shop " The Caucasian Chalk Circle " by Bertolt Brecht was a challenge for the Seattle Theater Company . The output had hundreds of light and sound cues , dozens of costume and set changes and used 36 computer - controlled projectors . But everything was going well during technical school week and into the performance .
Then , in the middle of the play one night , the very pregnant level director fainted in the control booth . While the wardrobe staff revived her , an assistant level managing director ran from backstage to take her chair and headset and continued giving discriminative stimulus from the quick book . The point manager left for the infirmary ; the show continued uninterrupted ; and the consultation and actors never knew the deviation [ source : Drew Campbell ] .
The show must go on , as the saying goes , and the phase coach – or in this case , the helper – is the one creditworthy for making sure that happens . Like the conductor of a symphony orchestra , the point coach coordinates the activity of the actors and gang during rehearsals and performances of a play . microscope stage handler give cues for lighting and sound , manage rapid set changes and make trusted actors are in place . And that ’s only part of the stage coach ’s line .
What else is in a stage handler ’s Book of Job summary ? What does a level manager need to have for every play in his essential kit ? What grooming do aim phase managers want , and how can they construct their curriculum vitae ? understand on to determine out .
Stage Manager Job Summary
A stagecoach manager is invisible to the audience unless something live on wrong . But degree manager are highly visible to the plaster bandage and crowd they ordinate during rehearsals and performance . A leg coach is also essential to the director in do certain that his vision is carry out in the actual romp .
Stage management take aim in a lot of unlike tasks , so most production have more than one point manager that work as a squad . Most plays require at least two , and Broadway shows require at least three , according to Ira Mont , who was leg handler on Broadway for " Young Frankenstein . " Some of the rubric are :
Production degree manager– The head stage manager , in kick of spend a penny certain the yield move smoothly and the supervisor of the other stage managers . This title is used mostly for Broadway plays . In other productions , the brain stage coach is usually just prognosticate the stage manager .
Stage manager– On Broadway , the 2nd in command after the production stagecoach managing director ; elsewhere , the boss .
Assistant stage manager– Members of the stage management squad who may have specific responsibilities for some prospect of production , such as crowd , or serve as overall assistants , doing what the stage handler assigns .
[ source : Playbill ]
lease ’s focalize on the forefront stage manager . A stage manager ’s job starts before rehearsals . He ’s one of the last people out of the theater after that final show and then often oversee as the point is come to . Here ’s a near feeling at the phase handler problem summary .
During dry run , the point manager work with the conductor to record blocking , light , sound and dress modification cues in the straightaway Good Book , a sea captain written matter of the script used to run technical rehearsal and the actual performances . The degree manager also put to work with the technical intriguer in create set that rival the director ’s needs and then finding the most effective way for crew to change the curing quickly during the performance .
During performances , the microscope stage handler " runs the Holy Scripture , " which mean he use the straightaway book to cue light , speech sound and fructify alteration . The stagecoach director also takes billet each Nox on facial expression of the performance to deal out to thespian and product department . But there ’s more than just that . The point managing director postulate to deal with safety issues and crisis such as a last - bit replacement for a sick thespian , a closet malfunction or a missing airscrew .
The stage coach issues the call of " Places , everyone ! " before the gambling starts and receive emergency brake messages for the cast and gang during performances . He also may practise understudies or hold extra rehearsals for dancing numbers or specific scenes of the show between operation [ sources : American Association of Community TheatreandStage Manager ’s Association ] .
A stagecoach director ’s outfit is essential to doing the job well . Go to the next varlet to find out what ’s inside the outfit .
The Stage Manager Kit
Imagine a wizard ’s bottomless bag of tricks or a female parent ’s purse ingurgitate with tissues , band - aids and everything else needed for a child ’s emergency . That will give you an idea of the stage manager ’s outfit . It ’s another eccentric of emergency brake bag , but this one is full of everything the stage handler take to handle the unexpected , in this character , whatever may occur during a rehearsal or public presentation .
A microscope stage manager ’s outfit ponder all the aspects of his job obligation . Since microscope stage management covers the technological side , as well as deal with the masses involved in the product , stage managers have quite a wide-ranging set of supplies in their kits . They also need to have a portable office that they can take to rehearsal , backstage , into the control condition stall and out of the theater for meetings . And they need to be prepared for small medical needs and emergency , as required by Actor ’s Equity , the performing artist ’s union .
Of course , the kits variegate , but here are some items you ’re potential to encounter in a kit :
[ sources : Stage Manager ’s Manualand Mike Lawler ]
That ’s a quite a little to correspond into a single art box or tackle box , so point managing director often keep phase supply and tool in a freestanding tool chest . They may also move the office supplies into a briefcase or office staff bag . However they organise it , the stage manager ’s kit go wherever he does .
Does becoming a stage director sound like the career for you ? Keep reading to line up out the training you ’ll need and how to build your resume .
Stage Manager Resume
If you ’re thinking of becoming a phase director , gear up to work heavily and pass years on training . Probably the first step is deciding whether phase management is right for you . After that , you ’ll have to consider how you want to benefit experience , and then you ’ll need a stage manager resume to show off your work and get more job .
Being a stage manager call for a mountain chain of abilities that not everyone has . leg managers ask to be able to :
you could become a point manager through on - the - job training – by starting as an intern and form your way up on theatrical production – but more and more , stagecoach manager have a bachelor ’s or master ’s degree in theater artistic creation , often with a specialism in stage management . Many schools , including college such as Yale University , University of Southern California , New York University and Northwestern University have theatre departments .
Having a degree can give you a full background in theater through the opportunity to take classes in acting , mastermind , costume aim , kindling , sound and stagecoach design . That can make you more worthy when you front for internships as a output supporter . A theatre schoolhouse can also serve you find internship and give you the chance to start building your resume with oeuvre on student productions . You also can get a head teacher start on making the contacts that can help oneself you get jobs later in your career .
Your resume will be one of the most important tools in build your career . You ’ll want to list each production , its date and specific entropy about your contribution to the product . While you ’ll in all probability feel yourself starting as an interne or production supporter at low salary , being capable to lean wide-ranging experience can help you move up from output assistant to assistant stage managing director to level director [ source : Stage Managers ' affiliation ] .
For lots more information about stagecoach managers and related to topics , see the nexus on the next page .
