Stage-Managing Amateur Dramatics

Probably the most under-valued job in any Amateur Dramatics Society is the Stage Manager. Here are a few ideas to make the job in black more enjoyable and much less stressful.

Knowledge, knowledge.

It may be an obvious thing, but the Stage Manager must know the play – inside out and sideways. Read the script, time and time again. Attend as many rehearsals as you can – watch the actors, learn from them how they interpret their character. Watch how they make their entrances and exits: remember where they come on and go off, so that you can make sure any props are ready for them.

I always make a copy of the script, enlarging it to make it easier to read in the subdued light backstage. If you print each page of the script on one side of an A4 sheet, then file it in a ring binder with the printed copy on the right, you will be able to use the blank page on the left for your own jottings. On this new, larger copy, you should make copious notes about absolutely anything and everything – cues for the actors, cues for the lighting Tech and the sound Tech, cues for the tabs, everything. I once had to miss a performance and the stand-in Stage Manager had everything he needed right in front of him, in my file.

Crew

Your crew should also be encouraged to attend as many rehearsals as they can, because they need to be comfortable with their tasks. In a small society, this is not usually a problem, everyone wants to get involved. Meet with your crew, regularly. Even if it is only a ten minute catch-up, it will help to create a cohesive unit, with everyone knowing what is expected of them – and what everyone else in the crew is doing. Communicate and confirm everything. The more they know, the easier your job will be.

Technical and Dress Rehearsals

The technical rehearsal is your chance to see that all your planning is paying off. Make sure that the Producer / Director and the cast are aware that it might not be possible to run the play straight through, because you need to fine-tune a critical set change or re-time a costume change. Use a stop-watch to get the feel for the timings.

During a recent performance of Steel Magnolias, I had six people changing their costumes, just off stage during a set change with the tabs closed. There were just 45 seconds when the tabs were closed, to get all the actors off-stage and into the hands of their dressers, while I supervised a fairly simple set change, then marshalled the cast back on-stage again. I counted the seconds – every time. The first time, it was a disaster. There just was not enough time to get everyone back on stage again in the 45 seconds. I couldn’t ask for more time, because the audience would have started to get restless, looking at closed tabs.

So, with the approval of the Director, I made the actors and crew go through this particular scene change 5 or 6 times. They hated me but, in the end, it was the slickest show. Come the performances, we had 5 seconds in hand – the actors could be in place and calm down - and I could congratulate my crew on a job well done. I often find it helpful to count tight timings like that, out loud, especially if all of the crew are in radio contact.

Showtime

During the performances, the Stage Manager is in control. The Director has done their job – now it’s all up to you. The play’s success is in your hands. Get to the theatre early – very early. Have a list of everyone involved, on-stage, back-stage and front of house. Get everyone to sign a Fire List when they arrive, and keep that list in plain view on your table.

Have some bottles of water and plastic tumblers on your table, as well. Perhaps, also, have a box of tissues and some small mints. Anything you can do, in fact, to make the actors feel more comfortable.

Check the set – time and again. Is everything there? Then walk it again, with your Props Supervisor. They might spot something out of place.

Check the crew. Are they all in place and comfortable with their tasks?

Check the cast. Have they got everything they need? Are all the personal props on the table by the correct entrance and are they clearly marked. I have used masking tape to mark a grid on the props tables, with the props for each character being assigned an area. It helps keep things in place for entrances and exits. Don’t let an actor leave the back-stage area with a prop. When not on stage, the props must live on your props tables. That way you don’t loose track of them.

Give the cast plenty of time calls – but don’t make a big thing about it. Fifteen minutes, ten and five are enough.

Concentrate – right through the performance. OK, so you have been through the show 173 times, in rehearsal. So what? You mustn’t wander off once the performance starts, thinking it will all take care of itself. Perhaps it will – perhaps it won’t. Be there, whatever happens.

Finally, enjoy a job well done. When the cast have taken their curtain calls – you did give them enough time for their curtain calls, didn’t you? – take the time to thank and congratulate your crew. They worked just as hard as the folks on stage.

Working in black might not be as glamorous as acting – but it can be just as rewarding.

Don't forget to turn of the lights when you leave the theatre!