What does Stage Manager mean?
Stage Manager is the primary organizational and logistical coordinator of a live theatrical production, responsible for running rehearsals, calling cues during performances, maintaining the artistic integrity of the production after opening night, and managing all communication between the director, cast, crew, and production team. The stage manager serves as the director’s right hand during rehearsals and becomes the production’s on-site authority once the show opens — the person who calls every lighting, sound, and fly cue from a prompt book that documents every detail of the production. In film and television, the role of stage manager does not exist — its equivalent functions are divided between the first and second ADs.
Example:The stage manager called ‘Places, please’ over the backstage intercom, signaling to the cast that the house was open and curtain was fifteen minutes away — a reminder to the child actor to complete her warm-up and be in the wings ready for her entrance.
Example: During the run of the show, the stage manager gave performance notes to the cast each week, flagging moments where the production had drifted from the director’s original intentions and calling maintenance rehearsals when corrections were needed.
Did you know?
The stage manager’s prompt book — the complete documented record of every blocking note, cue, and production detail — is one of the most important documents in theater. If the director, cast, and creative team were all unavailable, a comprehensive prompt book would allow an entirely new team to reconstruct the production from scratch. For long-running shows that tour internationally or are replicated in multiple productions simultaneously, the prompt book is the authoritative source that ensures consistency across every version.
You can also find “Stage Manager” and related terms in this category: Theater Acting.
