Being able to take on almost any role behind the scenes, advanced technical theatre students are learning how to be stage managers. 

“A stage manager is the leader of the production,” technical theatre teacher and director, Laura Darce said. “They work under a director or technical director and their job is basically to make sure that everyone in the crew and cast is doing their job. They are a liaison between the director and the crew.”

Students will be learning to make prompt books, write cues, take attendance, note blocking and many more duties of a stage manager. 

“I have never had somebody actually tell me how the prompt book is supposed to look like, so I just make my own and do it how it works best for me, “ The Laramie Project stage manager, senior Rishika Desai said. “But I might be missing something and there might be some ways I could do it easier so doing that in class will definitely help with that.”

The job of a stage manager requires many things according to Desai. 

“You need to be organized. You need to be reliable,” Desai said. “You have to be a people person or be able to interact with people. You have to get them to like you and want to listen to you rather than listen to you. You have to work hard because it does take a lot of time.” 

According to Darce, It also takes another, less tangible skill.

“Well, we had an interview with a former student who is a professional stage manager as a career and she talked about being humble and not being the smartest person in the room,” Darce said. “It is really, really important, which is super interesting”.