STAGE MANAGEMENT: FUNCTIONS AND QUALITIES OF A STAGE MANAGER

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INTRODUCTION

Stage management is now practised as a profession in itself in Europe and America, where professional theatrical practice pays great dividends. In Nigeria, stage management merely exists as an integral part of theatre curriculum in the universities. In this unit, we will attempt to explain the following: Stage management, the stage manager, as well as the qualities and responsibilities of the stage manager.

3.1 The Concept of Stage Management

Stage management can be described as the art of controlling and caring for the stage, its properties and the cast, for the purposes of promoting smooth and efficient stage transactions. According to Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia, “Stage management does not only refer to the seamless management of the technical aspects of a production, but of the human aspect as well” . It combines the administrative functions of co- ordination and leadership with profound, as well as creative ingenuity of an artist. The purpose of stage management is to ensure smooth running and hitch-free production.

In large scale productions, especially in Europe and America, we have stage management team, or multiple stage managers. According to Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia, “the division of a British stage management team varies according to the type of production, but can consist of stage manager (over seeing the smooth running of the show, scene changes and so on), deputy stage manager (commonly called DSM). The deputy stage manager maintains the prompt book, calls the show and ensures that rehearsals run on time. “The assistant stage manager (commonly called ASM), generally works in the props and scene change area, and sometimes operate recorded or live sound.

In America and Britain, the Actors’ Equity Association (AEA) and British Union Equity (BUE) respectively control the affairs of professional actors and stage managers. They, in fact, define their functions and how their welfare can be taken care of in performances.

SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 1

What is stage management?

3.2 The Stage Manager

Derek Bowskill observes that “the director may devise artistic possibilities and opportunities, but he will get nowhere without a stage manager who can efficiently create the practical conditions for their realization” (293). The statement above highlights the crucial role of the stage manager in any theatrical production. Generally speaking, the job of the stage manager is fluid in nature. He is an administrator, a creative artistic, and in fact, the communication hub of the entire production team. For the sake of convenience, and purposes of clarity, we will attempt to break down the functions and responsibilities of the stage manager.

SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 2

Who is a stage manager?

3.3 Functions of the Stage Manager

The stage manager plays varied roles in theatre productions. These roles commence from the moment he is appointed and extend from the rehearsals to the last curtain call.

THE PRE-REHEARSAL FUNCTIONS

The stage manager performs the pre-rehearsal functions of accompanying the director to meetings, especially those organised between the director and the technical crew such as the scene designer, the lighting and sound designer, as well as the costume and make-up artist. He equally records the preliminary cuttings of the script in his note book and initiates the process of preparing the stage manager’s prompt book.

REHEARSAL FUNCTIONS

The stage manager performs the following functions during rehearsals:

.He traces the exits and entrances with chalk on the floor to facilitate on the stage.

.He keeps the cast abreast of the director’s overall design of the play, and send details of changes the director makes.

.He prepares a prompt book where he records the director’s blocking of ments and postures.

.He ensures that everybody is on cue.

.He ensures that rehearsal venue is tidy, and in good shape.

.He enforces discipline during rehearsals.

.Though the use of the stage hands, he feeds in elements of setting are developed, in order to facilitate the actors’ interpretation of the play.

.He keeps the register of the production team, and takes role call before,

.He ensures safety of both the production team, and the technical

.He takes full responsibility of the entire rehearsal process

THE PERFORMANCE FUNCTIONS

From the dress rehearsal through the last production night, the stage manager becomes the officer in charge of the production. Parker W.

Oren posits that “once the house opens, the stage manager essentially takes control, calling the cues for all transitions (this is known as “calling the show”), as well as acting as communications hub for the cast and crew” (263).

Apart from calling the show, the stage manager acts as a morale booster to the cast, to ensure that each person is in high spirit. He equally ensures that every actor or actress is on cue, that all the materials needed for the production are ready, and that nothing is left to chance. He keeps an eye open for safety.

Again, after the opening of the production, “the stage managers is also responsible for calling brush up, put in and understudy rehearsals to make sure that the show’s quality is maintained” .

SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 3

List and discuss any two functions of the stage manager.

3.4 Qualities of the Stage Managerd

As we can see from the foregoing, the stage manager performs multi- dimensional functions, and as such, the position must be occupied by someone with varied outstanding qualities. Below are some of the qualities expected to be possessed by a good stage manager:

.A good stage manager must be highly creative. According to he free encyclopedia, “typically in theatre, the stage manager acts as an adjunct to the director in cording the blocking and seeing that cast members stay on cue, have necessary props and follow the Beside this, the stage manager takes charge of rehearsals in the absence of the director. He must be ve for him to take up the job of play direction whenever the director is away, and for him to enjoy on and support of the members of the cast when he actually becomes the director’s surrogate.

. A good stage manager must exhibit a sense of discipline and dedication. It is his job to maintain discipline and to ensure that nothing goes out of joint during rehearsals. The stage manager must exhibit forthrightness because one does not give what one does not have. The actors must see him obey the director before they can obey him. If he expects to be respected, he must respect the actors’ feelings as well as that of the director.

. A good stage manager must be charismatic leader. He must possess what A.B.C. Duruaku calls “power of organisation”. An actor’s mood is not static but dynamic. It is like a river with many courses. Sometimes, an actor can become angry, sad, intolerant, and sometimes extremely boisterous. A charismatic stage manager is  mood reader, and therefore, should be able to harness the actor’s moods in order to get what he wants from them.

.A good stage manager must be sufficiently energetic. The business of n arm-chair affair. It requires peripatetic movement. The stage manager is constantly the auditorium to the stage and from the stage to the back stage and then back again frequently moving from the director to the technical crew, passing on significant groups. He, therefore, must not be a weak person but someone who is physically fit

.A good stage manager must possess adequate communication skill. friendly to all and to be able to elicit whatever information he needs from any of the

.A good stage manager must be a reliable fellow, someone that can

SELF ASSESSMENT EXERCISE 4

Discuss one quality of a good stage manager.

4.0 CONCLUSION

We explained that stage management deals with the organization of both men and materials, in order to ensure smooth and efficient running of theatre productions. We maintained that in Europe and America, Equity regulate the affairs of stage managers. We also explained that stage management combines artistic and administrative functions, and that a good stage manager must be disciplined, charismatic, creative and energetic.

5.0 SUMMARY

In this unit, we specifically examined the concept of stage management, the personality of the stage manager, as well as the various duties of the stage manager in theatre productions.

6.0 TUTOR-MARKED ASSIGNMENT

List and discuss two duties of the stage manager.

7.0 REFERENCES/FURTHER READINGS

Bowskill, Derek (1979). Acting and Stage Craft Made Simple. London: W. H. Allen.

Duruaku, A.B.C. (1997) A Handbook on Drama and Theatre. Owerri: Colon Concepts.

Parker, W. Oren. (1990). Scene Design and Stage Lighting. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/stage-management

http://www.actorsequity.org/docs/production/aea-sm-packet.pdt