Stage Manager Gig

S

Stephen Robertson

Freshman
Aug 15, 2012
9
0
0
Orlando
So hello everyone,
I have finally found where everyone was hiding:)~:)~:smile:


So I have my first gig as a Stage Manager coming up and looking for any advice or maybe a general job description. Of course I have been the default Stage manager 1000 times on smaller or less organized stuff. This however is a decent size festival where roles are much more defined. Still waiting to receive specifics on schedules and whatnot. Just looking for any input you guys may have.

What makes a good (or bad) stage manager?


Thanks in advance

Stephen Robertson
 
Re: Stage Manager Gig

Other than what has already been stated. Know the big picture and the key players of each department and artist.

Don't micro manage, let everyone do their jobs. I've had stage managers want to get involved with placing and patching of sub snakes. About as far as you need to go on a stage is to put out towels and waters, if and only if requested. A long with that- it's a great help to the audio crew if you keep the garbage off the stage. The last thing we have time is throw away cups, setlists and pick up those towels from the previous band. For some reason there are never trash cans when you want them on a stage.
 
Re: Stage Manager Gig

Kip Conner said:
Other than what has already been stated. Know the big picture and the key players of each department and artist.

Don't micro manage, let everyone do their jobs. I've had stage managers want to get involved with placing and patching of sub snakes. About as far as you need to go on a stage is to put out towels and waters, if and only if requested. A long with that- it's a great help to the audio crew if you keep the garbage off the stage. The last thing we have time is throw away cups, setlists and pick up those towels from the previous band. For some reason there are never trash cans when you want them on a stage.
Click to expand...

Trash can at FOH and trash can near the stage make for a very uncluttered day!
 
Re: Stage Manager Gig

I can't count how many times I had to stop what I was doing to answer several dumb questions that didn't pertain to me or was the sm job, so I guess my advice is be the first person the band meets and make them aware of who you are, and also be around ALL THE TIME... I had to go find the stage manager in the pouring rain leaving my post at the lighting desk to get a call to stop the show... Took several attempts to find him....
 
Re: Stage Manager Gig

Shane Presley said:
I can't count how many times I had to stop what I was doing to answer several dumb questions that didn't pertain to me or was the sm job, so I guess my advice is be the first person the band meets and make them aware of who you are, and also be around ALL THE TIME... I had to go find the stage manager in the pouring rain leaving my post at the lighting desk to get a call to stop the show... Took several attempts to find him....
Click to expand...

This brings up a big point, chain of command? who answers to who?
 
Re: Stage Manager Gig

I always defer everyone to the venue production manager/technical director when it comes to health and safety issues. But it's a good idea to know who makes those decisions ahead of time. If it's obvious (lightning) then you should take the initiative to clear your stage of all artists and personnel. They are your responsibility. As soon as you start trying to maintain crowd control, that audience has just become your responsibility.

Also- get to know your head of security and those whom are guarding the access points that you may need to send people through.
 
Re: Stage Manager Gig

You may laugh, but after getting in a heated discussion about whose clock we were going off of with a local band that felt we had kicked them off early, I purchased a clock like this and placed it where it could be seen both on stage and off stage and declared that this is stage time. It was worth every penny as it gives the little bands with divas (and the big ones too.....) one less thing to argue over. It also has a nifty countdown feature.

Amazon.com: Large Digital LED Wall Clock with Count Up/Down Timer: Home & Kitchen
 
Re: Stage Manager Gig

Shane Presley said:
I can't count how many times I had to stop what I was doing to answer several dumb questions that didn't pertain to me or was the sm job, so I guess my advice is be the first person the band meets and make them aware of who you are, and also be around ALL THE TIME...
Click to expand...

+1

Basically the advice in this thread covers a lot.

Keep this line handy, and be able to fulfill it - "Let me show you where the promoter is so you can get your $$$"
 
Re: Stage Manager Gig

I had one of my favorite stage managers on call last night for a festival I was mixing monitors for last night. Luckily the headliner was the festival promoter and they kept to the schedule. So the stage manager was able to focus on being an assistant to all of the guest artists that were not typically a part of this group. She did a great job letting everyone know who she was and that if they needed any thing to see her. She was on the stage more than a stage manager should be- but she was asked to bring instruments by the guests since they didn't have techs to help them.

The only time she bothered me was when she was asked to perform a technical task and she needed me to do a once over to make sure the cables were patched correctly. I use the word bother loosely because she knew when I was pushing buttons or the cue wedge was on that I needed a minute to focus on something that was happening with the mixes. And then it was usually to ask if I needed anything.

It was a great example of knowing the big picture, letting us all do our jobs and laying down when there was a gap in the tracks.

stm-railway.jpg
 
Re: Stage Manager Gig

Shane Presley said:
I can't count how many times I had to stop what I was doing to answer several dumb questions that didn't pertain to me or was the sm job, so I guess my advice is be the first person the band meets and make them aware of who you are, and also be around ALL THE TIME... I had to go find the stage manager in the pouring rain leaving my post at the lighting desk to get a call to stop the show... Took several attempts to find him....
Click to expand...
^This.

Make sure all these people have Walkie-Talkies:
You
Monitor engineer
FOH tech
Backline tech
Lighting tech
Security
Promoter or their rep.

Bring your own if the promoter won't supply. Often promoters get radios for security and forget all the technical staff.
 
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