What is a Stage Manager, Anyway? | Half Hour Call #1

[@HalfHourCall]

Thanks for watching! Check out all the *cool stage management merch now available* at kentjamescollins.com/store and don't forget to subscribe!

[@Nataliaggnzlz]

i was asked to be the stage manager for a musical at my high school. i have 0 experiences but i absolutely love everything that has to do with theatre so i’m ready to do whatever it is that i need to do.

[@HalfHourCall]

You've got this! Break a leg!!

[@rachellee9116]

"We are the Jennifer Jareau of theatre." 😂😂I love that

[@claudialynch12]

Supers are used more often in Opera. Think "extras" in film.

[@jaylagroleau3600]

Raise your hand if you’re watching this for class! (Great job as always :D )

[@rebeccakings754]

I'm so glad I found this page! I never was able to take the stage management course in college, but I've been asked to stage manage my first major show next year (I've been SM before, but for small productions, never a full fledged show). This is super helpful, thank you so much for making this content!!

[@ericbetti7361]

Chaos Coordinator

[@HalfHourCall]

Accurate!

[@Gundesalf]

Thank you for your awesome work. I just started up as a play writer and wanted to know how to structure my work so to make the whole team's job easier. Your vidoes are excactly what I was looking for. Furthermore, I align with your views of free access to information. The first two plays I've written include a consent to have the book reproduced, free of charge, as long as it is used by educational institutions, with no profit intended. And it is certainly available for purchase for anyone else. Thanks again. I wish you lots of success.

[@Neo_The_Great0]

I might be casted as a Stage Manager for One Act in my High School. I’m so excited! He’s in between casting me as an actor or Stage Manager, it depends on the script he chooses. Either way I will be so happy!!!

[@MaddiePurcell]

thanks so much for this series! I just stumbled into my first contract and this is already so helpful.

[@HalfHourCall]

So glad! Break legs on your contract!!

[@kevinhampton1882]

So, I did a show with Perri Gaffney whom you quoted from the “Business of Broadway”. I Stage Managed a production of her one woman show called Resurrection of Alice. She was a delight….we went for coffee pretty much every morning of our tour. Loved her!

[@HalfHourCall]

That’s amazing!!

[@itsqueengg]

Can you make a video about how you keep the organization of a play or how your binder looks? Like a stage manager notebook/planner or organizer and how you keep track of everything from rehearsals to the shows? 😳

[@shannonbrewington6970]

You are so inspiring, upbeat and natural. Previewing your videos to share with our tech classes.

[@HalfHourCall]

Thank you so much! I’m so glad they’re useful 🙌🙌🙌

[@karenniblock5845]

Many thanks from a High School Director!

[@fredoaguilar5183]

Thank you Half Hour! I cannot wait to continue talking with you on the final day of the National Collaborators Conference. I hope you have a special episode from there.

[@bellatzigane]

There's a lot of great stuff in here! However, I think the conversation could be expanded upon a lot by incorporating opera and dance stage management, as this is very much focused on theatre/musical theater/Broadway stage management. Opera and dance stage management is different enough and has enough of its own specific subtleties that it deserves to be included!

[@davedahl4461]

Supernumerary is common in things like the Met in New York.

[@MichaelDMoore-ui8ny]

I just discovered Half Hour Call from your "shameless plug" in the FB Group. I am glad I did. Nice work!

[@Sunrek]

I think the use of both Super and Extra is just trying to cover more bases. But they intend to mean basically the same thing.

[@parkerfinch7216]

Something I discovered being apart of a high school theater community is that people are going to touch the props but they will put them back if you ask

[@beckywatters8819]

I’m a upper (high) school stage manager and my cast count me as one of them because I am always friendly with them and they know I won’t shout unless I have to, my director will often tell me to shout and get their attention and I still don’t want to but will. Talking about SMs not being crew, my school tech team is currently me and a sound/lighting guy as the only constant crew, gaining backstage crew for productions. I am still only learning but adamant I want to go into a professional career as an SM but am learning both sound and lighting too and still have to move set and props around backstage, when I’m not running between backstage and our directors desk or the tech desk at the back of our hall. Of course everything is scaled down because it is a school but I get told not to stress about five times each tech-day or show-day as I run about around the entire site of school.

[@HalfHourCall]

Wow! That’s a lot of work. But honestly, I’ve learned the most from shows where I felt like I was underwater, so you’ll probably feel the same once you have time to catch your breath! Good on you for not shouting! While there are certainly times that volume is needed (“hold please” comes to mind) I don’t think there’s ever a need to shout AT someone. Actors and stage managers are in the same union (in the United states) so you absolutely should feel a connection with the cast!! When I say a stage manager is not crew I mean stage manager is not inherently crew. You are doing the job of a stage manager AND a crew member, they just happen to both be you. Which is wonderful to learn! And there’s nothing wrong with that! But in the professional world it’s important to know where the line is so you can be appropriately compensated. It sounds like you’re well on your way!! Best of luck, and break a leg!!!!!!

[@nickgadomski7357]

9:30 it’s being a leader, not a boss That’s my favorite saying about being a crew head at my high school theater

[@caprial]

idk if these videos are making me as a highschool stage manager (only our second full musical) feel better or worse

[@theauntofdragons]

Just found this channel and I think I'm gonna love it...

[@HalfHourCall]

I hope so! Welcome!!

[@brianalford7023]

Thank you half hour

[@breeglasbergen1982]

Thanks for sharing!

[@HalfHourCall]

Thanks for watching!

[@KellynaCavazosMoreno]

THANK UU!!!

[@malachigriggs-taylor1732]

Do you know if there are any major differences between SM in the Us and the Uk?

[@HalfHourCall]

I don’t know them all but there are several! US = PSM, SM, ASM, where PSM calls the show (at least during tech), UK = SM, DSM, ASM where DSM calls the show and the ASM covers props. UK stage managers say “beginners”, US stage managers say “places”. Broadway SM’s generally make more than West End SM’s, but I don’t have exact numbers off the top of my head. Not an expert by any means, but the function of the job is pretty much the same.

[@HalfHourCall]

Oh! And cue lights. In the US on=standby off=go, while in the UK red=standby green=go.

[@helenrachel1557]

I know this video is 3 years old but I was asked to stage manage a show for community theater- I'm really young, and have only done two shows as an ASM. Should I accept?

[@SaddyBart]

Question, I have had new Directors ask for the Stage Manager to be in the Tech Booth and call the light and sound cues from there. Is this a common practice? A new practice? What are your thoughts on this? Our Theater has a quite small booth and it would be a challenge to do. Thank you!

[@HalfHourCall]

Great question! There’s basically two “standards”, one is from a calling station off in a wing, and the other is from the booth! Most regional theatres have you call from a booth, while most tours and Broadway shows call from the wings. Both have benefits (seeing the stage vs seeing the backstage traffic)

[@elliottbertrand3893]

How would you recommend getting into stage management in high school? I’m currently a Junior and I’ve done some performance and one show doing crew (I did props). I wanted to take the Stagecraft class offered but was unable to because of schedule conflicts. I’m going to be doing sound for our winter show (more so props though because it’s gonna be sound effects made by props). I absolutely adore performance and technical theatre and I’m having trouble finding a balance between both, sometimes I feel I have to sacrifice one for the other which I don’t want to do. Any advice?

[@HalfHourCall]

Talk to your teachers! Be empowered to ask for what you want to learn! Every high school is structured a little different so I can’t be any more specific than that, unfortunately. But join the Year of the Stage Manager 2020/21 group on Facebook, keep watching videos and learning with the free resources available online. You don’t need anyone’s permission to learn, that’s the beauty of the internet! Also, you don’t have to pick between performing or stage managing. Obviously, for an individual show you should choose one or the other, since stage managing is a full time commitment as is performing, but you can go back and forth in your educational and even professional career. Personally I think people who go back and forth become more well rounded theatre artists anyway so it can only help you. Hope that helps! Break legs!!!

[@elliottbertrand3893]

@@HalfHourCall Thank you so much, this really helped!