To help you manage your next production, ive put together a checklist of useful items for stage managers to keep on hand, in preparation for rehearsal as well as performance. While i know some stage managers create these electronic calling scripts and then call the show from the screen, i still prefer to print out the document and put it into my prompt book. Hartshorn 2017 at the same time, ive often thought that stage managers are like pastry chefs. For an average production, the sm will require a staff of one or more assistant. These agreements expire every 35 years and then a new one has to be negotiated. The stage manager is responsible for creating a master copy of the script called the prompt book that contains everything pertaining to the show. Put on a stage crew intercom headset and listen to stage manager, mark stevens, calling some of the lighting, follow spot and set cues for the san diego reps musical production of hairspray.
Hear how peter deals with that balance and more including. The three most important aspects of stage managing are communication, communication, communication. The stage manager is the center point of each production team that allows all the elements to work together as a cohesive unit, he says. The crew chief may be put in charge of one side of the stage, and possibly on headset, while the asm is charge of the other. Hope rose kelly editorinchief williamstown theatre festival williamstown, ma. When you get a hold at a venue, change that color of the held date and title it the city with the venue name. How to become a good stage manager with pictures wikihow. The sm will provide support to the directors from the very beginning of the production at auditions through the final rehearsal. The show report scribbler stage management stationery for stage management, stage managers, dsms, backstage techies and all theatre folk tech week bingo cards theyre here. The stage manager sm is the righthandman or woman to the director. This call sheet should then be attached as the first page of the folder that contains all completed contact forms. Ive purchased a 3 ring binder and 8 durable tabs, but i havent seemed to find the best way to label these tabs, divide all my paperwork and generally organize. Cleaning up the space and checking for personal items are.
As a student, the sm has the most important responsibilities of the production. If you are coming up in the biz, and get a chance to pa, take it. Stage management is an art that is learned through extended study, mentoring, and experience. The prompt book contains blocking notes, any changes that have been made. Furniture and prop plans for complicated sets are drawn up by the stage manager and technical designer to show exactly where the furniture and props are to be positioned on stage at the beginning of each scene. Although these two distinctions and differences are true, i truly believe that when a stage manager calls a show, they have to have some of that artistic brain, but not to make artistic decisions, but rather to mirror the visions of the director. Offering tips and tricks to new stage managers as they na. A rehearsal at which interpretation of the play is developed and words and actions are put together. The person who, aided by stage crews, takes charge of backstage during performance. The stage manager begins and concludes the play, and coordinates it throughout all three acts. On a side note i recently put together a new prompt script for a show that started rehearsals this week and it was fun to have this post on my mind as i was putting things together. The production manager, will have audition cards that everyone auditioning needs to fill out. Theatreuni stage management handbook the supplies for auditions are relatively simple, but they are not always simple to track down on a moments notice.
Stage management is a broad field that is generally defined as the practice of organization and coordination of an event or theatrical production. Every job has its tools and one of the biggest money suckers for a stage manager is their kit. Its sometimes known as the book, prompt copy or prompt script. Thank you to everyone for all of your suggestions ended up with 50 different phrases. However they organize it, the stage manager s kit goes wherever he does. The director and choreographer are responsible for staging and teaching choreography in an efficient and timely manner. And make sure you keep a copy of your blocking key in your prompt book. What kind of information is given the audience learns about the geographic features of grovers corners such as the land, crops and fossils, the scientific features, such as population. One of the stage manager s most important tasks is to create and maintain the prompt book sometimes known as the show bible which is a master copy of the script and contains everything pertaining to the show. Jereme deftly shows us how stage managers keep a production together, including preproduction paperwork, putting in light cues, playing the parent to actors, and making sure the director. The stage manager and assistant stage managers are prohibited from the making of payrolls or any. As a pa i worked very closely with the stage managers and learned a ton about how shows are put together, how people are managed, and so on.
In the world of professional theatre, the stage manager is one of the most important players. When you make a presentation to a group, whether at school or work, including a copy of your presentation and any handouts in a professional binder makes a favorable impression. These are the days when all of the collaborators are in the theater working to put the pieces together and create a hopefully. Not only does the audience have the information to follow along with your presentation, but presenting the information in a wellorganized. For a refresher on the characteristics of a good stage manager, take a look at the book stage management by lawrence stern. The prompt book must be prepared in advance of the first rehearsal, so the stage manager is ready to go right away. The stage manager and the technical director also work out a smooth and efficient plan for the stage crew to follow during set changes. A prompt book isnt just a random extra copy of the script though. On a side note i recently put together a new prompt script for a show that read more theatre. Not just to remind you, but in case something happens, someone else will be able to read and understand your blocking notations. He is both part of the world of grovers corners and outside of it. The stage management team was waiting for them on stage. The audition cards have a place for actors to put any scheduling conflicts as well as. Stage managing is the best way to learn firsthand everything it takes to put together a show.
The member of stage management often the dsm cueing the show is said to be on the book. How to prepare a stage manager s prompt book kayla e decoration how to prepare a stage manager s prompt book one of the stage manager s most important tasks is to create and maintain the prompt book sometimes known as the show bible which is a master copy of the script and contains everything pertaining to the show. Morgan and the minister at emily and georges wedding, but he is also conscious of our town as a play. This survival guide gives detailed descriptions or examples of all the forms and lists the stage manager must use in production. This means that i now often have a separate calling script and blocking script as the page numbers and line numbers no longer match up once i input the visual cues. When a show is over, the stage manager usually handles things such as an afterproduction party, making sure props, sets and costumes are put back into storage and returning any equipment that was borrowed. The sm is in charge of ensuring all related parties in a stage production be it theater or concert are communicating effectively, on the same page, and able to work together to. The stage manager should also compile a onepage document, called the call sheet, with just the name of the cast or crew member, his or her phone number and his or her role in the production. In some cases, he might be involved in handling bills related to the show. Far more than just calling cues, the stage manager s position starts months before rehearsal and continues at 110% throughout the run, maintaining the. You will have the opportunity to influence the process at every step of the way and you can be an indispensable.
Third is the calling book the sort of thing discussed in this thread, and the fourth is my show maintenance and rehearsal book basically, blocking and cues together with directorial notes for maintaining the show on the road. Once a scene of the show is staged, work through the whole scene stopping and adjusting as necessary. Stage manager guide the stage manager is one of the most important jobs at events and festivals. A movement or gesture, especially a minor one, used by an actor to give atmoshere to a scene or help portray a character. Well, it harkens back to the idea that a stage manager is the person who is absolutely responsible for absolutely everything for a production which is an over or under simplification of sorts, but one of my professors in college described it as that and i never. Once a show goes up, i keep my prompt book at the theatre. Aea stage manager duties central washington university.
When you get a confirmation, change that color again and title it the city with the venue. The prompt book is kept in such a manner that in the case of an emergency anyone could pick up the book and run the show. You will have the opportunity to influence the process at every step of the way and you can be an indispensable help to your director, design team and performers. Shall assemble and maintain the prompt book which is defined as the accurate playing text and stage business, together with such cue sheets, plots, daily records, etc. The author understands the pressures of the beginning stage manager and proceeds to calm those fears in a nononsense handbook. The disciplines of lighting, set design and sound are discussed but the main focus is the management of these elements and the processes and scheduling. Stage managers have one of the most unique perspectives in the biz, since they have to work so closely with the creative team and the general management team, to deliver the best show possible. The stage manager says he is going to skip a few hours, but first the audience will get some backround information. The following article continues a series devoted to stage management training programs undergrad, grad, internships, etc.
A practical stepbystep handbook to stage management by mary ellen allison on. Essentials of stage management by peter maccoy, the stage management handbook by daniel a. It provides those just starting out in the profession with a solid grounding in theatre stage management practices and procedures. The cast came running to the stage, as they were not ready, they were in various states of dress and trying to put on jackets, shoes and more on their way to the stage. Stage manager s manual and mike lawler thats a lot to fit into a single art box or tackle box, so stage managers often keep stage supplies and tools in a separate toolbox.
The crew chief may also be responsible for bringing concerns from the crew to the stage manager. In a high school setting, the stage manager role is frequently taken on by an organized, hardworking senior student and is a vital part of the artistic team. They may also move the office supplies into a briefcase or office bag. This popular book describes in detail a stage manager s job. Stage managers not only have a multitude of jobs to navigate on an ongoing basis, but also have a huge amount of supplies and materials to oversee, as well. It offers an extensive discussion of what makes a good stage manager, and takes the reader through each phase of a production from getting hired, to auditions and. Ok so im trying to put together my production book for my upcoming university production of a christmas carol, but ive never found a good system for organizing and dividing the tabs.
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