wherein I worry about copy machines
Tech week for my show Picnic starts this weekend (TOMORROW), we open on Wednesday, and then the week after are auditions for the next play I’m working on. The play I’m stage managing. I have been an assistant stage manager twice now which apparently qualifies me to stage manage AN ENTIRE SHOW. *small, panicked noises*
I get the general concept of stage managing at this point; I’ve been to enough rehearsals now and worked with an SM. It’s the details I’m kind of freaking out about, starting with things like, am I supposed to make copies of the script for the cast? If so, where is the copy machine? Ending with, HOW DO I CALL A SHOW?? BLOCKING?? PROMPT BOOK????
One of my professors said something today that really should be obvious but needs to be pounded into my brain: “You don’t know this. You’re not supposed to, you weren’t born with this knowledge. That’s why you’re here.” Yes, he was talking about wood at the time (it was my stagecraft class, in which we were literally learning about wood), but it applies. It’s also basically word for word what Julia told me the other day, which is why she’s the best.
I still have tech and the actual performances of Picnic to focus on first though, so I’m trying not to worry. I’ll have back up, I know-- I’m not going into this alone, and I’m not expected to be perfect. Do I want to be some kind of stage managing prodigy? Well, yeah, but that’s not going to happen. But this is step one of what I possibly will be doing with my life, and that’s exciting. (Kind of terrifying also, but that’s probably a given.)