In every theatrical production, a single indispensable person is responsible for ensuring that scenery, lighting, actors, directors, sound artists are in sync. Stage Manager: the Professional Experience takes the reader through all aspects of the craft of stage management, from prompt books and laptops to relationships and people management. It offers an extensive discussion of what makes a good stage manager, and takes the reader through each phase of a production from getting hired, to auditions and rehearsals, to the run and closing of the show.





Using interviews with other professional stage managers, the author provides a practical, experience-based guide for students and aspiring professionals alike. The stage manager's role in each phase of the production is covered in detail. Working relationships, organizational tools, plans, charts, lists and forms, running auditions, cueing, touring, and the stages of rehearsal are just some of the many topics covered. An overview of the stage manager's working week provides a clear view of the many details involved in the smooth running of a production. A comprehensive working vocabulary offers an excellent reference for anyone working or hoping to work in this field.

Paul Downes is a Professor of Psychology of Education, and the Director of the Educational Disadvantage Centre, Institute of Education, Dublin City University, Ireland.

Guofang Li is a Professor and Tier 1 Canada Research Chair in Transnational/Global Perspectives of Language and Literacy Education of Children and Youth in the Department of Language and Literacy Education and Co-Director of Language Sciences Research Excellence Institute, University of British Columbia, Canada.

Lore Van Praag is an Assistant Professor at the Erasmus University of Rotterdam, the Netherlands.

Stephen Lamb is an Emeritus Professor at the Centre for International Research on Education Systems (CIRES), Victoria University, Australia.