Previously I wrote a blog giving a rundown on how to be a stage manager, but this time I thought I would show you. I recently was the stage manager for my university’s production of the play Third and Oak: The Laundromat by Marsha Norman. Here is a look at opening night and what it is like to run a college show as a stage manager.
5:30pm Time I get to the theater building and down to the Cave theater. Also plenty of time to run across the street and get some coffee before the crew gets here. But first, I have to unlock the theater including the prop box, sound cabinet, and lighting cabinet. Then I turn on the house lights and unlock the dressing room.
6:00pm (Crew Called) We start by sweeping the stage and setting up the stage. Since our show takes place in a laundromat, this includes the added luxury of pushing two washers and dryers onstage every night (they are not light). Then the crew sets up the light and sound boards while I get the dressing room set up and props/costumes laid out before the actors get here.
6:15pm (Actors Called) After they arrive, I check the Callboard to make sure everyone is signed in. Also with the sign in sheet, the callboard contains all the information the actors/crew might need to know for the show that day (Daily Call, Production Calendar, etc.).
6:30pm (Light/Sound Check) This is when the crew and I go through each and every sound and light cue to make sure everything is ready for the show. This includes checking volume levels, speakers, and seeing if the boards are working like they should. Finding out a light is broken or a sound cue won’t play is definitely something we want to do before the curtain goes up.
6:40pm (Fight Call) Fight call is when the stage manager runs through anything physical in the show, not necessarily just fights. For example, the actress that plays Deedee in our show walks in at the beginning backwards and slips and falls on the “wet floor.” We have to run this before the show each night not only for rehearsal’s sake, but to make sure she is doing it safely to prevent injury.
7:00pm (House Opens) Time for me to make my final rounds around the stage and house to make sure everything is in place and ready. Then I let the house manager know we are ready to open and I go backstage, where the crew starts the pre-show music and goes to the first light cue for house lights. The next half an hour I give the actresses a call every 10 minutes up until show time.
7:30pm (Show Begins) Once I get the OK from the house manager, I call the actors to places (in this show this is important since the actresses enter from the back of the theater). After they are in place, I go backstage and the show begins! It’s important for me to not only be on book and following cues, but also to be listening closely to everything going on on stage. Anything can happen in the world of theater and a stage manager has to be prepared. That’s why they call it “live.”
8:30pm (ish) Show is over! Time to put away the set, props, and costumes back in their rightful place. We also have to check everything back in on the prop list and lock them up in the box. Then, the crew rolls up the cords and places all the sound/lighting equipment back in the cabinets for me to lock up. After final announcements/notes, it’s time to dismiss the crew. I’m the first one to arrive and also the last one to leave the theater every performance. I lock up the greenroom, then do one final check before turning on the ghost light and locking up for the night.
This show was such a joy to work on and I wish we could have run for more than seven performances! It went by so fast! One of the most important things to remember is to build relationships and enjoy your work as a stage manager. I feel like I did a job well done when the cast and crew love coming into work every day and have a smile on their face. You have to find the balance between being a leader and being a friend, but once you find that place the admiration and appreciation you receive back is worth the time and effort you put in a show.