I spent a lot of time watching the stage managers work in the movie The Company with Neve Campbell. I hope that the stage manager in Centerstage doesn't really work that way... seemed a bit stressed out.
I was listening to an audio book (can't remember the title) on a recent car trip and the murderer turned out to be the stage manager. Kept the police on dead trails for hours of tape because the SM was terribly clever. Most memorable quote: "he knew the theater inside and out, how to work all the gadgets, light board, use power tools, had the keys to all the dressing rooms, and most importantly, new how to find the work lights in the dark. Most importantly, he knew how to schedule, organize, and could take down detail notes. His failing was that he wrote it all out."