#stagemanagers

Happy Valentine’s Day, Stage Managers! Here’s our love letter to you and there is even a present at the end!!

Since Valentine’s Day is a day to celebrate love. It makes me think of the love we stage managers have.

What? Love and Stage Management, yes I say! Love is at the root of what we do. That is why I use the hashtag #smlove in many social media posts. Love is the engine that drives us to go the extra mile. We arrive early, stay late, take our trash, order lunches, make coffee, always taking care of everyone in the rehearsal room and the theatre. It’s like being a parent. And as any parent will tell you, love is the thing motivating the million things you do for your kids every day.

It seems easy to accept that love is part of actors, directors, designers pursuing their craft. They love what they do, performing, designing, creating a show. But stage managers??

Steve Farber, a top leadership consultant, describes his approach to leadership this way:

“Four words that describe leadership,” he counted them off on his fingers. “Love. Energy. Audacity. Proof.” ― Steve Farber, The Radical Leap Re-Energized: Doing What You Love in the Service of People Who Love What You Do

Notice what the first one is? Love. A leader needs to love what they do. That love is the drive, the engine that gets you through each day. Steve Farber has written a few books exploring this topic, the most recent of which is titled “Love Is Just Damn Good Business.” Seems like Steve has some important things to say about the importance of love in leadership.

As a stage manager, we are the leaders of our company, we lead during rehearsals, laying out plans, making schedules, and communicating info to achieve the director’s vision. Then in tech, we are charged with implementing and executing based on the plans. Finally, after opening, we are the one in charge, making decisions to keep our company on task, morale high, and maintain the show.

Without the love in stage management, you are going to fall flat. The process is going to be very difficult or painful and you won’t enjoy it. Frankly, you risk not succeeding. The skill set we stage managers have is very valuable. So valuable in face, that good managers in many other industries make much more than a Broadway stage manager. However, if you love theatre, if you love stage managing, then that is worth much, much more than a high salary. That joy and happiness cannot be measured in dollars and it’s the #smlove that is behind this success.

Just because we love our job, doesn’t mean we don’t have hard days and difficult times. It is, however, the thing that gets us back up when we are knocked down! So on Valentine’s Day and every day, I say spread the #smlove, embrace it, flaunt it even. You are a vital part of the process of making theatre happen. In good times and bad, let your love flow.

Think about the song, “What I Did For Love.” It’s an homage to all the things we sacrifice for a life in the theatre. For the love of being a part of the theatre. We make many sacrifices and do many difficult (sometimes wacky and weird) things, because we love the theatre. This is true for stage managers, and all of us in show biz, just like those in A Chorus Line. We accept the challenges and sacrifices because we love what we do.

Give yourself and your fellow stage managers a big hug (and flowers if you are inclined)!

Celebrate your work, the amazing job you do, and the great joy you get from it. Anywhere you are stage managing, you are helping to create theatre, and it’s the #smlove is the powerful force that makes it all happen! Happy Valentine’s Day Stage Managers, thanks for the love you pour in to your work every day.

It’s National Stress Awareness Day (yes that’s an actual thing). We are already aware that as a stage manager, stress comes with the job.  Everyone in the creative & production process is relying on you to know and communicate everyone’s needs and notes.  You are the person responsible for everything, but have control over nothing. Read on for 7 ways we stage managers can deal with this stress and at the end there is a special pic made just for you.

Are the design deadlines met? Are the actors on time? Did the props arrive for rehearsal? Did someone forget their fitting? Does the costume not fit? Is the lighting designer not moving fast enough? Do the actors not know their lines? Did the sound person miss a pick up? Etc, etc, etc...

And what do you do with all that stress and pressure? Stay up all night typing notes and sending reminder emails, pulling your hair out, yelling at the PAs, being grumpy throughout tech, skipping meals to update paperwork?

A better you is a better stage manager for the show, so let’s remind ourselves of some simple ways we can de-stress with an eye towards how these tips can work for stage managers.

1. Sleep: Easy to say, but not so easy to do, right? After rehearsals, it’s clean up, type up reports and respond to the million emails.  You have to stop at some point.  AEA rules say that stage managers needs at least an eight hour rest period.  That is time spent NOT working.  If you need to, set an away message on your email and go to sleep! You’ll be worse off the next day or the next, if you deprive yourself of needed rest.  You can also try to take a nap on a break.  I’ve actually spent time napping under my desk in the stage management office when a few winks were needed during really long days.

2. Exercise: You don’t need to spend hours at the gym, who has time for that, but taking the stairs instead of the elevator works or a quick jog around the theatre will do wonders to elevate your mood and give you an endorphin boost. You can do a few push ups in the wings (I’ve built whole workouts into my backstage track before) or plie’s at the call desk.  Resistance bands can be used for strengthening too and a good stretch is also helpful.  Just bending down and touching your toes for a minute between calling cues is beneficial. A few minutes well spent will help you remain calm and focused.  Taking care of your body is taking care of your mind.

3. Relax: Taking a long slow breath and gently releasing it is the simplest and best thing you can sometimes do.  Oxygen is needed for your brain and this minute “pause” is a simple technique that can help you reset and be able to tackle a new or challenging task.  However, if you like meditation or yoga, those things are wonderful, but they take time.  Can you do a couple “sun salutations” first thing in the morning, great! But if not, even a few minutes of chilling on the couch listening to your favorite song, can provide a needed respite.  For me personally, I like a hot bath, so I try to take one when especially stressed.  I can even read, listen to the news or chat on the phone at the same time if needed. A stage manager knows how to multitask!

4. Be social: We are social beings, so it’s okay to go out and have a drink, grab lunch with a friend or talk on the phone with a buddy.  It has the added bonus of giving you someone to talk about your stresses and sometimes, just getting them out helps.  Caution: don’t fall down the rabbit hole of facebook for hours or letting that one drink grow into multiples. Give yourself a designated time and stick to it.  That leads us right into....

5. Time management: There are only so many hours in the day, you can’t and won’t be able to get to everything.  Therefore, it’s about prioritizing.  What is most important, do that first.  Now what is most important, do that second, etc, etc... You will get to it all, but in time.  In the end, it’s better to do all these things properly, than have to do them all again.  The trick here is to keep expectations realistic, for you and the people who need all these tasks done. Let people know that “I’ll get to it as soon as I can.” And ask “When exactly does this task have to be completed?” Those are the things that will help you manage your time and other’s expectations of them.

6. Write it down:  But you already do that... you’re a stage manager! But not just taking notes and keeping lists, which is very important. I’m talking about writing down your feelings and stresses on you.  Like talking to a good friend, this gets those feelings out in a healthy, productive way.  Just two minutes before bed writing down your personal thoughts, can clear your head for a more restful sleep and less stressed you.

7. Ask for help:  As a stage manager, learning to delegate is a huge asset.  You can’t and shouldn’t have to do it all.  Use your assistants, let them help you, they want to! Really!  I’ve been an ASM and PSM on Broadway, so from both sides of that relationship it’s important to distribute tasks effectively.  It makes you both more productive, effective and less stressed.  You are a team, so be a team!  If there is still too much to do, maybe you need another team member.  Talk to the producers about getting another temporary ASM or PA. There are plenty to stage managers who need work.  If there is no money for that, still reach out.  We are a community and a day or a few hours is not too much to ask of a colleague to help during tech or help out taping a floor, etc.... Perhaps an intern would be good or someone who wants to break into the business.  Bartering may also work... “I’ll help you put your spikes down for your show, if you help me on mine, ok?”  But don’t be afraid to reach out an sound the alarm bell when needed.

In the end, stress is a killer, literally and figuratively.  It’s affects your mind and body making you less productive and hurting you and your show.

Find the ways that help you de-stress and implement them into your rehearsal, tech and run of show process and ultimately into your lives.  A relaxed stage manager is cool, calm, clear headed, can handle any challenge and inspires the same in their company.

This pic below is a reminder you can print out or pin to help you remember these techniques as well.