My objective as a Stage Management educator is to not only teach the hard skills of stage managing, such as taping out a rehearsal room and computer skills for creating paperwork, but to also support the students in developing the soft skills, such as communication and problem-solving, that will help them succeed. To be a successful stage manager you need to be someone who is organized, who is an efficient communicator, and flexible enough to problem-solve. Theatre is a group project and the stage manager has a big responsibility in being an active collaborator in every aspect of a production. I have witnessed stage managers who wield that position as a kind of weapon, or as a way to prove themselves as superior to the others in the room. I am working to reimagine the skills and practices that I learned in those rigid hierarchical structures into consent-based and trauma-informed practices. This is important to me because I am an empathetic person who believes in treating people with kindness and respect and in creating environments that support collaboration.
Throughout my education and career I have heard numerous stage managers say that you can teach people how to create paperwork, but you can’t teach them to be assertive, detail-oriented, or a good communicator. I have watched stage managers in mentoring positions dismiss young people who were passionate just because they don’t have the ineffable thing that makes a “good” stage manager. I do not agree with this kind of gatekeeping. I have seen so many young people have their spark fade because mentors didn’t believe that they were capable of learning.
I believe the only reason someone can’t learn to be a stage manager is if they do not want to. There isn’t a “right” way to be a stage manager and I do not accept the dismissal that people aren’t cut out for it. If someone wants to learn then I am going to try my best to give them learning opportunities that they can benefit from. Students often look for me to give them that “right” answer. I remind them that there is no one way to stage manage and encourage them to explore and discover potential answers. This allows the students to think critically, but to also share their unique viewpoints that I can learn from as well. I will take the time with students to build soft skills, such as organization, and to model or uplift different techniques so they can find practices that work for them. Discussion and activity-based classes allow students to collaborate and be active participants in their education. These formal classes paired with hands-on training within the rehearsal room and backstage gives the students different opportunities to assess their skills. I support an individualized approach to learning as there are often as many learning styles as there are students in the room. I evaluate students based on their individual growth and understanding of the material and not in comparison with other students. It is important to me that the students I work with know that I believe in them and that they leave with confidence in themselves, while also recognizing that we are never done learning.
I enjoy reflecting on class sessions and analyzing what was successful and what needed work in order to improve the next class sessions as well as to improve the curriculum for the following year. I give the students survey assessments to reflect on their growth and skills as well as to provide feedback on the class and environment. I take class feedback seriously and continuously work to make adjustments throughout the semester, as well as from year to year.
I use aspects of a culturally responsive pedagogy by not professing the authoritarian style of stage management, but by allowing and encouraging students to bring themselves and be in community with their classmates. I point out power dynamics and white supremacist standards, such as individualism and perfectionism, that can be embedded in the work of a stage manager. I encourage students to analyze their own stage management practices and find what kind of stage manager they want to be.