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STEPHEN FALA: I’m Stephen Fala, and you’re listening to Pipe and Drape, the only podcast that spotlights the creative minds behind the theatre for young audiences industry. Every two weeks I sit down with a theatre professional to hear their stories about the audition, rehearsal, and development process of theatre for young audiences. Each of them have bridged the path from youth to adulthood while living in worlds created for children. My guests have mounted shows small enough to fit in a minivan to productions so big they travel by caravan. You can join the conversation by emailing PipeAndDrapeStories@gmail.com or messaging @PipeAndDrapeStories on Instagram.
This is Episode 9 of Pipe and Drape. The following story is about the hidden magic-makers behind theater for young audiences: Stage Managers. The difficulty of stage management duties is magnified in the fast-paced world of children's theater, and you're about to get the details. Thank you for listening with me today.
S: Today's guest is stage manager, Annah Jacobs. Annah recently received her bachelor's degree from the Unitec School of Creative Industries and quickly dove into the world of touring children's theater. She and I connected through Instagram and are meeting for the first time on International Stage Management Day by bridging the nine-thousand mile gap between our homes through a video call. Annah, welcome, and happy Stage Management Day.
S: When you were a kid, what kinds of things did you do to keep yourself entertained? Like what kind of games did you play?
S: What did you want to be when you grew up?
A: I wanted to be a fashion designer or an actor. I think it was creativity that they really, really liked. And then when I was about fourteen I realized it was the management of this creative thing. I wanted to be a merchandiser or have my own fashion house. I didn't know that stage managers were a thing, so I think I just wanted to be a director because I thought you're either an actor or director.
S: Did you stage manage or work on any shows when you were in grade school?
A: Um…is that like…age five to…?
S: [Realizing the term “grade school” might not exist outside of the United States] Oh! Yeah, um, so like, ages six to seventeen. Did you do shows when you're in school or a theatre in the community?
S: Did you find yourself going to theatre a lot as a kid?
A: No, not really. My theatre…when I was very young, maybe six or seven, I received from my grandmother a VHS tape of the 1999 vision of Annie. And that was, that was my theatre. I think I watched that three or four times a week for years. I was obsessed with it. Audra McDonald--that's where my love for her started. I didn't go to the theatre much because it cost money and we didn't have money for that, and don't think there was a lot of touring theatre really, I think because we're such a small country and, you know, at the bottom of the world, only these very big productions with a lot of money are going to travel to our country and the big theatres. And so those ticket prices are going to be very expensive. So I think I saw my first professional production when I was maybe thirteen or so, and it was Jersey Boys and it was just magic. But yes, that was probably the only thing I saw when I was younger.
S: You go from doing theatre outside of school as a way to escape high school, and then you did escape! You went to university to study stage management. What was your university program like?
A: Very practical, very, very practical-based. It was a tech. So it was a three-year degree. First year was very much lighting/sound. You learned about rigging and safety and all that. Second year you sort of specialize a little more and you do a lot of your stage management paces, if that's what you're doing. I was actually only one of two people doing it. So it was, [Laughter.] yeah, it was just us kind of figuring out what to do. And then you have a lot of paces on (which I thought was very beneficial) being a sole trader and how to be a freelance stage manager--so accounting classes and that sort of stuff. I think we had one class on tour management and I think I was probably just like, ‘Okay, doing tour management,’ not thinking that I would ever actually go on tours. I remember years later being like, ‘Oh, what did I learn in that class?’ and trying to search all of the informational slides. And then third year was a lot more intern-based, so you spend a lot of time away from the university and in theatres working with people, shadowing, and that was kind of the trajectory of that course.
A: That was really beneficial. There were definitely downsides. I wish that the uni had put more thought into perhaps mental health in the arts, ‘cause there were times we would show up to uni at 6:30 in the morning and we would leave at 11 at night because we were still learning how to do stuff so it took us longer to get a show up because this is what we were training to do, but we were given just the normal amount of time to do it. So we spent a lot of time there and it was…we really experienced a lot of burnout at uni, I think. So there are definitely pros and cons. But yeah, great learning experience.
A: Interesting that you say like you come out of this and you're ready to jump into it. I feel like I came out of it terrified. Like, I felt like a bit of a fraud, you know, you have this degree and you're like, ‘I don't know what I'm doing.’ But I was really lucky the director was a friend of mine and he had always sort of said like (he played the Cat in Cat in the Hat and he directed it), he would always say like, ‘Let's get you involved at some point.’ And so this opportunity sort of just came up where there was a position and it was actually to tour manage Cat in the Hat in Australia. And so he set up an interview with the producer and I went around there and we had a chat and it was nice. It was informal. It was more about like seeing the vibe, making sure we're on the same page and yeah, it was good. It was easy and informal. And then the show was canceled. [Laughter.]
A: Yeah! Yeah, so because the ASM that was meant to be doing the original tour was based in Australia she wasn't able to get to New Zealand to then do the New Zealand tour. So it sort of worked; they were like, ‘Would you mind shifting into that role instead?’ and I was like, ‘I feel more comfortable in that role as an ASM than a tool manager. So definitely.’
S: So what was the rehearsal process like for Cat in the Hat from your perspective as an assistant stage manager?
A: For this one, I came in quite light in the process because this show had already…they'd already done multiple tours of this one, so I was sort of just slotting in in the week before production week and then going from there. But for this one, it was the stage manager in ASM side of stage. And it's just pretty much…like the show is chaos. It is fifty minutes of just like throwing props on, catching stuff, running around, throwing this--it was just fantastic. So it was just learning tracks and then writing and then trying it and getting the timing. So the rehearsal process was a lot different than what I think a normal sort of music theater show would be because this was much more practical and hands-on. I wasn't a called show, so we were on headset, but more just like…it wasn't really like to kill each other, we sort of cued our own stuff and our lighting op actually wasn't even on com so he just did his own cueing. So it was definitely a little different. We communicated that way.
S: And did you tour with multiple big white vans; did you have a van and a larger truck that you drove around?
A: We had our cast van and then a crew van, and then for Cat in the Hat I think we had a production truck. For Madagascar we had production track and two containers that would travel ahead of us, so we would pack them out and then they would go, and then when we showed up at the next venue: containers were magically there. But Cat in the Hat was a lot smaller, so it would fit into, I think it was perhaps would one container maybe, but it was an adjustable set. So we would go in to our venue and gauge whether we needed like one, two, or three. And we would have these panels that we could take out and change the size of it. So we packed the biggest set into this truck, but just took what we need for each venue.
S: How many venues did you have to go to each week?
A: Oh man, for Cat in the Hat it was fourteen cities in fourteen days.
S: I’m stressed.
A: I'm stressed talking about it, man. That was, we will never do that again. Madagascar, we recognized that wasn't sustainable and so we did…I want to say we went to a new venue maybe every two or three days, which was really nice because it was like…it was still quick and fast, but you got to see so many places. Yes, that was a better model I think.
S: What time would you have to get up in the morning to go and either travel to a different town or get to the theatre and get everything together?
A: Firstly, I’ll just say I don't condone this schedule, [Laughter.] so take it with a grain of salt. But we'd get up at kind of 5:45, and then we would have breakfast together. This is the crew, the cast would come in a little bit later, then we would travel to the venue which we would already be…we would travel to the next city at night, so we'd already be where we needed to be in the morning. Get to the venue for quarter to 7/7, have our briefing with our venue techs there. And then we would pack-in, do a show, reset, do a show, reset, do so show, pack-out. And then we would travel to the next place. Sometimes that was a four/five/six-hour drive toget to our place. Not always, sometimes we would get to the next place for dinner, but there when times when we were getting there 11/11:30 at night and up the next day 5:40. So that one was quite quite intense but still a blast.
S: Where you and your cast responsible for loading in the set and loading out the set?
A: Cast was never responsible for anything that wasn't just their role. We didn't have any local crews for Cat in the Hat, which was a mistake in hindsight--it was too much for us to take on. But Madagascar we got local crew in as well to help us with our pack-in and pack-out.
S: What were your responsibilities during the load-in between and getting things out of the truck and then spiking the stage?
A: It was getting everything out, doing a lot of the flying rigging as well, making sure that our legs are at the right place, making sure that the measurements of the space was accurate so that anyone else can come in and build anything if they need to. Getting the props where they needed to be, sitting up my station, checking in with everyone, just sort of being that person supporting each department.
S: What was your pre-show like?
A: First thing would be setting everything up for the actors coming in: making sure their dressing rooms are all happy/all clean/the green room is stocked, and then that sound and lighting are all happy doing whatever they need to do. And then I'd do a safety walk. So I'll walk through the theatre and I'll look at all the tape, make sure it's all down, make sure there's no screws on the floor or anything like that. I walked through the auditorium, make sure it's nothing on the seats, and just do an overview of the space. And then I'll check in with everyone individually, make sure there's no issues with their departments. And then usually about that time the actors will arrive, and then I'll go in and check in with them and let them know where we’re at for their mic checks/the EQ, and then if we do a fight call for that show let them know what time we're going to be doing that. Usually it's the same time every day but some things change. And then when they're all ready we have a bit of a moment together. We have a chat about anything, wish each other luck, and then we …I actually call from the house. I don't call from side of stage with these shows. So usually I'll head out to the house when it opens and I'll just sit down while the audience starts coming because that itself, that's just the best moment ever. So I'll just sit in and listen to them all being excited. And that, that's a big bit of my pre-show.
S: That's really cool that you get to be among the audience and hear the people that you're about to serve.
A: It's the best part for me. Like if it's a 2:00 show and it's like 1:57 and it's, you know, it's a thousand people there and kids are just like bubbling away. You can just hear it. And you're looking around and they're so excited. It's just the best moment.
S: And they have no idea that you're running the show.
A: No they wouldn't have a clue! Although it's funny, like a lot of the parents when they we’re leaving stopped by the booth and they were like, ‘Fantastic show!’ it was just amazing. And they really thank the lighting and the sound and the stage manager. It's awesome.
S: Once the show is finished (your shows are done for the day) do you give notes to your actors and your crew immediately after the show or do you wait?
A: I love this question. It's such a stage manager question. After the show, the actors will (if there's a meet and greet they'll do a meet and greet) but they'll usually just go and start taking off their makeup and everything. And the crew all meet on the stage. I write my notes throughout the show when something happens. I don't think we've ever had a show where nothing has happened. So I write everything as I'm calling and then we come to the stage and we all have a bit of a [inaudible] we have a chat or talk and I go through my notes and people give their notes and I write everything down. And then I'll send out a show report afterwards of everything: how it's being actioned, who's actioning it. And then I'll check in with the cast as well. And I'll usually have a set in the show report for the cast, ‘cause we'll have a Facebook group and I'll just put the report on there so everyone can read it. So there'll be, you know, anything in there for the cast, if it's applicable.
S: What is the craziest technical difficulty that you have encountered while touring with theatre for young audiences?
A: We've had like the classic The Soundboard Just Decides That It’s Not Having It And Goes To Sleep™ so we had one of our numbers in Madagascar just a cappella, which was horrendous. And then we had one moment where one of our lead actors enters (it's like his big entrance) and he enters crouched on this box that's maybe like 1.3 (I don't know what that is in feet) 1.3 meters high. He's like crouched on it and it comes in really fast and it's the start of his song and he goes to stand up and he falls straight off it. He just tumbled right back and we were just like, ‘Oh my God is he concussed? Is he…what…what’s happening?’ And so I have people in my ears freaking out and he just jumps back up. It was funny because one of the lines that he sings is about how graceful he is. And yes, that was a lot because a lot of incident reports, but we haven't (touch wood) had anything really, really bad happen. Just small things that are like…you just kind of want to sink into the ground while it's happening.
S: So as a stage manager, what is the process of filing an incident report?
A: There are so many variables, based on the company that you're working with, the stage manager that you are, and the venue that you're in. So for me, I'm very big on my paperwork. So if there's an incident, even a near-miss, anything, I'll file a report. Even if no one else wants it, even if the venue doesn't want it or the company doesn't want it I have a report there. But some venues are very much like, ‘If anything happens, you send to us the report as well. We want a document/a copy of it.’ For me, I have a template for every show, every production that I'm doing. And then if anything happens, ‘cause I have my laptop with me when I'm touring, if anything happens I fill that report out and then I send it to our producer and to the person that it's involved with (the cast member/whatever) and then the venue tech for that venue as well.
S: And what is the purpose of an incident report?
A: So if anything happens later on, like if six months down the track an actor is like, ‘Oh, you know, my back is in so much pain because of that time when this happened,’ and then they need to access a PT or anything there's a document there that says this happened and it was dealt with in this way and this is the first aid that we gave and this is who saw it, this is what happened. It's a record in case anything comes from it. Liability as well. So then if you need to know what's happening, if anything goes wrong and then this pops up in a few months’ time, they can go, ‘Yep, we knew about it and we know that it was taken care of.’
S: People don't realize that stage managers are also in charge of the wellbeing of the actors and the company. You mentioned that you were always looking out for the mental health of your crew. And I think that's something that is very important. And it's not talked about a lot in, I think, any industry. What are some of the things that you did to make sure that everyone was feeling like they can keep going each day?
A: I think it’s doing a lot of the pre-production work and looking at the schedule and moments that you can take a break and having that already planned so you know, is really important. And then when we're in the actual process it’s just constantly checking in on people and making sure that from day one you're building a trust with your team so that they know if they're feeling tired that they don't have to hide it and they can come to me and they can say, ‘Look, I'm struggling a little bit. Is there anything that we can do?’ and absolutely there is, there are other things we can work. We can do something else or you take a break, you know? I just think it's so important that people can talk to the stage manager. And also the director is very focused when he's casting. He's not just casting based on what people's talent, he is looking at how much they care about other people, how much they're looking at supporting others, because that is so important to us. 50% of our casting is what are you like with other people and do care because we are absolutely a family when we’re on tour. So just looking out for each other, always checking in, and you know nothing, nothing comes above people's health: mental health, physical health. So as long as people know that and they can feel comfortable and safe coming to us and we can put on a better show.
S: What are your responsibilities during the load out of the show?
A: So for Madagascar, we had…our production manager was very much in charge of the load-outs alongside me. So that was great. He took care of a lot of the technical stuff. And for me it was props and set--breaking it all down and getting it kind of sorted. And also just making sure that the venue is back to normal, making sure everyone's happy, just kind of being a part of the crew loading everything out really.
S: What kind of hotels were you staying in?
A: I was listening to your podcast episode where you asked that same question to someone and their response made me laugh. And they were like, ‘Well, motels actually not hotels.’ Um, yes. Yeah. Motels. Really different, varied places. Just kind of general motels, I guess.
S: Did you have to share rooms or did you get your own room when you were touring?
S: Did you have a certain routine when you would get to your next hotel?
A: Usually we would put our stuff in the room, have a shower and then go out for a drink. That was our routine. Usually on Madagascar we had a lot more time. We always had our evenings free which was really nice. So we spent a lot of time as a company together, we would all go out to dinner or explore the city. And it was really important for us to not hole ourselves up in our room I think. Yeah, go out and find a new restaurant. That was routine.
S: Where some of the most unusual things that you encountered on the road during your tour?
A: I think for me, it was probably just the fact that I've never seen my country at all. Like I've never traveled through it. So the whole thing was incredibly new to me. It was such a privileged to be able to travel the country for work. Everywhere I went I was absolutely fascinated ‘cause I'd never been there before and going down to the South Island, which is, you know, when you see pictures of New Zealand and it's this beautiful green landscape, that's the South Island. So it was so magic to be able to go there and sort of see New Zealand a little bit like a tourist.
S: How has your work in children's theater propelled you forward as a young adult?
A: Children’s theatre is so important to me. When I wanted to be a stage manager, I had no interest in children's theatre specifically. I accidentally walked into the wrong seminar at a conference that was on children's theatre and I thought it was stage management. And so that's where that started, but it's just so important to me. I think coming from a really low socioeconomic family and not having that growing up it's so important to me to be able to create access to the arts and to create shows that kids can come to and they can see theatre. And so going forward, my goals would be to create professional theatre that is more accessible. I mean, the reality of it is is that you do have to charge money to make these shows viable. And I'm interested in exploring how we can do the same quality, but make it more accessible to families who can't pay that much money. It can be such an escape for some people. And even if it's just escape for like one person that makes the entire thing with it.
S: Annah thank you for speaking with me today! How can our listeners find more of your work or see what you're up to in New Zealand?
A: My Instagram would probably be the best place! It’s @aj.backstage.
S: Be sure to check out photos from Annah's touring adventures in New Zealand on Instagram.
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Host: Stephen Fala
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