Having been tasked with writing a “year end review” of the shows I have seen and/or reviewed this year I have been wracking my brain to try to think of some clever or insightful way of looking at the past year and deciding what was worth remembering and what was – shall we say – not.
Fortunately (for me, at least) there were no horrors on the stages of 2015. Every show had merit. There were good productions as well as bad ones but every show had an amazing amount of energy, time and talent poured into it so it would not be fair to recap and highlight the shows I saw based on my own opinion.
And so, I sat here for the last several evenings trying to figure out what exactly to say to sum up the Lehigh Valley theater scene in a succinct, yet honest wrap up.
I could point out all the brilliant music that was played, or the melodious singing or brilliant choreography of the many fine musicals over the last year. I could showcase the razor sharp talents of the many fine actors who have graced the Lehigh Valley stages over the past year. I could point to directors who have done miraculous jobs bringing shows to life and musical directors who have added toe-tapping tunes to a show or the choreography or lighting or set design …
… and then I decided I would focus my end of the year review on a typically unsung hero of the theater – both community and professional. An individual who usually does not receive the recognition they deserve. This individual is customarily the first one to arrive and the last one to leave. They are the one responsible for making sure the play moves along at the correct pace, usually dealing with the backstage drama and trying to keep everything from falling apart. It is a thankless, gritty and often times demanding job that leaves the individual sweaty and exhausted (and I should know as I have done this role a few times during my theater career).
I'm referring, of course, to the stage manager.
As I looked back on the variety of shows I saw this past year and the reviews I had written I realized that, more often than not, the stage manager is forgotten when it comes to a true appreciation of the show itself. Everyone thinks of the cast, obviously. The musicians who play the music for the pit orchestra. They appreciate all the hard work that was invested by the person who built the colorful sets or hung the lights but very like the stage manager is overlooked as nothing more than a mention in the program.
And that's wrong because the stage manger is the silent “glue” who usually holds the show together.
Having served as assistant stage manager and full-fledged stage manager for several Lehigh Valley productions I know the hard work that is involved with being a stage manager. It is not a job that is taken lightly. And even though it is a often unappreciated and unacknowledged role in a production it is one which is usually as vital as any other role in a show.
So, as we begin 2016 and look back at all the wonderful productions from 2015 it would be easy enough to sort through my reviews and collection of playbills and recap what I liked (and disliked) about the Lehigh Valley theater scene but I felt it necessary, instead, to take a moment and tip our proverbial hats to those individuals who have served such a vital role in the productions throughout the Lehigh Valley this past year.
Like the hard-working stunt men in motion pictures, stage managers rarely receive recognition for their hard work except from the cast. There are typically no awards for “best stage manager” and often times the stage manager stands silently in the lobby of a theater, clad in black, as the cast are praised for all their hard work even though the stage manager worked just as hard.
As “stage manager” we are responsible for the well being of the cast and crew. We are responsible for making sure everything is running as smoothly as our director intends it to be. We sometimes need to know things before our director or cast even realize it. We are similar to the character of “Radar” from the movie and subsequent television series MASH. It is our job to know the needs of our cast and crew before they, themselves, even realize they need something. We are usually the ones at the read through thinking “the script calls for a zebra striped parrot statue … I had better go and find someplace I can get a zebra striped parrot statue!”
So, rather than look back at all the shows of 2015 and point out highlights (despite there being many great productions in Lehigh Valley theater last year) I wanted to take this opportunity to acknowledge and say “thank you” to all those silent heroes of Lehigh Valley theaters … the stage managers. Without your patience, hard work and dedication many of the shows we have attended would not have been quite so polished, and certainly not gone as flawlessly as they did.
And with that I say a heartfelt “thank you” to all the stage managers from all the plays and musicals everywhere. Thank you for your attention to detail, your unfaltering hard work, and your determination to make the show succeed.
And I ask that you, dear patron, think about the name next to “stage manager” at the next show you see and pay attention to the people moving set pieces or making sure there are chocolate chip cookies on a platter if someone in a play says they are eating chocolate chip cookies. More often than not it was the responsibility of someone who is not looking for limelight, but was just as invested and dedicated to the show as every other person listed in the program.
What made me realize how important it is to appreciate ALL the members of a production' After watching the high school production of my play “Tidings” I was reminded at how important the crew of a production is when - during the curtain call – all those silent members who moved around set around during scene changes and helped backstage with costume changes and props walked across the stage dressed in black and I realized that these people were as much a part of the production … and realized how often we forget these people during most plays and musicals.
Yes, these people are doing this because they love to be involved with the theater and are not seeking accolades or applause but I feel it is still important for them to be acknowledged for their hard work and time and efforts that they put forth to make sure the show you are enjoying goes off without a hitch. And the stage manager is usually the ring-master making sure that the production is glitch free and moving along at the pace the director intended.
So maybe, just maybe, as you are waiting in the lobby with flowers for your favorite cast member or simply walking out after watching a show you have enjoyed you might take the time to ask who the stage manager was of the show you saw and stop that individual and say “thank you” for all they did to make it as enjoyable as it was. There are plenty of “silent players” who make a show as entertaining as it is … and they all deserve a round of applause for their hard work.