Front End Stage Managing

[MatthewShiner]

I making a little niche for me professionally.  When I was the PSM in DC - I would often take a show up to US being trained, and the stepping off to the next show.  It was a cost saving measure . . . but it worked for organization in that putting together the show was much more difficult then the run.

Now, working freelancing, I am finding myself being put into a situation twice in six months where I will rehearse, tech and open a show and then hand it off.  The advantage for me, I am allowed to do more projects with directors I like, and not have to be straddled with the long runs (or in some cases unknown extensions) that keep me from taking projects.  I am finding PMS/GMS and producers are warming up to the idea, especially when it's the director gunning for me on a project.

It's a different way of working - and the down side, it means I am in rehearsal/tech and previews pretty much all of the time, but it does make the times when I am just running a show - a nice break.

Anyone noticing this trend - or I am forging new territory.

[Jessie_K]

I know that Cirque and Dragone tend to run that way normally.  (The House of Dancing Water was a notable exception).

The reasoning behind it are:
1- Creating a show is harder, more complicated and therefore more expensive.
2- The best person to run a department and a long-running show is NOT always the best person to technically put such a show together.

[BARussell]

We do that similarly to what you did in DC. But I haven't really noticed it outside of that..maybe you are forging new territory.