Duties of the Stage Manager

Ohio University

Theater Division’s

Stage Manager’s Handbook

Practices, Procedures and Guidelines

for Students in the MA and BFA Stage Management Program

of the Theater Division at Ohio University

Updated

August 1, 2014

PRIMARY DUTIES OF THE STAGE MANAGER

Work auditions and callbacks every semester

Prepare, set up, and restore rehearsal spaces for regular classroom use

Maintain order in the rehearsal room

Call all rehearsals, technical rehearsals, and performances

Ensure that actors are aware of all costume fittings through rehearsal reports and call board postings

Assemble and maintainthe production prompt book

Keep records of all rehearsals, production meetings, and performances

Prepare and distribute all paperwork to appropriate personnel as well as provide copies to the Production Manager

Schedule all spaces for rehearsals, shows, and meetings in coordination with Production Coordinator (currently Dennis Delaney) and Administrative Assistant (currently Barbara Fiocchi)

Obtain the appropriate keys to lock and unlock all the rooms for which you need access

Create and maintain an online calendar for each production (see example)

THEATER DIVISION GENERAL AUDITIONS

Each semesterthe stage managers are responsible for running auditions and making them proceed in an orderly and organized fashion. Duties include:

1. Before the Audition Date

The Theater Division’s Production Coordinator (currently Dennis Delaney) will provide a master copy of the audition sheets which list each class of MFA and BFA actors alphabetically by class, and which include a small “headshot” for each actor and room for notes.

These audition sheets will need to be copied for each attending director and faculty member.

It will also be necessary to contact the Film Division to discover how many film students will attend the general auditions. A copy of the audition sheets will need to be made for each attending film director.

Copies of the audition forms (this is a different from – it’s the one which the actors fill out and hand back in to the stage managers before the audition) should be made available to actors on the third floor (outside Barbara Fiocchi’s office) in the week prior to general auditions.

1. Set Up

Set up 2-3 tables in the lobby one hour prior to the beginning of auditions, with marked places for the actors to put their audition forms, resumes, and headshots: graduate, seniors, juniors, sophomores, non-majors.

Have a least 100 extra audition forms for the actors. (They will need four, unless told otherwise.)

Have extra pencils and pens on the table for the actors to use.

Have a first aid kit.

3. Actors Arriving

After receiving the completed audition forms from the actor, staple each form to the actor’s headshot and arrange them in alphabetical order by year. Count how many students are in each section and separate them into equal groups (usually 12 to 14 at a time) to be lined up “on deck” ready to audition.

Once in alphabetical order, divide up the audition forms so that you have 4 piles with 1 copy of each actor’s information (audition form/resume/headshot) in it. These packets will go to the directors. There are usually two main stage and two student and/or lab show directors per semester.

4. During Auditions

Four stage managers are required to physically run auditions once they begin. The remaining stage managers monitor the sign-in table and control the noise level of the waiting area. These positions rotate after every break period.

Five minutes before auditions, gather the first group of actors and escort them to the stage door. At the same time, have the lobby monitor deliver the four sets of forms to the directors inside the theater.

In consultation with the Production Coordinator, the auditions may begin. A stage manager inside the theater will time the auditions with a stopwatch provided by stage management. MFA actors and senior/junior level actors are generally allotted 3 minutes to complete two monologues, with timing beginning once they have begun the first piece (their introduction does not count against their time). Sophomores and non-majors are generally allotted 90 seconds for their audition. Once the allotted time has elapsed, politely and in a clear voice call “Time.”

Breaks for auditions are taken every hour and twenty minutes or every two audition groups, whichever comes first. This is determined by the directors and/or the Production Coordinator. Breaks should be 5-7 minutes in length.

5. Miscellaneous Audition Information

Even when asked, do not give out information related to time. You will continually get the question, “How long do you think it will be until my audition?” Do NOT give an answer to this. You can tell them the number of people who are supposed to be in front of them, but remind them that some may not take the full 3 minutes allowed for the monologues and that some people may not be auditioning.

PRE PRODUCTION

Once you find out you are working on a show there is are duties that need to be fulfilled before going into production. First, you will want to read the script simply for pleasure so that you will know and understand the play, not just the technical aspects of it.

1. Getting to Know The Script:

Production Analysis (See example) A Production Analysis is the SM’s first tool in preparing for a show. After you’ve read the play for enjoyment you’ll want to go back through the script and note any specified entrances and exits, costume changes, setting changes, cues relating to lighting, music and sound effects, and props that are specifically mentioned. Next, you should determine if there are any possible issues or questions which need to be addressed from a stage management perspective (i.e. if a character brings on a plate of food does the food need to be real? will it be eaten on stage? how perishable is the item, etc.) One of the most effective ways to do this is to put it into a table format with sections for: Act/scene/page, set, lighting, costumes/make-up, props, sound, special effects, and notes. The information gathered from this will be invaluable when it comes to questions in the first production meeting, when making up scene shift plots, and when keeping track of props.

Plots: Include plots relating to properties, lighting, music and sound effects, scene shifts, quick changes, special effects (fog, mist, fire, etc), projections and/or video, etc.

Character Breakdown: A character breakdown is a chart that tracks when each character appears on stage in the script. It is specified by act and scene as well as by page number. This piece of paperwork will become the backbone of your stage crew’s running list and guide you to understand how many crew members you need and where. Please remember to update it once a week.

1. Meeting with the Director: Once you are informed of the show on which you will be working as a stage manager, you should arrange a meeting with the Director to go over expectations and the way they want rehearsal to be maintained. It is important to cover the following bullet points:

Their intention/vision for the show

Design Team: find out who they are in order to begin to build relationships with the rest of your production team

Type of Show: Main Stage, Studio Show, Lab Show

• Main Stage: Fully supported Theater Division show with designers and practicum students assigned to the show. Usually performed in the Baker Theater or the Forum.
• Studio Show: Supported Theater Division show with designers and practicum students assigned but with a budget that is considerably smaller than a mainstage show. These shows are sometimes performed in the Hahne Studio Theater, but have lately been slotted for the Baker or the Forum, but with a more limited production footprint.
• Lab Show: Unsupported show being performed in a Theater Division space with Theater Division students. These are no-budget shows, directed either by faculty or students, with actors and support staff who are on a strictly volunteer basis, and performed in whatever space is available.

Cast (Cast lists are posted by the Production Coordinator, usually within 48 hours of the final callbacks.)

How often they want to take breaks (5 minutes after 55minutes or 10 minutes after 80 minutes)

How they want to be warned about breaks

How they schedule rehearsals

How they want rewrites handled if there are rewrites

How long they expect to do table work

How they want line notes taken

Off book dates

How specific they want blocking taken

What rehearsal props, furniture, costumes and music do they want and when

How they want production meetings run

Expectations for technical and dress rehearsals. (Please note: this issue will need to be discussed in a production meeting prior to tech with the design team.)

1. Gathering and Distributing Information

The following items slightly overlap with items that need to be completed once you go into production. However, the sooner you get these items completed and distributed, the easier your job will be.

Number of scripts required (in consultation with the Production Coordinator)

Contact Sheets: Name, position, phone contact, up-to-date e-mail contact information (You can pass a piece of paper around for people to give you information when you drop into a design meeting or at your first production meeting. Do not feel that your list needs to be “complete” before you start distributing this information. You may need to update this more than once.)

Permission to share contact information from the cast and crew

Actor Schedules: Copies go to the costume shop

Bios from actors, designers, directors, stage managers, shop heads: Given to the Publicity Head. It is recommended that you take time to do this on the first day of rehearsal.

MAINSTAGE PRODUCTIONS

The largest productions presented in the Theater Division are referred to as MainStage productions. These are fully supported shows, which means they will have all designers, a master electrician, a props master, prep and run crews, and a stage management team (made up of a Production Stage Manager and at least one Assistant Stage Manager) assigned to the show. The run crew will include both light and sound board operators. Main Stage productions generally have priority over all other shows in the Theater Division.

It is stage management’s responsibility to collect program bios from the cast as well as the production staff, and to collect crew lists, cast list, and “special thanks” for publicity. Coordinate with the publicity head on when they want this information, then try to collect it all by about a week before it is due. Make sure to ask them the word length for the bios as well. Once a rough draft of the program is put together, take it around to the shops on rounds and have them look over it and make any changes.

Main Stage productions will typically have a reception after opening night. The stage manager is not responsible for this.

Strike and pre-strike assignments are also part of your duties when working on a mainstage. Here is the section of the Actor’s Handbook that is relevant to strike and actors: “All members of the cast are required to participate in strike for four hours. The date of strike is listed on the production calendar. Strike assignments will be posted before the last performance. Actors will wear appropriate clothing to strike. This is clothing that can get dirty, and can be worked in comfortably. Actors will also wear closed toe shoes.” Pre-strike needs are determined on a case-by-case basis, and actors may not be required to attend pre-strike.

Find out if actors have a preference of department to work. The departments that are assigned are: Costumes, Electrics, Props, Set. With smaller casts, try to get at least one person working for each department. For larger casts, assign more people to the departments with the most work to do.

STUDIO SHOWS

Studio shows are generally productions which are directed by MFA directors (either first or second year directors), and receive support from the Theater Division, but on a much lower level of support. These are the Realism Projects and the Style Projects, and are often produced on the Baker Stage with the curtain closed (audience and show on the stage itself, not utilizing the auditorium), or on the Forum stage, but with a non-traditional footprint, often not utilizing the auditorium. Designers are generally assigned as well, but again, with smaller support teams and budget. Stage managers should not be functioning as Prop Master or Technical Director, for example, but they certainly might be more involved in certain aspects of the design/production aspects of a Studio how than they would be on a Main Stage production.

Publicity for Studio Shows depends on how busy the publicity department is that semester. Coordinate with the publicity head at the beginning of the semester to see if they will have the time to make posters and programs. If not, that duty will fall to the director.

Depending on the size of the Studio Show, there will be strike or pre-strike and strike. Smaller shows will only have strike while larger shows may have both a pre-strike and strike. For the small shows, strike will take place immediately after the last show. Because crew is limited, the actors may be required to stay. It will be the stage manager’s responsibility to assign duties to the actors throughout the strike. Everyone will be required to stay until the strike is complete. (Again, pre-strike needs are determined on a case-by-case basis, and actors may not be required to attend pre-strike.)

Larger Studio Shows will need to have a strike and actors will be required to attend for four hours of that strike. Find out their preference of which they would like to attend and their preference for department. Assign duties accordingly. Larger shows may get more crew to help with pre-strike and strike duties.

LAB SHOWS

The third type of show that is produced by the Theater Divisionis the Lab Show. Lab Shows normally do not receive monetary support by the Theater Division. However, a small budget may be obtained through the Director of the Theater Division. Because they are unsupported shows, all positions for the show (including designers, director, stage manager, master electrician, technical director, props master, and actors) will be filled by people who simply want to work on a show. No one receives any school credit for working on a lab show. Due to the fact that all positions must be filled out of the goodness of people’s hearts, many positions may remain unfilled. A show may be without many from the production team.

Like Studio Shows, the stage manager (and the director) may find that they are more involved with such aspects as props than they would be on Main Stage or Studio Shows. Ask the Head of the Props Department for permission to go to the fourth floor and borrow props for your show. Larger props will have to be pulled from The Ridges. This mean getting permission to go from the Head of the Props Department, organizing a trip, and finding someone with a large vehicle to transport the items you pull. Generally, you will need to provide a list of the props you pull so that the Head of the Props Department can keep track of where things are and that they are safely returned.

Due to the nature of Lab Shows, all actors will be required to attend strike, which will occur directly after the last show. It is the stage manager’s responsibility to assign duties to the actors throughout the strike. Everyone is required to stay until the strike is complete.

SEABURY QUINN, JR. PLAYWRIGHTS FESTIVAL

Every spring, the Theater Division produces the Seabury Quinn, Jr. Playwrights Festival in which the graduate playwrights have the opportunity to put their works in either a reading or a feature production. The staged readings are organized and produced by the graduate playwrights. The featured, third-year productions are assigned a regular production team, similar in manner to the Studio Shows. If you stage manage a festival show, you will work in coordination with a design team made up of designers for sets, lights, costumes, props and sound. You may be assigned an ASM, but it is not guaranteed. Although you are given designers, you maybe expected to complete duties that you would not for a MainStage show.

For the playwrights festival, the publicity department will handle all the publicity. So it is the stage manager’s job to collect crew lists, cast list, and special thanks. Coordinate with the publicity head on when they want this information, then try to collect it all by about a week before it is due. Once a rough draft of the program is put together, make sure to look it over and make any changes that need to be made.