Unit 11 - Dissertation

The role of women in stage management

The role of women in stage management has changed over the years. I have done research and looked at statistics to back up my points of view.

Firstly, one of the first recognised stage managers is Phyllis Seaton, "Seaton was named stage manager for Raymond Massey's Broadway version of Hamlet" - http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1987-09-29/news/0150120175_1_song-of-bernadette-seaton-mayor-of-beverly . Despite this there are more women who claim to be the first stage manager, such as Maude T Howell and Maude Gill - http://stage-directions.com/10175-women-in-stage-management-revolutionizing-history-with-inclusion-2.html . Stage management has been around for many years, even back when theatre was invented in Greek times, there was aspects of stage management but it was not officially regcognised until the 18th century when the term "stage manager" was first used. In the time between the Renaissance and 17th century there were two names used, stage keeper and book keeper, i have found informtion about each of the roles: "The Stage Keeper was responsible for the maintenance of the theater, taking props on and off stage, and security of performance space. The Book Keeper was responsible for the stage script, obtaining necessary licenses, copying/providing lines for the performers, marking entrances and exits, tracking props, marking when sound effects come in, and cueing props and sound effects."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stage_management#History

Some sources say that women greatly outnumber men, one person stating "I opened up my old box of college playbills and sure enough, of those 18 shows, all but one were stage managed by a woman." -  https://www.onstageblog.com/columns/2017/5/26/women-dominate-the-stage-management-industry-so-why-are-they-still-paid-less-than-men 
And it also goes on to show statistics. I think one of the reasons that women are successful stage managers is because they are good at multitasking and their organisation is often far better than mens.

Unit 10 - UCAS

For unit 10 we have been writing our personal statements and looking to apply for university courses. I would like to defer mine for a year so I can take a gap year to work and earn some money and also go travelling. I will continue working in Tesco in my home in Cheltenham part time as this is a stable job and one I can take time off if and when I travel. it will also be nice to be  at home for a year because for the past 2 years I have been in London and haven't seen my family as much as I would like to. 

I have got two choices on my UCAS application, one is the Royal Welsh College of Speech and Drama and the other is Birmingham city university. Both run similar courses and I am interested in both. I would like to go to Wales because it is not only close to my home in Cheltenham but I know it is also one of the best drama schools in the country. I spoke to one of the lecturers at  Theatre craft last year but she informed me that they don't have any more open days this academic year. I can look online and read their prospectus and both look like they have excellent facilities to work in. It is not clear if I have the correct entry requirments for this course and it is something I will need to contact them about.

https://www.rwcmd.ac.uk/departments/stage_management.aspx

I would like to go to Birmingham because it is much closer to home for me and I know the city well. The course  runs closely alongside dance and drama courses and through researching it online I have seen that they work with the Birmingham Royal Ballet and I would love to work with ballet companies. I have watched a video online and the course seems quite small and friendly and really fun. I have got the correct GCSEs and will need to gain at least a pass level on this course to be accepted on to this degree. 

https://www.bcu.ac.uk/courses/stage-management-ba-hons-2019-20

As a career I would like to work within management as this is what I think my skillset best fits. I think that management is such a varied field of work I don't want to limit myself to one area in particular, from retail to stage there are so many routes and opportunities that I can take. During this course I have progressed my communication skills due to working with a varied group of people. I have also developed my organisation and people skills. 

Unit 9 - 360 VR

For part of Unit 9 we are learning about 360 VR filming for use in the theatre industry, and have been having lessons with James to learn about this.

We started off by discussing the use of 3D and VR and the future of it within the theatre and film industry. We also talked about creating our own VR design of a to-scale Royal Opera House and then being able to use that in the design challenge or to create future to-scale sets for the company.

Next week we were experimenting using the 360 cameras. We went out to film footage to edit with. We decided to hire santander bikes as they are free for 30 minutes, tape the cameras to the front of the bikes and cycle around the nearby streets. We tried to travel in a variety of locations so that we had multiple shots to work with. We all tried a different setting, I took a time-lapse video, Tom took multiple videos and Vadim took photos. We will be editing them next week.

We went on a trip to the V&A to go to an exhibition about video games. There were lots of examples of games throughout the years and the effect it has on modern day people. For example there was a video of gaming designers and CEO's talking about the effect violence has on adolescents behaviour, such as increase in gun, knife, and violent crimes. Some say that this isn't due to video games whilst others say it is. We then went on to watch a video about the gaming networks, groups of people who are so crazy about gaming they make costumes for cosplay, they film videos creating minecraft worlds, take part in online competitions, and they all have huge online followings. I didn't really understand the gaming world and its not something I'm massively interested in but it was an eye opening exhibition.

I am going to use a 360 camera to film a walking tour of the royal opera house as my entry for the royal opera house design challenge. My plan is to walk around the royal Opera house with a camera on a friends head whilst I talk and give information out about the theatre and company. I will also add text and hyperlinks during editing to make it even more interactive for the viewer. To be able to achieve this we have been liasing with the royal opera house and we are going to create a short tester video around college.

For A Christmas Carol we filmed Jeremy who was a ghost so we could project the footage on to the back of the theatre. We used various lighting and camera angles to try and find the best on and the one that looked the scariest. We used the green screen in the film studio and we sat Jeremy on a chair so that this way he would remain still. After we had all the footage we uploaded  it to the computer and we had to change the background colour to a dark grey, we also had to edit the video and cut it so that we could loop it.

https://youtu.be/zgmGIFye33g

Disney

Disneyland Paris November 2018

We went on a college trip to Disneyland Paris for 4 days. We went to learn more about the park and how it works, from it’s day to day running’s to the overall management of the company. 

On the first day we travelled from London to EuroDisney on the Eurostar train. We arrived and we trekked to the hotel and then in the evening we went out to see the fireworks. The following day the trip really began. We spent the day in the Magic Kingdom Park, starting by taking a walk up to the castle and exploring the Main Street. At first glance personally I thought the park was fairly dated and needs a bit of a face lift and some money. The castle is small and really needs a new coat of paint. When walking to and from each ride there are lots of overpriced dining options. I think one of the reasons the food is so expensive is because the park is not making enough money, you can tell this from the lack of energy in the surroundings. Also if people haven't brought in their own food then they have no option but to buy the food in the park. We were lucky to have fast passes and cut the cues despite there being few anyway because we visited in term time. Although it was term time the park was still fairly busy, which shows that it will continue to be a success but I do think it is the least popular of all the global parks. As we left we were waiting for the bus and we saw some lights on Tower Of Terror, and we realised they were mapping for the following days show. Another interesting thing is that Disney use chid friendly fireworks, which are much quieter than regular ones.  

On the second day we went to Universal Studios and this showed even more of the face lift the park needs. Walkways need paint and the bathrooms need sorting. The rides are very good but again feel old. This may be due to the park having a lack of income and low down on the priority lists of the parks. We started to watch a show as we were walking and we notices that the lights were on, despite it being broad daylight, which could mean that the lights and sound are all just run the same whether it is evening or daytime. 

Mentoring

Mentoring 

This Christmas I mentored Maddie in stage management for A Christmas Carol. As Maddie is fairly independent this did make my job slightly easier although there were a few problems. Personally I don’t think I was a very good mentor, because I could see Maddie knew what she was doing so I left her to it a lot, but I did step in when I noticed problems. 

During the tech run I spoke to Adam who was operating lights and sound and he said he found Maddies cueing hard to follow. I sat down with Maddie and went through her script and noticed she hadn’t put in standbys, something which I find very helpful and can be very useful for the person who is having the cues directed to them. I explained them to Maddie and told her how to write them in however she did not use them as she didn’t find them helpful. For the dress rehersal Tom and I sat downstairs and made notes on the technical aspects of the show to direct back at the tech crew. Afterwards we ran through the notes upstairs with the team. I have learnt that not everyone likes to have notes given to them and they don't always take your advice on board and that that is okay because everyone works in different ways. The way I cue a show is different to how Maddie cues a show, its just what works best for the individual. 

Overall I think that there are areas I can improve on, such as sitting with Maddie to go through and mark up the script as she had already done this without me. I think what I did well was I watched Maddie cue and I was able to give her solutions to problems instead of just highlighting them.

Unit 11

The difference between amateur and professional theatre. 

There are many differences between amateur and professional theatres. Both working in them and as an audience member. As an audience member, you can spot that the costumes may be ru-used or re-cycled in an amature show and sometimes can look a bit mish mashed, whereas in a professional show the costumes often are new or have been modified to the show and are cared for and kept to a high standard. This is often because professional shows run for much longer so the costumes have to last a long time.

~ Add more information
~ Refer to personal experiences
~ Start by an opening 

Firstly, the main difference being that professionals get paid and amateurs do it all for the love. Despite this it doesn’t alter the effort levels that are put in. Having experienced both myself I can say that I think sometimes more effort is put in to amateur shows because they run for shorter periods of time so there is less time to get bored, whereas with a professional theatre shows can run for years, even decades, so this can become boring if you’re doing it 8 shows a week. 

~ Explain a difference
~ Some get paid, some don’t
~ Effort levels may vary
~ Length of shows 

Personally I feel that I experienced more working with amateur dramatics companies because I get to experience the whole show. Right the way from handover night, to rehearsals, the get in, show week and then the get-out and another handover. Whereas 2 nights in the west end (on different shows) was the same as the night before. Yes there may be slight alterations but it’s likely to be the same. 

Despite this the professional theatres have a lot more equipment and kit that I have never personally used before to getting to learn about this was very exciting. A draw back to amateur theatre is that there is always a very small budget so the set is often made from old set, repainted and given a face-lift.

~ Add conclusion
~ Give opinions

A personal reason why I love amateur theatre is because there is no one else in the theatre like me. I’m a 17 year old girl, surrounded by adults, often men far older than me. Despite this I can still do the same as them and put in the same amount of effort and work just as hard. A lot of the time doing backstage theatre for amateur groups you go very unappreciated and this is a feeling you get used to over time. I don’t think it’s fair, because there’s a lot of effort that goes in to what we do. We’re there before everyone setting up, we’re there after everyone’s gone prepping for the next day and cleaning the stage and auditorium. 

I have decided to change my essay title, after my first draft I realised that the subject is too wide of a topic to research. There are many varieties of am dram and professional theatres, making it difficult to convey the range within an argument.

The role of women in stage management

Proposal:

My essay is about women in stage management. The topics I want to cover are:

·         History of female stage managers

·         Statistics

·         Training, how do people train, what percentage of students are female following on to what percentage of stage managers in the industry are female

·         Is there any controversy or a glass ceiling surrounding female stage managers, historical and current?

I will look for information on websites such as The Stage, survey of current west end stage managers, interview with female stage managers. I will have a brief introduction about stage management and what is involved within the roles. Below is some research that I have done about female stage managers.

http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1987-09-29/news/0150120175_1_song-of-bernadette-seaton-mayor-of-beverly

http://stage-directions.com/10175-women-in-stage-management-revolutionizing-history-with-inclusion-2.html

https://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/25/theater/25mailals-OURTOWN_LETTERS.html

Personal Statement Unit 10

I am currently studying a UAL Level 3 Production Arts at Westminster Kingsway College in London. This course has helped me develop a wide range of skills and learn about new roles within the theatre industry. We have been lucky enough to have a small class so can explore new roles easily. I have learnt how to programme and operate a lighting board, been a DSM and called a show, seen amazing west end shows such as Hamilton, been to Disneyland Paris, worked with MTV Music, and so much more. From all these experiences I have learnt so much that I will use in the future. For example, I have learnt that calling a show is key for other members of the tech team. Being on time is essential, and it is something I think is very important. Someone once said to me “if a stage manager is on time, they are late” and this has always stuck with me.

I have always had an interest in theatre from a young age. My family have always been involved in backstage theatre companies and groups, although none of them persued it professionally. When I was younger I remember sitting in lighting boxes watching shows my family were working on, my grandad being stage manager, my gran being in the wardrobe department, and my auntie and mum doing props. When I was 13 I stepped in for my auntie at a local village show and I fell in love with the feeling of being part of a stage crew. Despite the stage being only 3 meters wide, and only having 7 lights in the rig, I knew it was the right environment for me. After a while though I began to crave something bigger so I got myself involved with a youth group production of Oliver! which was being performed in a local theatre. After this I started working with the adult group, at only 15 I was the youngest by a long way. I have built up my responsibilities and worked my way up and taken on more responsibility the more shows I have done. I started working with the props team and now I have taken the lead for some shows. I have also been ASM for shows and held responsibilities. I have had work experience in the west end at the Noel Coward Theatre, and also worked at a festival as an artist liaison runner. It has taught me how to work with difficult people, how to be professional, and working long and unsociable hours.

The course I am interested in is the stage management course. I really think this will help me further my knowledge and be able to be successful. I would like to work in professional theatres and my dream would be to work on touring shows, either musicals or ballets. I think touring would really open my eyes to the world of theatre as you are always moving and facing new challenges and problems, something which I love to face. I would also like to get more professional work experience and I think this is something university will help me with. I will also be contacting west end theatres when I turn 18, as when I was younger I wrote to so many asking for work experience but all the responses were negative due to my age. I am used to travelling long distances, having to travel across the country from my home in Cheltenham to London for college. This shows I am dedicated and hardworking and I don’t let anything hold me back.  

I am taking a gap year to go out and travel and also work to earn money towards university. I really enjoy exploring new places and I want to see more of the world. I think this will also prepare me to go on tour, which is what I would love to do as a career, or work in different events. Learning how to live and cope in new environments is something I like to try. Moving to London at 16 to live on my own in student accommodation was a big step for me, and although at times I wonder if it is right, I do have so many more opportunities here compared to at home. Despite this I would like to study closer to home as I feel that having family and friends around me to support me will really boost my confidence and help me to succeed.