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Job Description

The stage manager is responsible for all logistics regarding running rehearsals and performances. The position is most easily broken into three phases: pre-rehearsal, rehearsal, and production. 


Pre-Rehearsal Phase

Auditions

Before Auditions Even Start (aka needs to be done ASAP)

  1. FIND ASSISTANT STAGE MANAGERS. Ideally there is one ASM (counting you!) per day of the week which there is rehearsal. If rehearsals are Sun-Thu, you want 4 ASMs in addition to you. If there is not one ASM per day of rehearsal each week, then you will have to work out a rotating schedule later for doubling up on rehearsals. For IAP shows, usually there are no ASMs and you will be at every rehearsal. 
  2. Talk to the producer to find out what times auditions will be and where they are. You are required to be at auditions to help read lines (more on this later).
  3. Give people audition times! At least 2-3 days before the first audition, make a schedule of who has which time slots. On their application actors will mark what times work best for them - do the best to make everyone happy (this is not always possible, though). Also, when making this schedule, communicate with the director to see how he wants to run auditions. Specifically, ask how much time he wants to give each person (typically we allot 15 minutes). When emailing out, make sure to emphasis what they need to do:
    1. arrive 15 minutes early
    2. have their completed audition contract
    3. have a monologue prepared (it does not need to be memorized)
  4. Ask the director which slides he wants printed out. Print 4 copies of each slide: one for the actor reading it, one for you, one for the director, and one for the producer. Slides are excerpts from the play used by the director to see how an actor plays specific characters.
  5. Figure out which ASM is doing which reherasal day. As soon as you havve a finalized list of ASMs, send an email asking which days they are free. Assign days to ASMs. (This can be done anytime before the first rehersal, but the earlier the better).
  6. Meet with the director to discuss some logistics. Some topics you need to discuss include:
    1. How many breaks in a rehearsal, and for how long?
    2. How would the director like to be reminded of time constraints?
    3. How should actors be corrected (lines, blocking) if they mess up?
    4. How should rehearsal warm-ups be done, if any? By director (or actor) at beginning of rehearsal? By each actor individually before rehearsal?
    5. Work with the director to create a rehearsal etiquette policy to be handed out to all actors at the first rehearsal.
    6. Longer or more complicated scenes need more time. Ask about length/complexity of the scenes (i.e. if scenes can be broken down into smaller rehearsal blocks)
  7. Meet in person with all of your ASMs in order to relay any important information from the above task. Additionally, explain their roles during rehearsal and production phase. Make sure to get their phone numbers and save them in your phone.

During Auditions

  1. Show up at least 15 minutes before auditions start. Bring spare audition contracts, along with slides and anything else the director requests!
  2. Set up the room. Push all tables and chairs to one side, leaving one in the center of the wall on the clear side. This is where the director and you will sit.
  3. Take pictures of the auditioners. This may be useful for the director later, since faces are easier to remember than names.
  4. Be in contact with the producer (who should be in the room with the people waiting to audition!) during auditions so he/she knows when to send people in. Basically, after someone leaves, the director will tell you when he is ready for the next person. Tell the producer to send the next person in. Attempt to stick to the schedule as much as possible.
  5. If requested, read lines for slides.
  6. Help with casting. Keep a list of people, parts, and how they match up (unless your director says he does not need you to).
  7. At the end of rehearsal, put all tables back.
  8. Talk with the director and producer about callbacks at the end of each rehearsal.
  9. Send out emails about callback times.

At the End of Auditions

  1. After the last callback audition, the director will make a list of actor choices for each character in the play. You and the producer should be FIRM about Ensemble rules (confer with Ensemble officers if you are not sure what they are).
  2. Before the director leaves, make sure that the actors he picked for each character is doable by that person. Understand how large each role is (i.e. how many lines they have, how often they will be called for rehearsal; Wolfram Alpha the play beforehand to know this information) and make sure that large roles were chosen to be played by people without too many conflicts. If there is a problem you foresee, tell the director and work with him to recast as needed.
  3. Once this list is made, the director is free to go. You and the producer can immediately begin calling actors and offering them roles. Let them know that they have 24 hours to accept or decline the role - after that time, you will assume they are declining the role.
  4. Every time you call an actor, give them "the spiel." This includes listing all responsibilities as an actor (read through, put-in, strike, prod hours, etc). GIVE DATES. This is usually the producer's job, but you will be helping most likely.
  5. LET ACTORS KNOW THEY CANNOT TALK ABOUT THEIR ROLE ON ANY SOCIAL MEDIA OR WITH FRIENDS BEFORE THE FINALIZED CAST LIST IS OUT.
  6. The order you call people is important. For example, if actor A is the first choice for Rosencrantz and second choice for Guildenstern, call the actor who is the first choice for Guildenstern FIRST in case they reject and you have to offer the role to Actor A instead. (NOTE: the relative "size" of each role also plays a large factor in the order in which you call actors; see the detailed section on calling in the Producer's wiki for more information. Generally, officers can help with calling if they are not auditioning - seek them for guidance
  7. Once you have a finalized cast list (wait some time after final actor accepts to make sure nobody changes their mind) send out the list to the Ensemble and the director.
  8. Pray that everyone is happy (smile)


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