Stage Management Resources

If you are a member of a stage management team, you know that although there might be a Shakespearean drama being performed for the audience, backstage it can look more like a Vaudeville juggling show. Stage management means accomplishing the tasks behind the scenes that make the people onstage look good. This means not only knowing your job and the immediate tools available, but also staying abreast of the latest industry developments, whether that's a new lighting special or sound equipment to blast funk music for a modern musical.

So how can a member of a stage management team stay in touch with developments in the outside world, particularly while a major production is being put together, where the budget could be as big as some large mortgages? Well, thanks to the Internet, there are certainly more resources available to the stage manager than ever before. Not only have the resources increased, the ability to access these resources have as well.

In fact, there are so many resources available to the stage manager today that the real problem might be in finding information that is of true value in terms of quality. A quick search on the net will reveal any number of forums and informative sites dedicated to stage management, but which are the really useful resources and which are dead ends?

One way to help the cream rise to the crop, as far as resources that are useful to you go, is to check with other management teams to see what they feel is valuable in cyberspace. Tools such as online collaboration software and even social networking groups can be of great help when you need to be pointed in the right direction. They can help individuals create a network of trusted contacts who can be relied on to pass on information about the best sites available.

Remember that it is not just the information given by resources that are important, but the quality of that information. Creating a network of trusted peers is one way to make sure you find the most helpful information available.