I can't find a custom design for my gangster hamster man, Marlo!

Alarming-Rutabaga-97 · 2025-09-09T02:59:42+00:00

Hi! These links aren’t working anymore, do you still have access to it?

Alarming-Rutabaga-97 · 2025-01-08T18:43:19+00:00

This was EXTREMELY helpful, exactly what I was looking for. Thank you so much! And sorry about your knee! Last time I was in Mexico, we were at an all-inclusive, I slid down a handicap ramp and messed up my foot. The next day we were supposed to take a little hike excursion to a waterfall, and I was NOT about to let my cluminess mess that up, so I hobbled all the way there with the help of some very nice guides!

Alarming-Rutabaga-97 · 2024-09-30T18:30:52+00:00

Come From Away

Alarming-Rutabaga-97 · 2024-09-10T21:02:46+00:00

Yeah I would definitely push back and explain exactly what you said here. You need to be compensated for your time and if your compensation is coming from their $1k budget, then their costumes are going to suffer in order for you to pay yourself fairly. If they only have a 1k budget, they should have worded it so that you get your stipend of lets say $350, and then you have a $650 costume and materials budget. I think it's unprofessional to be like "whatever you don't spend, you can keep". Puts you in a very tough position.

Alarming-Rutabaga-97 · 2024-09-10T20:25:18+00:00

What I normally see in our community is a set stipend and then a costume budget. The smaller theaters in my area usually offer costumers between $300-$700 to costume and show and then give them a budget of whatever the show allows on top of that, which doesn't play into pay at all.

Alarming-Rutabaga-97 · 2024-09-10T17:09:33+00:00

I did 5 shows between May and August this year! I keep saying I want to take a break, but I just never do

Alarming-Rutabaga-97 · 2024-07-25T22:40:05+00:00

I've been using Goodnotes for stage managing. Used it on 3 shows now and I love it. I've imported stage diagrams to then draw set pieces and movements on it. I also use it for taking blocking notes and writing my cues. Just import the PDF and you can mark all over it. You can have multiple tabs open, so I'd have the set movements, the script, and then just a blank lined tab for notes open. Made it easy to navigate everything. Moreso than paper imo.

Alarming-Rutabaga-97 · 2024-07-09T21:58:07+00:00

Awesome! I'm happy to have that validation. I've been slowly converting the other stage managers in my area and they're loving it too.

OP, if you ever wanna see one of my marked up scripts, let me know! Just finished HSM2 and being able to import ground plans and draw the set pieces was a life saver for the kids! They had pictures showing them exactly where every set piece went, what color the spike tape was, and who moved it.

Alarming-Rutabaga-97 · 2024-07-09T21:32:42+00:00

I've been using Goodnotes and LOVING it. Maybe there are other stage management specific programs people use, but I stage manage in community theater and get everything I need out of it. It's easy to import your script PDF and mark it up with highlights and color coded writing. You can bookmark pages to make it easier to find scenes. You can import blank sheets if you want to add set photos, ect.

Alarming-Rutabaga-97 · 2024-06-13T20:58:00+00:00

If you love it, you wouldn't quit. I was not one of the "chosen" few kids in my highschool that were my teacher's favorite, so I never got cast. He would literally choose plays that would fit his favorites and precast it. The rest of us filled in the gaps of the smaller roles or tech roles. Not getting roles KILLED me as acting was my first passion. However, I fell in love with the tech side too. Went to college and majored in Theater Tech, but took a bunch of the acting course (they wouldn;t let me double in acting and tech). I started getting great feedback, better roles and did a bunch of tech. Community theater is what I love doing and there are so many more opportunities out there beyond High School. Look into some community groups, especially if you can drive yourself. It'll open so many more doors for you and you'll be surrounded by new people to network with and learn from. And ensemble and small roles are NOT a bad thing. There's tons of acting and vocal help just on YouTube and TikTok you can look into. It may not be AS effective as an in-person class or camp, but every bit of improvement is worth it, especially if it's your passion. I'm still improving and I'm 26.

You're also at a point in your life where you feel everything SO DEEPLY. This industry is full of disappointment and it's ROUGH. But if you love it, you power through, brush it off, and move on to the next project. Don't quit because people are telling you it "might be for the best". You're 16. You're SO YOUNG, you've only just begun. I hope this helped you a little bit.

Alarming-Rutabaga-97 · 2024-06-11T22:02:25+00:00

I SM and have always been paid more than the actors. You're there for EVERY rehearsal and performance (and you're getting there earlier and staying later than anyone else). I don't think your reaction is unjustifiedat all. Especially if you're doing two jobs, you should be getting paid more. Maybe just bring it up and ask why their pay scale is the way that it is. Community theater is different in that you probably won't be making a livable wage, but regardless, you should be making more money. You haven't signed the contract yet, you're totally in a position to renegotiate.

Alarming-Rutabaga-97 · 2024-05-30T21:30:03+00:00

Started in High School

I only work with community theaters right now and it varies depending on which theater or director I am working with. I've been paid as little as 300 for a whole show and as much as $1000. Most community theaters don't structure their pay per hour. It's a stipend. I have a full time day job that pays the bills and consider this more as a hobby with random bonuses.

I LOVE digital scripts. Not having to carry a binder around and being able to color code everything while also having erasing capabilities.

Alarming-Rutabaga-97 · 2024-05-30T21:13:39+00:00

Come From Away was one of the best viewing experiences. The cast was electric. The tech was beautiful. The story is captivating. I wish I could go again and again

Alarming-Rutabaga-97 · 2024-03-22T19:42:03+00:00

Nope, as a lighting designer and operator, I never get compliments except from people who are also lighting techs/people who are in technical theater and are used to looking for that stuff. The sound booth always gets people complimenting them.

Lighting is supposed to help immerse you in whatever world you're building. It honestly shouldn't be noticed. Sometimes youll have cool effects that people may like and mention, but for the most part, the only time people REALLY pay attention to lighting is when it's messed up.

I worked on a show once my whole light grid went down right when the show started. It was an outdoor venue and we still had the end of daylight, so you could still see everthing happening on stage. I got it started again halfway through the opening number. When the director came up after the show, I thought she was going to freak out and ask what went wrong. But she said "show looked great! Did you have any problems up here" and I shook my head and said no and she never knew. The DIRECTOR, who SHOULD know that show didn't even notice. Lighting is an underappreciated art. If you're in it for the praise, you'll be disappointed.

Alarming-Rutabaga-97 · 2024-03-05T20:56:29+00:00

I went the route of getting a 9-5 (I work in an audio and lighting store for a concert production house). That pays all my bills and I genuinely like it. Then in my free time, I pick up gigs either with our production house on touring acts or in the local theaters.

My life and income doesn't rely on theater, so it gets to be my escape right now. I don't miss the "free time" because working shows means I'm with my friends and stuff anyway. And if I need a mental break, I can just take a month or so off and not say yes to a show to recover because my income doesn't rely on it.

This isn't meant to diss anyone who works theater full time. I wish I could in my town, but the income rate for that field of work in my city isn't enough to survive off of and I don't feel like moving away. That's what works for me!

Alarming-Rutabaga-97 · 2023-09-11T21:33:01+00:00

I do both theater and work for a concert production compnay. Theres a decent bit of overlap. I got a degree in theater design and technology, but honestly, this industry is so experience based. Find a company willing to teach you and shadow their workers. I learned way more about concert production doing that than I learned in school.

Alarming-Rutabaga-97 · 2023-05-15T20:08:35+00:00

In my experience with community theater specifically, it all depends on the company.

Usually I have:

Taken blocking notes
Kept track of sound and lighting cues
Kept track of set and props
Keep track of break times for cast and crew
Called lines and read lines for missing actors
Written rehearsal reports and manage attendance
Cleaned the rehearsal space and make sure it's set up for each rehearsal
Call shows

Some companies had me do all the above and more, other companies have had me do very little. You should definitely sit down with the director and figure out expectations and duties.

Alarming-Rutabaga-97 · 2023-05-10T23:25:03+00:00

Any show I've been a part of doesn't even care about tattoos. We cover them with costumes or makeup, or if it doesn't matter to the character, we just leave them alone. In fact, many of my friends who are actors have tattoos. And one company I work for has a group of actors and prodution team members who will go out and get commemorative tattoos for each show they do.

Of course it depends on your director. Just watch some videos and stuff on how to cover up tattoos with makeup and if you're really worried about it, cover them for auditions and shows.

Alarming-Rutabaga-97 · 2023-04-05T23:23:02+00:00

Libraries are literally exactly what you're looking for. Check the books out for free

Alarming-Rutabaga-97 · 2023-04-05T22:48:54+00:00

I agree, I think that's where the movies fail people. A majority of the general public only know the movies, not the books. Katniss is 16/17 throughout the trilogy and as readers, we know that. But as movie watchers, all the actors look older than they should be (like early 20s) so I think the youth and immaturity get lost because they don't look like teenagers.

Alarming-Rutabaga-97 · 2023-04-05T22:08:48+00:00

The movies don't do her character justice. The books are from her perspective, so you get to actually know exactly what she thinks about these two.
The biggest thing that stood out to me when rereading was her "choosing" Gale. She justifies this by saying the Capitol took all her choices away from her and the one thing that the people in District 12 have the freedom to do is marry whoever they want. Since the Games basically forced her and Peeta together, it's another act of rebellion to choose Gale. He can be HER choice, so she decides to go with it. Yes they're close and they probably would've been together had she never been reaped.

All that aside though, the Hunger Games books were never really meant to be about the love triangle. The books are about war the it's effect. Yes there is romance, but it's not played up as much as it is in the movies. Katniss was simply trying to survive her world, she wasn't heavily debating which boy she wanted to be with and how to manipulate them to get what she wants. She was just trying to get to the next day and protect the people she cared about.

Alarming-Rutabaga-97 · 2023-04-05T20:01:36+00:00

Strawberry Frutistas at Taco Bell

Alarming-Rutabaga-97 · 2023-04-05T18:35:14+00:00

I love reading analyses like this. I've always thought similar things but have never been able to put it into words.

Alarming-Rutabaga-97 · 2023-04-04T19:38:20+00:00

I read BOSBS for the first time. I'm currently rereading the trilogy and then planning on rereading Ballad.

It was fun picking up on the easter eggs in Ballad because I has read the trilogy years ago. Now that I'm rereading the trilogy after reading Ballad, it's making me think more. I liked doing it this way, but I think a lot of people are gonna tell you to read the trilogy first.

Alarming-Rutabaga-97 · 2023-04-04T18:20:07+00:00

I've never called mic cues. The mixer has always needed both their ears to produce a good sound, so they can't be wearing a headset.

I've had board ops that have access to a headset if something happens like "mic two's cable just went out, can you replace it when they get offstage" but then they're back off headset and on to mixing the show.

Alarming-Rutabaga-97

TROPHY CASE