Playbill: Audience members may spend one short day in Oz on their trip to Wicked, but longtime production stage manager Marybeth Abel’s exquisite visit has stretched on for 15 years.
“It is incredible!” Abel states emphatically, referring to the length of her tenure. “I was on the original Les Misérables, and I did 13 years on that show. I was fortunate enough to also be the production supervisor, so I handled all of the North American companies of Les Misérables. I've been here 15 years.”
4 comments:
I had no idea that it was even possible for stage managers to work on the same show for that many years. That’s incredible. I guess it makes sense, knowing how long Wicked has been around. Somebody has to stage manage the show, and it is easier having someone who is experienced with it and has been there since the beginning. I guess I just thought that managers would get bored and want to go on to do the next project and someone else would take their spot. I clearly was very wrong with that assumption. It’s amazing how Abel was so connected to the show that she didn’t want to leave, even though she originally planned to after just one year. It was also exciting to learn that she got her start by working at the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera, which is an organization that I’ve been hearing a lot about in class as a place that CMU students can work at. It makes it seem like this kind of success is a lot more attainable to reach.
I found this article so fun to read! Marybeth Abel seems like such a refreshing individual and it was so great to read about her connection with Pittsburgh CLO. How she took the risk to pursue stage management and move to New York was really inspiring. While I’m uncertain on where stage management exists in my future, the idea of working on one musical for a long period is exciting to me. Watching a show grow and develop overtime is truly satisfying. Managing the routine of a Broadway show seems like a difficult, but also, fulfilling career. I loved the quote, “ In many ways, Abel is something of a shadow director, passing on the years of experience she has to every new cast member.” So often, the artistic side of stage management is not discussed. While highly logistical, stage managers still need to have the creative communication skills to get the message of a director across. I’m taking note on how Abel focuses on conveying the language and dramaturgy of a show during rehearsals; I’ve never heard put-ins phrased in that way and I really liked it.
This article really made me think about my life in the future especially in regards to stage management. I am someone who needs consistent change in my life, typically around every three to five years. I cannot imagine doing the same job for fifteen years. Although I love stage management, and the beauty of theatre is that it is different every night, I truly think it would be too similar to dedicate that much of my life to one story. The other thing this article made me think about was how, there are only four stage managers on this particular production and if one out of four of these managers had been on the show for fifteen years, how many opportunities are there to ‘get in’ as a manager on broadway. It is always said that nobody makes it as a performer, however there are often 35 people associated with the cast in a production like Wicked, and those casts are constantly changing, most people do not stay with one production for more than a few years. The difference is very interesting to me and it is something to think about for me, looking into careers in the future.
What I think is so special about this story is the beginning. Her family encouraged her to pursue this career even when she was working towards doing something more “stable” which is a reverse of what we typically see. I think this viewpoint is refreshing. Another aspect here is how other members of the community encouraged Abel to move and helped her find a place to live and jobs to support herself. This is the perfect example of good people helping other good people that they meet along the way. I personally had the opportunity to work with Susan Schulman this summer. She is a true theatre icon and visionary and Abel’s story is not unique in the way that Schulman inspires people. But back to good people helping good people, Abel was able to survive in the industry because she is a person that people overall enjoy working with and for which is such an important quality as a stage manager. A stage manager needs to be a person that others feel comfortable turning to and love to work with. It seems to be the best and really only, way to survive in the industry.
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