Blog 17 - Interview 4 Reflection

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1n2VLei6dMZxOjyZ8NQRln_Rt5X7e_qT_w4xPtzGVTTM/edit?usp=sharing 
1. What is the most important thing I learned from this interview?


I think the best thing I got from this interview is this beautiful quote from Hogan. "But I think that is what makes life in theatre fun,  the fact that every night is different." I really liked this quote because it is totally true! When I was running flies for Avenue Q, the first play on a main stage at Cal Poly I participated in, every night had a different challenge that we had to face under the direction of our fearless Stage Manager. Yes, in the moment, the problems we faced were serious and really scary, but after they were resolved and the show went on, it was kind of fun to have that adrenaline rush of "oh my god something could have gone terribly wrong, but we stopped it before it got there". I think the way Hogan said it was beautiful and it gave me chills during the interview.



2. How will what I learned affect my final lesson?


I think that my favorite question I had asked Mr. Hogan was about a perfect show. What he had said about the impossible perfect show, I am going to apply to my final lesson. I have worked through this whole year to make a production, and I already know that it isn't going to be perfect, but I am going to be a stage manager while i'm up there and think on my feet if a problem occurs. I am going to aim to engage with my audience to the point where my presentation is real and organic and show my passion for what I am presenting. All I can do is rely on my confidence in this subject and hope the audience sees my passion for theatre. 

Blog 10 - Interview 2 Reflection

This is the link to my interview clip: https://soundcloud.com/jenelle-huck/interview-2
1. Please explain how you are spending your mentorship time (Is it at a workplace or somewhere else?  Are you shadowing?  Are you able to do tasks that are meaningfully related to the topic?  If so, what?  Are there other people who are experts in the location?  Etc...)

I spent my mentorship hours being an assistant stage manager in a professional show with SCSF. It was a very hands on experience that gave me a lot of responsibility and a sense of what it is like in the profession. I, with the other two assistants, was responsible for the pre-show preparations,  making sure actors costumes were right before they go on stage, and the post- show clean up and costume check ins. I consider the three people I worked close with to be my mentors and they were all very knowledgable in my topic.

2.  How did you find your mentor?  How did you convince this person to help you?

I emailed the chair of Cal Poly Pomona's theatre department who referred me to Linda, the producer of SCSF. Linda then hired me as an assistant stage manager where I was basically doing whatever the stage manager Joyce told me to do. Joyce was my mentor and I watched what she did and how she handled situations.

3. How would you rate your comfort level with your mentor at this point in your relationship?  How does this relate to the time you've spent so far at mentorship/with this person?

I am very comfortable with my mentor! I have been fortunate enough to have such a nice mentor. Even though I am not currently working with her, Joyce told me to text her if I ever need anything. I was able to get comfortable with her because I spent so many hours of rehearsals with her and the other ASMs. They were all super down to earth and eager for me to get the most out of my mentorship. I pretty much had three awesome mentors at once.

4. What went well in this interview?  Why do you think so?  What do you still need to improve?  How do you know?  How will you go about it?

This interview went extremely well! I met her at the restaurant she works at, and we talked for about an hour. First she answered all of my questions, then she kept thinking of ways to help me find research and ideas for my presentation. Joyce is incredible. I need to improve on follow up questions and coming up with better questions to ask in the first place. I know that because there were a few awkward pauses. I will fix this by being more creative with the questions I ask, and thinking about what follow up questions I can ask before hand.

Blog 5 - Interview 1 Reflection

1. What is the most important thing I learned from the interview?  Is there anything I would do differently for other interviews?

The most important thing that I learned from this interview is that you really need to have a passion for theatre to be able to be a stage manager. Spending your days and nights inside of a theatre takes a lot of devotion and discipline, especially when you have to watch the same show over and over again to get cues exactly right. 

2. Did I get additional resources and contacts?  What is the most useful?  Why?

Johanna told me that I should talk to Jeff in the theatre building at Cal Poly because he is always eager to help young theatre lovers. This one was the most helpful because Jeff has been teaching the technical theatre class at Cal Poly for many years and is an active stage manager at the same time.

3. What makes my interviewee qualified to help me? 

Johanna is an assistant stage manager with me at the theatre and is always with me. She is great at answering my questions and is qualified because she has stage managed so many more shows than I have. She is going to Cal Poly right now for technical theatre and is going to graduate soon and wants to be a professional.

This is the link to a portion of my interview.

https://soundcloud.com/jenelle-huck/interview-1-sound 

Blog 3-Interview Preperation

1. I plan to interview Johanna from my mentorship because even though she is an asm with me, she has been a stage manager for quite some time and has really helped me get the most out of my mentorship.

2.The additional questions I will be asking are:
- When you do SM, how much time outside of the space do you spend on the show?
-What's your favorite part of being an SM?
-BONUS! What is your least favorite characteristic in an actor?