Student Blog: Up in the Booth

Just before the company's last bow, the ensemble presents their hands to members of the crew back stage. In our musical productions, we extend our arms towards the band in the pit, and then up towards the booth. Behind the lights we can't see past, is our light board operator, and our stage manager bursting with joy for a job well done. This moment is to recognize all the technicians who help bring the shows to life: our director, choreographer, designers, management team, run crew, spot operators and every technician in between. Though, it is a particularly important thank you to the individual who runs the machine we create. Our stage managers, especially on the collegiate level, face high expectations and may not always receive the recognition they deserve.

Lauren Thomas was the Stage Manager for Florida Southern College's production of Songs for a New World. She is a Junior BFA Theatre Performance and BFA Technical Theatre double major, the President of the department organization, Vagabonds, and the co-founder of a student directors club called Theatre After Dark. Lauren is focusing in Stage Management within her Technical degree and took on the responsibility of managing the musical after deliberating with fellow students over the summer. Her position is a vital one, which requires organizational skills, quick thinking, and dedication to keep a show running smoothly. As a full-time student with nineteen credit hours in her academic schedule, time became a limited resource that she had to measure out selectively. Without her diligence, the experience of the entire cast and crew would have been drastically different, and since she doesn't get a bow, her impressive work deserves to be highlighted in another way.

Songs for a New World is a song cycle, meaning it is a collection of songs connected by a theme and does not rely on spoken dialogue to tell the story. This structure is unlike typical musicals, so Lauren's preparation did not feature memorizing cues or set transitions. To prepare, she said she, "listened to the score religiously, talked to the director about his thoughts, feelings, and visions for the show, made a scene breakdown of which actor was in which song" and collected contact information from the cast and crew. Her preparedness was evident throughout the entire process. Other technicians spoke about her succinct meetings, competence, and great leadership, while fellow actors appreciated their comfort in confiding in her and asking questions. Speaking as a member of the cast, Lauren's communication was efficient, speedy, and mindful. She arranged a group thread for the cast and crew and sent out posts regularly, detailed with all the information needed to be successful and prepared for the next rehearsal. At the end of each post, she asked us to respond to a question to confirm we had read all the information. Her establishment of open, direct communication prevented any confusion and encouraged positive relationships to flourish.

Lauren's efficiency did not come without hard work behind the scenes. She mentioned that because of the demands of her position, she had to find a balance between work, academics, and personal life. Lauren was responsible for preparing for rehearsals and closing down the theatre after, as well as administering weekly production meetings. Then, she had to navigate being a college student with obligations outside of her major and academics, like the other organizations she is affiliated with. Though it was her biggest challenge, she mentioned "maintaining a work-life balance and creating space for [herself] to do things outside of theatre and work that make [her] happy and keep [her] fulfilled." This balancing act was not the only thing she learned, as she also had to build her confidence as a Stage Manager. She said she had to learn to trust herself and her intuition, while, "dealing with conflict-resolution issues, keeping a tight rehearsal schedule, as well as remaining kind, calm, and professional." Kind words of encouragement from a peer gave her the little push she needed to start commanding the space with her full potential. Lauren left the experience with a new founded sophistication and trust in herself.

With the production being the first show back with both a live audience and unmasked performers, there were many incredible moments. A personal success for Lauren involved receiving a number of new cues to the song, making "The River Won't Flow" one of the most technically complex songs in the show. Lauren explained that calling a musical is quite difficult because, "if you miss a cue by even just a drum beat, you could mess yourself up calling the rest of the cues for that number." She also had the added disadvantage of receiving these new cues on opening night. To prime for success, Lauren ran through the number multiple times with Lighting Designer, Nour Lotfy, and Light Board Operator, Kendall Uslan, until she was comfortable. Lauren and Kendall even came in early to continue running the number before the standard call time. During the first performance, the new design ran so smoothly like many cast members didn't even notice a change. Lauren remembers, "high-fiving and giggling with glee" with Kendall in booth after their success. However, Lauren's most gratifying moment came from a different part of opening night. She warmly recalls the moment when, "the entire ensemble of actors walked on stage for the opening number and the audience cheered louder than [she] had ever heard in that theatre. It took [her] breath away and [she] thought, 'We did it. This is live theatre. We are back.'"

It wouldn't be educational theatre without evaluating the experience to learn as much as possible. Now that the production is over, she has reflected on her work and noticed things she'd consider doing differently in another experience. Lauren recognized that she tended to bring work home with her, and worry about things that had happened in rehearsal, whether or not she should take some action, or if there was anything she should be improving upon. Her distance from the project has helped her see herself as many of the cast and crew do, which is a powerful person who is extremely good at her job! She wishes that she would have allowed herself to have fun, enjoy the process more, and allow herself the room to make mistakes. Her experience left her wiser to the demands of collegiate theatre management and with an appreciation for the many hats a stage manager must wear. Lauren believes that the intricate role goes most smoothly when you, "honor yourself, honor your time, [and] trust your gut. Be kind and understanding, but also know when to put your foot down and be firm in your boundaries." She cautions that some of a stage manager's work may go unnoticed or underappreciated, however, she reminds fellow managers to, "never doubt your own worth as a member of field you're in." Hopefully, by spotlighting technicians who aren't taking a bow, audiences, performers, and other members of the crew, will start to truly appreciate the person behind the prompt book.