Reflection: being a Stage Manager

This week I was assigned the role of Stage Manager for a student-led dance performance from the University's company Actual Size Dance Company. The day would consist of the get-in and setting up of the stage space, plotting, focusing, and cueing lights, ensuring all sound and AV were working and in the appropriate positions, running rehearsals, the final performance, and then a get-out at the end.

As Stage Manager, it was my job to ensure everyone stuck to the schedule that I had been given by the Production Manager, which was built upon and adapted as the day went on. This meant keeping a close eye on all activities throughout the day, and stepping in when extra hands were needed to make sure things did not overrun too much.

I was able to aid the various departments as and when they needed it - at the beginning of the day I had to collect cables and other equipment from other venues on campus, and then return them the following morning. As well as this, it was my responsibility to keep the tech box, seating bank, and back stage clear so the other technicians could work easily without obstacles in their way.

During the dress and technical rehearsals, I was backstage operating the curtain - as there were several changes between the dance pieces, I wrote up a running order and annotated it with details of the curtain. This was then stuck to the wall next to the pull-cord, and the technician who operated the curtain during the show was able to follow this. At one point the Production Manager was busy, and so I was required to run a few last-minute rehearsals of specific pieces; checking with my Deputy Stage Manager and keeping the dance choreographers happy meant that these rehearsals ran smoothly, and the few minor errors were corrected so there were no problems during the performance.

I found the role of Stage Manager to be an exciting one as it held a lot of responsibility, but kept me busy as I was in constant communication with the other technical departments. It was interesting to see the production from various angles and work closely with everyone so the full performance was clean and satisfactory.

This experience has helped me understand more of what I will be undertaking during the productions in June. Although then I will be working with a much smaller company, it has shown me the levels of responsibility as well as how to work efficiently with other departments.

© Actual Size Dance Company