What theatre industry professionals and production students are saying about CallQ
Antonia Collins (1970-2023)
Antonia very sadly passed away this year. We honour her amazing legacy as an International CSM, PSM, brilliant Educator and Mentor.
Her passion for life and love of her theatre work is deeply missed by her family, friends, graduates and fellow professionals.
‘As the author of the only stage management book I ever recommend, Gail Pallin brings her expertise to solve one of the greatest stage management challenges. CallQ is an absolute game changer for any stage manager learning how to call a show. The ability to practice calling in real time with real cues is invaluable. You can make mistakes in a safe environment and go over and over until you have nailed a tricky cueing sequence. As both a professional stage manager and an educator of stage management I have been waiting for a tool like this and now it finally exists!’
Antonia is the founder of ‘The Bamboo Manager Project’ providing online stage management training across the world.
Michael Budmani
Stage manager and educator for over 30 years.
‘Theatre Production educators can be rather slow on the uptake on new training initiatives. I have been very fortunate to be involved in the Beta testing of CallQ with my students prior to its launch and have undertaken a funded research project on the feasibility of CallQ being embedded into the stage management curriculum at Lasalle. I can say unequivocally that CallQ has had a very positive impact on the show calling training of my students. As Gail Pallin is a highly experienced stage manager and educator, it has been designed with industry practice at its core.
CallQ would also be an excellent tool for any DSM taking over a production and needing to learn it. A really great and simple idea that has had extremely positive outcomes for my students.’
Currently Programme Leader for the Diploma in Theatre Production and Management course at Lasalle College of the Arts in Singapore.
Katherine Montagu FHEA
Senior Lecturer in Stage Management, Bath Spa University.
‘I had a great morning yesterday using CallQ to assess my first years. I used Dr Spook and they presented to me on Google meets, as a google chrome tab – this enabled me to hear and see their screen (cue lights etc) and then they appear in a box next to this, so I can see if they look up and how relaxed or not they are!. This meant I could assess them in the normal way on their standbys and vocal delivery and CallQ sorts out the accuracy. It was great and worked perfectly.’
Stage Management Association
‘SMA are very pleased to support CallQ Trainer for all show callers. Having demonstrated the system to members we know it to be an excellent training tool with good simulation of show conditions and real time prompts to guide the trainee through the show and correct errors as they happen. Installed on PC or Mac it is always available and easy to use, offers good interactivity and flexibility and answers a real need. CallQ Trainer is an invaluable tool for use on stage management courses, for training book covers, and for all show callers wishing to brush up their skills. We are sure that it will soon become an essential tool for SM training.’
Bee George – The Byre Theatre, St Andrews – show caller.
“Amazing resource to get to grips with calling a show”
‘Revolutionary training tool’
Dr Tracy Cattell
Freelance show caller
Michael Giannitti – Faculty – Bennington College – Vermont.
“I wanted to thank you for all the time and effort you spent to get CallQ to my students and me. In the absence of being able to learn to call cues in a theatre, your software was an invaluable learning tool, and enabled me to accomplish some of the learning objectives that I would otherwise have been unable to do.“
‘Gives a real-life experience of calling a show in a safe environment’
Julie Przyborski
Technical Theatre & Production Arts Lecturer as used by Fife College.
Anne Peart – Stage Management student, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
‘CallQ is a truly realistic simulation of calling a show, and for a young deputy stage manager this is a hugely helpful tool. Where else can you learn how to do your job in a relaxed classroom environment? Having had this training, calling is much easier and much less stressful.’
