Stage Management Basics

Chapter TwoPreliminary Steps

The production process can be a very hectic, fast-paced environment. Rehearsals can be extremely short (two weeks), very long (nine to ten weeks), and anywhere in between. It will depend a lot on the environment the theater is in. In the academic environment, the labor and personnel budget are not typically an issue, so the rehearsal process can be longer but the production may only run for a weekend or two. Conversely, if the theater is paying production staff and actors, then typically the process will be shortened to keep costs to a minimum. The production periods will be the exact opposite: a shorter rehearsal process and a longer run (to gain revenue). The following section talks about the steps needed to get ...