Why You Need a Stage Manager 📝

An open letter to event organizers everywhere.
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We are laugh/crying today because proper stage management, IE a person dedicated to ensuring the stage logistics are sorted, is something that is frequently overlooked by non-show business & non-event professionals everywhere.
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"But Ladies, I can do it myself!" you say...
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Darling, if we had a dollar for every time we showed up on the event site and:
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➡️The "clear" performance space we are contractually supposed to have actually is riddled with obstructions of all kinds from props, to decor, tobooth/tables/chairs, to podiums & everything in between. This causes a safety issue for our teams, and then our role becomes "chief negotiation officer" in trying to find the "win-win" when actual clearance is the safest and most sane route & in the best interest of ALL parties(why risk harm or injury of a human, ever?)

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➡️The person running sound & lights at "sound check/rehearsal" in the afternoon isn't the actual person running these elements for the show later in the evening. Enter the hobby DJ one hour before doors. Bless. 😐

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➡️Unrehearsed transitions that come off as clunky for the talent & the audience! IE Aerialists / acrobats / dancers / musicians NEED to focus on their role & complicated maneuvers...Any transitions should be seamless / looked after on the backend so that the performance of any kind can shine on the front end. If a transition is janky, then it wasn't orchestrated properly.

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➡️The sound and lighting consoles are not located in the same area (unless we can all communicate on comms this is a disastrous combo). IE volume/ lighting levels etc all should be able to be adjusted during performances.

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➡️Stage placement in the floorplan was an afterthought or loosely / haphazardly considered in the overall plan. Tight access points and convoluted pathways to and from the performance area can be minimized if the stage placement and broader floorplan is reviewed by a stage manager long before event day arrives. Essential factors like guest entrance & exit flow, bar placement, table configuration, technology installations etc all have an impact on the stage. Stage managers can flag these items in the consultative phase.
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When we show up on site and there is a dedicated stage manager, we all breathe a sigh of relief. Phew! 😌
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When we are the stage management team from the get-go...Woo!🙌🏻
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Line-of-sight on the stage + all elements of the focal point is a dedicated job in onto itself. THANK YOU to the event teams we've worked with who understandthis critical role and invest accordingly.
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A proper "stage manager" is not a position that is amplified enough or understood fully so if this is new information to you, you are not alone!
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"When we know better, we do better" right?
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If you are not already in the habit of hiring a stage manager for your events -make this a 2025 upgrade for yourself. You will be so glad you did! 💓😉

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Photo by: Vito Amati

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