Stage Directions: USITT will be hositng a free webinar about the Stage Write software program Sept. 8 at 7 p.m. Eastern. Jeff Whiting, the associate director for such Broadway shows as Big Fish, The Scottsboro Boys and Hair and the creator of the app, will lead the webinar. The StageWrite app allows directors and choreographers to easily capture blocking and choreography and has been used on Broadway productions as well as by Disney Entertainment and Cirque du Soleil. Enrollment in the webinar is limited to 100 people.
4 comments:
I know personally that when I have worked as a Stage Manager on a show, keeping track of the choreography for every performer, especially for large casts, has been a daunting task. I believe that this app will make storing, editing, and sharing this information more streamlined. I would be curious to see how user-friendly the process of adding dance steps is and how quickly it can be used during a rehearsal process after a little practice. I can also see benefits for maintaining a show, especially if there were to be a playback option the SM could use during rehearsal or performance to check the credibility of a dance sequence to its original form.
This is a super interesting app to me...especially because I have had an idea of a block-recording software for a while. I have never heard of his Stage Write, but what I gleaned from the article seems to correspond with my ideas. I always thought it would be nice to have a piece of software that could compile Scenic designs, lighting and sound cues into a "virtual stage", that then could be manipulated to record all sorts of blocking, actor movement, and choreo. This kind of software in general would probably prove to be very useful to more than just managers. Lighting designers sometimes find it helpful, especially for dance pieces, to watch both where a dancer is and where they go to. It could play that in real time, or at least show it back, as well as providing info about the set they're on, and other factors. Sounds and media designers I'm sure would find that helpful too.
First off, I think it is interesting that the Stage Write application is described as a tool for directors and choreographers. I first heard of this type of tool a few years ago, but I never heard about it from directors or choreographers. Instead, stage managers were the people in the field who seemed to find the Stage Write application the most useful. While this tool would definitely be useful to directors and choreographers, I believe that it is most useful for stage and production managers. Second, the idea of the "paper process" becoming obsolete is both exciting and daunting to me. It is exciting because it has the potential to make blocking a faster, more precise process. It also would allow prompt books to be kept for a permanent record, with a clear, universal blocking language. However, at the same time, I cannot imagine only using Stage Write to keep blocking notes and records for a production. While I believe it is an excellent tool, and while I definitely would love to learn more about it, I believe that there are some parts of a production process that an app cannot replace.
I've been working with the Stage Write app for the past couple of years with Jeff, and as a Stage Manager in rehearsal it's not the most useful tool for taking blocking. It is more useful for Directors and Choreographers who stage the entire show prior to rehearsal and then can use it as a choreo-bible. It's also useful for long running shows so that there is a comprehensive record. The biggest drawback with it, is that while it's very useful and very easy to use, it's very time consuming. I'd love to find a new way for a SM to record blocking but right now Stage Write isn't my choice.
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