My current freelance gig is at the local community college, and tonight was our final dress. A very sweet actor (the only male in the show) came up to me and asked the following question:
"So which show are you going to come see?"
After seeing a flash of shock on my face, he quickly followed with, "Oh, I guess maybe you'll watch all of them, huh?" I started to laugh, and asked him (very kindly) what he thought I had been doing the whole time - and told him that the show simply wouldn't happen if I didn't "watch" every night. We both laughed it off and continued on our way, and all was well.
I wasn't offended, just surprised - I know these are very inexperienced actors, but I thought I had been good about being very consistent with them and explaining things along the way - this is how they learn the way theatre operates and what to expect. I knew going in to the project that some of them had never been in a show before, so I took great pains to mentor, encourage, support, and teach them (and the director did the same thing on her end). How could this actor still be so oblivious? I was a little taken aback, because I know that stage managing is one of the least understood (and hardest to define) jobs in theatre, even by some who are in our field...but really??? Which show am I going to see???
Does anyone else have a story about working with someone who, despite being in theatre, had NO idea what a stage manager did? I'm sure there are some good ones out there.