Hi!
I've been an SM for 28 years. I've worked for dozens of companies, including The Mark Taper Forum, Deaf West Theatre, Catalina Production Group, The Colony ... I don't remember a lot of the names any more.
Choosing a favorite show is impossible. I had a great time working with the cast of a production of "Billy Budd" I did for Catalina, and was very proud of the challenges I overcame to call the 478 cues while running a panel of cue lights and SPFX for a production of Dandelion Wine at The Colony. Touring brings great memories (and bad, of course) as does every production. And even the hugest nightmares provide great stories for the future.
I started my theatre training in community theatre as a small kid, working as a performer. I discovered tech in college (Florida State), taking basic stage management and design classes, and never turned back. I received my most valuable training in the trenches, working hard and making more than my share of mistakes. I was very lucky to be mentored by an amazing and demanding technical director with whom I worked for 8 years and on 48 productions. His name is Terrence Shank - I believe he's directing in South Africa now.
The rehearsal process changes depending on my history with the director. If I've worked with them before and we're a close team I might be brought in very early to cull headshots and handle auditions. When I come in depends on the contract the production company wants to offer. So, I guess it's difficult to tell you what a "typical" rehearsal process is beyond what we all learn in SM 101.
I like working very closely with my director. After all, we're both trying to create the best possible product. I find that especially important during tech rehearsals. That said, I also want it made clear that I need to captain the ship during tech rehearsals and we can't be distracted by non-technical actor issues. I keep things very organized and create good lists that I always share with the director then ask that we work as a team to stay on top of things and keep an organized front. Given time, I like to do a paper tech, then a dry tech, then the Q2Q so that my crew can bond and feel prepared before they have to start working around the cast.
Is that what you were asking? I'm recently off a plane from Europe and may not be tracking very well.
Stage managers need to have an long list of attributes to reach the top many of which can be learned, but some of which are innate. There's the organization and the sense of responsibility, of course. Communication skills are essential, both spoken and written. A cool head under pressure, professionalism, a positive attitude and good ethics will make a huge difference. An innate ability to connect with people will separate the good from the best.
The mistakes I see rookies make ... Not being proactive - waiting for a problem to go away or hoping someone else will take care of it causes a lot of problems. No one should ever have to tell the SM to do their job. The other mistake is blaming. Newbies want so desperately to be good that they don't want to admit when they make mistakes. That can make for a very uncomfortable atmosphere and just isn't very professional. You're better off to admit your mistake, apologize, take your licks and work hard to fix it.
Feel free to let me know if I haven't been clear on anything or if you need more. Good luck on your paper!
