Job Description of a Theatre Stage Manager
The director casts the artistic vision for a live production and the stage manager maintains the vision. As it says on the website of the Stage Managers' Association, the stage manager is "the eyes and ears of the production." The stage manager is a key member of the backstage team who has specific duties during rehearsals and performances.
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Responsibilities
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During rehearsal, the stage manager takes careful notes on what the director says, maintains order, creates schedules and cues actors who forget lines. During performances, the stage manager ensures that all actors and staff report to the theater on time and decides when an understudy will go on. He "calls" the show by cueing each technical change. Between performances, the stage manager gives notes to actors who make mistakes and holds rehearsals as needed. If the show is a musical, he coordinates rehearsals for the dance captain and musical director when they need to work with the cast.
Education and Experience
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There are no official education requirements for a stage manager although many have a degree in theater or a related field. Stage managers start by working on productions at schools and community theaters and work their way up into professional productions. Stage managers may work as an assistant stage manager to gain experience. Stage managers on Broadway and at other professional theaters must join Actor's Equity Association, the same union that represents professional stage actors.
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Other Qualifications
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A stage manager must be extremely responsible and organized. She should have excellent skills in leadership, negotiation and communication. She must manage her own time as well as oversee the schedules of others. She must pay special attention to detail and maintain concentration throughout each performance of a show. She must stay calm in emergencies and solve problems efficiently.
Time Commitment
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Although some stage managers work directly for a theater, most stage managers are associated with a particular production. During rehearsals, stage managers work long hours as they attend every rehearsal and production meeting. During performances, stage managers must arrive an hour or more before the performance and remain at the theater until after the performance. Most shows run on evenings and weekends.
Stage managers run rehearsals for understudies and replacement actors at certain times during the day. The length of the commitment depends upon the length of the show's run. Some professional productions have open runs and give performances eight times a week for years. Other shows run as few as one performance.
Job Outlook and Salary
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The United States Bureau of Labor Statistics does not maintain separate data for stage managers, but a related job category of actors, directors and producers is expected to grow by about eleven percent by 2018. The website Pay Scale reports that Stage Managers for live performances or events made between $27,340 and $50,798 in 2010.
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References
- Photo Credit seats image by Snezana Skundric from Fotolia.com
