Video Critique

This video is an interview of a stage manager for a touring rock band. With any type of performance, whether it be a concert or theatrical event, the stage manager still completes the same basic function. The man being interviewed in this video talks first about the load-in process, or the unloading of equipment off of trucks and into the performance space, and what challenges sometimes come with that time. He says that he is in charge of making sure the load-in process is occurring in a timely manner. He also comments on how it is his job to ensure that everything is running correctly by conducting a sound check on every musical instrument being used in the show that particular night. The point that he empasizes is that if anything is wrong, it is his job to fix it or find someone to fix the problem. Ultimately, the responsibility for the show falls back on the stage manager.
I like how he explains the basic duties of a stage manager. The duties such as performing sound checks and problem solving can be applied to any aspect of live performance. I also like how he tells his personal technique to managing the load-in process of the band. I have only stage managed in-house shows, therefore getting to receive insight to what a touring stage manager does is really helpful. In my opinion, a touring stage manager performs the basic duties as an in-house stage manager, except they tend to receive the responsibility of supervising the load-in process at each venue or theatre.

"Backstage Pass: Stage Manager." Youtube. Web. 3 Apr 2010.

Chapter Ten from Technical Theater for Nontechnical People, by Drew Campbell is entitled "Show Control". This chapter describes how every aspect of the technical part of the show must come together to work as one in order to be a great show. It describes how one can run a show synchronously or asynchronously. "In a synchronous situation, there is usually some sort of 'clock' that keeps all the events in order" (Campbell 180). An asynchronous production would not time the show, leading to a performance that would vary greatly, and last any where between twenty minutes shorter to twenty minutes longer than the anticipated run of the show.

Personally, all the shows I have stage managed have been asynchronous shows. Although I have never experienced a synchonous show, I believe that it would be too difficult to make sure the actors were abiding by a strict time schedule. I can also see the advantages to running a production synchronously. The advantages would pay off if the production was being performed by a touring professional company due to the strict time schedule the hosting theatre gives the technical crew for load-in and load-out procedures. As one can see, running a show both synchronously and asyncronously have their advantages.

Campbell, Drew. Technical Theater for Nontechnical People. 2nd Ed. New York: Allworth Press, 2007. 179-187. Print.

Basic Stage Management Trends

Chapter twelve from Technical Theater for Nontechnical People, by Drew Campbell is a great chapter that describes some of the basic techniques used by all stage managers. It explains the key elements to stage management by breaking the chapter into subsections entitled: Communication, Schedule Making, Lists, Running Rehearsals, Backstage Survival Guide, Opening Night Run, and The Payoff: Running the Show. Each one of these subsections explains how every stage managers' style should be the same. For instance, in the subsection concerning lists, Campbell states that "every stage manager should have basic lists including a contact sheet for the cast and technical crew, costume plots, prop list, scene breakdowns, lighting cue sheets, and sould cue sheets" (Campbell 105). These are the basic necessities need by all stage managers. From this point, depending on the stage managers style, a strict stage manager would make diagrams that would have labeled the focal length of each lighting instrument, along with sould levels of individual sound cues, whereas a "loose" stage manager would focus the lights in the load-in process just by looking at how the stage illuminates once the scenery is in place.
Personally, I live by the motto, "Be prepared for the worst!" So in my case, I would primarily make a chart of individual electrical rails, with focal length and gel color clearly labeled. That way if a situation occurred where a particular section of the stage was darker than the director expected, a solution could be drawn up in a fraction of the time it would take to fix the problem without specific diagrams and charts. Next, as I prefer organization over chaos, I would make a chart of sound levels to call with the sound cues. A stage manager's cues who doesn't make a chart of sound levels would say, "Sound Cue One-Go", relying of the sound-board operator to have previously set the sound levels into the boards computer, whereas a stage manager's cues who has made a sound level chart might say, "Sound One, Level 6-Go". Those few extra words added to each cue can make the difference between a smooth show, and the one that has many technical errors. As one can see, I prefer organization, as to avoid technical errors as I call a show.

Campbell, Drew. Technical Theatre for Nontechnical People. 2nd ed. New York: Allworth Press, 2007. 199-219. Print.