with it, but, you will never
see them. They are Stage Management, and they play a very important
role in the production of a musical or play, in both organizing the
company, and maintaining the director's artistic integrity."We are
often mom and dad," said Paul Skirzyk, Stage Manager for Big, The
Musical. "We get to see something that never existed, just words and
music on a page, and see it through to a finished product in two
weeks." But of course, as with parenting, there are both rewards and challenges in the everything in between.
A neat and tidy description of what stage management does, would be that they organize all the information for everybody in the company and distribute it to everyone who needs it. However, that description would not come close to detailing the vast amount of tasks for which Skirzyk and his Big team of Michael Walton, Tania Olson and Allison Loat are responsible.
From handing out rehearsal schedules to acting as liaison between company media relations personnel and the cast and crew, and from making coffee, to letting actors and the creative team know when they can break for coffee, there is no small detail that is overlooked by stage management.
During rehearsals, the team must pay close attention to every movement of person, prop and set piece, and record that movement. Not only does this create consistency and clean movements, but it also helps to maintain a safe environment for actors on stage when moving set pieces or backdrops are concerned.
Stress?
"Sure, and you know it's not life or death, but it sure feels like it," said Skirzyk. "On one hand you know it's just theatre, and no one will get hurt, but you also know that the entire company is looking at you thinking, 'fix it!' when there's a problem."
The life of a stage manager is much like the life of an actor in the sense that you may not know where or when your next gig will be, however Skirzyk said that the security is a little better for stage managers, who can work twice as much as actors.
"While there can be a show, but no part for an actor, stage managers can still work on a show no matter what that show is."
Skirzyk got his professional start in stage management at Rainbow Stage, coming straight out of high school as an apprentice to Chris Pearce in 1990's Anything Goes. After doing several professional shows, both at Rainbow and elsewhere, he spent a year at Ryerson in Toronto, enrolled in the Theatre Technical Production program. The program covers everything from wardrobe to props, to sound and lighting to front of house management, or basically anything other than acting.
In Winnipeg, there are programs at both the University of Winnipeg and
the University of Manitoba. Stage management requires important skills like extreme organization, both in thoughts and in paperwork, problem solving, and being personable.
"Politically savvy is the way I've always described it," said Skirzyk. "You need to know who to abuse and who to respect, and when to abuse those you respect without ruining that respect."
But, most of all, Skirzyk says you need to know how to have fun. "I get to pretend for a living. It doesn't get much better than that.
