Worried about stage managing festival

[McBride!Lights]

My high school competes in the Massachusetts Educational Theater Guild (METG) Drama Festival and this year I am stage managing. It takes place in March, and we begin rehearsal in December, but I'm already stressing out about it. As it is my senior year, this will be my last time stage managing, my first time doing it for fest, and my last chance to get a festival award. My school hasn't moved on in a few years and I would really love it if we did this year, meaning I need to put in 110% to try to get that to happen. I was wondering if anyone had ever stage managed for a festival/competition like this (METG or otherwise) and had any tips or advice? Anything judges look for specifically, things like that. Any advice at all would be very helpful and greatly appreciated! Thanks!

 

[theatricalmatt]

See if you can get in touch with students who've SM'ed the show in previous years. They should've received feedback from the panel, which hopefully they're willing to share with you. They probably also have their own insights into the process.

In my own (rather limited) experience with MHSDF, there's a fair amount of not-letting-the-students-know-the-exact-criteria, in order to keep the experience 'clean.' Maybe you could ask your teacher if there's a rubric they make public.

Where in Massachusetts? I'm in Boston, myself.

 

[McBride!Lights]

See if you can get in touch with students who've SM'ed the show in previous years. They should've received feedback from the panel, which hopefully they're willing to share with you. They probably also have their own insights into the process.

In my own (rather limited) experience with MHSDF, there's a fair amount of not-letting-the-students-know-the-exact-criteria, in order to keep the experience 'clean.' Maybe you could ask your teacher if there's a rubric they make public.

Where in Massachusetts? I'm in Boston, myself.

Sadly the stage managers before me weren't very... Let's just say our school lets pretty much anyone stage manage, even if they have no idea what they're doing. I am thinking about trying to get in touch with the SM that won the SM Award two years ago since I loosely knew her, but she was from a different school so I'm not sure if she would share her expertise with me.

Yeah, exactly. Even when acting we rarely get feedback from the judges. And sometimes even if we do our directors keep it from us, only telling us the positive comments. We're also between directors right now, so I couldn't even if I thought they would tell me.

Oh, wow, I'm right outside of Boston! Literally a T stop away, haha!

 

[babylightgoddess]

I was running the lights in a similar competition but I worked with a sm, who was stressed and freaking, the best things are to stay organized, and to stay calm. If you know where your stuff is, it will be easier to stay calm

 

[LightingGuy89]

Hey There, I was the lighting designer and operator for my HS competition on our 1-Act and Mainstage shows (6 years ago), so my experience may be similar, but not exactly.

In my experience the show is adjudicated in two manners, performance and tech, by two separate teams of judges. - As a stage manager, you get looked at as keeping the performance flowing (how to adapt when things don't go as rehearsed, what if that prop falls and sits on stage for 2 more scenes, what are your contingency plans in circumstances beyond your control...); you are also responsible for calling all technical elements of the show and maintaining calm control over the entire production, even in times of chaos. You are also there to ensure safety elements. You are the one and only person who has an overall view of the show, onstage and off. Is it safe to fly in that drop, or is an actor still not clear of that lineset from flying in? Can you call the cue to black out the lights if you still have actors in a intricate formation at the end of a musical number, or should you wait an extra beat or two for them to get organized? All things that in a live performance are variables and can be looked at by you at your discretion and then interpreted to give the best direction possible to recreate everything you've been doing in rehearsals.

The judges are listening on clear-com headset with you. Listening to your demeanor, your attitude, your composure and professionalism. They will see how you treat the performers before the show, after the show. Typically you will present the tech judges with a copy of your calling script, blocking script and any tracking you do during the show (props, costumes etc...)

Anyways.. I could probably talk about this for days... but I hope this helps.

-B