Stage Directions: On this International Stage Managers Day (October 10th or 10/10 to use the British shorthand for Tech like the American 10-out-of-12), we honor stage managers. I will never turn down a gift of chocolate and, although I will squirm and potentially blush when receiving praise, it does make me feel good to hear that another artist appreciates my work.
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I love theatre centric memes because I find them so funny but they only make sense to a very small number of people. Speaking of memes, one of my favorites about stage managers is "Being a stage manager is as easy as riding a bike except the bike is on fire, and you're on fire, and everything's on fire, and you're in hell." That is literally what a stage manager must handle. They have to balance so many responsibilities and are at the heart of every production so they must be appreciated. They have the hard job of being everyone's friend but also being the voice of authority and being in charge but also knowing when to hand over authority to someone else; it's a huge juggling act. I think the most important quality of a good stage manager is the ability to predict the needs of others. By doing this, they are able to prepare for and be ready for all possibilities therefore keeping everyone in the process happy. But this is a huge expectation. We basically want our managers to be superheroes who can read minds and predict the future and, oh yeah, have superb organization skills.
I never really thought about that a stage manager lives by a code of honor, but it is very true. Stage managers are trusted with a lot of information and responsibility that is not given to many other people. Even if you do not know your stage manger very well personally, you usually trust them very early on in the process with information and that they will be there for you. As a stage manager I often take for granted or do not always realize the amount of information I am trusted with or that it is not like other normal jobs. I really liked the line “we somehow both report and correct any mistakes made by the performers while at the same time advocate for their benefit. “ This is saying that we are there to make sure the performers are doing their jobs properly, are there to help correct things they do wrong, and doing our best to make things as smooth and painless for them as we can.
I think it's very interesting to hear someone else talk about what a stage manager is and does, since it is not something I am normally on the receiving end of. Generally I am stuck answering the age old question of "So... what do you actually do?" That being said, I really enjoyed reading this article. I really like the idea of stage managers holding a code of honor, and while it is something I have never specifically thought about, I definitely agree with it. So much trust is put in the hand of the stage manager. The article mentions how the stage manager is often trusted with the fears and worries of everyone, since ideally the entire team feels comfortable talking to the stage manager and confiding in them. The stage manager is responsible for communicating some of these issues to others, and then other times just being a sponge that absorbs the rage and stress of others. I didn't even know stage manager appreciation day was a thing, but I'm glad it is!
I was really tickled by the author's take on a stage manager: "Many fields produce hyper-organized professionals. Many businesses rely on time management gurus. Many industries employ quality-control experts. But where else but in the performing arts do all of these skills come together in a person whose very employment is the apex of conflict. The stage manager works tirelessly to ensure the director’s vision but is hired by the producer and serves as the official liaison of the performers. We are not the director’s assistant we are the director’s representative, we are not the producer’s representative when it comes to contracts but we maintain both quality and efficiency, and we somehow both report and correct any mistakes made by the performers while at the same time advocate for their benefit. For anyone else, these could be conflicts of interest, but everyone accepts a stage manager in this role due to our sense of honor." The idea that our employment is "the apex of conflict" is quite a tagline, and I'd like to work that into a business card somehow. On a more serious note, the idea that "Our authority is derived from the trust that we earn from our teams. When we have that trust, we can navigate through very problematic relationships with tact and diplomacy" is a critical point about stage management. Honor or whatever you want to call it really stems from trust. Being able to inspire trust in others is a huge part of this job, and in order to do it well, you have to build relationships with those you are working with so that you can head into the "apex of conflict" and come out the other side with a solution and a high quality product.
This wonderful unofficial day reminds us to thank those that have to put up with all of the random crap from both ends during productions. They are charged with taking all the crazy demands from all sides and helping to make sense of it on stage. I have worked with many stage managers in my day, but I have worked only with a few that I would call truly incredible. Those that both are able to create and enjoy humor, and are yet able to command a room and get the job done, command my uttermost respect. It wouldn’t surprise me if stage managers created this on their own and posted it on the call board and it is now the law and accepted by all. Most of the writing in this article is a little thin and assumptive at times, is all meant and spoken with the good honest intent behind it.
I have always loved the responsibility that a Stage Manager is trusted with. At first, this assumed responsibility to run everything smoothly was daunting, but I have grown to want it and use it to make the project a successful one. There have been several instances not even in theater in which I have come into the situation and been given the responsibility of making the final product a good one. I love that my education is giving me the skills and confidence to go into a project and thrive off the responsibility. Stage Managers are a special kind of breed and Every one I have met has taught me something handy that I keep in my tool box. It is true that with no respect from those you lead, a Stage Manager can become pretty ineffective, but in theater they are respected. Everyone understands that it takes a certain person to do/enjoy this job.
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