Everything you need to know about being a Stage Manager

STAGE MANAGEMENT

The Stage Manager is a sort of assistant to the director, providing organizational and practical support to the director and staff during the rehearsal process

The Stage Manager is the liaison between the director, cast, design staff, and technical staff during the rehearsal process

WHAT IS A STAGE MANAGER?

The Stage Manager is responsible for a number of jobs during the rehearsal process and the running of the show

During rehearsals, Stage Managers are responsible for taking down blocking, as well as changes made by the director

Stage Managers also organize the cast during rehearsals, and communicate changes and updates to the rest of the design and technical staff

During the show, the Stage Manager is responsible for calling cues (these tell when lights, sound, etc. change during the show)

The Stage Manager is responsible for taking down production notes and overseeing the production during the show

SO WHAT ARE SOME JOBS OF THE STAGE MANAGER?

As a Stage Manager, you’ l l need a few things to survive every rehearsal Your Blocking script- This is your Holy Book during rehearsals. Your blocking, notes,

and initial cues will go in this script A pencil- Things change a lot during the rehearsal process, so you’ll need a pencil to

write down notes and erase any changes made A notebook- Any notes that don’t fit in your script go in this notebook. It can come in

handy when your writing the rehearsal report, which we’ll discuss later 2 Binders- you will put one script in each, as well as other paperwork. This will be

your organizational tool throughout the process Other- Depending on the show, you’ll need a variety of different things (Rehearsal

CD, props, etc.), especially if the director requests them

THE STAGE MANAGER SURVIVAL KIT

As a stage manager, you will become very close with the script. All of your notes and cues wil l go into the script, and you’ll use it every rehearsal

The stage manager will have to read the script a few times Read the script first for fun. That way,

you’ll familiarize yourself with the script and enjoy it

Read the script again with a pencil in your hand. Take some rough technical notes

Read the script again, penciling in some places where you believe there will be cues. This will give you a rough idea of how the cues will be laid out

Your script wil l be your new best friend for the rehearsal process

YOUR SCRIPT AND YOU

During the rehearsal process, you will be working closely with the musical staff

The staff is usually broken up into design staff, who deal with the aesthetic aspects of the show, and the technical staff, who deal with the technical aspects of the show

Get to know these staff members, and be sure to ask for their e-mail addresses, so they can be included in the rehearsal report

MEET THE STAFF

Insert your staff here!

The Stage Manager is responsible for all the paperwork that goes into a show, so it’s time to get organized

Obtain any and all paperwork from the director. This should include a schedule, a French Scene Breakdown (which character is in which scene), as well as other things

Organize these papers in a binder, using tabs to separate the different categories of paperwork.

Get at least two copies of the script for yourself. Put one in each binder (one will be your call ing script, and one your blocking script).

Make sure to ask the director if they need anything else before the cast shows up. Remember, you are there to help them

BEFORE THE CAST SHOWS UP…

You wish…

The first rehearsal is the first t ime you wil l be in contact with the cast, so you must make a good impression

The first thing to do is pass out paperwork to the cast. This wi l l usual ly include a schedule, contract, and addit ional information Make sure to keep copies of this

paperwork. Actors have a tendency to lose this paperwork, so it’s good to have extra copies

The director and his staff wil l usual ly talk to the cast about their ro les in the production, as well as their expectations. Take this t ime to tel l the cast what you do, and what you expect from them.

THE FIRST REHEARSAL

Each cast member wil l be required to submit a contract and payment for the show, and some medical information in some cases. It is your job to keep track of this paperwork and make sure that it is al l submitted

Create a “Paperwork Grid”, showing which cast member has turned in their paperwork. Make sure to include contract, payment, and medical information. Update this grid each week and send it out to the director and producer, so they can keep track as well

Payments may be broken into different categories. Show fees, makeup kits, and shoes could al l be part of the payment, so spl i t up the payment section to keep track of who has paid for what

CAST PAPERWORK!

Don’t let this be you

Before rehearsals start every day, there are a few things to do Before rehearsal begins, take attendance to ensure that all

cast members are present. If not, contact the actor/actress and remind them they are required at rehearsal

Ask the director if they have any special needs for the rehearsal. This might include props, music, or any number of things

Get your rehearsal binder out and get ready to take notes!

THE REHEARSAL PROCESS

Rehearsals are broken up into three main categoriesDancingSingingActing

THE REHEARSAL PROCESS

Acting rehearsal from the Playhouse Theater (they added a “frying pan” category)

Dancing rehearsals are specific to musicals

During dance rehearsals, the choreographer wil l teach cast members their dance steps, or review previously learned dances

Ask the choreographer if s/he has any special prop or piece needs required to teach the choreography

Your job in dance rehearsal is pretty simple: Play the music for the cast.

Make sure to take note of tempo changes or cuts that the choreographer adds during rehearsal, and add them to the rehearsal report

DANCING REHEARSAL

Singing/Vocal rehearsals are specific to musicals as well

During vocal rehearsals, the vocal director will teach the cast the songs in the show, or review previously learned songs

You won’t have a lot to do during vocal rehearsals, just keep the cast focused and help the vocal director in any way

If there is a pianist during singing rehearsals, offer to help him in any way as well

SINGING/VOCAL REHEARSALS

Acting rehearsals are involved in both musicals and plays

During acting rehearsals, the director will set blocking for scenes and instruct characters on how to “play” their characters

Acting rehearsals are very busy for the stage manager You will need to take down all the

blocking the director gives during the scene

Include any lighting, sound, or stage notes as well, so these can be distributed to the staff

Help the director in any way possible: this may include prop running or playing music if needed

ACTING REHEARSALS

Blocking is keeping track of how the characters and set pieces move during a scene. This is crucial in writing l ight and set cues

Par of your blocking notation wil l be the stage notation. Upstage, downstage, stage left, and stage right can be abbreviated (US, DS, SL, SR). See the pictures on the next sl ide

Blocking notes wil l go in your blocking script. There are a number of important symbols in writing blocking X-cross S-sit R-rise/stand Π-chair or table You may need to create your own symbols

to describe stage direction

BLOCKING

The 9 Main Areas of the Stage

BLOCKING PICTURES

Once the rehearsal is over, your job is not doneMake any announcements that you have regarding

paperwork, schedule changes, etc. to the cast once rehearsal is finished

Stay around until the cast has left, as they may have some questions

Ask the director if they need any help putting things away, or if they have any additional notes

If you are the last one in the rehearsal space, be sure to lock up, or ask someone who works in the space to ensure it is locked.

Send out the rehearsal report

AFTER THE REHEARSAL

The rehearsal report wil l contain al l of the notes from the day’s rehearsal

This wi l l be sent out to every director, design staff member, and technical staff member, to keep everybody informed

The rehearsal report should contain rehearsal start and end times, cast absences, and what was covered during the rehearsal

Also in the report, include note areas for l ighting, acting, vocals, costumes/makeup, set, props, and any miscel laneous information

The rehearsal report should be sent out immediately fol lowing the rehearsal, and be sent to al l musical staff

THE REHEARSAL REPORT

One of the duties of the stage manager is to tape the floor. Taping the floor means placing spike tape on the stage to resemble the set, so the cast can get used to rehearsing with the set

Obtain the floor plans from the set designer. Divide the floor plan in half and label every major point on each side with a number

Taking into account the scale of the set, transfer these dots to the set. Then play connect the dots. You now have a working model of the set

If there are multiple sets in the show, it may be helpful to tape each set in a different color of tape

TAPING THE FLOOR

Paper tech is the t ime when all of the directors and design staff wil l create a rough l ist of cues

Each member of the design team wil l have read the script, and have a rough idea of how and where they want cues in the show.

During paper tech, it is the Stage Manager’s job to write down these rough cues, what they do, and where they are called in the show.

Paper tech wil l al low you to begin cue writ ing. Once you receive final cues, you can put your final call ing script together

PAPER TECH

Your script after a Paper Tech (the drawing in the upper left is a good example of blocking as well)

After paper tech, a l l of the designers wi l l send their final ized cues to you. I t is your job to put these cues into the master cue l ist

The master cue l ist is usual ly put together in Microsoft Excel , and contains every cue in the show

The master cue l ist is a combinat ion of several spreadsheets, each technica l aspects ( l ight , sound, etc.) has their own spreadsheet

Each cue wi l l have a symbol ( letters for sound, numbers for l ight and stage, 1000 numbers for spots) , a cue l ine, and a descr ipt ion of what happens in each cue

Once the master cue l ist is finished, send i t to a l l of the designers and technica l staff; they wi l l d istr ibute i t to their crews

THE MASTER CUE LIST

An example of the cue sheet you’ll have to make

Once you receive the final cues from all of the designers, it is t ime to put together your cal l ing script

The call ing script wil l replace al l of your notes with cues, the simple letters or numbers establ ished in the master cue l ist

When putting together your cal l ing script, place the cue symbol next to the cue l ine.

Each cue should also have a warning cal l 5 l ines before the actual cue. This wil l warn the tech staff that a cue is coming up

I f needed, highlight each cue or write it in bright, v ibrant colors. This wil l ensure you don’t miss the cue

THE CALLING SCRIPT

When call ing a show, the key is to be clear, concise, and accurate

Specify what cue you are call ing, for example “Light 5, Sound T”.

Make sure to give a warning call before the cue. “Light 5 ready, Spot 1003 ready”

When the cue is intended to go, call the cue. “Light 5 GO, sound T GO”

If you make a mistake, make note of it, then forget it for the rest of the show. Worrying about a mistake will only lead to more mistakes

Remember, the show stops for nobody. Unless there is an immediate safety risk, the show must keep going

CALLING THE SHOW

About two weeks before the show opens, the tech crew will run a dry tech

A dry tech is a run of all the cues in the show without actors present

Each cue will be run to ensure there are no problems with the cue or the timing involved

During a dry tech, only fix the problems that can be fixed quickly; major problems can be addressed after the dry tech

DRY TECH

A wet tech is a running of the cues WITH actors present

A wet tech will allow the technical team to run its cues in context with the show

This is also the time to address timing issues or errors in the cues

During a wet tech, you will most likely not have time to stop and fix problems. Make note of any errors, but don’t dwell on the mistakes (this can lead to more mistakes)

WET TECH

All of the rehearsals have been completed, and all that is left is the show

During the show, the stage manager’s sole job is to call the show

Before the show begins, call how many minutes are left before places (15 minutes until places, 10 minutes until places)

Once places comes, ask for an al l-call from the tech stations. This is to ensure that al l of the tech crews are in place

Once the show is done, send out a production report (a rehearsal report on the production)

THE SHOW

Don’t forget to enjoy the show!

Now that the show is over, tie up any loose ends with the directors and pat yourself on the back, you made it

This completes your stage manager training, good luck on the big show!

CONGRATULATIONS!!!YOU MADE IT!

Some words of wisdom to send you on your way…