Looking Back on the Process…

Overall I feel that from looking at Cage Birds (1979) originally I was slightly worried as it is very different to the type of theatre I have experience in and hence meant I was out of my comfort zone. However I feel as the direction developed to gain more physically diverse elements, I could then explore more visually stimulating design concepts for the set and lighting plan. Mitchell describes the key responsibilities of the stage manager:

 “The stage manager is responsible for the overall running of the show. They will often not be in rehearsals with you, as they are coordinating with everyone outside the rehearsal room such as production management, props buyers, designers and so on. They organise any meetings needed and communicate any problems thrown up by the rehearsal process to the rest of the creative team. When you get into the theatre, they run the technical rehearsal and they remain backstage for every performance, ensuring that everything runs smoothly” (Mitchell, 2009, p.106).

I feel this sums up exactly what my role as stage manager within the company included. I kept a folder with all paperwork and notes in one place. This organization was essential to make sure I had everything required from me, from lighting plans, set designs, the technical rider, rehearsal schedules, tracking of the budget, the technical script, company contacts, props lists, anything that could possibly be required by a member of the company, venue or potential funders needed to be in this folder and so I regularly made sure it was up to date and contained all the relevant information. This needed to remain organised, clear and concise so that anyone could pick it up and understand exactly what was happening with the production. I regularly arranged meetings with venue staff in order to keep strong lines of communication and also members of the creative team. On the day of the performance I ran proceedings for the day, working with the LPAC team to prepare for performance and then cueing the show during the dress rehearsal and then the show.

I thoroughly enjoyed the day of the performance as I felt this was a time where I was able to demonstrate all of the work I had done behind the scenes and had been doing throughout the process. The LPAC team were fantastic to work with and overall the day went very smoothly resulting in a successful performance that I feel achieved our company aims set out in our manifesto and mission statement.   

Works Cited:

Campton, D. (1976) The Cage Birds, London, Samuel French Ltd.

Mitchell, K. (2009) The Directors Craft: A handbook for the Theatre, New York, Routledge.