Apprentice Stage Manager

A comprehensive discussion about joining CAEA and an exploration of the duties and responsibilities of being an Equity Apprentice.

This course takes place at the offices of Canadian Actors' Equity Association and will include a tour of the facilities.

Section: Positions
Offered: Toronto 2012,

Assistant Stage Managing

A discussion of the various skills requried of an Assistant Stage Manager. How can they successfully work with the Stage Manager, cast, and crew? What is an efective strategy for planning your daily and weekly activities?

Section: Positions
Offered: Toronto 2012,

Calling a Show & Prompt Scripts

A Stage Manager must be able to incorporate and learn to call the various technical elements of a production. What are some of the techniques used to ensure that the lights, sound, specials effects, flies, and many other important technical requirements are executed properly? Also includes an overview of prompt script elements.

Section: Basic Skills
Offered: Toronto 2012,

Canadian Theatre Agreement

A study of the Stage Management clauses in the Canadian Theatre Agreement using general concepts and specific examples. Every Stage Manager must be very familiar with this document in order to plan and maintain a theatre production.

This course takes place at the offices of Canadian Actors' Equity Association.

Section: Basic Skills
Offered: Toronto 2012,

Canadian Theatre Agreement Session 2

An exploration of how to deal with being an employee. How do you figure out your daily hours?  How is your pay cheque calculated? What provincial employment rules apply in each province?

This course takes place at the offices of Canadian Actors' Equity Association.

Section: Advanced Basics
Offered: Advanced Basics,

Career Transitioning

How can a Stage Manager diversify their abilities? What are the benefits and concerns of a long career in Stage management? If one wishes to change their career, what are some questions to ask and the method to approach the change?

Section: Your Future
Offered: Your Future,

Commercial Musicals

What skills and information are unique for the Stage Manager to know when working on a musical? How complicated are mega-musicals? A presentation of paperwork, prompt scripts and learning to call from a score and using cue-lights will be part of the session.

Section: Genres
Offered: Toronto 2012,

Company Management

How do the Company Manager and Stage Manager relate to each other? What is a Company Manager responsible for? When there is no Company Manager which responsibilities are taken over by the Stage Manager? How often are Company Managers hired in Canada?

Section: Positions
Offered: Positions,

Conference Pass - Toronto 2012

The Conference Pass includes all 23 courses for a total of $460 ($20/course, actual value $805).
Four courses can be cancelled for a Conference Passholder before the 85% policy is initiated for any remaining cancelled courses.

Section: Conference Pass
Offered: Toronto 2012,

Dance

How do you stage manage a dance program? Where can you gain the experience? Where are the dance companies in Canada? The last two hours of this session will include a dancer which will allow the participants to gain first hand knowledge about blocking and calling a dance piece.

Section: Genres
Offered: Genres,

Director

What is the relationship between the Director and the Stage Manager? An in-depth discussion about the Director's expectations of their stage manager from prep week to tech week, from time management to giving notes.

Section: Positions
Offered: Toronto 2012,

Film

What skills can the stage manager use in the film world? How different is the film world? How does one enter into a film position? Is there an apprentice program?

Section: Genres
Offered: Genres,

Film Festivals

Oftem Film Festivals hire Stage Managers to facilitate the presentation of their screenings. What characteristics are they looking for in a Stage Manager? What are the key elements of the job description?

Section: Genres
Offered: Genres,

Financial Planning

Discover how to fill out your income tax forms as an Equity Stage Manager. Review the policies of CAEA which impact on you financially including the employment status of Stage Managers. How can you plan your RRSP contributions? Please bring your financial inquiries to the session.

Section: Your Future
Offered: Toronto 2012,

Foundations of Stage Combat

Come and learn about stage combat from the inside out. Over three hours we will explore the basics of unarmed stage: Falls, rolls, throws, slaps, punches, grappling, and chokes. We will discuss best practices for stage combat in rehearsal and performance as well as useful and easy ways to notate a fight. Please come dressed to move (comfortable clothing).

Section: Advanced Basics
Offered: Toronto 2012,

Giving Notes / Prompting

An introduction to the art of giving notes to cast, crew, and production staff. This skill is very important to the well-being of a production and is often one of the last techniques to be learned as a Stage Manager. The participants will also explore the art of Prompting.

Section: Basic Skills
Offered: Toronto 2012,

Industrials

What skills cana Stage Manager apply to an Industrial? What is different about working on an industrial? How has audio visual equipment enhanced these presentations? What does the Assistant Stage Manager do? How do you find jobs on Industrials?

Section: Genres
Offered: Genres,

Job Interviews & Contract Negotiations

Do you know how to prepare for an interview? What questions should you ask? How can you negotiate your salary? For what positions should you apply?

Section: Your Future
Offered: Toronto 2012,

Notation / Forms / Prep Week

A discussion and demonstration of various types of forms and blocking notation. The session includes an overview of the many tasks and duties required of stage management during prep week

Section: Basic Skills
Offered: Toronto 2012,

Opera

What skills and information are unique for the Stage Manager to know when working on an opera? A presentation of paperwork, prompt scripts, and learning to call from a score will be a part of the session.

Section: Genres
Offered: Genres,

Opera Stage Management Masterclass

The first day will start with a 4-hour class with Canadian Opera Company’s Stage Manager, Lil Stilwell. That evening,  participants will watch the performance of A Florentine Tragedy / Gianni Schicchi. Two days later, there will be a backstage tour of the theatre led by Assistant Stage Managers, Tiffany Fraser & Mike Lewandowski. That evening, participants will watch the performance from the broadcast booth while listening to the show being called on headset. The evening will be capped off by a 1/2 hour Q&A session with the Stage Management team.

Cost:   $120 (includes $25 ticket for the May 18th performance)

Part 1 - Friday, May 18th

Class: 1:00 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts,
Stage Door (northwest corner of Richmond & York)

Show: 7:30 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.

Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
145 Queen Street West

Part 2 - Sunday, May 20th

Tour: 12:30 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Show: 2:00 p.m. - 4:30 p.m.
Q & A: 4:30 p.m. - 5:00 p.m.

Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts
145 Queen Street West

Section: Masterclass
Offered: Masterclass,

Problem Solving

Explores techniques for recognizing and resolving problems. Find ways to identify potential problems as they arise during a production. Bring your favourite problems.

Section: Basic Skills
Offered: Toronto 2012,

Production Manager

What is the relationship between the Stage Manager and the Production Manager? How can the Stage Manager improve this bond? When does a Stage Manager need to perform production management duties and what are they?

Section: Positions
Offered: Positions,

Production Stage Manager

How does a Production Stage Manager supervise a company of Stage Managers? How do they balance this job while stage managing a production in the same season? What is it like working in repertory theatre?

Section: Positions
Offered: Toronto 2012,

Props

A look into the world of prop buying and building. How can a Stage Manager successfully communicate with the Properties Department? What are the best ways to provide info from rehearsal? What expectations are realistic regarding having props in rehearsal? Who is responsible for running props & perishables?

Section: Departments
Offered: Departments,

Reading Music

Basic introduction to reading music and incorporating such knowledge into calling a musical or opera. An important skill with many applications in the theatrical world.

Section: Basic Skills
Offered: Toronto 2012,

Reading plans / Taping a Floor

Tips on interpreting ground plans, viewing maquettes, taping the rehearsal floor. Clues to identifying safety issues and much more.

Section: Basic Skills
Offered: Toronto 2012,

Repertory Theatre

How is a repertory season different? Of what special requirements must the Stage Manager be aware? How does one deal with priority rehearsals? A study of paperwork and prompt books will also be included.

Section: Genres
Offered: Genres,

Resumes

What should be in your cover letter and on your resumé? How should your resumé be organized? How does one search for a job? Please bring your resumé and sample cover letter with you to the class.

Section: Your Future
Offered: Toronto 2012,

Safety

A study of the role of the Stage Manager in identifying safety concerns during rehearsals and the run of a production. Also includes a review of the safety concerns as presented in the Canadian Theatre Agreement and the Ontario Health & Safety Guidelines.

Section: Basic Skills
Offered: Toronto 2012, Calgary 2012,

Scheduling and Planning

A discussion and practical application of how production elements affect day-to-day and week-to-week scheduling and planning from Prep Week through Opening. What are the myriad of considerations to prioritize when devising a rehearsal schedule and a production schedule?

Section: Basic Skills
Offered: Toronto 2012,

Set

A look into the world of set construction and reading plans. How can a Stage Manager successfully communicate with carpenters? What are the best ways to provide info from rehearsal? What expectations can you have about having elements in rehearsal to the first time onstage?

Section: Departments
Offered: Departments,

Special Events

An exploration of the specific knowledge required of a Stage Manager when working on special events. What should one be expected to do when working on large events outside the theatre world? Why are these events different from industrial presentations?

Section: Genres
Offered: Genres,

Stage Managing for Cruise Ships

Stage Management on Cruise Ships is best explained as a hybrid of Stage Management, Production Management, and Technical Direction.  Join us as we unravel the mystery.  Is sailing the sevens seas a lifestyle for you?

Section: Genres
Offered: Toronto 2012,

Summer Stock

What skills and information are unique for the stage manager to know when working in the condensed schedule of summer stock theatre? How do Summer stock musicals differ from commercial mega-musicals? Where do you find a job in summer stock? A presentation of paperwork, schedules & prompt scripts.

Section: Genres
Offered: Genres,

Television

What skills can the stage manager use in the world of television? How different is the job from regular theatre? How does one break into the television world? What exactly is a Floor Manager?

Section: Genres
Offered: Toronto 2012,

Theatre for Young Audiences

Explore the intricacies of school touring. Often Stage Managers begin their careers taking a young audience production on the road. What are the challenges and rewards? What is different from stage managing a main stage production?

Section: Genres
Offered: Toronto 2012,

Training Apprentices

What expectations should an Apprentice have of a Stage Manager? What expectations should a Stage Manager have of an Apprentice? How can this relationship be beneficial for each other and the rest of the production team? As an Assistant Stage Manager or Stage Manager are you prepared to train your Apprentice?

Section: Your Future
Offered: Your Future,

Unions

How does a stage manager juggle the rules of different organizations so that the production runs smoothly? What do you need to understand about working with I.A.T.S.E., ADC, and AF of M? What approaches are productive for a well-rounded production experience?

Section: Advanced Basics
Offered: Toronto 2012,

Wardrobe & Wigs

A look into the world of the wardrobe and wig departments. How can a Stage Manager successfully communicate with these departments? What are the best ways ot provide information from rehearsals? How can you plan and schedule events such as costume and wig fittings and quick changes?

Section: Departments
Offered: Departments,