I’m pretty satisfied with myself.

I’m back from the dead. Maybe Hope is too? Probably not. Recently, there has been a lot of reasons to revive this blog. The foremost reason being my mother. Hi mom! The second reason is that no other blog I’ve started about stage management feels as good as this blog feels. Oh, feelings.

There is a new preface I’d like to state here and now. It’s been brought to my attention that through the years 2006 to 2009 I may have been a crazy person. I made a lot of mistakes and did a lot of stupid things in college but I do not regret any of them. Recently, after sharing my college story with a mentor, he said “You were clearly acting out because you were too proud to ask for things you thought should have been gifted on merit and you needed to be guided more from your professors.”  I don’t know if that’s true or not. I could have just been a brat but in the movie of my life I’d refer the director to the intentions my mentor described. Hah.

I have lived in New York now for 2 years and 7 months. It has been the most ridiculous ride of my life and I wouldn’t give that up and the wonderful friends I’ve made for nothing. My sister is now six years old and in elementary school.  I am an Equity stage manager living in Brooklyn and I am probably the happiest I’ve ever been in my life. This is a new feeling and I understand now that sometimes people don’t know their depressed unless someone else tells them. I’ll get into my tales from the past later. This is just a warm up.

xoxo.

…sort of confusing.

My PA gigs in New York have paid as follows:

Off Broadway 206 a week after taxes
One Broadway (play) 250 a week after taxes

Today I interviewed for another (bigger) Broadway play. The pay is 400 a week. I don’t know if this is after or before taxes.

At the interview the ASM and I briefed about how well this job was paying, but then also briefed about how a (rather large0 musical was paying it’s PAs 650 a week.

Woo wee. I don’t know if the musical’s PAs were AEA or not.

Then the ASM commented on how she was making 250 a week 25 years ago as a PA and how crazy it is some companies haven’t caught up with inflation and such.

CRAZY.

My PA gigs in New York have paid as follows:

Off Broadway 206 a week after taxes
One Broadway (play) 250 a week after taxes

Today I interviewed for another (bigger) Broadway play. The pay is 400 a week. I don’t know if this is after or before taxes.

At the interview the ASM and I briefed about how well this job was paying, but then also briefed about how a (rather large0 musical was paying it’s PAs 650 a week.

Woo wee. I don’t know if the musical’s PAs were AEA or not.

Then the ASM commented on how she was making 250 a week 25 years ago as a PA and how crazy it is some companies haven’t caught up with inflation and such.

CRAZY.

what is this?

We here at The MT Dictionary thought that it was about time someone collected all of the lingo that is used in theatrical communities into one place. Ergo, what we have done is provided loose definitions of the best/silliest/fiercest words into our unofficial quasi-alphabetized dictionary. The world of musical theatre is ever evolving, and we don’t claim to have gotten it right on the first try–so please check up with us weekly to see what fun words we have come up with! Also, if you have any words you’d like to contribute or define feel free to drop us a comment here or at our official e-mail address

preface to my comment: I see where the fun could be in this website.

example to my preface:

Annie- noun- Any actor under the age of 14 in a production with you. This term applies to both boys and girls.
Actor: Hey, Annie!
Child Actor: My name’s Joe and I’m playing the Artful Dodger.
Actor: I don’t give a fuck what your name is, just don’t step on my LaDucas again.

Peanut Butter Tone- adjective- When a singer, usually female, sounds as if she has peanut butter spread on the roof of her soft pallet. This can be from vocal damage, strained voice, and improper technique. Peanut Butter Tone usually leads to tinfoil mixing.
I appreciate a unique voice, but I couldn’t get past Heather Headley’s peanut butter tone during the Dreamgirls Actor’s Fund Recording.

comment:

As someone who is:  young, put a lot of regretable comments on the internet, a young theatre patron, a… stage manager, a… person with a soul, I would just like to say a big WTF on behalf of all the stage managers of the world.

reader directions: read this:

Stage Manager-n- Angry women (usually lesbian) who were heavily involved in high school theatre. Their exorbitant passion combined with their minimal theatre skill make them cranky bitches guilty of LaDuca Envy. Pleasant Stage Managers may be found, but are extremely rare.

“Brenda is such a nice person, I can hardly believe she’s a Stage Manager!”

Real cute guys, real cute. Wait you guys have more!

ASM-noun- Abbreviation: assistant stage manager. Otherwise known as “Baby Lesbians in a Power Struggle.”

Yes. Why even bring up the obvious?

And luckily production assistants have remained unscathed by these  wordage devils.

This dictionary is a cute and is hilarious, yes, yet it only perpetuates youthful personality setting stereotypes in theatre. Frankly, my 22 year old ass has grown old of that sort, what can ya do?

One can only hope that the authors of such a website are young. Given there author’s note (see below) I would expect them to be, among other things.

Author’s Note: If the names Elaine Stritch, William Finn, and Lillias White mean nothing to you, please leave immediately. Furthermore if you have never belted–leave now, this is NOT THE PLACE FOR YOU. If you have never watched the Tony Awards, this screen will close immediately. (Okay, we aren’t smart enough to do that but we WILL be getting some techies very soon. Ooooh, we should probably put “techie” into our dictionary.)

Anyway, the purpose of this post is written in hopes to be found by MTDictionary’s authors and for them to know based on my New York experience thus far, the majority of stage managers are A. Men B. Gay C. Very pleasant. Essentially… the opposite of their given definition!

Even if those stereotypes hold true to given definition to define us all in such a negative matter is just immature, lackluster and frankly less funny than there other definitions. And I know funny. And I also know that video link on funny is only funny to three people.

Now I’m only on page 22 of reading this agreement and I find I have a lot of questions about these rules that I don’t really have someone to ask without feeling like a total clueless douchebag. So here goes internet lurkers, please take a shot at my questions if you feel so inclined to share your wealth of knowledge.

A.) When the agreement says, “the producer shall…” does this sometimes mean this is something the stage manager should put on their checklist to make sure it gets done? ex. contract signing? The question arises mostly because I know stage managers are always up to date with the fillers about cast changes and costume measuring scheduling… but even those rules say, “the producer shall…”

B.) Having just come off of a Broadway show as a PA with a big name, I vaguely recall hearing the company manager mention how they hadn’t received a contract from (un)said big name(haha). I have a feeling the Broadway and Off Broadway rulings about contracts are pretty equal. Must sign before rehearsing or performing. With large names could such a thing go uncaught? I mean, it’s more than very likely that a contract had been signed and it is was just not part of the paperwork the CM had received but I still wonder.

C.) Do secret ballet votes for the need of new dance shoes really happen? Really? Do they happen? Really. I should really just ask someone on Billy Elliot but, hey internet you are here right now at my fingertips.

Please answer my questions!

Lastly, I respect the wording of the Blacklisting section.

Subject: Off Broadway Agreement — Off Broadway Area

Fact: The Off Broadway Agreement is only applicable to productions presented in the borough of Manhattan, so even though your theater is located in that alley way off of Broad St. in Richmond, Virginia you cannot call it Off Broadway (*cough *Firehouse *cough*).

For those of you who might be confused about the term “borough,” I’ll clarify. I live in Brooklyn. Brooklyn is one of 5 boroughs that give you the right to say, “I live in New York City.” A borough is essentially an administrative way to organize a city (because in America we don’t actually understand the real concept of a governing “state”).

The Actor’s Equity Association Off Broadway Agreement defines the geographical boundaries of Off Broadway. The Off Broadway Agreement states that it’s contract “may not be used in any theatre located in an area bounded by Fifth and Ninth Avenues from 34th Street to 56th Street and by Fifth Avenue and the Hudson River from 56th Street to 72 Street.” See map above.

Fact: Equity can give written permission to allow this contract otherwise, but it may not be used in any theatre having a capacity of more than 499.

Fact: Plays in development are not applicable within this agreement.

Next Post: My personal struggle of understanding  correctly the differences between Production and Special Production and other contracts….. and stuff….