Putting a Face on Theatre
I am still a student, but i am stage managing the school production of Into the Woods. Though I am young I take my job very seriously. The job was not just given. With that being said i wonder constantly if I am doing my job right. Could somebody give me some advice on how to be the best stage manager I can be? Thank you.
~Lizzy
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Kevin Griffin on -
Hi Lizzy,
First congratulations on being chosen for such an important position in the production! Wondering if you are doing the job right is always a good start! If you are always looking for ways to improve what you do for the production, then you are being a positive and caring member of the production team. Truthfully I believe there are more bits of advice that anyone could give you that there is really room to write them all down! O.K., here are a few things I can think fo to tell you as you get going.
You are the key to successful communication within the production. Communication between the director and designers, rehearsals and technical staff, performers and run crew. Take copious notes and if something is not clear to you, ask for clarification before you give the note to others (otherwise they will not understand it either!). Keep a professional and positive attitude throughout the process. Your attitude will affect those around you and if you are professional and positive, others will notice and react the same (well at least you can hope they will!). never loose your cool in front of others of "yell" at another member of the production team in front of others. If you need to talk to another member of the production team about a conflict, do so calmly and if necessary privately.
Ask for help! do not be afraid to ask your professors or peers for help! Your professors should guide you through the process and your peers should help you as well. One person can not do all the things a production needs by themselves.
Be flexible and ready to adapt to changes. They are inevitable and will occur, you need to accept them and continue to move the production forward in a positive direction.
There are several great text books out there covering stage management. I personally like Stage Management (9th ed.) by Lawrence Stern & Alice O'Grady. They have lots of good advice and information for stage managers of every level.
Finally Lizzy, you will make mistakes. Realize that in the end this is entertainment and not brain surgery! Give yourself the room to make mistakes and learn from them. don't beat yourself up for the mistakes! The show will be fantastic and you will be a big part of that success.
Break a Leg!
Kevin
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Permalink Reply by Karen Baker on -
Oops...hit something wrong by accident and I think I posted half a comment. Any way, this is a wonderful resource from a working SM. Great templates for your use free of charge, advice, and her delightful description of life on the road.
http://headsetchatter.com/blog/tag/education/
I posted the website again in case it didn't come through first time.
Wondering--are you in high school or college? I may think of more ideas... Keep learning and I love your enthusiasm!
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Karen, I went to your ur referral but was unable to download anything. The templates looked excellent. Can you advise?
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Greetings Lizzy,
Kevin has provided you with excellent advice and I would only add one other recommendation for a book. I teach Stage Management at the University of Central Florida and use the Stern/O'Grady textbook for the second semester students. There is a simple book "The Stage Management Handbook' by Daniel A. Ionazzi (which is a very inexpensive book) that I use for beginning stage management. There are basic forms that you might find useful as well as providing a basic guide to the production process.The glossary in the Stern book is a must - learn the language of the theatre is a must for a stage manager.If your budget permits, get both books.
Good luck and keep us posted on the progress - by the way, if you are not make mistakes, then you are not trying hard enough! Go for it and enjoy the journey.
Gene Columbus
Executive Director, Orlando Repertory Theatre
Adjunct Professor, University of Central Florida
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Permalink Reply by Keith Hunter on -
Lizzy,
Kevin has some excellent suggestions and I hope to add a few. Having stage managed in community theatre and currently work with professional SMs, one important thing to find out is: what are the producers expectations of you as SM? Will you be working backstage as more of a deck manager or will you be calling all the production cues during the run? Once the show opens and the director and designers have left is it your job to maintain the artistic integrity of the production?
Assemble a team of production assistants to help. You need trustworthy people who will be there and not the flaky ones who show up as it suits them. A good PA will also want to learn and be willing to run errands so you don't miss the rehearsal process.
Get a copy of the script enlarged to 8-1/2x11 single sided and place in a 3-ring binder. The blank page facing the type is where you'll place your cues, warnings and other staging notes. Have your blank page on the side that's most comfortable to write on. Have lots of pencils and a good eraser, you'll need them.
I liked Stern's book as well (dang, there's a 9th edition?). It has a lot of excellent hands on information. Just remember safety comes first and have fun!
Keith
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Permalink Reply by Richelle Thompson on -
Lizzy,
You've already gotten lots of great advice... I will add three small things:
First, this seems overly simple, but it's something I found invaluable: know the names and duties of everyone you're working with. If some of the actors or crew are students you don't know from class or other productions, learn both first and last name, and what they're doing for the show. Then when you have a question, you know right away who to ask. If someone asks YOU a question about someone, you'll have the answer.
Take lots of notes! I wouldn't tell you to write down EVERYTHING your director/choreographer says, but you're going to need to know most of the information they pass on, and not just blocking and dance steps. No matter how good your memory is, you'll never keep it all in your head - so write it down! When it comes to the end of the day, even if your school doesn't require you to produce a rehearsal or performance report, jot down some notes on what happened, what you covered, and anything you need to do or ask for next time.
Lastly, if you know a student who stage managed at your school before you, find them and ask them what they learned from stage managing at your school. Even if they don't have much to say, anything they learned about the building or rehearsal process or the show itself can be useful to you. Nothing beats prior experience!
Keep asking questions, and you'll know if you're doing the job right, AND be the best possible stage manager. All the best for Into the Woods!
Cheers!
~R
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Permalink Reply by Rich Dionne on -
Lizzy,
These are all really great responses, and I'll only add one more item to consider. I found when I was working with stage management interns in New Jersey (and often with the undergraduate stage managers here at Purdue), it is all too easy for a young stage manager to feel as though they are responsible for "getting the show up." (Though I think the Stern book is a great resource, I have found that this is an easy misreading of what he has to say, if you're not careful.)
Remember that your job is to communicate information, not to see that it gets followed up on (even if you sometimes might feel pressure to make sure something happens!). It's not your responsibility to make sure an actor makes a fitting, or props person finds the right prop, or that the set gets painted. Though it may be your job to share the unfortunate news that an actor missed a fitting (or a prop is impossible to find, or the set will be white base paint on opening night), it is the responsibility of other people to see that the bad news needn't be shared in the first place.
Good luck!
Rich
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Permalink Reply by Stephen Ellison on -
I teach tech theater at the high school level and find i have to train a new stage manager every show. The first advice I give is to read a short book by Carrissa Dollar called "Stage Managers do Make Coffee' found at http://www.mts.net/~skirzyk/SMscoffee.htm, or google the title. The next thing I try to get into there heads is that there job is to create a comfortable place to work in. As others have said, communication is key, and your job is central. keep detailed notes and lists. I will also reinforce that you are a central hub of information. Most of the work is not yours to do only make sure it is done. The last piece of advice I will give here is safety. You need to check every area that actors will go in the theater and check that it is safe. this includes walking anywhere barefoot that an actor would walk if they are barefoot. If you don't feel comfortable than get it fixed until you do. That way the actors can concentrate on performing and not worrying about there feet.
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