Tag: Alex Urbanczyk

Stage Management

‘The stage management team forms a vital nerve centre, bringing together all the production technical departments, commonly known as the stage departments. Stage management needs to be fluid, dealing with every task, situation and person that may come their way’ (2001, p. 16).

 

Copley and Killner’s description of stage management sums up in just two sentences what it is all about. A stage management team is responsible for bringing the show together, with the stage manager at the centre of the of the web of communications. A stage manager holds many responsibilities, that may be required differently for each production they approach. Daniel Bond states that ‘nothing in this industry is written in stone, for the requirements of every production are different’ (1991, p. 11). This makes it clear that a job within stage management will always bring new ideas, concepts and problems to whoever takes on the task. For a person wishing to pursue this career, Daniel Ionazzi summarises the qualities of a good stage manager in these words:

 

‘A Stage Manager is a LEADER, who is SELF-MOTIVATED and EVEN-TEMPERED, with the ability to ANTICIPATE and ADAPT to constantly changing conditions. Stage managers are DEDICATED to and RESPONSIBLE for every aspect of their productions without losing their SENSE OF HUMOUR. They provide an EFFICIENT and ORGANIZED work environment while remaining EMPATHETIC to the people and the process’(1992, p. 11).

 

It is evident that the job of stage manager is not one to be taken on lightly, it requires a lot of patience, organisation, time and empathy to ensure that the end production is a success. I hope that as stage manager for Progeny Theatre Company, I can excel in completing these tasks. I believe as a person, I am quite a dedicated team player, always wanting to help others and make sure people are on the right track. These qualities should help me to ensure the well-being and safety of each member of the company.

 

Alex Urbanczyk

 

Word Count : 327

 

Works Cited:

 

Ionazzi, D., (1992) The Stage Management Handbook. USA: Betterway Books.

 

Bond, Daniel. (1991) Stage Management A Gentle Art. London: A&C Black (Publishers) Limited.

 

Bond, Daniel. (1991) Stage Management A Gentle Art. London: A&C Black (Publishers) Limited.

 

Production Meeting Note 7/2/13

Progeny Theatre Company Meeting

Date: 7/2/13

Notes since last meeting:

  • Jess & Kelsey – to present data findings from market research.

    • Still not completed, will be completed by Monday.

  • Jamie & Steph – to report on the costings of rights for the plays.

    • (£80 – £100) but we will not be using their stories directly

  • Final Decision for stories used.

  • Decision needs to be made for performance title.

    • TBC

  • Script writing update.

    • Synopsis for monday

  • Discussion on motif for advertising.

    • Need summary of story first

  • Organising the “About us” section on blog (photos, order etc.)

    • hierarchy diagram? Waiting for PlayZone

Attendance/Apologies:

Hannah Smith – Working

Steph Doe – Working

Kelsey Stirling – At home

Lewis Chanel – ill

Marketing/Advertising/Finance Team update:

Nothing to report as Kelsey could not attend the meeting.

 

Scriptwriting Team update:

Change in story: instead of matchstick girl, we are now using two stories.

Matchstick girls story would not have enough depth within the performance.

Keeping in mind who does what in other job roles. (deciding who to act the main roles).

Bloody Chamber & Snow Child are the two stories decided upon to use.

Casting session – once the story has actually been written/decided on.

Synopsis of performance overall by Monday 11th Feb.

Design Team update:

IDEAS:

  • A projection of a story book with characters walking out at the start and the book closing at the end (the end)

  • Merging pictures/ making different rooms

  • large posters of classical paintings, surrealist thing, cutting things into a collision – to make a room of pictures.

  • House of pictures, house of stories

Steph’s vision on lighting design: one light, people walking into it, darkness around (half face)?

Production will be more about the lighting; sharp and crisp. Lighting will be integral to the piece.

Lighting has a big influence on the blocking. (Steph)

The general ideas for the production are: Big, Spectacular, WOW factor.

Need to have haze during the performance.
SNOW MACHINE NEEDED.

Sponsors needed to pay for these things. (Fund-raising also?)

Researching Edward Gordon Craig for influence to set design.

Costume wise – big elaborate melodramatic.

What is the stage going to be like? How much space will we have?

Really need the script in order to decide what is going to be made.

Additional notes from today’s meeting:

Still debating the idea of PlayZone. Whether it is professional or not.

Sam – to design a logo for our company. Put his advertisement on our page.

Production Meeting Note 24/1/13

Progeny Theatre Company Meeting

Date: 24/1/13

 

Attendance/Apologies: 

 Full attendance to this meeting.

Manifesto update/discussion:

  1. There is a massive culture now for how children should be protected in theatre today.
  2. Within theatre there are underlying issues present that shouldn’t be brought to there attention
  3. Something about the presence of these issues should be exposed to adults,
  4. a re-education to adults of the grimm nature of these stories so they then can understand
  5. combining the innocence of a story and exposing the darkness within it.
  6. Nostalgia?
  7. Adapting a traditional children’s tale in its
  8. highlighting and disassembling the illusion of the magic
  9. re tell and make obvious aspects of the stories that may have been overlooked for the children’s stories

 

What our Theatre Company Dislikes about theatre:

  • traditional theatre
  • Extreme taboo (child abuse, rape etc.)
  • children’s theatre being strictly for children.
  • Following practitioners to the letter
  • naturalism on stage (mirror to reality)

 

What our Theatre Company Likes about theatre:

  • using aspects or elements of practitioners to influence our performance style
  • breaking the boundaries of genre
  • taboo subjects (light)
  • spectacle theatre
  • Heavy technical
  • elaborate costumes
  • (Making children’s theatre for adults)
  • filter theatre – influence
  • paper cinema – influence
  • theatre as an escape
  • Tim Burton
  • hiccup theatre
  • taking something that everyone knows, and making is unrecognisable
  • representing the unrepresented

 

Possible ideas for Plays:

Children’s stories: Dr seuss, Grimms fairytales, The giving tree?, Roald dahl, enid blighton, beatrix potter, nursery rhymes.

 

MISSION STATEMENT:
We exist to change the perceptions and perspectives of those who are familiar with children’s stories. In doing so, we hope to alter the genre of Children’s Theatre, to directly encompass the adult audience. We aim to create theatre which allows escapism for adults by adapting children’s stories. Our theatre company aspires to create that which has not been seen before through controversial and innovative means.

 

TASK:

 

For Marketing group (KELSEY AND JESS)

  • Create a questionnaire to find how interested the public would be in coming to see a production of a children’s story for adults.
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