Stage Managing 101 Oxford High Theatre As the Stage Manager, your job is to make sure that everything about the show runs smoothly. Keeping up with the cast, the crew, and everything in between rests on your shoulders and yes, it’s usually a lot of work . But don’t stress!!! This is a guide book to get you through the experience in one piece! I. Organization/Pre-Rehearsal: the key to being a good stage manager is staying organized! A. Keep a binder: have one neat and organized three-ring binder that contains everything you’ll need for rehearsals. Keeping it all in one place allows you to have anything you need or anything the director asks for in a moment’s notice. In your binder you should keep things like: 1. Copy of the Rehearsal schedule: just to keep with you in case anyone asks. 2. A copy of the script for blocking: this copy of the script will be where you write down all blocking and quick notes to yourself during nightly rehearsals. 3. A copy of the script for Tech: this is a clean copy you can use solely for tech cues. Using this copy during performances keeps all of the things you should be focusing on organized. 4. Audition forms of the cast: saving these forms and keeping them with you helps keep all of their contact information and rehearsal conflicts in one place. 5. Crew Forms of the selected crew: for the same reason as the cast forms. 6. Extra paper: keeping extra paper gives you plenty of room for notes, reminders, quick set sketches, and for the cast to take notes on. 7. Pencils: this isn’t necessary, but the cast will ALWAYS ask you for a pencil and it’s helpful to keep a lot with you to let them borrow. Some of these things will be discussed later. B. Before rehearsals start, familiarize yourself with the show. Do a little research. READ THE SCRIPT! By the end of the whole process you should know the script backwards and forwards. Read and reread until you fully grasp the plot and always know what’s coming next. II. Rehearsal: A. Set up: set the stage for rehearsal as soon as you get there! Don’t wait for the director to tell you to get things going; just take the initiative and do it. Most likely you’ll have to clear the stage from that days’ projects and classes in order to have enough rehearsal space. Don’t be afraid to enlist assistant stage managers (ASM) and cast members to help you get everything in place. ✦ This is when it’s important to have set drawings. Make sure that as rehearsals progress you have some type of sketch that shows you how the stage should be set. At some point you should have these memorized so that you can quickly fix incorrect sets before rehearsals start. B. Cast and Roll Call: it’s your responsibility to make sure that all cast members are present at their required rehearsal. Contact with the cast is crucial. Keep them informed of rehearsal times. Don’t be afraid to text, call, or email them to let them know about all rehearsal details. ✦ For larger casts it’s helpful to have a roll book, like the kind teachers put grades in. If you ask the director, he’ll be glad to find an old one for you. These books help you keep up with whether or not a cast member has to be at rehearsal or if they have an excused absence. ✦ If a cast member hasn’t arrived at rehearsal within the first 5-10 minutes, it’s time to start calling. Try to reach them immediately and find out why they aren’t there. If they aren’t answering a cellphone, don’t be afraid to call home phones; it’s important to find out where they are and let the director know. C. Blocking: as the stage manager, it’s your responsibility to keep track of everyone’s blocking. This is when your copy of the script come into play. Make sure you have a large copy with plenty of room to write in the margins. If you have to make a photocopy and blow it up, do so! You’ll need the space. While the director is blocking each scene, make sure you follow along VERY CAREFULLY and write down every move. Make sure you label each move with the name of the character or cast member. Arrows can really help; make sure you mark exactly where the move is to take place. The key to recording blocking well is abbreviating! Using abbreviations helps you save time and space. Don’t worry about using official blocking abbreviations; use whatever abbreviations are the clearest to you. ex. Jo X DSL = Josh cross down stage left. (See how much room that saves.) D. Technical Aspects: throughout rehearsals, you’ll need to constantly make notes about things you’ll need for tech and performances. ✦ Prop List: As you go, it’s helpful to start writing down all of the props you’ll need. It’s easier to compile the lists as the props come up in the script than it is to just try and think of them all at once. Having a running list also allows you to add things whenever you think of them. ✦ Sound Cues: Make a note of where sound cues should be inserted. This applies to things like doorbells, buzzers, car sounds, etc. It does not apply to music. You and the director will deal with that during Tech rehearsals. ✦ Costume Changes: Keep up with costume changes so that you’ll know whether or not costume pieces will need to be set on stage. III. Tech: this will be the most stressful week of the entire process! Tech is your time to rehearse. The actors have had their month of rehearsal, and now it is the stage manager’s turn to practice running the show. A. Crew: after about a week of rehearsal, potential crew members will begin to fill out crew forms. As soon as you have all of these, start going through them to pick your crews. Do not just pick your friends! It may be tempting, but in the long run, you’ll appreciate a responsible and hard working crew. Do not be afraid to turn people away! If you feel they won’t work hard, it isn’t even worth dealing with them. Trying to give each person their first choice is nice, and usually it works out, but if you need them somewhere else just do it; they’ll end up being just as happy. As soon as you’ve picked your crew, notify them! Communication with them is very important. Give them a general idea of the schedule as soon as possible so that there are no unexpected conflicts. The more you communicate with the crew before tech rehearsals, the easier it will be to communicate with them in person during the show. B. Pre-Tech Planning: it’s helpful to have a general idea of what you need to the crew to accomplish during tech rehearsals. It may help you to make to-do lists for each crew. Also contact your assistant stage managers and start brainstorming on the best ways to organize backstage and go about scene changes. It’s also helpful to get yourself acquainted with the light and sound equipment just in case you have to step in. C. Tech Script: It is really helpful to have a second copy of the script solely for technical information, such as sound cues, light cues, and scene changes. Having a clean copy just for tech means you’ll be less distracted by the blocking you’ve written down, and everything will be more organized that way. It’s also convenient to have them colored coded or highlighted so they stand out on the page. You wouldn’t want to miss a cue just because you skimmed over it! D. Calling Cues: Once tech starts your most important job becomes calling cues at exactly the right moment in time. Make sure you mark very carefully in your script exactly where each cue should be called. For each cue, a standby should be given so that the crew is prepared to immediately follow through with the cue. It is helpful to mark where the standby should be called as well. Depending on the cue, the stage manager can assess how far in advance a standby should be called. Somewhere around 10 lines before the cue should give the crew enough time. ✦ Calling cues can be very confusing, so make sure to clarify exactly which cue you are talking about. For example, “Standby Light cue 57. Light GO.” ✦ It is helpful to have a general idea of what each light cue looks like or what each sound cue sounds like and where either goes so that in case of a mistake, you can spot it quickly. IV. Performance Time: the most exciting part of the process. You finally get to see all of your hard work pay off! But only after the third performance. A. Before the house opens: when you first get to the auditorium, make sure all of the cast members are present and then rally your crew. Immediately have your running crew set the stage, have lights and sound turn on their equipment, props make sure everything is in place and accounted for, and the costumers start on the cast.