No matter what youre looking for or where you are in the world, our global marketplace of sellers can help you find unique and affordable options. See more ideas about teaching theatre, stage and theatre stage. Stage managers are sometimes referred to as god because of the role they play during tech. It contains all the information a stage manager, substitute, or assistant would need to know in hardcopy form. This role is likely the most different in scope in comparison to musical theatre. The stage manager is the first line of communication and serves as the hub that holds the different disciplines together. The event was first established in 20 by the stage management association, to. How to make a prompt book resources for stage managers. The actorstage manager relationship during tech is much removed from the rehearsal conditions. I mostly work on events, concerts, and galas around nyc, and have an extensive resume in offbroadway musicals and plays, readings, and festivals. Traditional and new methods for running a show from first rehearsal to last performance kindle edition by thomas a. Pages in category stage managers the following pages are in this category, out of total. Accept responsibility keep their cool keep their eyes and ears open and know when to share their opinions. Although a formal education is not a requirement to become a stage manager, earning a bachelors degree in theater is.
For a refresher on the characteristics of a good stage manager, take a look at the book stage management by lawrence stern. Compare three samples of the following types of forms used by stage managers. The stage manager book is perhaps the most important thing to a. Stage managing is the best way to learn firsthand everything it takes to put together a show. Beelzebub has a devil put aside for meeee, for meeee, for mee 2 3 4. Here is my list of top 5 theatre and stage management books. The information in the prompt book also allows the stage manager to run the technical rehearsals, calling each technical cue in turn to determine precisely how it needs to be timed to. Stage managers from around the world are being celebrated as part of international stage management day. Choose styles that clearly indicate specific advantages or disadvantages of each document. Stage managers responsibilities linkedin slideshare. The njact outstanding stage management award recognizes and celebrates a stage manager who showed special adeptness at organizing schedules, calling cues, rallying actors, and any. Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and oneofakind products and gifts related to your search. The prompt book, often known as the bible of the show, is a crucial tool.
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 that go together to provide effective results. All the relationships are important, but perhaps the most essential is the stage managerdirector relationship. The psm should strongly encourage actors to put their name in their copy of the script. It essentially provides a virtual running cue sheet with an info view for artists currently on stage. However they organize it, the stage managers kit goes wherever he does. They are looking for well organized, clean blocking if you can add diagrams that always makes a good impression, they are looking for a clean calling script that is well maintained and easy to follow. No single book can ever completely encompass the possible permutations and idiosyncrasies of production that a stage manager navigates on a regular basis. The term stage manager, as with the term director came later in the process, long after people had.
Start running through acts 2 and 3 thursday and friday. On a side note i recently put together a new prompt script for a show that read more theatre. Actor packets are a courtesy that stage managers put together for actors on the first day. In this stage the team members are testing each other and the project manager and exploring where they fit in to the project. The key stage management positions are stage manager sm and assistant. But for the most part, designers, business managers, and software developers appear to be unaware of practices and thinking about process in the other disciplines. To connect stage managers on a national basis, the sma has created a cohort of vice regional representatives across the country. For more forms and helpful articles, please visit the stage managers toolkit 2011 production contact form. The member of stage management often the dsm cueing the show is said to. Additionally, the stage managers toolkit provides a good overview of stage management for interested nonspecialist staff and faculty members who teach or supervise young stage managers.
Stage management handbook wvu theatre west virginia. Outline the change you purpose and the reason for this proposal. The stage manager is wilders unique, multipurpose invention a part which he himself played on the stage many times. In addition, our international committee is populated with over a dozen stage manager organizations across six continents. Travis blackwell is a stage manager for theatre, opera, and special events. Start to build your prompt book also known as production book. See more ideas about stage crew, stage and theatre quotes. The stage manager has some crossover between the tech crew and the actors. Company manager may be working with more than one company stage manager. The book outlines the duties of the stage manager and assistant stage manager throughout a production, discussing not only what to do but why. Stage managers do make coffee is an article written by carissa dollar that is often used as a text book for beginning stage managers and is free online. Lets look at the role of the project manager in each stage, as well as explore each stage in more detail. Stage management is the central point of communication between the rehearsal room and all other rsc departments. In rehearsals the stage manager also records all blocking, plus all the light, sound and set change cues, in a master copy of the script called the prompt book.
Thispacketgivesageneraloverviewofthedutiesrequiredofastagemanagertobeusedasareference guideforthosewishingto. Alright, back to some of my favorite topics on what stage managers really do. Lefthanded stage managers tend to prefer the opposite layout as its easier for them to write that way. These two positions involve support for both the director and the producers. Team members are worried about how they fit in with the others and how their capabilities and skills compare. The stage manager functions in opposition to the traditional attempt of drama to convince the audience that it is a part of the action onstage. Before the job of the stage manager was handled by actormanagers or theatremanagers, later directormanagers. Stage managers 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. We want you to fully enjoy your involvement and to give you guidance as you take on this very important role within the production. The five stages of team development and the role of the. The stage managers are far away, and sometimes can only communicate via email, god micintercom, or briefly in passing. Trish causey is a resident blogger at theatreface and has written a series on the role of the stage manager. The back stage guide to stage management, 3rd edition.
His eight points explain perfectly what makes a good stage manager the best. Samples should show how the same information can be organized in three distinct ways. Stay connected to your students with prezi video, now in microsoft teams. My personal style has evolved a lot over the past seven.
In addition to tracking all of the backstage production elements, assistant stage managers cue entrances for performers, and may fill in for anyone missing from a given rehearsal for blocking purposes. Stage management may encompass a variety of activities including the overseeing of the rehearsal process and coordinating communications among various production teams and personnel. 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. How to prepare a stage managers prompt book theatrefolk. Prompts the actors precisely and corrects mistakes to the extent that the director wishes. Welcome to the website of katie kavett, freelance equity stage manager. Recognizing and celebrating nj community theater for 40 years. Stage management handbook v4 home school of theatre. Most stage managers will actually holepunch the pages on the wrong side down the right side of the page so that they have the script on the left side of the binder and a blank page for making notes on the right side. Angela mitchell is a writer, columnist, and book author who has promoted theatres, studios, and artists through her own pr firm since 1995. The stage managers toolkit provides a comprehensive account of the role of the stage manager for live theatre with a focus on both written and verbal communication best practices.
The prompt book or show bible is a master copy of the script and contains. If you would like to propose a revision to this handbook, please email the production manager. Stage managers are involved in many aspects of a live theatrical production. The prompt book is the master copy of the script or score, containing all the actor.
On a side note i recently put together a new prompt script for a. Follow these steps and your stage manager will be ready to go in no time. I made my broadway debut in 20 as a production assistant for mtcs broadway production of the snow geese, and in. Everyone on the production are paid by the payment scales set by the equity union such as pact, caea the more the production earns, the more money everyone earns.
The key stage management positions are stage manager sm and assistant stage manager asm. A primer for performing arts stage managers emily roth. Records in stage managers book all blocking, intentional pauses, stage business, and all light, sound, music, special effects, and curtain cues, etc. Stage management is a broad field that is generally defined as the practice of organization and coordination of an event or theatrical production. Other stage managers remembered less detailed changeouts, sometimes involving a toss of a wig to an understudy or a cast swapout behind an onstage set piece near the wings. If a rehearsal schedule was not previously done, it should be put together. The stage manager is the renaissance man of the theater. He or she must have a working knowledge of how the various technical aspects of the theater work scenery, props, costumes, lights and sound, be part director, part playwright, part designer and part producer, and be prepared to act as confidant, counselor and confessor to everyone else in the company. They may also move the office supplies into a briefcase or office bag. The view from prompt side a stage managers perspective. It provides those just starting out in the profession with a solid grounding in theatre stage management practices and procedures.
Actors equity association defines it as, the accurate playing text and stage business, together. This popular book describes in detail a stage managers job. Hole punch the pages and put them into a large threering binder. Stage manager is meant to help stage usage managing between cues artists in venues consisting of multiple events rehearsal, performance etc. An organization that represents professional actors and stage managers, setting rules, guidelines, and standards of the work ethics and pay scales within the business of theatre ellipsoidal a lighting instrument that is tube like and has dimming shutters, having two lenses and gives a full area of bright light. Stage manager duties, education requirements and career info. The stage manager is often described as being the glue of any production, the person who always knows whats going on, where its happening, and how things are actually progressing. 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. Blocking is another one of those things that every stage manager does a bit differently.