Disclaimer: this post is less about my current work as a volunteer. This post is more of a reflection in general
I became a stage manager for the first time by accident. My high school had a new theatre teacher and I was the only one who approached him at the beginning of the new school year, thus began my fall into the rabbit hole of theatre.
For those of you who do not know a much about theatre Wikipedia defines a stage manager as "practice of organizing and coordinating a theatrical production. It encompasses a variety of activities, including organizing the production and coordinating communications between various personnel (
e.g., between
director and backstage crew, or actors and
production management)."
The first time I was placed in a management role at UNCA was when I was selected to be the Assistant Stage Manager for Urinetown, under Lisa. Lisa was my inspiration with continuing in management and without her guidance in the beginning I do believe I would not have been half the stage manager that people say I am. I owe many thanks to her!
A title does not earn you respect, you do!
The title “Stage Manager” does not automatically earn you respects. The title does nothing define your job. Although any respectable actor or crew member will give a certain amount of respect to the person who is the stage manager out of professionalism but the rest must be earned. A person is defined by their actions not their title. I may call myself a stage manager but how can I expect respect from an actor if I am continuously late, don’t know the answer to any of their questions, or simple to not follow through on things I will say I do. This may all see to be common sense but what I have learned is that many people expect respect because of the title they wear.
This does not just pertain to theatre, but to anywhere. A director of an organization does not receive full respect because of the title, but of the actions while under that title. Now I am not saying that in a position of authority means having to be liked by everyone. I have worked with many people did not like me, or that I did not like but that did not mean I did no give or receive the respect earned.
Just because you have a title that implies leadership, it does not in fact make you a leader.
The thin line between professional and peer!
Another thing I learned while being a stage manager is that the hardest thing is to work in a position that has authority over your peers. I understand fully that being a stage manager in a university theatre is vastly different from that of a professional theatre. One of those main differences being that I have classes with the same people in the show, I am friends with them, I go out with them, and we know personal things about each other. So one of the hardest things is walking that thin line between professional stage manager and friend. Now I have been told my professors and bosses that I do a pretty good job of walking that line. However, I am my biggest critic and in hindsight I see how I could have handled situations differently.
The invisible line is also different with every person. For instance, my friend Cassidy, we have worked in many different areas together and I know that I can say something to her in a professional since (even if it may be a criticism or correction) and she will not take in personally. In fact she was one of the many people that I could also go to professionally and personally and ask, “how can I improve?” because she would tell me the truth and knew that I would accept the criticism with openness to improve.
To many times in theatre and in life do we take someone’s criticisms personally, could it not be that person’s comments were to help and not hurt? I understand that it may be in our human nature to defend our actions but sometimes the best way to improve ourselves is simply by listing to criticism with an open mind.
