Stage Managers Do Make Coffee

Job Description

There is no single definition or job description for the tasks performed by the person who accepts the title of Stage Manager for any theatrical production. Every theatre or production company has different ideas and expectations regarding the Stage Manager's role in the production process. Each Producer or Director may ask different things of the Stage Manager for each individual production. Therefore, the individual who accepts this position must be as flexible as the job description itself.

According to Actor's Equity Association (AEA), the union of both professional Actors and Stage Managers, the Stage Manager performs at least the following duties:

• Calls all rehearsals, before or after opening.
• Assembles and maintains the Prompt Book.
• Works with the Director and the Department Heads to schedule rehearsal and outside calls.
• Assumes active responsibility for the form and discipline of rehearsal and performance, and is the executive instrument in the technical running of each performance.
• Maintains the artistic intentions of the Director and Producer after opening.
• Keeps any records necessary to inform the Producer of attendance, time, welfare benefits, etc.
• Maintains discipline.

• A Stage Manager is someone who desires and accepts responsibility.
• A Stage Manager is a tactful communicator with a sense of humor.
• A Stage Manager is organized, adaptable, and thinks quickly on her feet while keeping the goals and priorities of the artistic staff in mind.
• A Stage Manager is often privy to confidential information such as salaries, disciplinary action or health problems. As a condition of this knowledge, a Stage Manager knows when to keep her mouth shut and her eyes and ears open.
• A Stage Manager creates positive energy and inspires those around her to give 110% to the task at hand.
• A Stage Manager has at least some basic knowledge of each aspect of a theatrical production.
• A Stage Manager should be familiar with the requirements of the many unions for Stagehands, Actors and Musicians.

Introduction

Too many people are pushed into stage management without the training or experience needed to fulfill all of the responsibilites of this important position. My own first experience could be compared to being thrown into a pool in order to learn to swim.

My freshman year of college I had expressed an interest in stage management. The next fall I was chosen to stage manage the first show of the season. I was both excited and a little overwhelmed. I knew the basic job description, but I had never even served as an assistant.

I was given a photocopy of the script, a 3-ring binder and some forms on a computer disk. I was then rushed through a crash course in getting a show up as I stumbled my way through rehearsals.

I was treading water very well until tech week. Unfortunately for everyone involved, I was totally unprepared for cue to cue. No one had suggested that I sit down with the designers to talk through the show and place cues and the idea hadn't occured to me. We just slowly blundered our way through the rehearsal. Every few minutes we would have to stop to discuss the function and placement of cues. A great deal that was accomplished in that rehearsal I now know should have been discussed beforehand. The lack of organization and preparation was my fault and wasted a lot of man-hours.

On opening night I was so nervous and unsure of myself that after I opened the house I went straight to the dressing room and threw up. Each time I called a standby I would feel as though I couldn't breathe until the sequence of cues was complete. That was the night I learned that stage fright doesn't just happen to performers.

After the closing performance, I made two promises to myself. I was going to try stage management again and use my past mistakes as building blocks to a better end product. I also knew that I was not the only one who could learn from my mistakes. I wanted to make it a personal mission to do everything I could to help less experienced Stage Managers learn the craft and avoid some of the pitfalls that befell me.

I read every book on stage management that I could find, starting with Lawrence Stern and moving on to Thomas Kelly a few years later. I found structure, guidance, inspiration and motivation in their texts. I served as an Assistant Stage Manager on two shows before I stage managed my own show again. I was much better prepared for the challenges a Stage Manager faces and was able to succeed in training some excellent assistants.

Since then I have served on the stage management team of more than three dozen productions for several different production companies. I have also crewed numerous shows learning how different departments work and how various pieces of equipment function. I have learned a lot in these past few years and continue to try to share my experiences with less experienced Stage Managers in hopes of being a mentor, friend and general sounding board.

My goal in writing this handbook is to address each stage of the process of putting a show up and suggest some steps that can be taken to forsee and avoid potential problems. I want to share not only what I have learned, but how I learned. I hope that everyone who reads these pages takes away just one phrase that has value to them and lends integrity to their work.

I have put many hours into this project with the hope that beginning Stage Managers will find guidance and motivation in my own process. I hope to provide new ideas and an affirmation of the importance of the Stage Manager's role in every production to those of you with more experience.

I also hope to instill a new respect and understanding in those of you who work with Stage Managers. Unfortunately, not everyone in the theatrical community understands the full scope of the Stage Manager's role in a a production. An actor friend of mine was once shocked when he discovered how early I arrived to prepare the space for a rehearsal. His last SM had always arrived just in time to start rehearsal. "I though Stage Managers just sat out in the house and ate candy," he laughed, based on the previous experience. He was quite surprised to discover how much responsibility for the success of the production actually fell on my shoulders.

It seems the best place to start our examination of the Stage Manager's role in the production process is the personal code which helps me to make every decision about a production. I have 10 Golden Rules that I live by as a Stage Manager. I believe that these guidelines are what gives me integrity and push me to excel at my job.

My 10 Golden Rules of Stage Management

1. Learn From Mistakes. No one is perfect. We all make mistakes as we practice our crafts. The best thing anyone can do is to analyze these situations and learn how to avoid making the same mistake again.

2. Don't Panic! Always remain calm, cool and collected. Never, Never yell. All Stage Managers should know the difference between raising their voices to be heard and yelling. If the Stage Manager loses it, everyone will panic.

3. Safety First! The cast shouldn't set foot on the stage unless you would walk on it barefoot. Inspect the set daily for potential problems. Are all stairs and platforms secure? Are all escapes adequately lit and glow taped? Do you know where the first aid kits and fire extenguishers are located? Who is certified in CPR and First Aid? The SM should be!

4. Plan & Think Ahead. What can be done to avoid problems? How can the Stage Managers make life easier for everyone?

5. There Are No Dumb Questions. It is better to ask and fell silly for a few seconds than to cause a disaster later.

6. Prioritize Tasks & Delegate Authority. One person can't do everything. Why do we have assistants if we don't use them?!

7. Early Is On Time. The SM should always be the first person in and the last person out of the theatre for a meeting or rehearsal. I always try to show up about 15 minutes before I really think I need to be there, just in case traffic is bad or any problems or delays occur.

8. Put Everything In Writing. In other words, be a communicator! Dated daily rehearsal notes aid in communication and help to avoid conflicts over when requests or changes were made. (Voice mail and email are also great forms of communication! Get a pager or cel phone so you are easy to reach at all times!)

9. Please & Thank You. Use these word everyday, especially when you are working with volunteers.

10. Stage Managers DO Make Coffee. They also do a million other menial tasks that are meant to make people happy and boost morale. Buy donuts, bake brownies, make sure birthdays are recognized, and hole-punch all paperwork. These little things are really appreciated by everyone.

Meeting the Director

If the Stage Manager and Director of a production have never worked together, it is advisable to have a preliminary meeting to discuss what is expected of the Stage Manager during the rehearsal process and how the Stage Manager prefers to run technical rehearsals. The goal of this meeting should be for the SM and Director to get to know one another and get a feel for how the other person likes to work. Some of the questions the Stage Manager might consider asking are:

• Does the Director allow guests in the rehearsal area? For Dress Rehearsals?
• At the first read through, would the Director like you to read the stage directions?
• How long will the company be sitting at a table working with the text only? When they first get on their feet, how much rehearsal furniture will be necessary? When would the Director like to introduce rehearsal props to the company?
• How heavy-handed should you be with tardy or absent cast members? Does the Director like to have a strick start time even if some performers are not present yet?
• In a non-union production, does the Director like to have formal breaks called or should breaks �just happen?� If you will be calling the breaks, would the Director like to be warned a few minutes ahead of time?
• For an Equity production, what break schedule does the Director prefer to follow? Equity Actors and Stage Managers should receive either a five miute break after every 55 minutes of work or a ten minute break after every 80 minutes of work. Dinner breaks must be 90 minutes unless the Equity members elect to take a shorter break.
• Should you give blocking notes and call out props that the actors have forgotten to carry on?
• Once the cast is on their feet rehearsing, should you call out any technical cues that effect the action on-stage? (Sound effects, blackouts, etc.)
• Would the Director like for you to take line notes or simply prompt?
• Should you prompt only if �Line� is called or anytime there is a break in the rhythm of the scene? Should the actors be allowed to paraphrase or should they be made to stick word for word to the text?
• When is a good time for you to talk privately with the Director each day? It�s a good idea for the two of you to be able to touch base without any interruptions.

Discussing these topics with the Director will allow you to understand each others expectations and get off to a smooth start as a team. You will have a feel for the atmosphere the Director would like you to help create in the rehearsal space. The actors are also very likely to ask the Stage Management Team many of these same questions during the first week of rehearsal, so be prepared!

Preproduction

A great deal of the work which determines the success or failure of a production is done in the phase known as preproduction. The production process begins with the selection of the production and design teams and includes the analysis of the script, production meetings and auditions.

In many situations the SM isn�t brought on board until rehearsals begin. If you have the luxury of a preproduction week (one week is required on an Equity contract) there are many tasks you should accomplish that will make your job easier once rehearsals start.

After being selected as a member of the production staff, the Stage Manager�s first step should be to request a copy of the script. If it is at all possible, read it twice before the first production meeting.

First, you should read the play for pure enjoyment. Become familiar with the story and the characters. Try to visualize the play in your head as you read. Now walk away from the script for a little while and let things sink in.

Go back for your second reading prepared to play detective. You will need a blank pad of paper, a ruler and a pencil. Begin your analysis of the script by dividing the paper into columns reading, from left to right:

• Act/Scene/Page
• Set
• Lighting
• Costumes/Makeup
• Props
• Sound
• Special Effects.

Include the Act/Scene/Page column so that you can quickly locate things in the script. These notes will be helpful in planning for rehearsals and can also be invaluable in production meetings. You might even want to make copies to share with the director and design teams. Your analysis will probably look something like this:

Dreamgirls Production Technical Requirements

Act/Scene/Page	Set	Lighting	Costumes/Makeup	Props	Sound	Special Effects
I.1.1	Apollo Theatre	Concert	-	-	Live Period Mic for MC	-
I.1.5	-	-	Dreams & Stepp Sisters have same wigs	-	-	-
I.2.20	On the Road	-	-	Pay Phone	-	-
I.3.21	Recording Studio	-	-	-	Live Hanging Mics for studio	-
I.5.28	Hotel Banquet Room (b-day party)	-	-	Phone	-	-

Now you are prepared to conduct your first production meeting. The Stage Manager should make sure that everyone gets a chance to discuss his or her ideas and problems in each production meeting. The first production meeting, however, traditionally revolves around the director�s ideas about the play and is often called the concept meeting. The Stage Manager may not be involved in this initial meeting because it often takes place before the SM's contract begins.

The director will usually present his or her research and thoughts about the play at the concept meeting. Afterwards, the designers and directors will brainstorm about how they can best bring the director�s vision to life on stage. This discussion will often start out very abstract and move into more concrete decisions. Questions and problems addressed in production meetings will become more specific as the production process continues.

All of these discussions are very important to the Stage Manager�s understanding of the play. Take very specific notes about everything that is discussed in each production meeting, type and distribute them to everyone who attended the meeting and anyone else affected by the notes. Your detailed notes insure that no one forgets which decisions were made and what deadlines were agreed upon.

Auditions

If you are doing preproduction work on a show, you may be asked to run auditions. If this is the case, you should be responsible for keeping the auditions organized and running on schedule. Running auditions gives you an advance look at the environment you will be working in. You will get to see the Director at work and meet the actors who may be joining the cast.

Auditions give the performers their first impression of the production and of the stage management team. Organization and compassion are very important at this time in the production process.

A great first step in preparing for auditions is to find out if the director will want headshots taken or if the auditions will be videotaped. If so, will the director need you or an ASM to run a video camera or take Polaroid's? You might need to lay a spike mark for the auditioners to stand on while they read. This will help them to find the best light and ensure that they are in the proper area for the video camera operator to film them.

You will need to prepare tables and chairs for the artistic staff in the audition room. You should also make sure that the lighting is adequate. Is the temperature of the room comfortable? Should you provide coffee or a pitcher of water and some cups for the staff?

Prepare the area where the auditioners will be asked to wait. Keep in mind that the auditions will be the first impression you and the production company will make on many of the performers. Create a warm, friendly environment for everyone involved.

Make sure there are plenty of seats. Have several copies of the script available for perusal. Copy lots of audition forms and have pencils and paperclips on hand. Do you need to provide nametags? Where are the closest restrooms and water fountain? Is there a mirror available for last minute touch ups? Is there a public phone nearby?

Post a list of all the characters and a short description of each one. Post the rehearsal schedule or at least the date of the first rehearsal if a complete schedule is not available. Be sure to include the run dates of the production as a part of the schedule. Rule 44 of the agreement between AEA and LORT (League of Resident Theatres) requires that the run dates of the production be posted at all auditions.

Many times the Stage Manager will be asked to help call the �yes� and �no� piles for Callbacks or after the casting decisions have been made. Do not give out any information about the other auditioners. Be sure to thank the �no�s� for auditioning.

The show is now cast and the technical departments are hard at work on building and buying scenery, props and costumes. The foundation of the production is in place. The Stage Manager must now begin final preparations for the rehearsal period.