Who run the show? Stage Managers!
The week of March 19, Soulpepper had 12 stage managers working in the building at once. We had Marinda and Lucia and Neha and Meghan working on the shows already on stage , Idomeneus and Animal Farm. Neha and Meghan were also in the final stages of rehearsal before A Moveable Feast: Paris in the ’20s hit the stage. The rest were prepping for rehearsals. Sarah, Ian, and Kelly, were working on Innocence Lost: A Play About Steven Truscott, Robert, Liesl, and Seren, are working on La Bête and Darragh and Sam were prepping for Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.
While stage managers are no doubt most organized people in the building, organizing a moment where all 12 were on a break proved to be a challenge… At most we could manage to stage nine of them for a photo!
Almost a full company – nine of the twelve SMs goofing around!
We took the opportunity to ask them to share some thoughts on their experience as stage managers – here is what they had to say.
Sarah M.
Why did you decide to be a stage manager?
Two teachers encouraged me towards stage managing our high school’s production of Into the Woods. I had no idea what I was getting myself into but loved every moment of the sublime chaos that ensued. That experience became the catalyst for me to pursue post-secondary studies in technical theatre production/stage management. I never looked back.
What is your favourite cue you’ve ever called?
So many cues! It’s impossible to choose a favourite. One that immediately comes to mind: a lighting cue in Theatre Passe Muraille’s production of The De Chardin Project (directed by Alan Dilworth and designed by Lorenzo Savoini) which slowly revealed the audience and actors to one another via dozens of bare light bulbs hung throughout the theatre. A beautifully breathtaking event to witness each evening.
Robert H.
What Soulpepper show are you working on?
I am currently Stage Managing La Bête, in addition to my ongoing Production Stage Manager duties.
Why did you decide to be a stage manager?
When I started my BFA in Stagecraft I didn’t even know what a Stage Manager was! Starting out, I was much more interested in lighting, but found that narrowing my focus (pardon the pun) to that one aspect of production left me with many unanswered questions on how the rest of the show came together. Something really clicked when I got my first Stage Management assignment. A broader understanding of the process is required and that was something that really appealed to me.
What is your favourite cue you’ve ever called?
For The 39 Steps, Verne Good designed an amazing sequence of sound cues to accompany a choreographed scene of the 4 actors opening and closing doors, starting the car, driving around sharp turns, slamming on the breaks and honking the horn. That whole show was filled with sequences like that and was a lot of fun to call.
Meghan S.
Why did you decide to be a stage manager?
I got the opportunity to work backstage at my local community theatre in high school, and absolutely loved it. There’s a wonderful sense to togetherness and family about working on a show. Through theatre school, I tried many different theatre production disciplines, but kept coming back to stage management. I love that you get to be involved in each part of the process from very early stages right to the very end. You also get to help create art!
What is your favourite cue you’ve ever called?
I really enjoy calling precisely timed music cues. In a show called Cockfight at the Storefront Theatre, I had a cue that brought us out of a blackout into full stage light that went exactly with a beat in the music. It took a couple of tries in tech rehearsal, but once I got it right, it was exciting every time.
Do you have any fun backstage rituals?
I really like being an ASM because I get to observe or be a part of other people’s backstage rituals. The cast of Animal Farm sings one of the songs from the show just before they go onstage, and it’s fun to be in the middle of that.
Lucia C.
Why did you decide to be a stage manager?
In grade seven I joined the drama club, and was given the role of Dancer #4 in Newsies. In between scenes I would stay backstage to label costumes, shush noisy actors, fix broken props, and tell people which scene was coming up next. Eventually, a couple years later, I learned that this was called stage management.
Do you have any fun backstage rituals?
I love the moments I spend with the actors backstage – when we connect during a quick costume change, or share a joke together every night. I often work on musicals, so there are a lot of backstage sing-and-dance-alongs. Sometimes there’s a line or a lyric that I listen for every evening – because it makes me laugh, or because it moves me in some way.