ASM DUTIES - Touring, Opera & Repertory

[scotthr]

Hey guys, I'm hoping you might be able to help me. As part of my stage management essay I need to write a report outlining and comparing the differences between an ASM on tour, an ASM in repertory theatre and an ASM in an opera house.

 

hoping someone on here might be able to give me a heads up.

 

Cheers

[GridGirl]

Hi Scott, and welcome to the Blue Room. You'll quickly find that around here, we're not particularly keen on doing people's homework for them. You'll have much more luck if you post your ideas first, and then ask us to give our opinions on what you've written. So may I suggest that you give us a list of what you think the differences and similarities between the three kinds of ASM are, and take it from there.

[Jivemaster]

Also Scott, You do not know your tutor's forum name here so ask good questions and learn from the answers but do NOT copy unless you really understand.

[scotthr]

Hey,

Wasn't looking for anyone to do my homework for me, its just that I've never worked as an ASM on tour before, nor have I ever worked as an ASM in an opera house, that's why I was hoping some1 one here might be able to help me by giving me by maybe giving a summary/list of duties or suggest somehwere or some form of reading material that could give me an idea.

Already emailed some stage managers at different theatres but had no luck! :-(

 

A concurrent post has been automatically merged from this point on.

 

As a guess,

I'm thinking an asm on tour will will not only be in charge or sourcing/finding props but on the Get In/strike they will help with the set construction and need to make sure that its their responsibility that the tour props are set in their right places on the stage and that if they get broken or lost that they get repaired or ne items are bought.

As for an asm in an opera house, I was speaking to someone who has just finished work experiance at the Glyndebourne Opera house and they told me that not only do you have to set props and do all the normal asm duties, but also, during the show the asm has to follow the score and cue the actors onto the stage and literally place the props in theie hand, is this true or not?

[Mr_Jules]

Hi Scott,

 

There are unfortunately no definitive answers to the questions that you are posing. All tours and opera houses will have a slightly different set of tasks and responsibilities not only from venue to venue but also production to production and according to the budget and size of staff.

 

It is safe to assume that to work in an opera house one would be required to have the ability to read music or perhaps memorise musical cues, but this needn't be the case, it would really depend on the size of the team and the nature of the show.

 

For instance, on a tour the ASM may well have to help strike and put up the set, but not always. It would really depend on the size of the set, the level of experience that the ASM had, the help that is available from in-house crew, the available budge to pay for said crew, the number or props that he or she would have to organise, the complexity of the lighting focus, the time available to get in, and numerous other factors.

 

What is most worrying about your post is that you have been set a essay question, without appearing to have a methodology for answering it. As far as reading material goes, your course leader will surely have supplied you with a comprehensive reading list. You could also try HERE.

 

You do not have to have done something in order to know how it is done. Nor do you need to speak to people who have occupied these positions, as their experiences may differ wildly from the norm, or they may have a prejudiced outlook. What you need to do is consider the differences that being on the road, playing in a fixed venue and working in an operatic environment will throw up. Consider the variables as well as the constants.

[Sunwitch]

As for an asm in an opera house, I was speaking to someone who has just finished work experiance at the Glyndebourne Opera house and they told me that not only do you have to set props and do all the normal asm duties, but also, during the show the asm has to follow the score and cue the actors onto the stage and literally place the props in theie hand, is this true or not?

 

While I would agree with the poster who says this varies from house to house, I can tell you that when I covered asm duties with two opera companies in Germany, they were pretty much as your Glyndebourne contact describes. In both companies I worked in, these duties were covered by the assistant director, on top of all the other things that role entails (this is different in the UK, where the roles are split). As such, it was definitely taken for granted that you could read music, enough to follow a score. You do, after all, need to be following musical cues, not all of which will be sung and therefore have words to help you out. I suppose you could do this by ear, but it would need a massive amount of concentration, and I am not sure how you would note what needed to be done. It can get quite complex very quickly!

 

Hope this helps!

[Kate.Frost]

Scott,

I understand this is a difficult subject without much written about it. I would suggest looking for a couple of advertised vacancies and comparing the job descriptions.

 

I work in opera. Obviously, as with all theatre, there are different scales & budgets. I'll give you a couple of anecdotes from my experience with two different companies. By the way, I love them both.

 

I once had an interview when they tested me with a page of score and a tape player to check I could read music. It is asked at every other job interview I have had since, although they tend to glance down my CV now and say, "oh yes, of course you can."

 

From my experience at Scottish Opera there are separate props technicians who are in charge of sourcing, making or adapting the prop; set up props tables and check props are on the table at the half. They have to mend them if they break. They actually hand the prop to a singer and set props during interval or scene change, and make the edible food and get pretty upset if you helpfully/ accidentally do it for them.

 

The ASM's job in this scenario is to double check the props staff have done it all, & safely, with a check list. Having a props technician frees up the ASM to see to the singer's needs- water, tissues, crowd control etc. and cue them from your heavy bulky score. I am under the impression that 'grand opera houses' have similar systems. ASMs general duties included setting up the rehearsal room/ cleaning it, and sitting in on rehearsals, making notes in your score to help you cue. Marshalling the huge choruses, and generally assisting the stage manager. We attended cover (like understudy) rehearsals and tried to make this rehearsal as much like the main rehearsal as possible (but without any set, and with rehearsal props- the main cast had the real thing) Attend production meetings. Transfer & set up office in theatre. Allocate dressing rooms. Walk the stage for lighting. Staffing the production and cover show/ education event. Tell LX staff to move the offstage monitors. Bring anything considered 'unsafe' to the attention of the stage crew. At the end of the production, pack small amount of SM related equipment in a trunk and leave it with the stage crew for the truck. Make way to next venue at a leisurely pace, in the afternoon (by which time the set was mostly up).

 

A 'mid-scale' touring opera company called Mid Wales Opera required my ASM to source props on a budget, help make and paint the set, not actually attend rehearsals or see any of the production until production week. Production meetings. Unload, Fit up, strike and pack set. Set up orchestra pit. Set up foldback sound. Props and costume maintenance. Allocate dressing rooms & distribute costumes between them. Walk the stage for lights. Staff production by doing props/ scene changes. Assist with costume quick changes. My ASM could not read music but didn't really need to. She was too busy doing everything else! We didn't have a big chorus and the cast had got used to having no-one to rely on in the rehearsal room. The cast mostly remembered to pick up their props from the tables, but needed an eye kept on them & some running about after them if they forgot. Then drive to digs/ next venue & repeat.

 

 

Once we were running smoothly, a general day at Scottish Opera lasted about 4pm- 10.30pm. With Mid Wales, hours were more like 9am-1am. (But that included a get in, performance and get out. Scottish never did all that in one day.)

 

I may have left some things out. But I hope that gives you some idea of the differences. You may use short quotes in your essay if you wish. Good luck.

[Genus]

Hey,

 

Another consideration (and a question).

 

I understand that many opera companies operate in Rep. Putting on two different operas on alternate nights because of vocal strain on the singers.

 

How does this affect the Stage Management team. Obviously there are two sets of singers, but are there two sets of crew? During the (often tight) turnarounds, what is Stage Management's involvement. I know the set/stage guys have it crazy changing the set, and the lampies are run off their feet sorting out the lights. But what about Stage management?

 

Are both shows props stored backstage? Presumably this is a question of whether or not there's space.

 

*Incidentally, I'm just curious, I've never had to and probably never will write an essay on it. :unsure:

[MrAdam]

Scott,

 

What type of course are you currently undertaking and of what level is it? As you can tell the job is varied but there maybe some stock answers that are being looked for from your tutor but this maybe dependant on the course that you are enrolled on.

 

Thanks

[Mr_Jules]

When I did some casual work for Opera North some twenty odd years ago everything from props upwards would be packed off into a wagon each night (we were running three operas in rep at the time) All the lighting for all three shows was fixed and didn't move. The turn-arounds tended to last about 16 hours, which was supposed to be one crew for the out and one for the in, but more often than not you'd be asked to do the second shift as well. After an 96 hour week with half of that on double bubble I'd be taking home more than the technical manager. Those were the days....and good riddance to them

[randomgirlie]

Hey there...

 

Working as an ASM myself I tend to find the difference is not based in the job title but often with the company. To properly discover and illistrate your findings your best bet is to contact production managers in producing houses and just ask them for a copy of thier standard ASM application form - should they have such a thing. This will often explain and even list the ASM's expected duties both in house and on tour.

 

There are losts of very useful stage management guide books you can buy but to be honest, if you're just doing as essay and dont actually have an interest in stage management you're better to borrow/beg one from somebody :D

 

Hope that works and if maybe of some use xxx