Although not an art per say, stage management requires skill and a close eye. Stage management is all about working with people and getting important information across to a group of people. The stage manager for a production is a the hub of the communication wheel, making it a neutral job in which one cannot take sides to an argument. One also must be a quick-thinker and have a ‘plan B’ for every scenario. High stress and a tolerance for many personality types is also a requirement for the job. Being able to handle all of these things create the ultimate stage manager. I believe I have specific experiences in my upbringing and training that allow my to calmly yet efficiently execute the duties of a stage manager.
In my childhood, I was constantly surrounded by three loud and wild older brothers. I am convinced that the constant noise in the background while little ole’ infant me was snoozing on my mother’s nap in turn allowed me to stay calm and collected during hectic times. My environment has taught me to stay relaxed when there has been a lot going on around me (specifically 5-11 year old boys rough housing and playing catch with baseballs indoors). My mother is a very calm and collected person. I was never yelled at as a child – I was always a good kid and seldom got in trouble. Lack of yelling and punishment has made me become a calm person who can handle stress on a daily basis. It is obvious that, in this case, nurture, not nature, has molded the man I have become.
My training here at UNCSA has absolutely taught me how to stage manage. Even though I am not stage managing main-stage productions, I am learning how to collaborate, communicate, and work with my piers. All first year Design and Production students crew various shows for scenery, lighting, and costumes. Being able to work with strong theatrical personality types allows me to learn how to better work with specific types of people. For example, when I work with people who like to take control of a situation, I can easily sit “in the backseat” and be a follower. However, if working with people who don’t take initiative, I am able to jump up and start to take control of a project. Having the environment to do this helps me learn how to better work with my piers, and eventually my colleagues. I would definitely say that nurture has a huge part of molding the way I learn in the UNCSA environment.
Of course, when working in the performing arts, there will be plenty of people with huge personalities and egos. You have to know when and how to address various types of situations. For example, if the star of a production bursts out into a vicious rage that her dresser brought in a bowl of mixed M&Ms when only greens were requested, a stage manager needs to be able to talk to the actor and calm him/her down so the show can go on. Violent moments can absolutely erupt out of no where. During a production I was working on, two performers began to argue with one another—one said to the other that their dancing wasn’t up to par while the other mocked the way they moved on stage. Each equally vulgar and neither right to call out the other.
The psychology of egos is fascinating – once someone thinks they are better than the rest, everything becomes about that one specific person. This can be seen in The Phantom of the Opera. The diva in the play demands attention because audiences grovel at her feet for more performances. Is there a connection between violent outcries and the performing arts? Absolutely! It isn’t necessarily bad, however. Creative minds must have an outlet in which they can express themselves…besides the performing art. Humans have been using art as a form of expression, but when that becomes your job, you must find another way to “let go”. The easiest way to let stress out is to yell, scream, and become violent. So yes, there is a definite connection between the two and it should remain that way. For the better or worse.
