Stage Managing Is A Challenging Job, And I've Learned A Lot Because Of It
Taking care of other people's children is rough.
Being a stage manager was a challenging task for me. I first accepted the title of "stage manager" for UWG's production of "Macbeth" in 2018. The show ran for two weeks and had four high school matinee shows. I had to be the bridge between around 27 people. The show had 13 cast members and was the longest show of the semester. This was my first time running a show as I had only been an assistant stage manager (ASM) prior and that role tends to be more labor filled instead of paperwork. Within this first show, I realized that I needed to learn how to manage my time skills, communicative abilities, and prioritizing.
As a stage manager, you have to essentially be the mediator between everyone involved with your production. You run the meetings, rehearsals, and the shows. This is, of course, on top of your own personal life such as classes, work, and assignments. Since I was new to this, I struggled in the beginning. Sometimes I wouldn't send rehearsal reports or notes from our meeting until 3 a.m. because I worked from 12 a.m. to 4 a.m. and had to balance that with swiping the I.Ds of those walking into the building. I had a hard time trying to make time for homework and a social life.
At the end of the day, the show went smoothly and I even took another stage management position for "Episodes in Sexuality 2019". This piece was devised and had no script which makes things a little more difficult when calling cues for a show. I would say that once I started working with my previous director, I had learned how to carve out more time for myself, homework, and friends. I learned to over-communicate for shows, and, most importantly, I learned how essential it is to make everyone comfortable in the space and grow and learn together.
By my second show and even throughout the process of the first one, I had become a stage mom and my babies were the reason I started to fall in love with this position. It was hard to grasp stage management at first, but I haven't stopped trying to improve as there is always room for improvement. I've enjoyed the two processes I have been a part of and hope to maybe be a part of more as I progress and better my craft.
