Molly Cramer - Stage Manager Extraordinaire

In a nutshell, what is the role of the stage manager?
To sum it up in one sentence: a stage manager’s main job is to maintain the artistic integrity of the show and liaise with the cast and technicians. We schedule rehearsals for the cast, costume and wig fittings, and technical rehearsals, as well as communicating the director’s “vision” to the designers and builders. During rehearsals we take detailed notes of the actors’ movements, prop business, and costume changes in a master copy of the script, which is called a prompt book. This way, if an actor forgets where they need to be or what they need to be doing, there’s someone there to point (or push!) them in the right direction. During the run of the show, the stage manager calls all the lighting, sound, fly piece and set change cues so the show stays exactly the same every time it’s performed, both onstage and backstage. This can get very complicated when you’re working on a show that has hundreds and hundreds of cues in it, as everything needs to be timed perfectly to look right. It’s certainly not a job for everyone, but I wouldn’t want to do anything else!

What shows are you working on in the 2012 Summer Theatre Season and what are your thoughts on them so far?
I’m currently in rehearsals for Forever Plaid, which runs on the main stage from July 13-28, and I will be stage managing Barefoot In The Park on the main stage from August 17-25. Forever Plaid is shaping up wonderfully so far…we have an incredible cast and creative team who are so talented and lovely to work with, it’s a dream come true! I’m very excited to be stage managing both of the shows on the main stage this summer; I worked in the studio for the 2011 Summer Theatre Season, and it’s great to experience working in two very different spaces.

What would be your dream show to work on?
I would love to work on a massive show like Les Misérables. There are so many elements that are involved in that production, I think it’d be incredible to see all that goes into it. I’m also a huge fan of the music in it, so it would be a joy to hear it performed every day!

Do you find it difficult to watch other productions without critiquing what’s happening?Working in theatre can be a bit of a curse in that regard! I tend to notice strange things that a “normal” audience member might not, so it’s easy for me to get distracted while watching a lighting cue, or wondering how a particularly complicated scene change was executed, or thinking about how many people it took to change an actor from a wedding dress and a skin-tight leather body suit and a different wig in under 10 seconds.

Any advice for up and coming theatre lovers who are considering a career behind the curtain?
Get involved with community theatre! There are tons of community theatres all over Ontario, with people of all different experience and skill levels. It’s a great way to try out the theatre world and see if it’s something you’d like to pursue professionally.