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The Tempest: Making Rehearsal Notes DURATION: 15 mins OBJECTIVE: To create a rehearsal note for a rehearsal of The Tempest: The Wedding Masque (Act 4: Scene 1) KEY LEARNING POINTS: • The Deputy Stage Manager needs to take clear and concise notes

throughout the rehearsal, which are shared with all of the creative and technical teams working on the production.

• There will be other information that the Deputy Stage Manager needs to share with other people not through the rehearsal notes.

YOU WILL NEED: • A copy of the rehearsal note template, per participant – see below • Pencils and rubbers, one per participant • The DSM notes on a whiteboard or flipchart – see below • Suggested organisation of rehearsal notes – see below

IT’S NICE TO HAVE: • Watched The Tempest: The Wedding Masque (Act 4: Scene 1) clip • Watched the Stage Management video

ACTIVITY: • Explain to the participants that at the end of each day the Deputy

Stage Manager (DSM) writes up any rehearsal notes that need to be shared with all the creative and technical departments.

• Give all the participants a rehearsal notes template, pencil and a rubber. Ask the participants to look at the list of notes the DSM took through the day in their notebook. Ask the participants to work out which of their notes from today need to go into the rehearsal notes and where. Make sure that the rehearsal notes are made in a clear way so that the relevant departments can take action.

• Give participants five to ten minutes to complete their rehearsal notes and then ask them to share their notes back.

• The following would not need to go into the rehearsal notes but would need other actions:

o Rehearsal shots tomorrow – need to add to the rehearsal call sheet

o One of the actors cut their hand at lunch in the green room – need to report to the Theatre Manager and the Company

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Stage Manager and log in the accident book. Might go into the rehearsal notes if it happened on a prop or piece or set.

o The actor playing Ferdinand has a prior commitment tomorrow afternoon and has to leave at 2.30pm – would need to considered when making the call sheet.

o The Director would like to re-arrange tomorrow’s interview with the press for later in the week – the CSM would need to talk to the press and marketing team.

• Ask the participants what they discovered by doing this task. Was anything surprising? What has this exercise taught you about the skills a DSM needs? Methodical note-taking, clear written communication, the ability to process information.

EXTENSION ACTIVITY: • You can develop this by doing The Tempest: Production Meetings

exercise. KEYWORDS: Deputy Stage Manager (DSM) - sits in rehearsals, records the blocking and all the cues in the book. During the performance tells the lighting and sound operators to make changes, this is referred to as calling the show. Rehearsal notes - a document that the DSM produces at the end of every day of rehearsal and sends to all the creative and technical teams involved in the production. Company Stage Manager(CSM) - heads up the stage management team, responsible for the health and safety of everyone in the production. If no SM on the show, the CSM takes on their responsibilities too. If working on a tour, they might be responsible for arranging travel and accommodation.

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DSM Notebook list • The Director has a scrapbook of images that she has imagined will

form the basis of the balloon dreams projected sequence. • Need to video record dance. • 12 masks to rehearse with. • Rehearsal shots tomorrow. • Need microphone for rehearsal. • The actor playing Miranda will be doing a back flip during the show. • Need an acoustic guitar for rehearsal. • One of the actors cut their hand at lunch in the green room. • The actor playing Ferdinand has a prior commitment tomorrow

afternoon and has to leave at 2.30pm. • Need to re-tape the mark up. • Spotlight Miranda and Ferdinand’s entrances. • A character might smoke. • The director would like to re-arrange tomorrow’s interview with the

press for later in the week. • In the improvisation, after the gifts are given, adult language may be

used.

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Suggested organisation of rehearsal notes GENERAL (to the theatre management and producers who might need to change marketing to warn of age inappropriate matters, or change licensing applications) • Please can we have a camera in rehearsal to video the dance routine. • A character might smoke – this would need to be included in the

performance licence application and added to any build fire risk assessments.

• In the improvisation after the gifts are given adult language may be used – this might need to be shared with the marketing and education teams so they can put appropriate warnings/age limits on the show.

PRODUCTION/DESIGN • The actor playing Miranda will be doing a back flip during the show –

please can we ensure a non-slip floor (the set and production team will be deciding what the floor is made of).

PROPS/STAGE MANAGEMENT • We would like 12 masks to rehearse with (masks are usually

considered a prop and not a costume item). • The actor playing Miranda will be doing a back flip during the show -

this would need to be added to the risk assessment. • A character might smoke – this would need to be added to the risk

assessment as well as thinking about organising a lighter and somewhere to extinguish the cigarette.

• Need to re-tape the mark up- the SM team might do this before the next rehearsal.

LIGHTING / VIDEO • The Director has a scrapbook of images that she has imagined will

form the basis of the balloon dreams. • We would like to spotlight Miranda and Ferdinand’s entrances.

MUSIC/SOUND • Please can we have a microphone – when for? • We need an acoustic guitar – when for?

WARDROBE • The actor playing Miranda will be doing a back flip during the show –

would affect costume and footwear.

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Rehearsal Note 15 Production : The Tempest CSM : Ms M Venue: Dryden Street DSM: Ms R Date: 29th July 2016 ASM: Ms B GENERAL PRODUCTION/DESIGN PROPS/STAGE MANAGEMENT LIGHTING MUSIC/SOUND WARDROBE Thank you, Stage Management