Theatre Design & Technology - Summer 2021 - 17

The issue lies where communication
veers into a fixation on what is written
down-when rehearsal reports become
scripture and anything unwritten is
brushed aside.
This worship of the written word
works hand-in-hand with external expectations
of perfection placed upon
stage managers and internalized ideas
of false objectivity. Stage managers may
spend so much attention getting reports
and paperwork exactly right that their
other duties fall to the wayside. It's additionally
strenuous to put so much focus
on written reports when they're often
put together at the end of an already
long and exhausting day.
Stage managers are expected to
be expert communicators, but despite
communication inherently being a
two-way street, this is not necessarily
an expectation for every person on the
production. The burden of keeping all
parties up to date on all aspects of the
production isn't achievable if all parties
aren't given similar expectations to
share information.
Both Sides of the Coin
Either/Or Thinking
We see the arbitrary binaries of either/or
thinking all over the place, and
they affect us subconsciously. Union/
non-union, Broadway/regional,
plays/
musicals-it is inevitable that certain
connotations will come to mind about
the different identities and experiences
of the people around you. But for stage
managers, these binaries can manifest
in making biased hiring decisions,
stifling creativity, and over-simplifying
complex issues.
Leaning on either/or thinking as a
One Singular Sensation
I'm the Only One, Individualism, and
Only One Right Way
Despite theatre's inherent collaborative
nature, the expectations and ethos
around stage management seem contradictory
to that. In the process of
keeping an eye on the broad scope of
departments and individuals required to
PUSHING YOURSELF TO DO
EVERYTHING ON YOUR OWN
COMPROMISES YOUR TIME AND
HEALTH AND PREVENTS YOU
FROM GROWING AND SEEING NEW
POINTS OF VIEW.
seemingly efficient way to make decisions
can also impose a sense of urgency
that hinders authentic and freely
given consent. Either/or thinking can
show up as a bias to say yes and is especially
prevalent in situations of bodily
autonomy for performers. When directors
and choreographers ask performers
yes-or-no questions like, " George is
putting his hands here. Is that okay? "
they often feel pressured to say " yes " in
fear that saying " no " will paint them as
" hard to work with. " This binary framing
isn't a genuine choice between two
equal options. It's a covert demand
directed toward a single answer. If
you don't feel comfortable saying " no "
without
repercussions, any
" yes "
is
meaningless.
Instead, stage managers can make
room for genuine consent by asking
open-ended questions like, " The director
wants to try having George put his
hands here. How do you feel about that
for this moment? " This steps away from
either/or binaries and the profoundly
ingrained compulsion to say " yes " by
starting a conversation. It opens the
door to collaboration and creativity, to
figure out what would work best for this
moment and these actors. What was
once a single artistic choice is suddenly
a world of possibilities.
maintain a production, the role of stage
manager begins to inhabit the anticollaborative
position of an all-knowing
individual and the person most capable
of completing any task.
The individualistic nature of stage
management manifests as production
stage managers (PSMs) who are labeled
as the sole voice for directors and
production team members' questions.
This can go so far as actively discouraging
assistant stage managers (ASMs),
production assistants (PAs), and interns
from contributing ideas or even
speaking up in general. Framing the
PSM as the only useful person blocks
delegation, causing PSMs to overfill
their plates. This viewpoint of self-exceptionalism
minimizes the work and
capabilities of their teammates, creating
a culture of distrust and barring an
abundance of insight from team members
whose voices could uplift the production
if they weren't being shut down.
This way of operating also stems
from the incorrect belief that competence
is a zero-sum game. " If my ASM
knows this answer, and I don't, they're
undermining my authority in the room. "
In actuality, it's important to remember
that the PSM and ASM are part of
a team working toward the same goal.
Denying this works against the good of
the whole by slowing down processes in
favor of your ego.
It also works against the PSM's own
well-being by unnecessarily overloading
their plate with duties outside of
their job. By buying into the adage " if
you want something done right, you
have to do it yourself, " you're only making
things worse for yourself. Pushing
yourself to do everything on your own
compromises your time and health and
prevents you from growing and seeing
new points of view.
Perpetually self-delegating also gives
the wrong message to those around
you, leading to the belief that if producers
want something done, they can just
hand it off to the stage manager, regardless
of whether it's actually within the
realm of their duties-which, continuing
the cycle, harms those coming after you
to a theatre that now believes that part
of a stage manager's job is to be overworked
and take on the tasks nobody
else wants. So when the next stage
manager says no to unpaid overtime,
SUMMER 2021 | THEATRE DESIGN & TECHNOLOGY | 17
Theatre Design & Technology - Summer 2021

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