Stage Management

By Alice R O'Grady, Lawrence Stern, Jill Gold, et al.

Book Overview

Now in its 13th edition, Stage Management is the comprehensive go-to manual on stage management in all theater environments.

Revered as the authoritative resource for stage management for the past 50 years, this newly revised text is rich with practical resources, including checklists, diagrams, examples, forms, and step-by-step directions for each stage of a production. In addition to sharing their own expertise, Stern and Gold have gathered practical advice from working stage managers from Broadway, off-Broadway, touring companies, regional, community, and 99-seat theaters. This new edition has been fully updated with new technology and best practices, including:

Websites and apps for today's stage management teams. Updated Equity rules and how/when to join the union. Updated safety and emergency protocols, including those for Covid. Normalizing diversity and inclusion. Comparisons with and explanations of UK terms and calling practices. New voices from practicing stage managers in text boxes and case studies scattered throughout the book.

This practical guide is written for students of stage management as well as early career stage managers of all ages.

The online resources include paperwork templates, downloadable checklists, suggested readings, and a list of over 500 internships and apprenticeships available across the United States in a variety of theatrical settings.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1032997575
• ISBN13: 9781032997575
• Release Date: May 2026
• Publisher: Routledge
• Length: 332 Pages

Customer Reviews

Good Book BUT . . .

Indeed the Lawrence Stern Book is one of many excellent books on the topic of Stage Management. Perhaps the now plethora of excellent texts comes from the intrinsic organizational skills required in the industry. At one time the LS text was the only modern text on the topic, but since there are now a number of great books, some even better, I'd urge folks to consider them. The Thomas Kelly book, for instance has a very similar organization, and seems to be somewhat more current. To me the Kelly book is a much better value.

Becoming a stage manager

A few years ago, I got my first of many stage management jobs. I had absolutley no idea what to do. So I checked out a little book intitled, Stage Management:a guide of practical techniques. I could not put the book down!(and I'm not into self-help books!) It was filled with great ideas on how to be helpful not only to the director and the actors, but to yourself too. I still follow many of the techniques today. It really helped me out on my first job, and is still doing so now. I fully reccommend this book to all new stage managers, it gives you ideas of organization, how to deal with contrary actors and directors.

The most easily-read and helpful text I have ever read.

Stern writes as if he were sitting around talking. The book is extremely easy to read. And the subject of stage management is so thouroughly covered that I feel confident to approach any task a director would lay before me. Appropriately nicknamed, this is the "Bible of Stage Management"!

Fabulous!

This book is completely indispensible. It helped me very much, and I recommend it to anyone involved in theatre - either onstage or backstage.

What every SM should read

I read this book and it changed the way I looked at SMs, it changed the way my theatre operated. I couldn't imagine trying to survive as an SM without this book. And, in adition, when I wrote to Mr. Stern concerning his book, I got a personal, prompt, courteous reply; he an example to all SMs, and is dying to share what he has learned with you.