APRIL NEWS & 2020 SYM UPDATE Thoughts on the state of Theatre & Stage Management |
|
|
ALONE, TOGETHER We are in a time of separation, fear, and anxiety. That is why it’s more important that ever for our community of stage managers to come together. The Broadway Stage Management Symposium was designed for that very purpose, for stage managers to share, learn, grow, connect, & be inspired! It's our mission! Therefore, it's imperative we find a way in this global pandemic for the show to go on. We've been doing an online webinar of the Symposium for a few years, but one of our wonderful alumni connected us with 180 Group to discuss another option. It's now my pleasure to announce that this incredible event company is building a unique way to recreate the Symposium we love online. This online platform will, of course, feature the panel discussions that are the centerpiece of the conference, in addition, the important interactive networking opportunities will be numerous. These will include: one on one “speed networking” sessions to facilitate making connections among attendees, as well as, breakout rooms designed for small groups and informal conversations. The popular post session follow up discussions with speakers and panelists will also be available. The Partner Expo will be an online feature, too! Attendees will be able to explore new products and services for stage managers, as well as talk with the company reps and get demos, all while social distancing & sheltering in place. We can't see a Broadway show live, so instead of the usual Broadway show with Q&A, BroadwayHD is offering every attendee a free month on their incredible service. So, instead of one show, attendees will get a month of shows at no extra cost. We'll even have a Q&A with a team from one of the productions. This new, robust, and interactive platform is very exciting and will allow us to continue to learn and grow throughout this global crisis, build connections to support each other through the current difficulties and challenges; and into the future with the many opportunities that await. We may be isolated, but we are certainly not alone! Stage managers can always find a way! Registration information in on the website, I hope you'll join us for this amazing adventure. |
|
|
There are SOOOOO many wonderful streaming options out there to entertain, inspire, and lift your spirit. Every day it seems there is a new option being announced, so there is no way we can list them all, however here are a few of our favorites. - The National Theatre has a new free streaming service with a new show every week. - Missing your favorite piano bar, Marie Crisis virtual piano bar has live streaming sets. - For something different, TEDxBroadway has released videos of its 2019 talks. - A new series, The Show Must Go On, features performances & talks w/ experts & artists about coping with the pandemic through creativity. - If you like TikTok, check out these "Top 10 Broadway TikTokers" - And of course, our partners at BroadwayHD, have tons of great theatre to enjoy! Check out playbill.com & broadway.com, for new content offerings nearly every day. In addition, broadwaybusiness.com/shutdown has a great list of streaming theatre options (scroll down to Alternatives) as well as many other helpful resources to explore. |
|
|
Back in March, Rosie O'Donnell's did a one night only reboot of her talk show on Broadway.com. It featured dozens of Broadway's beloved stars and raised over $600,000 for The Actor's Fund, as well as speculation that her popular show could come back full time. |
|
|
An online reading of Lips Together, Teeth Apart brought more than 50,000 fans together, raising over $75,000 dollars and celebrating the amazing life of one of our greatest playwrights, Terrence McNally. More info about this star filed event here. |
|
|
In late March, when it was clear there was not enough PPE for health care workers, Broadway sprang into action. Led in part by Jeff Whiting, of Stage Write & Open Jar, The Broadway Relief Project has brought together dressers, actors & more to make over 35k gowns & 50k masks. Click the link above for more info. |
|
|
The Saturday Night Seder brought together many Broadway stars (some Jewish, some just played one in a production of Fiddler) to celebrate Passover and raised $1.6 million for the Coronavirus Disaster Fund. In the days following the broadcast, the number has swelled to over $2 million! |
|
|
Fortunately, the challenges with the musicians union was worked out and Disney's 25th Anniversary on Broadway Concert was aired last night to raise money for the BCEFA Emergency Fund. You can still watch it here. |
|
|
Netflix donated $1 million to The Actors Fund as part of a $100 million fund for entertainment workers. Broadway Producers have pledged up to $1 million dollars to match donations to the BC/EFA emergency fund. A New Lights of Broadway Card has been released with all proceeds going to support of The Actors Fund. And there are numerous other benefits, initiatives and other great work being done by members of our amazing theatre community. |
|
|
SM READING LIST This blog includes some of the books previously mentioned in this column, along with a few new ones! If you are stuck inside, finished Tiger King, and tired of everything on Netflix, Hulu, Prime, etc.. try these! Since we have time, these books are all a wonderful way to use it. They focus on different aspects of leadership and the crucial soft skills that are so valuable to stage managers. Even without a show, we can work on our skill set and keep growing. |
|
|
SM TECH FRIDAY If you haven't seen the social media posts, we're doing free online sessions with our tech partners to learn about their new technologies for stage managers. More info here. |
|
|
QUOTE OF THE MONTH Although alone sheltering in place, we can still work together, collaborate, and create. I know some stage managers are working on readings or similar projects. And the "For Good" events above all needed someone to coordinate & schedule them. Theatre is the greatest collaborative art and even when sidelined, we find ways to make things happen: creating gowns & masks, producing a benefit, or managing an online performance. These wise words of Helen Keller mean so much more today as a reminder that, while physically separated, we can and should continue to work together. |
|
|
SOMETHING FUN This video by @tipsytheatretraveler is a riff off what some actors have been doing. It's a great way to get stage managers in on the fun and show off our quick change into our opening night duds! We can all use a little fun, right! See her original instragram post here: https://www.instagram.com/p/B_GUknnj_Uw/ Enjoy! |
|
|
ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT Our community of alums has been gathering together on zoom every Saturday night since we've been sheltering in place. It's been a great way for us to stay connected and support each other through this challenging time. It's open to alums & those currently registered for 2020, info is posted Saturday afternoons on the alumni facebook page "I look forward to this every week. It keeps me going." -Kyrra Gelinas |
|
|
SPEAKER SPOTLIGHT The 2020 Symposium will have the largest group of Broadway Stage Managers & Professionals for the Symposium yet, over three dozen! To introduce you to these amazing people, we will post a daily social media spotlight on each of them starting next week. The list of shows they've been a part of is awe inspiring: representing hundreds of shows and numerous decades on Broadway. They are so excited to share with you! |
|
|
SOME MORE FUN, BECAUSE WE NEED IT! Our theatre community is collaborating and connecting in a variety of ways, from fundraisers, and zoom cast reunions, to online celebrations of missed openings, and performances. We've seen many living room concerts, as well as some more highly produced events, like these. First, the cast of the revival of A Chorus Line revisits their opening number and next, the company of Ain't Too Proud, in a zoom style performance, featuing one of their stage managers! Enjoy! |
|
|
|
|
