StageLync: If it’s a new work, next would be the playwright or composer and if it’s a musical, the choreographer and musical director. Next would come the designers; the set designer, costume designer, lighting designer, sound designer, possibly a video or projection designer. Then you might include the cast, especially if it’s an ensemble work. But if I was to ask you if you considered the stage manager to be a ‘Creative’, what would you say? Many would answer no, although they would acknowledge that the stage manager is essential to any theatre production.
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I agree with the ultimate opinion of this article that anyone involved in a theatrical production has at least some creative contribution to it. What I love about stage management is the fact that it exists at that ambiguous intersection between creativity and function. You get to be in the room and be a part of the actual script coming to life, but also work on the outside and coordinate between departments to make sure the logistics are running smoothly. I definitely exercise creative parts of my brain when I stage manage, and like the article says, sometimes stage managers are used as a sounding board and have to have an understanding of the creative elements of the director’s and designers’ visions. So the question isn’t whether stage management is a creative position, but how much the stage manager’s role contributes to the creative composition of the show, or whether it does at all.
This is a more difficult question to put a direct answer on, however I think the article does a pretty good job of answering it; it really depends. In my opinion the role of a stage manager is not inherently creative, however depending on the situation they can become one. A good understanding of theatrical design as well as blocking are fantastic skills for a stage manager to have, however I wouldn’t consider them to be a skill required for the job. It really comes down to the time and place in which a stage manager’s creative skills could be of use, and it really isn’t up to the stage manager to decide to voice their opinion or creative design input, it has to be asked for. I always find it infuriating when someone comments or critiques a choice or aspect of my design completely unprompted unless there is a genuine flaw in how the production will run.
I think this article sums up the argument pretty well. It really does depend on each production whether the stage manager is a creative or not. Every director is different, every show’s process is different, and every stage manager is different. No two people will have the exact same way of doing things and likewise, no two stage managers will thread the line between functional and creative in the same way. Personally, I like to be involved in the creative process and would consider myself to be a creative in some circumstances. However, this will always be dependent on the director and the rest of the creative team. Some directors I’ve worked with have wanted stage management’s input when it comes to creative decisions and some have not. While the core job of the stage manager is to keep the rehearsal room and the show running in a functional manner, it is up to the stage manager and the director to determine how involved the stage manager will be beyond that.
This article does a very good job with the nuances of this question, and I tend to agree with its conclusion that it depends on the person and the production. Something else to think about is that often stage managers, especially in smaller productions, are responsible for creating the environment the rest of the production is working and creating in, which could either promote creativity or inhibit it, or a combination thereof, depending on how it is done. In this way, another point in this discussion could be that stage managers often foster the creation of others. Interestingly, it seems in most college programs, people going into stage management receive much of the same base training as designers, and they often also have a creative eye and creative ideas. What’s compelling to me is that the creativity of stage management is often used to support the creativity of others, a kind of selfless creativity.
In this article they mention that when the production is passed on to the SM they become responsible for maintaining the “artistic integrity” of the production. I think that this idea cements the stage manager into an inherently creative role. Throughout the production they have to gain an understanding of the director and their vision. So later on in the production if quick decisions need to be made they can make an artistic decision that matches the director's vision. Also I truly believe that finding a way to communicate with people through paperwork in a concise and informative manner takes so much creativity. Many people don't enjoy reading pages of information that they need to know but stage managers find a way to successfully keep everyone on the same page with up to date information. The stage manager doesn't necessarily have to be creative every single day of a production but they have to understand and use their creativity in unseen and unique ways.
I have always chosen the stance that stage managers are creatives in their own right. Having to come up with creative solutions to problems and questions requires a certain amount of thoughtfulness, more than just the baseline. Stage managers all fulfill (mostly) the same duties, but you'll never meet two SMs who do them the same. Everyone has their own system and way of doing things that make sense to them and their production. Looking at the bare bones of what a stage manager is, being so deeply involved in the creative process in the rehearsal room answering questions, seeing the material come to life helps grow some of their own talent and informs their decision making. That being said it also really can depend on a director if they want that kind of input from their stage manager. Having a creative inclination is also not a requirement but certainly helps a stage manager along the way, but I can only imagine that spending so many hours in a process would grow that strength over time.
In the case of a professional stage manager, there is no wrong answer to whether they are functionary or creative. I think it really depends on what they know, what they’re bringing to the show, the scale of the show, and what the dynamic of the project is. Depending on the directors needs and the rest of the creative team, the stage manager might be a tad more involved in the creative side than usual, but if they aren’t as familiar with lighting, sound, costumes, and scenic, they might be more functionary than creative. Regardless of these two sides, the stage manager must still maintain the artistic vision, integrity, and message of the show. In summary, this article posed a really interesting question and brought up important questions. I think a stage manager can be functional or creative, it just really depends on their background and the current project they’re working on.
As someone who primarily stage managed in high school, I would say I definitely had my fair share of being part of the creative process, so in this manner, I would say completely viewed as creatives. Even though I might be calling cues and trying to get all my work done for shows, there are still many times when a director or lighting designer has asked for my opinions on certain aspects of the production, but that also comes with being well rounded in the theater as well. I think if you’re genuinely educated in all aspects of theater and are capable of doing all jobs, then you're more likely to be viewed as someone who can be trusted with a creative decision. After all, stage management isn't just calling cues; it's recording, blocking, and notes in rehearsal really keep everyone in check. I would overall define it kind of like the mother or father of a theater.
This article really captures the essence of what is a pretty hotly debated topic (at least around folks I know). While everyone has their own stance and opinion on how “creative” stage management is, I’ve always leaned more towards the more creative side of the argument. When I stage managed more I always personally aligned with the functional side philosophically but ended up being creative in practice (I’m not fully sure if that makes sense but I can’t think of a better way to say it). I believe that everything in essence can be creative, and that applies to stage management in a very fundamental way - how you structure paperwork, how you communicate, how you guide a room is fundamentally different for every person, guided by how you individually operate. In the end, I’m sure the solution to this argument is somewhere in the middle of the two, but it’s interesting to consider nonetheless.
Being the stage manager can often fall on both sides of the line of functionality and creativity. What I like about this article is that it doesn’t give a clear cut answer to the question and rather highlights the nuance and scenario dependent roles of a stage manager within a theatre context. From my own experience, being a stage manager means having complete knowledge of the show and then being able to add creative input when prompted or the situation calls for it. When I stage managed a musical for my high school, the director would often turm to me for creative input in a situation or ask for help with blocking a scene in rehearsal. This often came down to the relationship I had with the director and less of the role that the stage manager has. In this case, creative input was asked of the stage manager and I was able to give it, but other scenarios would ask the stage manager to only be concerned with the run of the show and production. In general, the article made a good point by illustrating the ways that a stage manager could help with the creative process as well as their role in production.
This is such an interesting article that does a really good job of explaining both sides of this debate. And it's a mental exercise that every Stage Manager has to take on. What I took away from this article was that the Stage Manager is a role that requires a creative person. But isn't always 'a creative'. To me, 'creatives' are the designers and directors. They are the ones who have to go through their ~innermost thoughts and emotions~ and get fancy with shaping the world of the show. But consider the lighting manager. And the sound engineer. The programmers. Are they creatives? I believe Stage Managers are in a similar position. They have to be a creative person in order to fulfill their many responsibilities, but I put them in their own category, that I feel more accurately acknowledges what they do.
After reading this article and having wondered this myself, I would argue that in conception, a Stage Manager is a Functionary role but that creative input and creative knowledge or intuition is incredibly helpful and sometimes necessary to be able to properly carry out their functionary role. I believe this because the responsibilities of a stage manager are to run an effective rehearsal room and communicate the happenings of the rehearsal room to the rest of the production, but since the work they are managing is all creative, having a better understanding of these creative components and being able to contribute to these conversations is essential to carrying out the functionary role. This is especially true during the run of a show as the Stage Manager is the primary person to maintain the artistic integrity of the show, and having the creative knowledge to understand certain production problems often is a key skill to have in resolving these issues. I feel a similar useful distinction is that of Production Managers and the technical skill required to be a Production Manager. Similarly, you don’t need to know how exactly a set is built or loaded in as you care moreso about the overall efficiency of the production and if you can realistically achieve a certain set of goals, but having the technical knowledge to properly work with and through problems with your team proves to be invaluable to carrying out a Production Managers duties.
As someone who has been a stage manager throughout my 4 years of high school, it is interesting to learn about the role in a professional setting. I am unsure on what category I think the role of stage manager falls within, but I also know that there is a lot that the stage manager does in a production. Maybe the stage manager doesn’t have to be counted as functionary or creative maybe they can be both, shifting their position to fit the task at hand. This article made me rethink how we categorize roles in a production when we don't necessarily have to, maybe it would be easier if we didn’t try to fit each job into a certain framework and just let the flexible nature of theater allow for a flexible workforce that can shift when the work requires it.
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