Electrifying - Grease

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Backstage Pass A Day In The Life Of A Stage Manager – Sharon Hobden Today we have an understudy rehearsal. The company are rehearsing at 2:30pm so the Stage Management team are in at 2pm. Our job is to make sure that the stage is ready for the company and creative department when they arrive. We make sure that the Iron (safety curtain) is out, lights are on, the stage is swept and the rehearsal keyboard is set. We then set any props and furniture that may be required. Once the cast arrive we make sure that we have everyone required for the rehearsal. The Resident Director or Dance Captain will take the rehearsal. It is our responsibility to make sure that the show looks the same as it did on Opening Night. We therefore have to maintain the props and with the Master Carpenter and his team, the set. At 4:30pm the Lighting Department turn on the lighting rig and check that all the lights are working and are pointing in the right place. If any are not working, they will repair or replace them. At 5pm the Stage Management team begin their preset for the evening show. We have two automated pieces of scenery, the large CS (centre stage) truck which in Act I has The Bleachers on it and Act II The Burger Bar, and The Band Truck. We start by running each of these pieces to US (up stage) and DS (down stage) to make sure that they are working correctly. The two ASM’s (Assistant Stage Managers) set out all the props that are needed for the show. The DSM (Deputy Stage Manager) types up the covering arrangements for the evening performance. This will include information on who is on holiday, sick or injured and who will be covering them. The DSM then distributes this information to the other backstage departments. At 5:15pm The Stage Crew arrives to begin their preset. It is their job to rearrange all of the set and furniture pieces to their starting positions for the show. On our show they have to take the burger bar www.greasethemusical.co.uk © 2000 PN & DI Associates. All rights reserved. off the central truck and replace it with the bleachers seating, they then arrange the SL (stage left) and SR (stage right) wings. Finally the stage is swept and mopped and the keyboard set for the vocal warm-up. At 6:15pm The Company arrive for their physical and vocal warm-ups. It is the job of the DSM to make sure everyone is present. The warm-ups usually finish around 6:40pm. There is then time to rehearse any changes for the evening’s show. Meanwhile the ASM’s are doing a shout check of the wings and stage. This involves one of them reading a list of items required and the other checking that they are there. At 6:55pm (The Half Hour Call) I open the house. This means I call in the flying pieces needed to complete the pre-set, ask Lighting to put up the lights and Sound to play the pre-show music. When I am happy that all is ready I let the Front Of House Manager know that it is clear to “Open the House” and let the audience in. At 7:10pm The DSM calls the Quarter Hour Call. This lets everyone involved with the show know that they have 15 mins before they need to be ready. He will also announce any covering arrangements. At 7:20pm The DSM calls the 5 Minute Call. As before everyone now knows that they have 5 minutes until they have to be ready. At 7:25pm The DSM calls Beginners. This Call lets everybody who has to do something at the start of the show know that they must come to the stage or their starting positions. At 7:30pm or when the Front Of House Manager tell us that the audience are seated, we begin the show. This is always a great moment, as the band begin and we are off. During the show there is one ASM in the SR wing and one in the SL wing and they make sure that everything runs smoothly, that the cast are ready for entrances, that the crew are ready for scene changes and deal with any problems that arise. As SM I move from wing to wing making sure all is well. I am responsible for everything that happens onstage. I watch all the scene changes to make sure that nothing goes wrong. All the SM team, the 17
flyman, Sound op, LX op and Followspot op’s are on “cans” (headset communication with each other) so that if anything does go wrong we can decide what to do quickly. The DSM “calls” the show. He has a copy of the script which he has marked up with all the lighting, sound and stage cues. He then tells each operator when to do their cues. The Interval is a very busy time for us. We have a lot of scenery to move around in order to prepare Act II and only 20 minutes to do it in. The first time we attempted this change in the Technical Rehearsal it took 1 hour 40 minutes, now it takes us 15 minutes. It involves a lot of team work. 9:45pm The show finishes. We tidy a few things up and I write the Show Report. This includes running and playing times for the performance as well as information on who operated and understudies that were performing. I then note anything that happened that was different from what the Director wanted. This is then e-mailed. Our day is over. We will be back tomorrow to do it all again. Backstage Pass Wigs and Hair Curriculum Links: BTEC Performing Arts, Technical Theatre, Performing Arts Business The Wigs Mistress has a very important role in creating the perfect 1950s look. Each wig is made to measure. To get an exact fit, clingfilm is wrapped around the actor’s head and their hairline is drawn on. Sticky tape is then added over the clingfilm to create a mould of their head. www.greasethemusical.co.uk © 2000 PN & DI Associates. All rights reserved. The wigs are constructed and coloured by outworkers, usually using Asian hair as it is the strongest. The Wigs Mistress and her assistant then cut and style the wigs, remembering to leave a little hole in the front for the microphone. All the wigs in <strong>Grease</strong> use human hair except the “Beauty School” girls who wear acrylic wigs. Before each show the actors pin or glue their wigs in place and the Wigs Mistress is on hand to check everything looks right. During the performance she and her assistant work backstage, keeping the wigs tidy and helping with any changes. The most hectic times are the changes for “Beauty School Dropout” and Sandy’s final transformation. After the show they need to care for and re-style the wigs ready for the next day. Fortunately the men all look after their own hair, but only after they have had lessons in quiff combing! 18
Page 1 and 2: ELECTRIFYING GO GO GO! Sky News BRA
Page 3 and 4: Introduction Welcome to Rydell High
Page 5 and 6: The Show Song by Song Synopsis - AC
Page 7 and 8: The Show Timeline of Grease 1970 At
Page 9 and 10: Style File Growing Up on Grease: 19
Page 11 and 12: Style File 1950s American Fashion C
Page 13 and 14: Style File 1950s American Motors Cu
Page 15 and 16: Backstage Pass Who’s Who: The Big
Page 17: Backstage Pass A Day In The Life Of
Page 21 and 22: Backstage Pass Technical Cues Works
Page 23 and 24: Follow Up Activities Write Your Own
Page 25 and 26: Follow Up Activities Music Workshee
Page 27: Follow Up Activities Further Ideas

Electrifying - Grease

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