You Can Be Anything › All careers › Performing Arts & Entertainment

Stage Manager

Coordinates all technical and artistic elements of a live performance — the unsung hero of theater.

Did you know?

The job title 'stage manager' only appeared in 18th-century England. In Shakespeare's time the work was split between a stage keeper and a bookkeeper.

How subjects help

• Communication: Call every light, sound and scene change over a headset at exactly the right moment.
• Business Studies: Draw up rehearsal schedules and keep the show on time and within budget.
• Engineering: Check that moving scenery, trapdoors and flying rigs are safe before each show.

A famous name

Peter Lawrence: Broadway production stage manager since 1977 who was given a special Tony Honor for his work in 2013.

Try it yourself: Run a one-minute show with a cue sheet

1. Plan a one-minute scene with three moments: a sunny start, a spooky middle and a happy ending.
2. Write numbered cues: Cue 1, lights on; Cue 2, curtains closed and torch on; Cue 3, hat on.
3. Run the show, calling "Standby cue 1… GO!" at the right moments while your friend performs.
4. What went wrong the first time? Fix the cue sheet and run it again.

Stage managers, lighting designers and wardrobe teams plan every change on a cue sheet, so the show runs the same way every night.

Also try: Bring a spoon to life.

Known for it in

USA, UK, Germany, Australia, Canada

Related careers

• Puppeteer
• Art Auctioneer
• Wardrobe Manager
• Disaster Recovery Specialist
• Voice Actor
• Stand-up Comedian