At The Australian Ballet the management team consist of only two people, the stage manager and the assistant stage manager. For them there is no such thing as a ‘typical’ day for much depends on what the dancers are doing at that time. During rehearsal periods, for instance, the stage management team assist by making sure the dancers have all the stage props that they require from fans and swords to chairs and tables. At this time they will also become acquainted with the timing of the entrances and exits made by the dancers and any set changes that will take place during the ballet.
About a month before The Australian Ballet moves into any theatre, the stage manager sends a technical schedule to the theatre’s management with the daily requirements of the company including the type of technical staff needed and at what times. Every production performed by the company has a file full of technical information to assist whenever and wherever that ballet is reproduced.
The company usually moves into the theatre one week before opening. This is called production week and it is when all the sets, props, costumes and office equipment are moved into the theatre. It normally takes between one and three days to assemble the scenery, hang the lights and then light the production. The lighting of each ballet involves the lighting designer, technical director, electrician, stage manager and sometime the choreographer. All the different lighting ‘states’ are recorded onto a computer which will allow the stage manager to accurately cue the lighting changes during the performance.
The company then have two dress rehearsals on stage, when all the preparation of the choreographer, designers, musicians, dancers and technicians come together for the first time. It is only the expertise of the stage managers and the tight control they exercise over these rehearsals, that prevents them from descending into pure chaos.
During actual performances the stage manager and the assistant stage manager are responsible for different aspects of the production. The stage manager sits on the right hand side of the stage, traditionally called prompt corner, and is in control of everything that you see on stage - the commencement of the performance, the raising and lowering of the front curtain, the changes of scenery and lighting states, even the conduct of the dancers on stage.
The assistant stage manager moves around backstage, keeping an eye on everything that happens in the wings, with responsibility for making sure the dancers are ready and waiting, that they have the correct props, and that entrances to the stage are clear.
It takes a lot of concentration to be part of the stage management team as no performance or day is the same as any other. The changing demands of their work continually keep them on their toes – but not literally of course!
