Not the "weirdest", but I always felt strange having track and call out Nazi handkerchiefs on one developmental piece. Also, not "weirdest", but took me a minute for my brain to register, much like the Come From Away chairs - magnetized mic stands in Jersey Boys.
100 shopping bags in various sizes, shared among 30 chorus members 😅 that was definitely the most challenging haha - i have made Excel sheets and used them!!
My favorite prop/costume preset: putting babywipes in the pockets of the raincoats for the chorus in La Cage Aux Folles so the dancers could quickly clean off their make up for the end of show grand reveal
I learned that a scene-by-scene is essentially a scene shift plot with annotated mini-groundplans with notes/instructions pertaining to the scene changes.
Interesting! I do the shift plot/run sheet before tech, but for me the scene-by-scenes are almost like the ASM's version of the blocking book - updated constantly throughout the process for a record of what happened, rather than for a practical use in the production!
DON'T BE AFRAID TO ASK FOR CLARIFICATION (YESSSSS) Meanwhile I call the groundplans "Scene Setup sheets." I love talking through terms with my teams and agreeing on specific nomenclature as soon as possible--both for Documents and the Props themselves (always use the same words internally). Always open to the words that everyone most easily identifies with and happy to adjust. YES for "EVAN's Green Backpack"! Love this advice & the way you communicated it. I personally do paper checklists but have checkboxes for 4-5 performances worth so I'm not printing every day. Why? I'm NEVER satisfied with a checklist and constantly tweak it or add things that need to be checked but we maybe didn't notice during tech (like a door that was coincidentally always open during rehearsals that suddenly wasn't for that first weekend matinee and an actor was almost late) and so I'm never ready to let it stay frozen and laminate! I'll also leave a few lines on each section for these items to be written in. Hardest tracking: Handheld mics in a Webber revue. Column for each microphone and rows for each number. Name of the singer using the mic on each cell, and notes if/where it was entering or exiting. Helpful not only for the very small crew on that one who were running mics as well as flies and a quick change here and there, but it helped the sound op to make sure the right EQs were applied for each mic in each scene, and it was posted by the entrances on each side so the singers knew they were holding the right mics. Also a great example of something that isn't QUITE a prop, but gets tracked in the same way using similar approaches.
Oh I 100% always end up with something written in sharpie on the laminated copy. "Frozen" is a lie XD. And yes, it's fascinating to learn what other stage managers call the same exact document. It's almost like tap dancing, where the same move has 7 or 8 different names depending on who you learn it from!
Hi, hope you're doing well. I occasionally work props at the theatre here in Calgary. Aladdin just came through, and it was a great experience because there was no notes for me to read through, I was taught the show as we go. I was pretty frantic for the first two numbers because it was so busy. By the third show I knew what to expect and I felt way better. It all came together. As a local, it's quite difficult to step into a show and not know what to totally expect. For the Roadies on a touring show it must be so difficult for them because I feel their pain. They're so relieved but after the first couple of shows you get it !. Having to train crew sometimes every week is not easy for the Roadies. I have found most are in a good mood , and that means everything for the locals that are trying to do their best for their show. Thank you and take care
So... I came here to learn some things about stage and prop management (and THANK YOU for THAT awesome info!!!) but I just want to say - you're explanation and instructions of how to use Excel for theatre-nerds is amazing! I've been resistant to using it for decades, and you've made it easy.
I did a production of Hairspray last summer in an outdoor concert venue (due to COVID). The venue had extremely limited (read: basically no) backstage space and no ramps leading up to the 4ish foot tall stage, so towards the end of the production myself and my one other backstage hand would roll the giant hairspray can over and heave it up, desperately hoping it didn’t tip over in the wind. Not quite sure how that thing survived the production
I have to say that I love using the excel format for a shift plot. I get a bit overwhelmed with the diagrams and find words on paper to be much easier to navigate (I wonder if the Aphantasia has anything to do with that?). I don't think this is really an odd thing to be tracking, but I recently did a production of Newsies and keeping track of al the newspapers is definitely a trick (my ASM was amazing at this). I also had another show where we used a (functioning) air pistol (as a non functioning prop) and due to campus regulations and that we were down a person for one scene change, I had to leave the booth to assist with the shift and retrieve the 'weapon' to secure it.
Oh I 100% make an excel run sheet/shift plot. The scene by scenes are more for rehearsals and reference than use in performances (and are what I use to CREATE the run sheet later). I definitely agree that a spreadsheet is easier to navigate in that setting, especially since things often need to happen in a specific order! And wow, leaving the booth mid-show sounds stressful!!
Right now I am working a production of Misery by Steven King and the weirdest prop we have is a urine bottle.. it is always in the most random spot when we lose it 😂
What's the weirdest prop you've ever had to track?? Let me know!! Thanks for watching & subscribing: ua-cam.com/users/HalfHourCall
Not the "weirdest", but I always felt strange having track and call out Nazi handkerchiefs on one developmental piece. Also, not "weirdest", but took me a minute for my brain to register, much like the Come From Away chairs - magnetized mic stands in Jersey Boys.
31 colored plungers (Happy Days the musical)
100 shopping bags in various sizes, shared among 30 chorus members 😅 that was definitely the most challenging haha - i have made Excel sheets and used them!!
My favorite prop/costume preset: putting babywipes in the pockets of the raincoats for the chorus in La Cage Aux Folles so the dancers could quickly clean off their make up for the end of show grand reveal
Oooh nice!
I learned that a scene-by-scene is essentially a scene shift plot with annotated mini-groundplans with notes/instructions pertaining to the scene changes.
Interesting! I do the shift plot/run sheet before tech, but for me the scene-by-scenes are almost like the ASM's version of the blocking book - updated constantly throughout the process for a record of what happened, rather than for a practical use in the production!
Please do a video on costume tracking and quick-change tracking.
May or may not have already recorded it ;)
The Ditch box is a really fantastic idea.
DON'T BE AFRAID TO ASK FOR CLARIFICATION (YESSSSS)
Meanwhile I call the groundplans "Scene Setup sheets." I love talking through terms with my teams and agreeing on specific nomenclature as soon as possible--both for Documents and the Props themselves (always use the same words internally). Always open to the words that everyone most easily identifies with and happy to adjust.
YES for "EVAN's Green Backpack"! Love this advice & the way you communicated it.
I personally do paper checklists but have checkboxes for 4-5 performances worth so I'm not printing every day. Why? I'm NEVER satisfied with a checklist and constantly tweak it or add things that need to be checked but we maybe didn't notice during tech (like a door that was coincidentally always open during rehearsals that suddenly wasn't for that first weekend matinee and an actor was almost late) and so I'm never ready to let it stay frozen and laminate! I'll also leave a few lines on each section for these items to be written in.
Hardest tracking: Handheld mics in a Webber revue. Column for each microphone and rows for each number. Name of the singer using the mic on each cell, and notes if/where it was entering or exiting. Helpful not only for the very small crew on that one who were running mics as well as flies and a quick change here and there, but it helped the sound op to make sure the right EQs were applied for each mic in each scene, and it was posted by the entrances on each side so the singers knew they were holding the right mics. Also a great example of something that isn't QUITE a prop, but gets tracked in the same way using similar approaches.
Oh I 100% always end up with something written in sharpie on the laminated copy. "Frozen" is a lie XD. And yes, it's fascinating to learn what other stage managers call the same exact document. It's almost like tap dancing, where the same move has 7 or 8 different names depending on who you learn it from!
As a former English major, I GREATLY appreciate that opening alliteration! 👏🏽🥵
Hi, hope you're doing well.
I occasionally work props at the theatre here in Calgary.
Aladdin just came through, and it was a great experience because there was no notes for me to read through, I was taught the show as we go. I was pretty frantic for the first two numbers because it was so busy.
By the third show I knew what to expect and I felt way better.
It all came together.
As a local, it's quite difficult to step into a show and not know what to totally expect. For the Roadies on a touring show it must be so difficult for them because I feel their pain.
They're so relieved but after the first couple of shows you get it !.
Having to train crew sometimes every week is not easy for the Roadies.
I have found most are in a good mood , and that means everything for the locals that are trying to do their best for their show.
Thank you and take care
So... I came here to learn some things about stage and prop management (and THANK YOU for THAT awesome info!!!) but I just want to say - you're explanation and instructions of how to use Excel for theatre-nerds is amazing! I've been resistant to using it for decades, and you've made it easy.
So glad it was helpful!!!
I did a production of Hairspray last summer in an outdoor concert venue (due to COVID). The venue had extremely limited (read: basically no) backstage space and no ramps leading up to the 4ish foot tall stage, so towards the end of the production myself and my one other backstage hand would roll the giant hairspray can over and heave it up, desperately hoping it didn’t tip over in the wind. Not quite sure how that thing survived the production
I have to say that I love using the excel format for a shift plot. I get a bit overwhelmed with the diagrams and find words on paper to be much easier to navigate (I wonder if the Aphantasia has anything to do with that?). I don't think this is really an odd thing to be tracking, but I recently did a production of Newsies and keeping track of al the newspapers is definitely a trick (my ASM was amazing at this). I also had another show where we used a (functioning) air pistol (as a non functioning prop) and due to campus regulations and that we were down a person for one scene change, I had to leave the booth to assist with the shift and retrieve the 'weapon' to secure it.
Oh I 100% make an excel run sheet/shift plot. The scene by scenes are more for rehearsals and reference than use in performances (and are what I use to CREATE the run sheet later). I definitely agree that a spreadsheet is easier to navigate in that setting, especially since things often need to happen in a specific order! And wow, leaving the booth mid-show sounds stressful!!
what are the numbers on the front of the stage in your ground plan for?
Can you give an empty prop checklist and scene by scene?? Lol
Right now I am working a production of Misery by Steven King and the weirdest prop we have is a urine bottle.. it is always in the most random spot when we lose it 😂