10/10/2022
INTERNATIONAL STAGE MANAGEMENT DAY
Every year on October 10th, International Stage Management Day celebrates and recognizes all the work that stage managers do behind the scenes. It’s also a day to learn more about what stage managers do.
Do you remember the last time you went to a live performance? Chances are, while you were watching, you didn’t think much about what was happening behind the scenes. This is because there is so much action happening right before your very eyes. However, there is a lot of action going on behind the stage, too.
The people that do these behind-the-scenes jobs are called stagehands and stage managers. The show simply could not go on without their hard work. Managing furniture and props, arranging costumes, and ensuring the actors are accounted for are all jobs that stage managers do. Another important job of a stage manager is to create and set up rehearsal schedules. The more actors there are, the harder this is to do.
To do their job well, stage managers must possess the following skills:
• Have excellent communication
• Work well under pressure and deadlines
• Be a motivator
• Possess flexibility
• Be able to organize the work of others
Stage managers must also have knowledge of audio, lights, and other technology necessary for a performance. Because stage managers oversee each performance, they often know all of the actors’ lines. With all that they do, it’s no wonder stage managers are the director’s right-hand man.
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