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A Stage Manager who can reach into “The Kit” and produce any
item that she is asked for is always appreciated by the
company. The awe-struck look on an actor’s face when he asks
for a cough drop and one appears in his hand is priceless.
The following list is a rough inventory of a thoroughly
stocked Stage Manager’s Kit.
First Aid book, allergy medication, burn creme, iodine, latex
gloves, Midol, sugar packets (for a diabetic emergency),
Ipecac syrup (for poisoning), gauze, cloth tape, antiseptic
towelettes, ammonia inhalants, isopropyl alcohol, hydrogen
peroxide, bacitracin, Cortaid, sting-aid, aspirin, No Doz,
medical scissors, tweezers, cotton, Ibuprofen, children’s
pain reliever, Pepto-Bismol, Antacid, Orajel, sinus
medication, Band-Aids, antacid, cough drops, pain reliever,
throat spray, Epsom salts, eye drops, chemical ice packs,
antihistamine, cottonballs and ace bandages.
Safety pins, hair bands, bobby pins, scissors, seam ripper,
shoe laces, runstop, Shout wipes, thimble, beeswax, needles
and thread.
A C-wrench with a lanyard (leash), a small battery-operated
camera flash (for charging glow tape), 3 volt lithium batteries
& various colors of LED lights (make great backstage markers in
areas glow tape won't stay charged OR use to mark center
and quarter stage in a large house), a Maglight with gels or
tinted lenses, work gloves, hex key set (5/16” for Roto-Loks),
screwdrivers, fencing pliers, a 50’ tape measure, at least one
25’ tape measure, a 12’ tape measure, a scale ruler, matte
knife, grease pencil, chalk, wood glue, tie line, Gerber or
Leatherman multi-plier tool, Scotch tape, glow tape, gaff,
electric and spike tape.
3-hole punch, Post-It notes (a Stage Manager’s best friend),
paperclips, pushpins, hole reinforcements, large erasers,
highlighters, garage sale dots, Post-It Tape Flags, Post-It
Tape, various colored ink pens, mounting tabs, a large black
marker, rubber bands, binder clips, Post-It Glue Sticks, a
stapler, staples, a staple remover, scissors, pencil grips,
pencils and a pencil sharpener.
Lighters, matches, nail files, nail clippers, Kleenex, breath
mints, playing cards, travel size games, shaving cream, a
razor, a tooth brush, toothpaste, mouthwash, Q-tips, eyeglass
cleaner, a eyeglass repair kit, hand creme, wetnaps, a contact
case, saline solution, coffee singles, tea bags, candy, clear
nail polish, ziploc valuable bags, a can opener, pantiliners
and tampons.
Putting together a comprehensive Kit is a long and expensive
process. My kit started out as a pocket in my backpack in
college. I kept it filled with pencils and erasers and a
travel pack of Kleenex. From there, I moved up to a pencil
bag and later a small crate with a few items that I felt were
essential to have on hand. The contents of every kit will be
as unique as the style of the Stage Manager who assembles it.
I know Stage Managers who have carried around shoeboxes or
plastic bags with the supplies they felt were important to
their company members. Start with whatever you can afford
and work towards assembling a comprehensive kit. Most
production companies will be happy to reimburse you for the
more expensive items if they are used up in rehearsal.
Sometimes, if you provide a complete inventory of your Kit
before you begin rehearsal, the producer will maintain it
for you.
I never really understood the benefits of having a full-blown
Stage Manager’s Kit until I saw one in use. While working as
the Assistant Lighting Designer for a show in Branson,
Missouri, I encountered a SM who had assembled a very thorough
Kit. I was very impressed with it and decided that as soon
as I could afford to, I would start my own Kit and do away
with the pencil bags and handfulls of supplies stuffed into
briefcases, backpacks and purses.
The first show that I worked after assembling my Kit was Run
For Your Wife. I was the Deck Manager for this production at
Indianapolis Civic Theatre. The main character, John, spends
a great deal of the production running around with a bottle
of pills in his pants pocket. The rattling of the prop was
driving the actor crazy and he asked me if I could please
find some cotton to stuff in the top of the bottle. I went
to my Kit and handed him the requested item in just a few
seconds. The look on his face was absolutely priceless,
especially since this particular actor does a lot of stage
managing himself. At that moment, I knew that my Kit was one
of the best investments I had ever made.
With each show I do, I find new items that are useful to have
on hand. The SM should make sure that the Kit is regularly
inventoried and restocked. All the work that is required to
create and maintain a Kit is well worth it. A thoroughly
stocked Kit is the most useful tool a SM can have.
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