Theatre Etiquette - Multiple Shows?

Kyle said: "In the absence of the Director, the Musical Director will take on the artistic control. Can someone please explain to me when it is appropriate for the Stage Manager to take on any form of artistic control. (And to be frank, I don't think it matters how much experience the Stage Manager may have as an Artistic Director - they may in fact be Stephen Spielberg - if they are the Stage Manager for the show it is NOT their job!" I would like to object to this. I work professionally as an SM and have come across several situations in which I must wrestle control from the AD. This is not because I'm power hungry, or because I want to, but because as SM my responsibilities are larger than the AD's. In my experience, directors see the artistic merits of something, but often overlook practical or safety concerns. (Here I'm referring to professional directors, and not amateur ones. Amateur ones may have a different outlook to pros, and I've only worked with pros). I have had to, on many occasions, explain to a director why something needs to be done differently. As SM, it is my responsibility to point these things out, and as a good SM, I would never consider NOT putting in my 2 cents. I am willing and expect to be outvoted. However, my opinions are only ever kept to practical or safety issues, and NOT to the issue of blocking, characters or interpretation. I will influence design if I think it is impractical or unsafe. You quite clearly underestimate the ability for an SM to have as much input as others; if an actor can suggest a different approach to a character, why can't a techie suggest approaches for design or staging? Furthermore, I have worked on shows which have had large casts, and sometimes it is necessary for the cast to split into two groups; one rehearsing lines with the SM, and another rehearsing more deeply with the director. In this case, and in other similar ones, it is necessary for the SM to be the eyes and ears of the director. Quite often the SM will be aware of cast issues more than the director, having the ability to hear offhand conversations when the director is not in earshot. I'm not saying SMs spy on the cast - just that they have a unique position in which they are able to understand cast dynamics, and can be an important source of information to the director as to how the cast is working together. And vice versa. I agree that the SM should not have had the task of artistic direction in this case: that is not the fault of the SM, but the director, who obviously thought they could pass on their responsibility to someone else and consider it ok. To be honest - some directors can and do treat their SMs as their own personal servants, and don't realise that they have another, more integral role to undertake. And SMs feel responsible to assist as much as possible to see the show come to fruition, and would therefore feel under pressure to ensure the show's success in their absence. Sticky Apple Legs www.freewebs.com/stickyapplelegs Puppets in Melbourne www.thepromptcopy.com/pip My puppets www.collectzing.com/collection/137/