like air traffic controllers, I often describe my job as "hours of boredom interrupted by moments of sheer terror".
I firmly believe that as shows become more and more automated, stage managers are MORE important and our job becomes more complicated.
First, in the creation side of the show - there are countless things that need to be taken into account on how the show comes together. Stage Management is in charge of making sure moment by moment, each department understands how a transition, a scene, or number is put together - and understand cutting ten seconds off a music cue, may make the scene transition impossible - and all the quick changes.
Teching a show - stage management is key to make sure that show is repeatable 8, 10, 24, 32 times a week . And as long as there is live actors, the stage manager is important to make sure the live actors are "coloring in the lines" of the automated show . . . if someone steps out bounds, goes long, etc, a live human being needs to make a decision about how to handle it.
Maintaining the performances, understudies, put-ins - although there are a lot of "show directors" now who maintain shows, stage managers are usually the front line for those issues.
And then there is the "Management" portion of stage management - the dealing with human beings being human beings in the work place. This is probably the most important part of job, often the one area where young stage managers get the least training.
You know - calling a show is a the most boring, repetitive, and to me, AT TIMES, soul sucking part of the job - if you teched the show well, the show should run smoothly most of the time. And the moments something goes wrong - I perk up, get excited - there is something new happening - problem solving time - and we solve the problem, move on, and bam, I am back into the routine.
NOW - if you felt strongly that the show required for you to call the cue - for timing purposes, you should have spoken up - and went - listen, I understand that this can be quite boring, but I think given the nature of this show we need to have one person calling it.
We are the conductor - sure everyone can play their own instruments, on their own rhythm, but a conducted piece brings it all together in one fluid performance.
There is no doubt the nature of this business is changing drastically, but there is a place for us in the heavy automated, high tech shows, as there is for a four person, unit set drama.