Cricket Bradford, Assistant Stage Manager on the world premiere set of Media/Medea, provides a first-hand look into the work of production staff during tech rehearsals.
Saturday, April 1st.
8:30 AM: The true April fool was me. Going to sleep late last night was foolish, and however I slept was foolish, as I have the worst crick in my neck this world has ever seen.
8:45 AM: I tell the cast again what time the call is (10:30).
9:00 AM: I walk to the theater, my head tilted to the left, with my backpack. It contains: my script, my laptop, my journal… and the novel I’m writing my thesis on (just in case). I also have an umbrella (just in case).
9:05 AM: I walk with Anne, the stage manager, to La Colombe, holding my head tilted to the left and my umbrella tilted to the sky. I don’t believe in omens; I believe in mood-making. The drizzle is making the mood of maybe I do want to be inside all day.
9:20 AM: We arrive at La Colombe, meeting Ella, the electrician. Two pastries are purchased per person: a “now” pastry and a “later” pastry. Anne and Ella, the ASM and SM last semester, respectively, learned this lesson during their tech week: treat yourself. To two pastries.
10:00 AM: I arrive back at the theater. I get a hot water bottle for my neck. I then start my actual job by sorting the props onto stage left and stage right tables so actors can easily grab them. Flowers to the left, broom to the right, duster to the left, dustbuster to the right… There’s a lot of maintaining a clean house in this show.
10:30 AM: My children— my minions— sorry, my crew arrive. Immediately, they are stolen from me by the aforementioned Ella and by Justin, our amazing technical director. I continue to organize props as my kids— my crew help Ella adjust lighting instruments and help Justin add to the set.
11:00 AM: With my crew of two, I clear out the scene shop (where the set gets built) so the cast can safely walk through it. We sweep a satisfying sweep. Sawdust flies into our dustpans.
11:30 AM: I show my crew our props and inform them of a couple of probably important things. For example, we will need to charge the phones and wash the tea set. “Who wants to wash the tea set?” I ask. They look at each other, back at me, and shrug. They’re both fine with it. They don’t mind who does it. This does not make my job easier.
12:00 PM: The cast comes into the space, which is of course newly outfitted with a set. They gasp and ooh and ahh (deservedly). Justin and Amy, who is our production manager, give the cast a talk: “Be careful. Watch where you step. Watch where you step and be careful.” Amy adds to this a general overview of what tech is. For the reader’s benefit, I will attempt to say briefly what she said so eloquently. Tech is a rehearsal for the designers and stage managers. We go through the play slowly, deciding on sounds and lighting looks, making sure the props are in the right place, and deciding when each light or sound cue will happen. Anne’s job, eventually, will be to call the show, meaning she says “GO” to make the actions happen; she is writing down every cue in her script. I am the deck manager, meaning I am in charge of my run crew, so I am watching out for things I need to do in the moment and things I’ll need to do in the future.
12:15 PM: Justin takes the cast on a small tour of the backstage area (“Be careful. Watch where you step. Watch where you step and be careful”). I take the cast to show them which dressing rooms they have been assigned to, and then I take them to the props to show them what’s what. “Here is the box that contains the urn that contains the ashes” and the like.
12:30 PM: We begin a run of the show. Starting from the top, we cue. I start to make a list (one of many to come). This list is a checklist of which props are pre-set on which sides. I then start to make another list. This is a list of pre-show, mid-show, and post-show tasks. I start to color-code the list, for this is stage management’s main skill.
12:30 PM-5:00 PM: We keep going through the show. I hand people props. And I say: “Please put your props back.” And I say: “Where would the flowers be convenient for you?” And I say: “What’s that you just put down?”
2:00 PM: In the midst of this, I eat the “later” pastry. It is a chocolate croissant, and it is perfect.
3:00 PM: While the actors are on hold, standing so a lighting cue can be programmed, I take out the novel I’m writing my thesis on. I edit the first two pages of my thesis and am immediately needed elsewhere.
5:00 PM-6:30 PM: I get takeout from the dining hall and hide from society in my room. The next day, Sunday, I’ll get delivery from Tiffin with Anne and Ella so we could sit around and chat in the theater lobby about the theater and our Indian food. But on this day, I turtle.
6:30 PM: I show up again at the theater, barely on time. I get my crew to sweep and mop the stage with me. Then, we… continue going through the show. I stay on book, meaning I read actors their lines if they forget what they’re saying. I keep looking at the plants and suitcases and dusters and grocery bags as Anne, the whiz kid rocket surgeon, works hard hard hard.
10:00 PM: I say goodbye to the actors. I run through my post-show checklist (Turn off blue lights. Refrigerate lipstick. Charge dustbusters. Etc.). I say goodbye to my crew. I listen to the director’s notes and email the props person updates (The bottles should have no labels. The vases should be smaller. Etc.). I go back to my dorm room. I set my alarm for 8:15AM. And I go to sleep.
Cricket Bradford hails from Atlanta, Georgia, and is a senior Literatures in English major at Bryn Mawr College. They are pumped to be Main Stage’s Assistant Stage Manager (ASM) this semester. An electrician since birth, they have ventured into the unknown territory of stage management, leaving behind their cables and instruments for props and blocking notes (for now).
Anne Meyer is a senior biology major at Bryn Mawr College, and she is so excited to stage manage this semester. A biologist by trade, Anne has thoroughly enjoyed immersing herself in the theater department this year and has found many uses for her excel skills.