripts already in possession, the SM enters the performer’s name on the rented script list alongside the number of the script that will be given to that performer.
• The SM then counts the number of scripts the rest of the performers will need.

After having calculated the number of scripts for the performers, the SM moves on to others in the company who will need a script.

• In the SM’s initial contact with the director, choreographer, lighting designer, creator of projections, and head of sound, the SM asked if they have a script or if they need a script. If they need one, then these scripts are added to the number of scripts that need to be copied.

• It is always wise for the SM to have at least two copies of the script in the SM’s storage box, ready to be handed out at a moment’s notice.

  Copies for the SM’s use:

  • one copy to keep as an original from which all other copies will be made
  • one copy for the SM’s rehearsal script (the script in which the blocking notes are made along with cues inherent to the script and cues the director might add in during rehearsals; this is the script from which the SM did the first readings)

Once the show has been rehearsed, and just before going into technical rehearsals, the SM needs to make three more copies of the script with whatever changes might have been made.

• The first is used in technical rehearsals to enter all the cues for the show.
• The second is to make a “clean” color-coded copy of the cueing script for the SM to use throughout the run of the show.
• The third is a “copy” of the color-coded cueing script and is tucked away in a safe place, maybe in the production office, as insurance should anything happen to script #2.

If the show is in a long run, the SM will want one more copy from which to make a “clean” copy of all final blocking notes (this is the script from which the SM will conduct understudy rehearsals).

The Rehearsal Space

The rehearsal space is very important and needs the SM’s undivided attention because this will be the home for all those who are part of creating and putting together the show. If the production company has its own rehearsal halls or rooms, and if they are in the same building or complex as the production office, the SM’s job is made easier—more than likely the rooms are already equipped with all that is needed to set up for rehearsals. If the rehearsal rooms are in another location and are being rented, the SM needs to start early in the production time, perhaps on the second day, to make contact with the managers of the rehearsal space and begin a working relationship with them. The first step is to visit the rehearsal location, checking:

• The size of the room(s).
• The type and condition of the floor(s). If indeed this is an Equity-approved place, the floor should be no problem.
• Availability of banquet-type tables and chairs.
• While at one time having access to a telephone in the rehearsal hall was imperative, today that is no longer a concern because practically everyone on the staff and among the performers will have one.
• Use of a copy machine on the premises. If by chance the show is a big-time, high-budget show, it could be possible to have in the rehearsal room a scanner/printer unit as part of the SM’s workspace. Otherwise, having a copying machine on the premises is valuable, and if one is not there, hopefully there is a commercial copying service nearby.
• An all-important item in today’s world of electronics—access to the building’s WiFi and the password, if protected.
• Bathroom facilities. I don’t believe any rehearsal hall that meets Equity approval lacks a bathroom and a separate place for changing clothes. However, it is good if the SM checks to see how clean and well kept things are.
• Drinking water goes without saying. More than likely there will be a water fountain within the rehearsal facility. Also, it is almost certain that the different cast members will bring in their own bottled water. While the producer is meeting Equity rules by having a drinking fountain nearby, the cast might want, at their own expense, to bring in their own water. On the first day of rehearsals the SM might address this issue with the cast and have them decide among themselves. If indeed they choose to have water brought in, then to save the SM from having to add to the list of things to do, he or she might request that the cast handle both the finances and the procuring of the water.
• Having a refrigerator, a kitchenette, or an area to make coffee and have snacks is always a perfect addition to the rehearsal hall. If there is no such space, the SM could create such a space and at the same time check with the producer to finance such a setup.
• Lighting in the room(s). Most times this is not given a thought until in rehearsals the room seems poorly lit or sunlight is streaking into the director’s eyes. For more about the lighting of the room, see the section “The Layout of the Rehearsal Room” below.
• Heat and air-conditioning. Once again, if the rehearsal space is Equity approved, you can be sure there will be adequate heat in the winter and some kind of cooling system in the summer, even if it is only a series of fans. Fans can be annoying, though, especially the large ones made to move lots of air. If such is the case, the SM needs to talk with the rehearsal facility to see if the noisy ones can be replaced with ones that make less noise.
• Parking. If in LA or most other parts of the country, the performers can be sure there is parking as part of the rehearsal structure or conveniently close by. Surprisingly, in NY parking is even less of a problem because of the subway system, taxicabs, and—for those who can afford it—driving services.
• An area in which the actors can rest and socialize when not being used in the rehearsal. This place should be, as much as possible, out of view and earshot of the director. This could possibly be where the kitchen/coffee area is set up. For a rehearsal room where there is no such corner or alcove, the SM might create a space with a table and some chairs off to the side.
• Keys to the rehearsal room or a place to lock up rehearsal props. Most times keys are not necessary for entry into the building, but if the rehearsal room can be locked, that is a plus. And if props can be locked up at night, that is an even greater plus. So if there are keys to be had, be sure to secure two sets, if not three: a set for the SM, a set for the ASM, and if possible a set for the director.

In addition, if the show is a musical:

• Check to see if the producer has reserved enough rooms to accommodate the various parts of the rehearsals—at least two: one as the main rehearsal room and the other for the choreography. A third room would be nice for the music director to rehearse music in.
• There certainly must be a piano in the main rehearsal room, and hopefully in the other rooms, too.
• Just as important, the pianos must be tuned. The SM makes a point of asking when the pianos were last tuned and also asks that, if the tuning does not meet with the music director’s approval, can a piano tuner come in that day or at least before rehearsal begins on the next day. Oftentimes, this is not a problem because either the music director or the pianist will bring in an electronic keyboard.
• When the space for rehearsals is being rented, the SM must determine the earliest day, within the production time, that the SM can get into the rehearsal space to bring in props, set up tables and chairs, tape the floor plan of the set on the floor, and just generally make the space livable and homelike for the company. Ninety-nine percent of the time producers will schedule and start paying for the rehearsal space on the first day of rehearsals, not giving consideration to the time the SM needs to set up the room. If the rehearsal space is not in use by some other party, usually the SM has no problem getting in two or three days before the rehearsals begin. However, on occasion the space is booked solid and the SM is not able to get in until the day before or even the night before. It is the SM’s job to have this room ready by that first hour of that first day, even if it requires working into the night.

The Layout of the Rehearsal Room

Placement of the performing area in the rehearsal room and where the staff’s production tables will be set is dictated by:

• The width of the room: The room needs to be at least wide enough to tape in the entire width of the performance area as it will be in the theatre. Ideally, there is also space on each side of the room to simulate the wings and offstage areas (seldom is that the case). The depth is less important in that the back part of the floor plan of the set and scenery does not have to be taped on the floor.
• Lighting/Windows: The greatest amount of light should fall on the performing area. If there are windows in the room, the director’s back should be placed against that light so he or she is not blinded by glare, especially if the sun should break through at any part of the day. If the room is poorly lit and if the director or producer gives approval, the SM may set up some scoop flood lamps, which can be purchased at any hardware store. These lights should be set up high, at ceiling level if possible. Actors dislike having the light shining in their eyes as they rehearse even though on the stage they revel in it.

• Mirrors: If there are mirrors on one of the rehearsal room walls, regardless of how the room is set up and the stage is laid out, a good section of the mirrors should be covered over. Whether the mirrors are facing the director or the performers, the images reflected become a distraction.

  While mirrors may be a distraction in the main rehearsal room, they are a treasure for the choreographer in the dance room. The room should be set up so the dancers can see themselves as they work.

• The entrance and exit to the room: As was discussed when setting up the audition room and when setting up the SM’s workspace, whenever possible the main rehearsal room should be laid out so that the entrance to the room is off to the side, on the side where the SM has set up this or her workspace, and never set where people entering and leaving the rehearsal room have to cross in front of, or in view of, the director and the performers.

Tools Needed for Taping the Floor Plans on to the Rehearsal Room Floor

To do the job right when taping the set on to the rehearsal room floor, the SM needs to have:

• Blueprint floor plans
• Tape measure (twenty-five to fifty feet)
• Chalk
• Ruler
• Various bright colors of quarter-inch cloth tape
• One-inch and two-inch white cloth tape
• Wide-tip, permanent-ink marking pen
• Sturdy string (fifteen to twenty feet) to use as a drafting compass in the event of there being round or circular parts of the set design to be taped on the floor

Cloth Tape

In purchasing the tape for the floor, it is important that the SM get cloth tape and not vinyl or paper. Cloth tape is more expensive but can better withstand the wear and tear of the actors, dancers, and rehearsal furniture. At the end of the rehearsal period, the cloth tape is easily pulled up from the floor, while vinyl and paper tape need to be scraped and take double the time. The SM buys bright colors that are easy to see and distinguishable from each other because, in a musical with many scene changes, the lines of the different floor plans will be laid over each other. The purchasing of this tape is definitely at the expense of the production company, so be sure to save the receipts.

Laying in the Floor Plan

With ruler in hand and the blueprints laid out on one of the banquet tables, the SM is now ready to start laying the tape on the floor. Knowing the scale in which the floor plans are drawn on the blueprints, the SM translates inches into feet:

• First the SM puts a temporary tape cross at the center of the performing area—the area the performers will use as their performance space in both the rehearsal room and the theatre.
• The SM then lays in with one-inch white tape the outline of the stage, defining the apron of the stage, whether it is a straight line or curved.
• If the apron jets out beyond the proscenium, the SM lays in at center stage a two-foot-long white tape line to represent the proscenium line. The SM then lays in another line perpendicular to this proscenium line, and that becomes the permanent marking for center stage. This marking is important to the performers in the rehearsal room for it will orient them to the center of the performance space in which they will be working in the rehearsal room as well as on set in the theatre.
• If the show is a musical, the SM moves off to each side of the stage and lays in more white tape lines defining the wings, which are used for entrances and exits by the actors and movement of scenery.

With this done, the basic parameters of the stage are now drawn on the rehearsal room floor:

• If the show is a one-set drama or comedy, the SM lays in the details of the scenery, indicating platform levels, stairs, doorways, and even a bay window if it is important to the plot of the play.
• If the show is a multiset musical, the SM lays in the biggest, most used, or most important set first, which in some cases might be a turntable, and then overlays, with the different-colored tapes, the other floor plans of the sets designed for the different scenes.

Indicating Backdrops, Curtains, and Scenery Flown in from Above

In musicals, backdrops, sliders, and curtains that fly in from above or come in from the sides are often a major part of the set design. These drops, sliders, and curtains are placed at various depths on the stage, which in turn dictates the depth of the performance space for the scene. Instead of adding more tape lines across the rehearsal room floor, the SM notes this information off on the stage-right side of the performance area. Wherever a drop or curtain hangs, or the sliders are set, the SM lays in white tape, two inches wide, and about eighteen inches long. On these strips is printed, with a permanent-ink marking pen, the name of the item along with the act and scene number. During rehearsals, when doing a scene with a particular drop, slider, or curtain, the SM places chairs or objects across the performance area indicating where the drop or curtain hangs, which reminds the actors of the performance space they will have once they are on the stage with the real drop.

Dance/Blocking Numbers

In all musicals, the director and choreographer want dance/blocking numbers placed at the edge of the stage on the apron. There was a time when these numbers were placed strictly for the choreographer’s and dancers’ use. Today, more and more, directors of straight plays are requesting to have these numbers to help in blocking of the show. These numbers are guide points for the performers in the dances and scenes to maintain placement and stage picture. Large, sticky-back numbers can be purchased at a stationery store; they can be made to size on the computer and then printed out on sticky-back labels or they can be placed on the edge of the stage in the old-fashioned way by laying in four-inch patches of white tape along the edge of the stage and writing in the number with a bold, permanent-ink marking pen.

Whatever method is used, the SM starts at the down-stage, center edge of the stage, laying in the number 0. From that point, and traveling toward stage right, the SM measures off two feet and lays in the number 1. Two feet away from number 1 and continuing toward stage right, the SM lays the number 2, and continues laying in the numbers in consecutive order until reaching the farthest point stage right of the performing area. Returning to center stage and 0, the SM starts the process over, this time traveling off toward stage left.

Once the main rehearsal room is taped, the SM repeats the process in the room in which the choreographer will be working. In this room, too, the SM lays out the parameters of the stage and the stage numbers, but only needs to tape on the floor those sets in which the big dance numbers take place.

Fritzie: A Lasting Impression

As one of the supporting performers in the show, Fritzie’s name was included on the cast list given to me during my pre-production time. I didn’t remember him from the auditions. He must have auditioned privately or was brought in by the producer or director who already knew his work. From his picture, I could see he was an older, character man. From his resume, he had an impressive list of credits dating as far back as radio and early television. I was looking forward to meeting and working with him. I just knew he had a million theatre stories to tell.

Fritzie was pleasant enough when he answered the phone. I introduced myself. Normally the person is really glad to hear from someone from the show. More than likely their last contact was when they got the job or when they signed the contract. In Fritzie’s case, after I introduced myself, there was silence. A red flag went up in my mind and my audio sense became more alert. As I spoke, Fritzie grunted in acknowledgment. I started getting a very dark feeling about this man. When I asked him for his address, he spit out in annoyance, “Kid, don’t you have it there? I put it on the papers your producer made me fill out.” Another red flag went up. It was the way he called me “kid” and said “your producers” that put me on my guard.

“You’re right!” I laughed, making light of the moment. “I have it right here in front of me. I just want to check to see if it’s correct.”

“Of course it’s correct!” he snapped back. “Would I give the wrong address?”

“No, you’re absolutely right,” I said. “Let me read it off to you to make sure I put the correct information into my computer.” The word “computer” set off another grunt.

I set him off once again when I asked if he had an email address. I dared not to ask if he had a cell phone and knew that his only means of communication was through a landline with the same number he has had since moving to Hollywood in the fifties. Our conversation continued as a group of skirmishes. The word cantankerous came to mind, and my first impression was well established. I asked him for his social security number. He couldn’t understand why I needed to have it. He said that back in the old days only his accountant got the number. “Now today you have to give it to go to the toilet” (actually, his terminology was more explicit than what I choose to write here).

I must admit, Fritzie pushed me to the limits of my patience and tolerance. I wanted to establish a relationship with this man, but not on the terms he was presenting at the moment. I asked, “Fritzie, is there something wrong? Have I called at a bad time?”

I was just about to establish some boundaries when Fritzie interrupted. It was as if a Pandora’s box had opened. His anger was great and it poured out. “It’s about time someone called me!” Then he went directly to the youth of the producer and director, complaining about how young people do things these days. The producer and director were not so young, but I guess in Fritzie’s eyes they were. It didn’t take much reading between the lines to know where Fritzie was coming from and where he was headed. All I had to do was listen as he talked. In a very strange way, he worked his way into my heart. I could see his hurt and feel his pain. Here was a man who must have been Mr. Big-Time once, and now he was being asked for his address and social security number, something I imagine lesser people in his employ did for him in the past.

Fritzie asked how old I was. Knowing his view on this subject, I was compelled to take whatever curse of youth I might have had and said I was older. It wasn’t old enough for him; he still called me “kid”. I tried reassuring Fritzie that despite the ages of the producer, director, and myself, we would do things professionally and had a good many years of experience.

“Aaah!” Fritzie expelled, revealing more of his New York accent, “I been in the business over seventy years.”

“Seventy years!” I said in great surprise and appreciation. “I can’t believe that! Were you born in a trunk?”

It was at that moment Fritzie blossomed into a human being. He was surprised to hear a kid so young using the term “born in a trunk.” He wondered if I knew what I was talking about. I told him, but he proceeded to give me the history and definition anyway. Fritzie’s parents were vaudevillians and he began performing at the old age of three.

“Wow! Three years old,” I said. “At that age, I was still doing potty in my pants!” If I recall, the term “potty” was not my choice of terminology. I chose to use the same explicit terminology Fritzie had used earlier. He laughed. We bonded and became buddies. This, however, did not excuse me from his attacks and outbursts.

When I hung up, I was drained of energy. This was going to be a high-maintenance person—and he was. He drained the energy out of every rehearsal he attended. He could create conflict from the smallest matter or incident. As a performer, he was no longer as sharp in his craft as he may have been earlier in his career. It took a great amount of time and work from the director, and support from his fellow actors, to get him to performance level.

At one point halfway through the rehearsals, I asked the director why he chose Fritzie. He said that in the thirties, forties, and early fifties, Fritzie was a major player on Broadway—he even went to Hollywood to make some films. The director said Fritzie had always been a character man. He never reached name recognition with the public, but producers and directors sought him out for the particular roles he could play. By the mid-1950s his career had died out. The director said he chose Fritzie for the part in our show because “his name was written all over it,” but admitted confidentially, “Now all I have to do is get him to do it.”

The life of Fritzie is the stuff stories are made of. In some ways, actors like Fritzie are easier to deal with than others. Fritzie was not subtle, polished, or crafty in his approach. What Fritzie said and what Fritzie did is what was on Fritzie’s mind at the time. The SM’s first impression is only the beginning of discovery in getting to know the cast and the rest of the members of the company.