Theatre Design & Technology - Fall 2020 - 14

of male-identifying survey participants.
Representation of non-binary identifying stage managers exceeds many other
fields-4 percent of the 2019 study and
6 percent of the SM2030 Project, which
may indicate a greater acceptance and
openness in the stage management community. But should we expect there to be
greater gender parity for our field? Will
the field strengthen if there is greater
gender representation?
The hardest type of diversity to
achieve in education is also the most
essential: socio-economic. Stage management should not become a field that
only people who can afford it can pursue.
Among 207 early career stage managers in the 2019 study who reported an
internship/apprenticeship in the past
two years, 31 percent of their internships
were unpaid (or actually charged them
a fee) and another 46 percent of internships pay less than $1,000/month. It is
growing increasingly difficult to start a
career in stage management without external financial support. Among 1,261
responses in 2019, 69 percent reported
relying on family or spousal/partner support to start their careers and 45 percent
of that group needed support for over
half of their cost of living. Within the
smaller SM2030 Project subset (n=92),
79 percent expect to rely on some family support and 44 percent expect parents
and spouses/partners to provide at least
half their cost of living. How many students do not pursue stage management

Figure 3. Current Level of Debt and Current Student Loan Debt

C U R R E NT S TU DENT L OA N DE B T A N D O V E R ALL DE B T
College Loans

All Debt

40%
36%
34%

35%

30%

25%

23%

22%
20%

20%

17%
15%

9%

10%
7%
5%

5%

5%

4%

4%

4%

4%

4%
1%

0%

Over $100,000

$50,000 - 99,999

$25,000 - 49,999

$10,000 - 24,999

$5,000 - 9,999

$1,000 - 4,999

Less than $1,000

No Debt/Loans

Source: SM2030 Project. Respondents n=92.

because they lack the family wealth to
launch a career?
Within the SM2030 Project, participants were asked to identify their biggest
concerns as they started their careers in
stage management. This topic was posed
as an open-ended essay question to avoid
suggesting possible concerns. Among the
90 participants who answered this question (participants could list more than one
concern), some responses could be predicted: 44 percent were concerned with
finding work and 10 percent felt unqualified or not competitive in the job market.
But the troubling answers to this question

were the 38 percent who expressed concerns about pay levels and the additional
8 percent who listed burnout as concern.
Even if they are successful in finding
work, those 38 percent were worried
that they could not afford to accept the
job. Moreover, what does it say about our
educational system that college seniors
are already worried about burnout? Is the
current model wearing out students before they can even start work? We may be
preparing students for a production, but
are we preparing them for a career?
Burnout and fatigue are major concerns for the field of stage management

Figure 4. Weekly Pay of Stage Managers Under Age 30

FI GU R E 4 . WE E K LY PAY O F S TAGE M A N AGER S A GE 3 0 A N D U N DE R
Age 30 and Under

All Survey Participants

25%
21%
20%

19%

1 5%

18%

14%
11%

1 0%

8%

9%
7%

9%

8%
5%

5%

11%

10%

6%

10%

8%

7%

7%
4%

4%

2% 2%
0%

$0/weekly

Less than $100

$101-200

$201-300

Source: 2019 Stage Manager Survey. Under 30 n=471. All survey participants
n=935.
Source:
2019

14 | THEATRE DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY | FALL 2020

$301-400

$401-500

$501-750

$751-1000

Stage Manager Survey. Under 30 n=471. All survey participants n=935.

$1001-1250

$1251-1500

$1500+
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