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