Professional Stage Management Course

Lesson 1 • Production Timeline and Phases

Maps every production phase from pre-production through closing. Students track how SM duties shift across each phase.

Lesson 2 • Ethics and Confidentiality

Addresses the SM's obligation to maintain neutrality and protect sensitive production information. Builds the professional judgment required in high-pressure environments.

Lesson 3 • The Stage Manager's Role Defined

Defines the SM's position within the production hierarchy and union jurisdiction. Connects professional identity to daily operational accountability.

Lesson 4 • Communication Protocols

Covers formal and informal communication channels between SM, creative team, and company. Students practice clear, neutral, and timely information relay.

Lesson 1 • Departmental Coordination Before Rehearsal

Establishes early relationships with design and production departments. Students learn to gather and consolidate pre-production information from all teams.

Lesson 2 • Rehearsal Room Setup

Covers physical and logistical preparation of the rehearsal space to mirror stage conditions. Proper setup reduces transition time and supports director workflow.

Lesson 3 • Prompt Book Construction

Builds the master prompt book as the SM's primary operational document. Students organise script, blocking notation, and cue pages into a professional binder.

Lesson 4 • Script Breakdown and Analysis

Teaches systematic script analysis to extract all production requirements. This breakdown drives every subsequent planning document.

Lesson 1 • Understudy and Swing Rehearsals

Addresses the unique scheduling and tracking demands of cover rehearsals. Students learn to run parallel rehearsal tracks without disrupting the principal process.

Lesson 2 • Tracking Rehearsal Progress

Establishes systems for monitoring what has been staged, set, and approved. Students maintain running logs that inform daily scheduling decisions.

Lesson 3 • Running the First Read-Through

Covers logistics and protocol for the company's first full gathering. Sets the professional tone for the entire rehearsal process.

Lesson 4 • Managing the Rehearsal Room

Develops authority and diplomacy skills for maintaining order and focus. Students practice calling time, managing breaks, and handling disruptions professionally.

Lesson 1 • Script Change Management

Covers protocols for tracking rewrites, cut lines, and new pages during rehearsal. Students distribute changes accurately and update all affected documents.

Lesson 2 • Continuity Across Rehearsal Periods

Addresses maintaining staging and script consistency across breaks, cast changes, and returns. Students develop systems that preserve production integrity over long runs.

Lesson 3 • Line Notes and Script Supervision

Teaches the SM's role in monitoring actor line accuracy and issuing line notes. Students balance script fidelity with director discretion on approved paraphrasing.

Lesson 1 • Calling Cues from the Prompt Book

Develops the SM's cueing voice, timing, and headset communication skills. Students practice standby and go sequences for all technical elements.

Lesson 2 • Dress Rehearsal Management

Covers running dress rehearsals as near-performance conditions with full documentation. Students produce a complete dress rehearsal report for all departments.

Lesson 3 • Dry Tech and Wet Tech Protocols

Distinguishes between crew-only and full-company technical rehearsals. Students manage both formats and adapt communication for each.

Lesson 4 • Cue-to-Cue Execution

Teaches the SM to lead a cue-to-cue rehearsal efficiently while managing actor and crew patience. Students practice stopping, resetting, and re-running cue sequences.

Lesson 1 • Pre-Show Checks and Half-Hour Call

Establishes the SM's pre-show routine for verifying all departments are ready. Systematic checks prevent performance emergencies before they occur.

Lesson 2 • Understudy and Replacement Performances

Addresses the additional preparation and communication required when covers go on. Students manage last-minute cast changes without disrupting performance quality.

Lesson 3 • Post-Show Duties and Performance Reports

Covers the SM's responsibilities after the curtain call through company dismissal. Students produce a complete, professional performance report for all stakeholders.

Lesson 4 • Managing Holds and Stops

Covers protocols for stopping a performance due to safety, technical failure, or emergency. Students practice clear, calm communication with cast, crew, and audience.

Lesson 1 • Union Contracts and Work Rules

Covers the SM's responsibility to enforce union agreements for actors, musicians, and crew. Students interpret contract language and apply rules in daily scheduling.

Lesson 2 • Intimacy and Safety Protocols

Covers the SM's coordination role with intimacy coordinators and safety officers. Students learn to document and enforce agreed-upon physical boundaries in rehearsal and performance.

Lesson 3 • Handling Sensitive Personnel Situations

Develops judgment for managing illness, injury, personal crises, and misconduct within the company. Students practice neutral, documented responses to difficult interpersonal situations.

Lesson 4 • Company Welfare and Morale

Addresses the SM's role in maintaining a safe, respectful, and productive company environment. Students develop strategies for supporting company morale during long runs.

Lesson 1 • Maintaining Production Integrity

Covers strategies for preserving the director's original vision across hundreds of performances. Students identify and correct staging, pacing, and technical drift.

Lesson 2 • Long-Run Documentation Updates

Teaches ongoing maintenance of the prompt book and all production documents across a long run. Students keep records current through cast changes, rewrites, and design updates.

Lesson 3 • Closing Night and Production Archive

Covers all SM responsibilities from closing notice through final strike and archiving. Students produce a complete production archive suitable for future revivals.

Lesson 4 • Touring and Transfer Preparation

Covers the SM's role in preparing a production for a national tour or international transfer. Students adapt documentation and logistics for new venues and companies.