Being A Stage Manager

Overview

An upbeat behind-the-scenes video explaining what a stage manager actually does, using the creator’s current involvement with Shrek the Musical. Viewers get a tour of the theater, meet key backstage personnel, and then break down the role—from props and rehearsals to cueing lights/sound and maintaining running communications during the show.

Main Plot / Flow

1. Intro & purpose

   • The creator explains they’ve wanted to make this video for a long time, focusing specifically on stage managing.

2. Backstage tour

   • They walk through the backstage area with friends and staff.
   • The video emphasizes the stage management “command center” vibe and how the show is organized behind the scenes.

3. Responsibilities during performance

   • Calling cues for lights and sound
   • Controlling show flow (starting/stopping scenes and coordinating operators)
   • Communicating with cast and crew using:
     • headsets
     • a pager mic

4. After the show

   • The video ends with what happens right after curtain down:
     • resetting/prepping for the next performance
   • It also includes a quick gag about someone walking around half naked.

Highlights & Notable Backstage Moments

Backstage characterization

• The creator introduces their assistant stage manager partner as “perpetually angry,” setting a humorous tone immediately.

Props segment (gross/funny energy)

• Props are carefully labeled and stored by stage side.
• A “freaky and gross” moment includes creepy/misc. props—such as a weird mirror they admit to messing with when bored.
• A specific prop is loaded with a feather-filled mechanism that explodes during the show, leading to comedic mentions of needing to broom/sweep feathers afterward.

Audience-call tradition / countdown

• They reference a “half hour call” (i.e., 30 minutes till the top of the show), highlighting that stage management requires constant timing and coordination.

Key Joke / Running Reactions

The creator repeatedly frames stage managing as having almost supernatural control, with lines like:

• “Your word is god”
• “press the button”
• “things happen when you say it should”

Cast members also describe stage managers as traffic cops / all-knowing beings, reinforcing the humor of how powerful the role can feel to other departments.

Stage Manager Responsibilities (Core Teaching Section)

• Keep cues and manage the stage

  • Maintain calm, organization, and readiness across departments.

• Control pacing and transitions

  • Ensure changes happen at the right moment (lights shifts, set movements like drops/rises, and major set moments such as a portcullis).

• Use a prompt book / binder

  • Hundreds of cues, including:
    • roughly 230–240 lighting cues
    • 25–30 sound cues

• Run show communications

  • Headset to backstage operators
  • Pager mic to relay information to actors
  • A “god mic” for emergencies with the house

• Assemble the “full picture”

  • Stage management aims to provide guidance to whoever needs it, even when others aren’t seeing everything.

Ending

• After the show, the curtain is down and the team begins pre-setting for tomorrow’s show.
• Final comedic beat: Mikey is teased for walking by “half naked,” a playful reminder that theater chaos continues even after the performance.

Personalities Mentioned (Cast / Crew)

• Martina — Assistant Stage Manager (stage left side partner)
• Claudia — Assistant Stage Manager (described as “perpetually angry”)
• Jack Parsons — Stage hand (appears early)
• Abby Longmire — Cast member / long-time friend
• Cody — Assistant stage manager (frequently mentioned; referenced for yelling about signing in and for sweeping feathers)
• Ron — Props master / stage hand
• Mikey — Mentioned in the post-show reset gag