Student Blog: 2023 Thespy Award Winner Brielle Norlie on Excellence in Stage Management

“From the start of seventh grade, Brielle knew she had a passion to be in a theatrical environment, but came to a fork in the road when she realized she wasn’t performance bound. She was lucky enough to have a soon-to-be mentor and chosen sister introduce her to the craft of stage management. As the oldest sibling in her household, Brielle  found her passion for organization and communication early on. It was no surprise that she found a hunger for stage management as a career soon enough…Brielle didn't only find that passion for stage management because of the necessary tangible aspects, though. She believes strongly that theatre in general has the power to bring people together through shared experiences by telling important stories, whether they make an audience laugh or cry. She soon found that stage management was her favorite way to create because of the totalitarian view she got of the effect theatre has on people. It also allowed her to make direct impacts in people's lives, and that was important to her.  Brielle's overall goal with stage management and in life in general is to make people feel valued, heard, and as if they matter. She strongly cares about helping people find joy, whether that be because she met them as a stage manager, or just as another acquaintance, she believes everyone deserves to feel fulfilled” (from Brielle's website).

What inspired you to pursue stage management?

A lot of people in my life inspired me to start stage management. I remember Jamie Ko in particular asked me what I was going to do for our upcoming show, Pippin. And I told her that  I didn't know yet and she was like, “Well, why don't you do a leadership position?” And I was like, “I mean, like what?” Because there were no leadership positions really left at the time except for an ASM, and that’s what she brought up. She said “ASM,” and I was like “Oh, like assistant stage manager? Yeah, okay, what is that? I don't know what I would do there. I don't know if I would really succeed in that.” I didn't know much about stage management at the time. I didn't even really know what an assistant stage manager would do and she was like “You'd be perfect for it.” So I went around and I asked people. I asked Pitner, my director, and she said, “Yeah, you would be a great assistant stage manager. You are great at balancing working with other people along with getting things done and I think that you would make a great assistant stage manager with those qualities.” So I tried it and I fell in love with it and I decided I wanted to do it forever and ever.

What is the biggest challenge you’ve had to overcome as a stage manager?

Balancing everything that I have to do with taking care of myself. In the first show that I was the lead stage manager on, I literally drove myself to the mental depths of hell to get it done. And it's hard to keep yourself from doing that, just in general throughout that entire process because you're responsible for executing a show from start to end and overseeing that execution in every aspect. It's a big job and it's hard to recognize where you need to take a step back and to take care of yourself because there's enough work that has to be done that you could be working 24/7 from the start to the end of the show. So it's hard to decide when is a good time to take a step back and when is a good time to prioritize yourself. That challenge in and of itself is the hardest part of it in general, in my opinion. It's a consistent challenge, you know? You never truly overcome it, but you do overcome the idea of not allowing yourself time to be a human being. I had to overcome that after my first show. I had to recognize that and start to implement methods of taking care of myself as a person while stage managing a show.

What skills do you think are essential for a successful stage manager? 

I think top of the list is empathy. Theatre in particular is just such a craft focused on the human experience. That's what it's there for and that's why you're working on the show: to portray the human experience in some capacity. So I think that empathy is number one on the list of traits that you need to be a successful stage manager. Past that, of course, organization and communication, time management, adaptability; I would say that adaptability comes second on a list of priorities. You’re, again, overseeing the execution of a show from start to end. That's going to involve challenges coming up and popping up and things that you didn't expect to happen happening. And you have to be able to A, meet that with grace and B, meet that able to overcome them. And so I think adaptability is second on that list and, past that, time management, organization, and communication are just huge. I mean, you have to be able to manage your time from start to end. You have to be able to organize things because you are responsible for the communication of things in an organized manner, in order for people across the board to be aware of what's going on and in what capacity and in what area. So those are the most important. I would say all five of those sum up stage management pretty well.

How about for a successful actor?

I think empathy is at the top of that list again. I think that any theatre maker needs to be able to have empathy because again, you're portraying a story of human experience. Especially as an actor and a performer, having to step into someone else's shoes, becoming someone else, you have to be able to empathize with every little detail of their life and every little part of them and what makes them a person. I think past that, just drive and work ethic is most important in an actor, especially because you know, obviously there's no show without a performer. It's important to recognize that you are a vital part of that show, and everyone's a vital part of the production, but it's one of those more obvious things that they have to have the drive to make the show happen.

Could you walk us through a typical show night as a stage manager?

In order to keep it concise, I won't go into too much great detail. But first things first, you show up at least an hour before call time. Industry standard, I believe, is actually more time than that. But you show up an hour before everyone else's call time and you go unlock all the doors and you make sure that everything is set up for not only performers, but also the audience eventually. You hang up the sign-in sheet and then you go through and you ensure that everything is set up so that the technicians and the performers can come in and do what they need to do. Then you basically just oversee the rest of the setup and you ensure that everyone is where they need to be, everyone is doing what they're supposed to be doing, that no one's off track. When things go wrong, you're helping solve them. You're basically just there as someone who's overseeing the entire process and ensuring that everything gets done. You of course make those calls of “house is open” or “doors are open,” “house is closed,” you take your mic check call, you take your “places” call. From there you begin calling the show, beginning of Act 1 to intermission. At intermission, you go backstage and make sure that everything's happening that needs to be happening. Costume changes, hair and makeup changes, anything with the mics. Any sort of malfunctions that were happening during Act 1, you ensure that those are getting solved and then you begin to call Act 2. After Act 2 is over, you are making sure that the house is clear and then you're going through and you're again overseeing to make sure that everything is getting done that needs to get done before you can exit the premise. You oversee everything from start to end of the show and then you lock up and you leave!

What advice would you give to high school students interested in pursuing theatre in college?

Start networking now. Talk to people, put yourself out there, apply for everything under the sun, make sure that you are taking every opportunity that you can to network and to get to know colleges and people in the industry.I think that International Thespian Festival is such a huge one. I can't advocate for it enough. If you're a high schooler who wants to go into college theatre, if you're in a place where you can attend it, either virtually or in person, whatever you need to do to make it happen, it's such a big deal to get out there because it puts you ahead on the timeline so much. You know, you get to audition for these colleges before they even open up their auditions to the general public. To put your materials out there, and they get to know your name, and they get to hear your stuff, and recognize you as a performer and a future college student. It'll cause callbacks, and even if it doesn't, you have already shown them your materials and you've already put your name out there. ITF is the only reason that I am where I am with my college search right now. You know, I've gotten to a point where I am almost ready to commit to an institution, and I was in that position by October of last year. It's really great. I applied and I got to attend the Open Jar Institute technical intensive. I didn't think I was going to get in and then I did. It was a really amazing opportunity where I got to talk to people and put my name out there into the real industry in New York City. That's such a unique opportunity that I got only because I applied. If you’re thinking of applying for something, and the only reason that you're thinking of not is because you're afraid you're not going to get in, or you're just fearful of it in general, just do it, you know? You miss 100% of the shots you don't take, and that's a very real thing. Especially in theatre, you have to network. It's the only way to make it and so you have to do it. I think reaching out to Broadway professionals is something that people shy away from, but it's something that’s very normalized in the industry. You should email people and you should talk to them about shadowing them or hopping on a Zoom call or getting coffee with them to talk about their experience and what it's like to be a professional in the industry. Not only will that help because you'll have knowledge from them as people who have experience, but also because you're again putting your name out there. They’ll have your name in the back of their head as someone who's a young professional, who's eager and ready to work.

How do you approach collaboration and teamwork in the theatre industry?

I think this connects heavily back to the whole empathy thing. Theatre is such a collaborative art that it's really important to recognize the importance of collaboration; the importance of having empathy for those people that you are collaborating with. Especially in a high school setting, I think it can be hard because you're leading your peers and you're working with your peers so often that it's hard to separate personal versus professional issues, but that is 100% something that's important. It's also, I think, important to recognize that your ideas are no better than anyone else's and that everyone's ideas are on an equal level because, again, it's a collaborative art. Just because maybe an idea won't work in the situation, it doesn't mean that you shouldn't be open to hearing them and it doesn't mean that you shouldn't exhaust them to their full potential. I've gotten some of my best ideas from my ASMs and I know that it would be such a shame if I had to miss out on those because I didn't want to hear it from someone else. There's no way to make theatre happen without listening to other people and without collaborating with other people, so it's really important to be approaching it with an open mind; and that's exactly how I do approach it.

Can you share any funny or memorable behind-the-scenes moments from your time working in theatre?

There's too many to name any specifics. I don't know. My brain's full of them. But headset conversations are always great. They're always a time. Weird stuff goes on when you have a headset on. You hear a lot of things. And they're always funny, they're always good.

What do you find most rewarding about your work in theatre?

The reason that I want to pursue stage management in general and the most rewarding part of it for me is that I get to work with so many different people. Even in a high school setting, you know, this show that I'm working on right now is 81 people, cast and crew, in total. I get to work with all of them, I get to talk to all of them,  and I get to collaborate with all of them. And I, in life, have a goal of making people feel seen, heard, and loved, and I think that this is such a great way to do it. I'm so blessed to be able to work with this many people in such a large capacity. It's really great to be able to work with that many people at once. I think that that's the most rewarding part to me, is that I get to touch their experience and see how this show affects them.

How do you stay motivated and inspired in such a dynamic and demanding field?

First things first, I think it's really important to find your “why.” You know, I just kind of want to remind myself why I love to do it and why I want to pursue it. It's important to remind yourself of that, especially when it gets frustrating, because it can be a really hard role to see through to the end. But, if you just keep reminding yourself that you have an end goal and that you are meeting that every day, that's really helpful. I also find it really helpful to find the connection, a personal connection to the piece. Whether it's a comedy or a drama, it's so important to figure out what your personal connection to the story is and why you want to portray it, and remind yourself of that as well as times get tough. Of course, finding personal connections with people in the cast and in the crew will always help because then you have someone that you can go laugh with for five minutes while you're trying to cool down from whatever endeavor you just faced. I think that's always really important.

Are there any particular colleagues who have greatly influenced your approach to your work?

Yes, Jamison Ko, always and forever. She taught me everything that I knew at a basic level. And I've gotten to build on that foundation only because of what she taught me. She, of course, she's one of my greatest inspirations. And she teaches me things daily every time I talk to her. She's pursuing stage management in college. And I get to learn so much from her every day. And then, of course, my ASMs: Kate Humphreys, Sydney Kennedy, and Elaina Bell, are the people that I have worked with over the years. They 100% have shown me new methods and new ideas. They inspire me every day just because I get to look at them and remember when I was in their position and then how I grew into where I am today. That inspires me. And then of course Alyssa Pitner, my director. I've worked with her for six years in general, but three years on an SM team including this year. She's one of my greatest inspirations in every aspect but especially in stage management. She is such an incredible director and such an incredible person to work with that it's hard not to be inspired by her on a day-to-day basis.

What do you enjoy most about being involved in high school theatre productions?

I think that high school theatre is so unique in the fact that we're all there to learn and to have fun and that's the true and honest purpose, you know? And of course it means more to a lot of people who are working on it. At the core, that's what it's there for: it's there to be educational, it's there for a good time, and that's such a blissful little bubble to live in. I think it's just really unique to get to work with people who share your passion and just get to do what you love for fun. I also think that high school theatre is where I found my people, my best friends, and the people that I love today. I think that that's also unique. You know, high school is so hard in general because there's so many different cliques and it's hard to find your place. High school theatre is where I found my place and I see people find their place every day. I think that that's really inspiring and really incredible and it's just so touching. I love working with people and finding people who share my passion. We're all just there to have a good time. I think that that's really unique and really exciting.

What are your thoughts on the future of theatre, considering the current challenges faced by the industry?

I think we have a long way to go in terms of mental health: the way that we view it and the way that we disregard it as an industry right now. I feel like we have had this misconception for so long in this industry that you have to drill yourself into the ground to make a good show and to get recognized. People who get recognized in theatre, a lot of the time, are people who have overworked themselves like crazy because that's the only way that you get true recognition nowadays. I think that that is something that we really need to disconnect from. People who are working on these shows are people and they deserve to be treated as such instead of being treated like robots and machines. I think it's so ironic that theatre, which is supposed to be about the human experience, keeps disregarding the fact that these people are humans. I think we have a long way to go on that, but this next generation of artists, I do believe will have more integrity as far as mental health goes and more focus on treating their minds with respect.

I think there's a lot more growth to have as far as diversity and marginalized groups’ recognition goes as well. I think that we have barely just started breaking this mold of “every main character and every popular person has to be white.” I think that we see that a lot with popular girls in certain movies and certain productions. I feel like I've barely just started seeing people of color step into those roles and that's really disappointing. I'm very hopeful that that will start a new wave of artistic pieces where the demographic isn't only white people who are playing these popular roles.

I also think that we have a lot of ways to go with the way that we treat leaders who are women. I've experienced moments in which misogyny and the patriarchy are integrated into how I'm treated as a leader who's also a woman. I’m in a very small space, so I know for a fact also that there are women who are in the full-scale industry who experience misogyny in their day to day lives, whether it’s sexual harassment or just overall being dismissed and disregarded because they are a woman. There's a long way to go with that as well. It’s my hope that this new generation of artists will have a better view of art and the industry as a whole and will change it for the better.

Brielle is currently stage managing Anastasia: the Musical at Casteel Theatre Company in Queen Creek, AZ. Performances run April 4-6, 2024.

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