Author Topic: Move from SM to other management/administration?  (Read 2488 times)

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dallas10086

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Move from SM to other management/administration?
« on: Nov 11, 2010, 11:09 pm »
I recently concluded an interview with Long Wharf Theatre and have another interview at Yale School of Drama on Tuesday, both are positions that aren't affiliated with stage management, but in their ads said SM experience was preferred. At some point I knew I would take my SM skills and decide to apply them to Company Management or Arts Administration, and as luck would have it two opportunities showed up at the same time.

My question is: has anyone else made this move, from SM to management or arts administration? How did you feel moving from an environment backstage to an environment in the back office? What took some getting used to? What was easy to let go?

malewen

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Re: Move from SM to other management/administration?
« Reply #1 on: Nov 12, 2010, 12:03 am »
A fair number of years ago I moved from being a stage manager at the Steppenwolf Theatre to becoming the production manager there.  The theatre was in the middle of building a new theatre and for the first 8 or 9 months the job was basically about getting the new theatre finished and the company moved in.  I described the job to a lot of friends by saying that I was "stage managing Steppenwolf into their new building."  That's kind of true, it was just like planning a production - making lists of things to accomplish, checking to make sure that things were installed correctly backstage, etc.  In order to concentrate on the new building, the theatre even stopped producing new shows for a couple of months.  Trust me, this was a major building project.

When the building finally opened and the excitement lessened, we settled back into the regular production of plays. It was then that I discovered that I really missed being in the rehearsal room.  As stage managers, we are used to being there as the tiny pieces come together in the rehearsal hall, and we used to being there in tech when the big pieces come together.  When I became a production manager, I missed the sort of easy intimacy of rehearsal.  I missed feeling like I was facilitating the important work from close range.  I missed it enough that I went back to stage managing after about three years.  But that was only how I felt and shouldn't be interpreted as advice for everyone/everybody.  I certainly know that everyone who works outside the rehearsal hall does invaluable work in getting the production on - it was just that I needed to be in the room.

When you move out of stage managing into another area of management, realize what you'll miss and then balance it against the things that will improve (probably better hours and better money, more nights off, etc.).  Maybe the particular job you're up for will contain some of the things most important to you (or maybe the job description can be altered slightly).  Maybe having a life outside of stage managing is more important to you now than it was 5, 10 or 20 years ago . . .

Follow your instincts - you'll know for yourself if the gains outweigh the losses.

Balletdork

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Re: Move from SM to other management/administration?
« Reply #2 on: Nov 12, 2010, 09:39 pm »
In a former life I was the Stage Manager for a ballet company- which I loved... slowly but surely my job morphed into Company Manager and then Artistic Administrator-- all of which I loved... but finally I realized that I missed being in the studio! SO, after 8 years I chose to leave the admin side of things and return to the theater and the traditional SM role. Now, after 4 years back here in the regions I'm thinking of looking around for another admin gig! The benefits of admin to me now are as malewen suggested- better hours and a little more money. I know I'll miss the studio; but at some point I have to put the good of my family above my job-- And I know I can come back to SMing again later on... if I want to! Everyone wants to hire a mature SM! ;D

 

riotous