New School.

My drama teacher in high school assigned us a blog project where we had to read a theater-related book and blog every Sunday about something we read or a topic she assigned to us for that week. For this blog assignment, I decided to pull up the abandoned blog and add on to it, rather than make a new one.

Enjoy :)

Disagree.

In the real world of grown actors where the stage manager's authority goes unquestioned most of the time, it's suitable for the stage manager to go out of his or her way to make a show-oriented environment for the actors when they cannot do so themselves. In high school, however, because the stage manager doubles as just another drama student along with other student actors, his or her work for a show often goes taken for granted, questioned, and all too often, not adhered to. Kelly points out a bunch of little hospitality things stage managers could do to make a more show-oriented atmosphere during rehearsals, such as play music or set up the green room in the style or tone of the show to help the actors get into character and ready for rehearsal. He's even make the suggestion of having the stage manager be the one to make break-time food runs for the company. While I completely agree that the stage manager should make the rehearsal space and time hospitable for everyone involved, it wouldn't work in a high school setting. Because each student has an equal place in classes, including theater classes, so there's no differentiation in authority between students, only differentiations between jobs each student holds for a show. With that said, because the stage manager is just another student, others tend to rely on their quasi-friendships with the stage manager and expect slack cut just for them, when in the real world, they'd be kicked out of a show. As of right now, none of us know how we'll manage in theater's real world, but it certainly won't be like high school.

Untitled, Round Two.

In the midst of college applications, scholarship applications, and deciding what I want to do for the rest of my life (nerve wrecking, much?), the first thing I write down as my major is either "Stage Management" or "Technical Theater". In middle school when our counselors began to lecture about preparing for high school and college, I sat there and thought to myself, "Stage management...what else is there?" Until that moment, I hadn't really given thought to any other possible profession outside of theater. Even today, I don't really see myself working in any other field. Theater has been my passion since the 4th grade, and that feeling has never changed. I found stage management because I was a 4th grader too scared to audition for Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Still wanting to help, I asked the teacher what I could do, and after a thoughtful pause, she said "Be my assistant." Neither of us knew then what effect that opportunity had would have on me for the rest of my middle school, high school, and soon-to-be college and professional career. I thank her every day for being the one to initially trust me and allow me to act as a key component to her first major production. I am so incredibly grateful to her in every production I've been a part of since then. I remind myself before every show, "I'm here because she believed in a 9-year-old girl way back when, and look where that 9-year-old girl is now," and I smile.

Untitled, Round One.

I had no idea how much paperwork goes into being a stage manager. Kelly seems to have made lists and charts for just about everything imaginable. I also had no idea how much running around the stage manager does before tech week, acting as the communicator between all of the show's departments. It seems like the stage manager is mandated to be the one who always has their act together, knows what's going on, remains unbiased, and keeps an organized heir about themselves when everyone else seems to create chaos. I'm just really surprised at how one person is expected to stay so calm in the midst of such pandemonium. But, that's my job. Or, will be my job, someday. I'm not afraid of the career I've chosen, but I'm certainly not prepared for it. The assistant directors in our productions at school do half the things a real stage manager should do, which worries me when I get to the real world, since I've grown accustomed to only carrying half the load. I just need to remind myself that I can only grow from where I am now. I will gain more patience, organization, and levelheadedness as I continue with my study.

What it Recommended.

      So I open the book, the first thing Kelly clarifies in his first chapter is that no complete definition of a stage manager, or a complete list of duties a stage manager fulfills for every show. Of course there's taking down cue notes, calling cues, and making sure everyone involved in the production is content and under control, and taking charge of the show before, during, and after the night's run, checking, double checking, and triple checking each department's progress as the show draws nearer. I've summarized for myself that the stage manager is the invisible force that holds a show together and keeps everyone under control, without being too overbearing.
      So my next thought is, "Well, if there's no clear definition and just a wavering list of tasks, then what else can I do to better what I'm doing now?" The succeeding chapters mention and reiterate the importance of paperwork and keeping everything written down. I already do that in writing blocking, tech notes, cues, and such. However, I never thought that so many charts and lists would need to be made to keep an organized prompt book. So the first thing I thought of was how to incorporate that into what I already do. I thought of my drama class and the people I interact with everyday, 3 hours a day, and then some.
      And so the attendance sheet was born. I came up with the idea and discussed it with the director, who ended up stating it a mandatory protocol for the cast of our upcoming show, and our 7th period class. It is the stage manager's job to see to it that people sign in everyday, and let both myself and the director know where they are so time isn't wasted. It's worked pretty well so far, and I'll keep up with it during our shows through til the end of the year.

The Book.

                                       There are a few reasons why I chose this book. First, I stage manage. Second, this was the only book with a subject anywhere remotely close to what I do in theater on the Border's bookshelf amidst the acting guides, monologue books, scripts, Shakespeare plays, and Shakespeare play translations. Third, I figured that I might never again find a book as helpful and insightful as this one on a June afternoon whim. I've already learned a lot about my job from actually performing stage managerial duties during school and conservatory shows, but I have yet to shadow a professional stage manager or fully grasp a solid, professional technique and method to this madness for myself. 

I want to find the full definition of a stage manager, what kind of person a stage manager should be, and a full detailed list of what duties a stage manager should execute before, during, and after every run of a show. I want to know how I should organize myself and who I should be in communication with. When the director is absent or running late, what should I be in charge of? What paperwork should I be in charge of making, keeping, or sending out? How involved should I be in each aspect of the show? What is the best way I can organize myself and my prompt book? These are all questions I've had for a long while and have never really been able to answer. I know there's way more to being a stage manager than calling cues during a show. I chose this book to better myself and my methods as a stage manager now, and in the future.