Unit
Stage Management
Created by Karen Loftus
10 lessons
stage management
A unit on stage management is a great way to link technical theatre, acting, and even directing. We spend so much of our class time on performance-related projects and, when we do address technical theatre, we often do so by talking about design.
Why not introduce your students to a skill set that not only benefits your productions by ensuring a strong backstage crew and smooth production process, but also benefits the students individually? Through exploring stage management, students learn skills such as analytical thinking, organization, teamwork, and problem solving.
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The overview provides an outline of the 10 lessons in this unit as well as a vocabulary reference guide.
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1Lesson 1What is a Stage ManagerIn this lesson students are introduced to the definition of a stage manager, learn what a stage management team may look like, and take on their first stage management tasks: reading the script and creating a props list.
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2Lesson 2Paperwork and the Prompt ScriptOne goal of a stage manager is to prepare all of the necessary information to ensure a successful production. For example: character/scene breakdown, prop list, light cues, schedules. In this lesson, students practice creating a number of documents which every stage manager keeps in their prompt script.
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3Lesson 3Preparing for the First RehearsalAlong with paperwork, there are other tasks a stage manager must undertake to prepare for rehearsal. Students will perform tasks that a stage manager must carry out to prepare the rehearsal space and communicate with actors/crew.
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4Lesson 4Rehearsals Part One: ResponsibilitiesIn this lesson, students practice some of the rehearsal responsibilities of a stage manager such as keeping rehearsals running on time through proper communication, line notes, and completing a rehearsal report.
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5Lesson 5Rehearsals Part Two: TrackingIn this lesson, students practice some of the tracking tasks required of the stage manager in rehearsal: blocking, scene shifts, and props/costumes.
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6Lesson 6Rehearsals Part Three: Final PreparationsIn this lesson, students will explore the final preparations stage managers perform before heading into performance, and they go through a scheduling exercise.
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7Lesson 7Technical RehearsalsThe stage manager is the guiding force behind a technical rehearsal. In this lesson we will go through a number of different technical rehearsals and how a stage manager uses their preparation to keep a technical rehearsal moving.
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8Lesson 8Calling a ShowCalling cues requires the ability to analyze, strategize, and problem solve. Calling cues becomes easier each time, but every show is different and presents new challenges. In this lesson, students practice the act of calling a show. What are the types of cues that can be used? How are they notated in a script?
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9Lesson 9The Run of a ShowDuring the run of a show, whether it’s one night or a show that runs for years, the stage manager is in charge. In this lesson, students will complete a performance problem-solving exercise, tackle performance reports, and reflect on whether or not they’d make a good stage manager.
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10Lesson 10Culminating ProjectIn this culminating project, students are put into groups to create the stage management elements for a new “production” of Jabberwocky, the poem by Lewis Carroll.
Standards Addressed
Critical Thinking & Reflection
- TH.912.C.1.4 Research and define the physical/visual elements necessary to create theatrical reality for a specific historical and/or geographical play.
- TH.912.C.1.7 Justify personal perceptions of a director's vision and/or playwright's intent.
- TH.912.C.2.1 Explore and describe possible solutions to production or acting challenges and select the solution most likely to produce desired results.
- TH.912.C.2.4 Collaborate with a team to outline several potential solutions to a design problem and rank them in order of likely success.
- TH.912.C.3.3 Critique, based on exemplary models and established criteria, the production values and effectiveness of school, community, and live or recorded professional productions.
Historical & Global Connections
Innovation, Technology & the Future
- TH.912.F.2.4 Apply the skills necessary to be an effective director, designer, stage manager, and/or technician in the mounting of a theatrical performance.
- TH.912.F.3.3 Exhibit independence, discipline, and commitment to the theatre process when working on assigned projects and productions.
- TH.912.F.3.7 Use social networking or other communication technology appropriately to advertise for a production or school event.
Organizational Structure
- TH.68.O.3.3 Discuss the collaborative nature of theatre and work together to create a scene or play, respecting group members' ideas and differences.
- TH.912.O.1.1 Research and analyze a dramatic text by breaking it down into its basic, structural elements to support development of a directorial concept, characterization, and design.
- TH.912.O.1.3 Execute the responsibilities of director, designer, manager, technician, or performer by applying standard theatrical conventions.
- TH.912.O.3.1 Analyze the methods of communication among directors, designers, stage managers, technicians, and actors that establish the most effective support of the creative process.
- TH.912.O.3.2 Analyze a variety of theatre and staging configurations to understand their influence on the audience experience and response.
- TH.912.O.3.3 Analyze and demonstrate how to use various media to impact theatrical productions.
Skills, Techniques & Processes
- TH.68.S.2.1 Discuss the value of collaboration in theatre and work together to create a theatrical production.
- TH.68.S.2.4 Memorize and present a character's lines from a monologue or scene.
- TH.912.S.1.8 Use research to extract clues in dramatic texts to create performances or technical elements, choosing those that are most interesting and that best convey dramatic intent.
- TH.912.S.2.1 Create one or more technical design documents for a theatrical production.
- TH.912.S.2.2 Apply technical knowledge of safety procedures and demonstrate safe operation of theatre equipment, tools, and raw materials.
- TH.912.S.2.6 Transfer acting and technical skills and techniques from one piece of dramatic text to another.
- TH.912.S.3.4 Apply scientific and technological advances to develop visual and aural design elements that complement the interpretation of the text.
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