stage manageing operas

[mr techie]

hi all

I will shortly be stage managing an opera (the tales of hoffmann) and I wounderedif any of you talented technicians out there could give me some handy hints?

all views and hints would be appreciated!!!

cheers

 

mr technician

[Dazzler]

What do you want to know?

[GridGirl]

A few questions...do you have a DSM? Or will you be calling the show? Can you read music (or at least follow it)?

 

Opera singers are not always the easiest of people to deal with. Sometimes they can be incredibly picky about the tiniest of things, and you may find that you have to cater to their every whim. However, usually they are fairly normal - as far as actors go B-) I've found that they can also get worried about small things and they like their routines to be exactly the same every night - so make sure that things like props are always in the same place, or else you may have an upset singer to deal with! Generally though, they're not that much different from actors in general. Oh, and one random thing I've found - when you're putting names up on dressing room doors, you don't put "John Smith", you put "Mr Smith", and the same for females, except that they're always "Miss" regardless! Same goes for backstage calls :)

 

Get yourself a translation of the libretto, so you know what they're singing about - it helps a lot ;)

 

The conductor is extremely important, theoretically they shouldn't really have much to do with the stage management side of things, but as we all know, theory and practice are two different things! Keeping things sweet between the conductor and stage management will make your job easier.

 

I can't think of anything more now, if I come up with anything else I'll post it!

 

Hope this helps :P

[andy_s]

Oh, and one random thing I've found - when you're putting names up on dressing room doors, you don't put "John Smith", you put "Mr Smith", and the same for females, except that they're always "Miss" regardless!  Same goes for backstage calls :)

 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

Using "Mr" and "Miss" for dressing room signs and calls is correct etiquet throughout professional theatre, not just in the opera world.

 

spot on re: the conductor; he / she is the top of the heirarchy usually (including the director).

[Dazzler]

The rehearsal period and the production period are structured differently to straight theatre. I don't want to bore everyone with how it works, so PM me if you want some more info.

 

Cheers,

 

Dazzler :)