Hello, everyone! (I hope that's not breaking the rules!)
I am not exactly new to stage managing, but I'd have to say I'm new to doing it "right!" I've been a part of various Youth Theatre and Community Theatre groups for the past 15 years as the parent of performers. I really wanted to avoid being one of those "stage moms" but I loved being where my kids were, so I always threw myself into volunteering. Being extremely organized, I always ended up doing things like creating registration forms, contact sheets, rehearsal and carpool calendars and sending out communications.
I also loved working backstage and normally ended up helping with props or some other task, as long as I didn't have to wrangle kids in the dressing rooms! We never had official Stage Managers, and as I am always one to fill a void, eventually I figured out that I could help make things run more smoothly by making and posting sheets for all the folks helping backstage detailing what needed to happen when, and then eventually assigning people to do it! One thing led to another, and when my kids moved on to a more organized group, I was asked to make the jump to "calling the show!"
I was somewhat terrified at the prospect, and on my very first show (ITTW) I got distracted by chatter in the headset and forgot to call the special effects cue for the transformation scene, leaving the poor Witch to transform in full view of the audience! I've yet to live that one down, but I've never made that mistake again!
My kids have long since graduated and moved on, but because I love it, I've stuck around and still stage manage a show or two every year. However, because it happens so infrequently these days, I seem to be having to re-learn the process every time. I have also only ever jumped in during Tech Week and have never built a proper show bible from the beginning or worked alongside the director at regular rehearsals. It wasn't ideal, but it was a system that worked for us!
But times are a'changing and our company has decided to do a unique hybrid of Youth, Community and Professional theatre this summer and we will be hiring a couple of Equity actors and and Equity Stage Manager. I will get to be the ASM. I'm very excited to have the opportunity to work alongside a professional Equity SM and really learn the craft! However, our contract is such that he/she won't be showing up for several weeks, so I'm going to be filling the void in the meantime. By the time the SM arrives, the show should be entirely blocked. We decided that I will need to create a proper Prompt Book to hand over when the SM arrives, so here I am, joining the community to learn and grow and hopefully present the SM with all the materials he/she will need to hit the ground running after several weeks of rehearsals!
So that's me! I always introduce myself as "Not a REAL Stage Manager," but it's time to stop that nonsense and become one. Thanks in advance to the community for the help I know you will provide!
~Tracy
