Minutes 30th January 2012

STaG Board Meeting 30/01/2012 In attendance: S. Gregson, G. Bennett-Lurie, H. Allan, I. McArthur, Erik Igelstrom, C. Goldstone, L. Monkman, D. Di Rollo H. Bolwell, A. Rutherford, W. Foote, L. Taylor, C. Felstead Apologies: D. Keenan, C. Beaumont Agenda 1) Cinders 2) The Girl with Red Hair 3) New Works 4) QMU Play 5) Social 6) AOB 1) Cinders A camera-man has been found and filming will take place on the 10th February so the girls’ costumes need to be sorted by then. There will be a trailer released on the youtube page (and embedded in the website) on the 21st February. The first 3 scenes should be blocked by the end of the week. A publicity meeting has been held and a musical flyering session will take place around the 11th March. This could also be filmed. I. McArthur will hold a flyering workshop with the cast to prepare them for this. Cast changes have been sorted however there remain some issues with cast members not turning up to rehearsals but G. Bennett-Lurie will email the relevant people to warn them this is not acceptable. A design team will be found by next week. The rights for the play are still being chased up and A. Rutherford is awaiting replies. Grants are still being investigated. 2) The Girl with Red Hair Going well – the directors are not too worried and are happy with the space. The tech run was fine. A door rota will be emailed out – those on the evening performances should be there by 6:30, those for the matinee should be there at 2pm. A. Rutherford will bring the booking sheet each evening. The posters and flyers should be ready by Tuesday and I. McArthur will flyer on the performance days. Posters will be put up by I. McArthur and H. Bolwell. Tickets are selling quickly which the board was pleased about. 3) New Works The fundraiser on Saturday was successful – approximately £200 was raised however this is not confirmed yet. L. Taylor will try to go to some rehearsals this week as she has not yet had time to do so. The poster is essentially finished, a debate ensued about placing more text on the poster but it is up to L. Taylor to decide following a 50/50 split from the board’s vote. The launch party plans are in progress – so far a date has been confirmed and the STaG room booked. The announcement party will be moved to the 22nd to avoid birthday clashes. There has been no word yet from the RicNic grant and a meeting with the SRC will be held on Wednesday to see about getting some money from them. 4) QMU Play “Cancelled – or rather, postponed” 5) Social A pub quiz was decided upon – it will be held on the 24th February in the STaG room. Some theatre trips are also being planned. 6) AOB H. Allan asked for an exec meeting to be scheduled as one has not been held this semester. Another studio slot has been scheduled – the deadline for applications will the th 11th February.

Minutes 23rd January 2012

STaG Board Meeting 23/01/2012 In attendance: S. Gregson, G. Bennett-Lurie, H. Allan, I. McArthur, Erik Igelstrom, C. Goldstone, L. Monkman, D. Di Rollo H. Bolwell, A. Rutherford, W. Foote, C. Beaumont, L. Taylor Apologies: D. Keenan, C. Felstead Agenda 1) The Girl with the Red Hair 2) New Works 3) Charity Performance 4) Cinders 5) QMU 6) Workshop 7) Tent Email 8) Buying a stag for STaG 9) Board Trip 10) AOB 1) The Girl with the Red Hair Rehearsals are going well and a venue has been found – it will be in the Flying Duck however the performance dates have been changed to Thursday, Friday, Saturday due to venue availability. Furthermore, the Saturday performance will now only be a matinee due to cast availability. There has not been a tech meeting yet but A. Rutherford is not worried about this due to having worked in the Flying Duck before. Booking forms etc will be put on the website – A. Rutherford will do this. 2) New Works The performance days have been chosen and tech and dress slots have been given out (Wednesday – Tent, Thursday – Against the Grain, Friday – After 8, Saturday – Warcry). The fundraiser is on Saturday and L. Taylor is excited. Cones for the food have been ordered and so has plastic cutlery. Hot plates are trying to be sourced to keep the food warm. 100 portions are expected to be served (extra portions costing £1.50) The STaG room will be decorated using tartan fabric/wrapping paper from 6.30pm on Saturday. The food will arrive at 7pm. L. Taylor will be stocking the bar. There have been delays in the poster however it will be done as soon as possible and mock ups for flyers containing information about each show and the festival as a whole have been made. The launch night will be cabaret themed and held on the 10th February – plans are in progress. The announcement night will be the 21st February in the STaG room. An update will be sent to the judges when the poster is done so they can see it. 3) Charity Performance Emily Burckhardt asked the board if STaG would be interested in helping with the LGBT performance of the Vagina Monologues at the Flying Duck. She asked for information about it to go in the newsletter. 4) Cinders The play has been cast and the readthrough is this evening. The board were introduced to the ASM. Sources of funding were discussed for example the creative practice fund – this application could take into account the interest of the production for students doing Slavonic studies. C. Beaumont offered to look into grants but the board is encouraged to help if possible. The SRC fund finding service could come in useful. The fundraiser will take place on the 2nd March and the launch night will be on the 15th March - both in the STaG room. A camera man has potentially been found the directors are just waiting for confirmation from him. 5) QMU The new proposed date is the 28th February however the lead in I. McArthur’s cast cannot make this date. She suggested another play is found. The board discussed using the New Works winner. The lack of certainty over the day’s events is concerning and I. McArthur is worried it may result in a poorly organised rehearsal process because of the last minute decisions made. She will email the QMU and ask for more information by Friday so a decision can be made at next week’s meeting. 6) Workshop There has been low interest so far, a decision needs to be made whether to continue or not. C. Felstead or S. Gregson will contact Flora to discuss. 7) Tent email There is not enough time for STaG and Tent to collaborate due to 6 shows rehearsing at the moment and needing time in the QMU to rehearse. 8) Buying a stag for STaG After a long debate over the merits, the cuteness and the possibility of eating the stag, the board decided not to adopt one. 9) Board Trip H. Bolwell researched a trip to Edinburgh or a themed night in Glasgow. The board agreed that the Christmas meal was so lovely a repeat would be great. H. Bolwell will have a think and get back to the board with more plans. 10) AOB Improv tea-time are planning a trip to see the improv night at the stand next week. All are welcome. C. Beaumont asked for those who have not yet paid for their hoodies to do so as soon as possible. D. Di Rollo has set up the STaG youtube channel. Some filming will be done soon. There is a possibility of STaG and the debating society working together in the form of confidence and vocal workshops next term. STaG is interested and so D. Di Rollo will pass this on to the debating society (stressing that next year’s board may think differently to this year’s)

Minutes 16th January 2012

STaG Board Meeting 16/01/2012 In attendance: S. Gregson, C. Felstead, G. Bennett-Lurie, H. Allan, I. McArthur, Erik Igelstrom, C. Goldstone, D. Keenan, L. Monkman, D. Di Rollo H. Bolwell, A. Rutherford, W. Foote, C. Beaumont Apologies: L. Taylor Agenda 1) Cinders 2) The Girl with the Red Hair 3) New Works 4) Mark Westbrook 5) QMU 6) Hoodies 7) Social 8) Board Trip 9) GU Amnesty 10) Workshop 11) Board Rep Role 12) AOB 1) Cinders There was a low turn out for auditionees today however it is hoped this will increase tomorrow. E. Igelstrom will cover H. Allan’s 4-5 shift tomorrow. The SPACE has been booked and it was decided that the Saturday matinee should begin at 2pm. There are forms to fill in eg a risk assessment form but these will be done as soon as possible. The ticket prices are going to be set at £8 full price or £6 for concessions. The budget meeting will take place at 2pm on Tuesday. G. Bennett-Lurie needs to write a blurb for the SPACE but this could be the same one that was in the newsletter. The times for the get-in etc need to be emailed to the SPACE at least 2 weeks before the performances. We are able to send posters to the venue that will be put up inside. A publicity meeting will take place on Thursday. A camera-person still has not been found so it was suggested Cut! or GUST could be asked. 2) The Girl with the Red Hair S. Gregson has still not had a confirmation from the venue, if we cannot get one by the end of the week other options will be considered (eg the Cloisters) I. McArthur will meet the poster designer tomorrow to see the finished piece. 3) New Works Feedback should have been sent by now however with the absence of L. Taylor the board was unsure whether this has been done. The grant form has been completed and so will be sent off soon. The bar will be stocked by D. Keenan and some helpers byt Thursday for the meet and greet. The board are encouraged to attend this if possible. The Burns fundraiser will be advertised in the newsletter. Mock ups for the poster have been done. 4) Mark Westbrook STaG need to investigate how much he was paid as there is possibly £100 missing from the account – this could be a banking error. There does not appear to be much interest in a second round of workshops as far as the board is aware. There has also been no further discussion of the collaboration between STaG and Mark. 5) QMU The date suggested was unsuitable for STaG so C. Felstead has asked if there are any others. STaG is waiting to hear back. 6) Hoodies People should have brought £20 for W. Foote. It was decided that something should go in the newsletter advising people they can pre-order (and pay for) hoodies at the next social as that way we can order what we need. 7) Social It could be at the end of February due to New Works clashes. D. Keenan has looked into various theatre trip possibilities too. 8) Board Trip The best date seems to be the 3rd-4th March. The board should keep this available. H. Bolwell will investigate further. 9) GU Amnesty STaG need not contribute anymore. 10) Workshops C. Felstead has emailed Flora to see if she is still interested in hosting one. She said yes so the GU has been booked for the 26th January between 5 and 7pm. 11) Board Rep Role This role needs more structure to it as nobody has a clear idea of what it is. It is similar to the role of stage-manager but less involved. It is concerning that some BRs may be too involved with the show. It was decided they shouldn’t be too creatively involved but instead should help with general organisation such as fundraisers. They should also be a general point of help for the cast and crew with any questions or concerns they may have in relation to STaG or the rehearsal that they may feel uncomfortable asking the director. The BR should attend read-throughs, social events and meetings so they can be seen as approachable. It is also important that they are able to keep track of the progress of the play and report back to the board. “Know everything, do nothing” (Like a bird watcher) 12) AOB H. Bolwell will look into adopting a stag as a pet/mascot for the society. D. Di Rollo suggested a STaG youtube channel, which would show clips/teasers of shows and rehearsals. He is happy to film these things and edit them.

Minutes 9th January 2012

STaG Board Meeting 09/01/2012 In attendance: S. Gregson, C. Felstead, G. Bennett-Lurie, H. Allan, I. McArthur, Erik Igelstrom, C. Goldstone, D. Keenan, L. Monkman, L. Taylor, D. Di Rollo H. Bolwell, A. Rutherford, W. Foote, C. Beaumont Agenda 1) Cinders 2) The Girl with the Red Hair 3) New Works 4) QMU Play 5) Mark Westbrook Collaboration 6) Social 7) University Publicity 8) Archive 9) Community Theatre 10) Various STaG Groups 11) Board Trip 12) Radio Play 13) AOB 1) Cinders The GUU has been booked for auditions which will take place 11-3 on January 16th and 3-6 on the 17th. Board members will be on hand to help auditionees. The SPACE has been booked for the 21st-24th March. Meetings for publicity and budget are yet to be organised. A meeting will take place between the directors and the board rep (C. Beaumont) to discuss the production this week. The crew and those involved in the play will meet the board on the 23rd January. A tech meeting has been held and the crew is being put together by A. Rutherford. 2) The Girl with the Red Hair The read-through will take place this evening and H. Bolwell will attend. There is still an issue with finding a venue however S. Gregson has some leads – St Mungo’s is due to respond to give their decision soon. Publicity and budget meetings have been held. 3) New Works 4 Judges have been confirmed so far and the plays have been chosen. L. Taylor is really excited about the prospect of the festival and is organising a casual meet up for those involved and the board, this will be held on the 19th January most likely in Coopers. A Burns Nights themed fundraiser will be held on the 28th January in the STaG room. A poster idea has been decided upon and publicity plans will be made soon. Grants are going to be applied for tomorrow and feedback for individuals is being sent out. L. Taylor will choose the show nights fairly soon. 4) QMU Play A date still has not been confirmed although I. McArthur is ready just in case. If there is no response to our emails however, we will have to pull out due to inadequate communication. 5) Mark Westbrook Collaboration The venue is to be confirmed but Mark has chosen a play although due to the small cast size he is thinking of various ways to include more people. He will attend a meeting (possibly next week) to discuss. 6) Social A rough plan of pubs to visit will be made and the board should wear their STaG t-shirts/hoodies. Donal is looking into theatre trips for this term. 7) University Publicity I. McArthur will send a list of places to put posters up. 8) Archive D. Di Rollo, C. Felstead, C. Goldstone are interested in helping do some archiving and there has been 1 membership response too. D. Di Rollo will organise it further. 9) Community Theatre I. McArthur will pass on a list of school contacts to D. Di Rollo who will think of ideas for next week’s meeting. 10) STaG Groups Improv teatime, the reading group and the writers group will all continue this term. 11) Board Trip Another doodle will be sent out for availability later on in the term. The board MUST fill this out. 12) Radioplay It has been suggested we do a radioplay in conjunction with Subcity. Jassy Earl will propose a play and seems very keen on doing this 13) AOB STaG will buy some lights and a dimmer rack for £125. This was applauded as being a good deal

Minutes 12/12/11

STaG Board Meeting 12.12.11 In attendance: C. Beaumont, G. Bennet-Lurie, H. Bolwell, D. Di Rollo, C. Felstead, W. Foote, C. Goldstone, S. Gregson, E. Igelström, D. Keenan, I. McArthur, L. Monkman, L. Taylor, A. Rutherford, T. Pennock Also in attendance: J. Payne, A. McKay, I. Stirling, S. T-Hyland Apologies: H. Allan (taking minutes – I.McArthur) Agenda 1. Housekeeping 2. Much Ado About Nothing Post-Mortem 3. New Mainstage Proposal: Cinders 4. New Works update 5. A.O.B 1. Housekeeping: i. C. Felstead commended the positive effect of the review of Much Ado About Nothing in Glasgow University Magazine. ii. McArthur confirmed the availability of the cast of STaG Nights production Running Lines for the Queen Margaret Union showcase. C. Felstead will pass on the date and specific venue of this event as soon as these were confirmed by the organiser. iii. It was agreed that the retrieval of the STaG table and chair from D. Di Rollo’s apartment was best left until the new year. Specifically, this will take place before the first board meeting of the year on Monday 9th January, when the board members will meet at the apartment, at 4:45pm, in order to move the furniture to the STaG room and subsequently proceed with the meeting. iv. L. Taylor adeptly calculated the owed costs of the STaG board Christmas meal and all present confirmed they were happy they had received all money owed to them. 2. Much Ado About Nothing Post-Mortem i. C. Felstead commended all those involved on a successful production. ii. J. Payne (director) was asked to deliver any feedback and commented that STaG as a society were ‘very organised’, he acknowledged that putting on the show was a challenge and congratulated the board specifically on a good job. He underlined the importance of mainstage directors past and present sharing their thoughts and what they had learnt from their own experiences with each other, for the betterment of future mainstages. J. Payne agreed that he would be happy to pass on any advice to the directors of the next mainstage. I. McArthur confirmed she would follow this up shortly after the meeting. J. Payne commented on the good turn-out for the show’s auditions, although the problem of other groups and societies disrupting the process by moving through the booked space was raised. It was agreed that the possibility of having an attendant on the door of the space to only allow people through in between auditions would be considered in the future. J. Payne admitted that two and a half hours worth of text to rehearse created a tight schedule and a lot of work. It was agreed that, without any specific limit, future mainstage directors would be advised to keep shows to two hours, or carefully consider the amount of text that needed to be rehearsed within their specific time constraints. iii. The S.P.A.C.E - J. Payne pointed out a number of merits of The S.P.A.C.E venue used for the production. He acknowledged, however, that the experience for the audience is less than ideal in a number of ways. Additionally, H. Bolwell pointed out that the environment for the actors was lacking in some respects, including an uncomfortably cold backstage area and poor sound proofing. A. Rutherford made the relevant suggestion that SMs should visit spaces before every mainstage. Other issues about noise pollution and the building itself were raised, but L. Taylor, having had a number of personal dealings with the staff, assured the board that they were aware of the problems and formal complaints/renovation arrangements were being made. It was agreed that, despite some teething problems, The S.P.A.C.E would continue to be a good venue for the society to use in the future. C. Felstead felt strongly that the staff at the venue should make it clear to audience members, at the point of buying drinks at the bar, that these cannot be taken into the space. It was also pointed out that the toilets were in a bad condition, for both audience and actors. These will be passed on in the way of polite requests when using the space in the future. H. Bolwell additionally pointed out that the use of certain exits by actors, specific to each show, is worth passing on to ushers who may otherwise seat members of the audience in such as a way as to inconvenience the actors. iv. I. Stirling (assistant director) was asked to deliver any feedback and commented that a meeting between the central production team and the board earlier on in the process would have been beneficial. It transpired that this issue has been raised in the past and the president made a note that it was not to be forgotten. v. A. McKay (stage manager) was asked to deliver any feedback and commented that roles within the production team need to be clearly defined at the start of a production and the board agreed that any mainstage directors should be strongly advised to take on both an SM and asst. SM. The possibility of creating an SM pack was raised, with concerns about the potential impracticality of this also voiced. It was concluded that face-to-face meetings were the most beneficial way to exchange the important information about this role, with a ‘pack’ potentially benefitting STaG in the future, when the current membership is no longer present. vi. With regards to ticket sales, C. Falstead identified the problem of audience members being able to easily cancel their ticket bookings, to free up spaces for others. It was agreed that the most logical solution was to offer a cancellation email address in an automated confirmation email send to all those making bookings. T. Pennock agreed this was, in theory, technically possible. vii. Amidst the various points made in anonymous feedback from those involved, a good camaraderie was commended amongst the cast, but less so for the crew. After discussion it was agreed that, although it was not entirely practical to get all crew members involved in rehearsals and socials as early as cast, the director must make a good job of introducing his crew to his cast properly, and creating an atmosphere conducive to mutual respect. viii. Concerns were raised about SMs working on two productions at once, and the workload taken on whilst doing this. It was concluded that with a shortage of good SMs and the potential differences in personality from person to person, it was impractical to suggest a limit to ambitious SMs. ix. The board rep for this production was commended for her positivity and incredible hard work. It was pointed out, however, that she carried out a number of jobs that should not have fallen to her. J. Payne felt that the role occupied by the board rep was similar to that which would have been filled by a production manager. It was agreed that the possibility to define a production manager role should be discussed by the board with regards to specific shows in the future. x. T. Pennock praised the team on producing such a concise list of spending at the end of the piece. A profit of £150 was reported. 3. New Mainstage Proposal: Cinders i. G. Bennett-Lurie and S. Hyland gave a brief synopsis of their proposed piece. They pointed out, despite some harrowing subject matter, the potential for a quite uplifting, positive final scene and therefore overall feel for the piece. Some technical requests were outlined, the potential expense of impracticality of some of these were discussed, and G. Bennett-Lurie and S. Hyland expressed their willingness to be flexible about their artistic ideas, particularly with regards to technical aspects. Some questions were asked about the practicality of filming alongside rehearsals and the potential for any poor-quality film to distract from onstage action rather than simply complement it. G. Bennett-Lurie and S. Hyland explained they were aware of this, the board offered a number of suggestions with regards to film experts and enthusiasts who may be able to help with the production, should it go ahead. The expense of finding matching costumes for the schoolgirl characters was raised as a potential issue, which G. Bennett-Lurie and S. Hyland explained could be overcome by a simple pinafore design or similar going on top of varying outfits. The issue of finding age-appropriate actors was raised, G. Bennett-Lurie and S. Hyland believe their workshop-style rehearsals will help build character in such a way that this casting issue is more easily overcome. G. Bennett-Lurie and S. Hyland reassured the board that they will consider the splitting of their workload very carefully and in detail. The role and dramatic use of ‘realism’, ‘music’, relevant Polish political history and so on were discussed. G. Bennett-Lurie and S. Hyland explained that singing, with itself, will not form an important part of the audition process, although actors will be made aware of their need to feel comfortable singing. The requirement for a musical director was highlighted. ii. A unanimous vote was given in favour of the proposal. iii. The feedback to be sent was agreed on. This included importance of using the time over Christmas for planning and development of ideas, the unlikelihood of being able to afford gauze specifically, the benefits of choosing a more specific historical setting for the piece, more in-depth consideration of how music should inform the piece dramatically. iv. Charlie Beaumont volunteered and will be the board rep for this production. v. After problems contacting Cottiers Theatre, it was decided that The S.P.A.C.E was the chosen venue for this mainstage. vi. The possibility of doing an extra night, and the benefits of scheduling production week on different dates were discussed. A vote was taken to decide whether the production should run for four or five performances. A majority of 9 votes in favour of five performances. The extra performance will be a Saturday matinée, in addition to four evening performances Wednesday to Saturday. A second vote was taken to decide whether to schedule performance week for week commencing 12th March or week commencing 19th March. The majority abstained. The discussion was re-opened and after it being pointed out that beginning a week later allowed more time for rehearsal with an already tight schedule, the vote taken again, with a majority of 8 voting in favour of scheduling the production for week commencing the 19th March. 4. New Works update i. L. Taylor requested some help researching and suggesting new potential judges over the holidays. A number of suggestion were made at the meeting itself, L. Taylor agreed to re-contact those judges who still had not confirmed their availability with a polite request for a decision, in readiness to potentially ask new candidates to fill the positions. L. Taylor also put forward a fundraiser idea whereby writers put forward 10-15 minute scenes anonymously, potentially allowing the writing group to team-up with the improv teatime regulars. T. Pennock confirmed that, despite stepping down from his role as financial secretary, he will try to continue running the improv teatime alongside E. Igelström and another member of STaG. 5. A.O.B i. T. Pennock updated the board on the society’s finances and reported a healthy balance, with a recent overall profit of £300. Several productions were commended on all their efforts in raising this amount. ii. C. Falstead reminded board remembers to fill in the Doodle to make the availability known for the STaG board trip. iii. H. Bolwell passed on a request from the directors of The Girl with the Red Hair to get more information about venue a.s.a.p from S. Gregson. A. Rutherford seconded the importance of this. S. Gregson agreed to acquiesce this request and get in touch with the necessary parties. H. Bolwell further pointed out the directors’ requests for a different assignment of roles to that used in Much Ado About Nothing whereby there is no ‘creative team’. iv. T. Pennock pointed out that the STaG library perhaps needs better promotion and care. He also reminded the board that with the changeover of financial secretary, there remains only a certain amount of time before cheques are invalid. E. Igelström made a note of this, confirming that he would include a warning about this for the membership in the newsletter. v. With regards to the newsletter, S. Gregson raised the issue of the missing image. The website team acknowledged this problem and A. Rutherford will carry out the necessary maintenance. END