Director and SM Agreement
Settle it before day one
23 things good directors and stage managers do differently. Pick yours, spot the gaps, print one page.
Neither side of any question is wrong. Each one shows when it's the right call and who recommends it. Book fifteen minutes before the first rehearsal and go through it together, not in front of the cast.
How are you answering?
One answer per question, picked in the room.
The rehearsal room
When are actors off-book?
Is the first rehearsal a seated table read or a walking read?
Pre-block on paper, or discover it in the room?
Musicals: music, then dance, then scenes, or each scene in order?
Publish the whole rehearsal schedule, or a few days at a time?
How do we prompt, and does the director give line readings?
Rehearsal props early, or mime them?
Cues and the prompt book
Who calls the show?
Cue lights and calling words: US or UK?
How do we write and say sound cues?
What does the prompt book look like?
Musicals: does the SM record dialogue blocking only, or the dances too?
Spike tape, or masking and paper tape?
Standard paperwork templates, or build each show from scratch?
Tech, dress and fight calls
Dry tech first, or straight to a wet tech?
Do we ever stop a dress rehearsal?
Fight call: how fast, and how often?
Pre-show calls: US half-hour or UK half?
Notes, authority and the script
How and when are notes given?
Who runs production notes after tech?
Does the director keep giving notes after opening?
Can the script change?
Who wears which hat?
Director and stage manager agreement
How we work
0 of 23 settled. Anything not discussed, we decide together when it comes up.
The rehearsal room
- When are actors off-book? Not discussed.
- Is the first rehearsal a seated table read or a walking read? Not discussed.
- Pre-block on paper, or discover it in the room? Not discussed.
- Musicals: music, then dance, then scenes, or each scene in order? Not discussed.
- Publish the whole rehearsal schedule, or a few days at a time? Not discussed.
- How do we prompt, and does the director give line readings? Not discussed.
- Rehearsal props early, or mime them? Not discussed.
Cues and the prompt book
- Who calls the show? Not discussed.
- Cue lights and calling words: US or UK? Not discussed.
- How do we write and say sound cues? Not discussed.
- What does the prompt book look like? Not discussed.
- Musicals: does the SM record dialogue blocking only, or the dances too? Not discussed.
- Spike tape, or masking and paper tape? Not discussed.
- Standard paperwork templates, or build each show from scratch? Not discussed.
Tech, dress and fight calls
- Dry tech first, or straight to a wet tech? Not discussed.
- Do we ever stop a dress rehearsal? Not discussed.
- Fight call: how fast, and how often? Not discussed.
- Pre-show calls: US half-hour or UK half? Not discussed.
Notes, authority and the script
- How and when are notes given? Not discussed.
- Who runs production notes after tech? Not discussed.
- Does the director keep giving notes after opening? Not discussed.
- Can the script change? Not discussed.
- Who wears which hat? Not discussed.
Your answers live in the link, not on a server. Send it to your stage manager, or paste it in the show hub.