Stage Management

1. Stage Management Part Two

2. Taping the floor • A big part of stage managing is showing the actors and other crew members that they are in good hands. One of the first things they will see from you is the TAPE JOB on the floor. • It's important for several reasons: the first being it's the only FULL SCALE representation of the set the actors will see until they move onstage, and also because it's often the first thing from you that the actors see.

3. Preparing the ground plan • It's much easier to tape the floor BEFORE you begin rehearsals, once you're in rehearsals your time will get eaten up rather quickly. • GRID the groundplan. Draw a line PARALLEL to the center line every TEN feet. You can also use either an existing line on the drawing or draw one in that runs PERPENDICULAR to the center line running stage left to stage right. • If these lines are off then everything about your tape will be off.

4. Take the ground plan and identify every major POINT: • -where a wall ENDS • -where the DOOR is • -where the CORNER in the room is • -where the PLATFORM ends

5. Start on either stage left or stage right. • Divide the groundplan with a CENTER line, it probably already has one. • Give each point on the stage right side a NUMBER on the groundplan. • It's best to start on the DOWNSTAGE side, then work upstage as you measure.

6. Once you have measured and listed all the coordinates on the stage RIGHT side, do the same for stage LEFT. • After you have finished the stage left side, you should have two good-size lists of COORDINATES. • Start on one side of the stage and number the coordinates all the way down the page, then continue the numbering down the other column.

7. First SWEEP and MOP. It's difficult for the tape to stick if the floor is dirty. • The tools you will need for the actual taping include THREE tape measures at least 25' long, and the tape itself. • This process works best if you have THREE people involved, but you can do it with TWO.

8. First, lay one tape measure out from ZERO feet ZERO inches all the way up the CENTER line and TAPE it to the floor. If you're doing stage right first, lay a second tape measure exactly 10 feet to the right of the first tape measure. • One of you will call out the distance UP-STAGE, and the other two - one on center and the other stage right – WILL MOVE the third tape measure to the distance called out.

9. The person on center holds the third tape measure to the CENTER of the center line. • The person with the list of coordinates calls out how far stage right of center the POINT is, then place a small square of tape on that point and label it with same number as the point is labeled on the GROUNDPLAN.

10. Once you have finished stage right, pull up the tape measure that's 10' from center and lay it down 10 feet LEFT of center on the stage left side, and REPEAT the process for the stage left side. • When you get to this point you have a rehearsal hall full of tabs of tape with numbers. • Now its time to CONNECT the DOTS. Using the ground plan as a guide, connect all the dots that you have plotted on the groundplan.

11. If you're using platforms you will want to label the ELEVATIONS by saying how high the platform is from the zero feet zero inches level. • If you have multiple sets, you might want to mark each one in a different COLOR. • Actors will be using your MEASUREMENTS to find out how many steps it takes to reach another CHARACTER, an EXIT, or a PIECE OF FURNITURE. This can be critical to the actor's timing in the play.

12. Building the promptbook • You will need to have two copies of the script, for use in your prompt book. • One copy is for BLOCKING NOTATION and REHEARSALS the other for CALLING THE SHOW.

13. Punch three holes in the LEFT hand side of plain white paper, being careful to leave yourself plenty of MARGIN on the right hand side. • This is where you will be putting your CUES in the book and you'll want as much space as possible. • Repeat the process for each page of the script and you will need to make TWO copies of the script this way.

14. Take your dividers and label one divider for each ACT. Put your rehearsal script into these dividers, according to the act. • Then label a divider CALLING TEXT and place that divider and the second copy of the script right behind the first copy. You won't need to label the acts in this copy. • You won't need the calling text until you are ready to PUT CUES into your book. Keep it clean and free from marks.

15. Take the rest of your dividers and label them for each department: • PROPS • COSTUMES • SETS • SOUND • ELECTRICS • DAILY NOTES

16. Put three clear plastic page protectors at the beginning of your book. • Into the first put your CONTACT SHEET. • Into the second put your FRENCH SCENE BREAKDOWN. • Into the third put your PERFORMANCE CALENDAR. • Put your Prop List into the Props section and your Costume Piece List into the Costumes section.

17. You will want a rehearsal calendar to keep track of the SPECIAL REHEARSALS and rehearsal CONFLICTS. • Since there will be lots of writing on this calendar, don't put it in a plastic cover.

18. Mini groundplans • Take the ground plan and reduce it on a copier. You're going to want to get the entire ground plan down to a size that easily fits into the TOP QUARTER of an 8-1/2 by 11 sheet of paper. • These mini-groundplans are an easy way to keep track of BLOCKING. You will need one for every page in the script. Then make about TWENTY more. Now three hole punch them so that the holes are on the RIGHT side. These pages will be OPPOSITE your rehearsal copy of the play.

19. The first rehearsal: arranging the furniture • Every theatre organization has a slightly different way to arrange furniture for the first rehearsal. Ask your DIRECTOR how he or she wants the room set up. • Chances are they will want an arrangement where all the actors can sit together, and all the actors can SEE EACH OTHER