SophiaReinhardt

Marian’s production of “Mamma Mia!”, from Oct. 26-Oct. 30, was a hit among students and staff alike. From the fun music of the Swedish Pop group Abba, to the electric, exciting 70s inspired dances.

On the outside, the cast put time and energy into making the production as good as it could be, but behind the scenes, the crew and student stage managers worked just as hard to help the show come together. 

“Mamma Mia!” had four student stage managers that helped run the show: seniors Allison White and Iona Stites and juniors Layla Wilke-Conant and Aurora Ness. Stage managers hold several responsibilities, mainly helping the cast and directors when needed.

White has been stage managing since Marian’s production of “Footloose”, and involved in Marian theater since “Freaky Friday” in 2021. 

“We had to communicate with the other managers, make set changes at the right time, communicate and help with queues in the light and sound booth. We had to make sure that the show runs smoothly from multiple angles,” White said. Between the backstage crew, the cast, and lights and sound, stage managers are constantly running around making sure everyone is where they need to be and making sure that cues are met. 

Each show brings new challenges. Although sets may be similar, there are always new activities. “Some shows stay consistent, but each show is unique,” White said. For “Mamma Mia!”, the set was created differently than past shows, so the managers had to work with directing the movements in a timely manner. With “Mamma Mia!”, they also had to go to almost every practice to help take notes over blocking, dances and cast or director concerns. 

Like everything, being a stage manager has its ups and downs. “The best part is getting to watch the entire show come together,” White said. Daily rehearsals start in Aug. and last for about two and a half months until the performance at the end of Oct.  

“The hardest part is finding good ways to deal with stress and coming up with quick solutions to issues,” White said. “Live theater is not perfect.” A set could break, a prop could go missing or a cue could be missed. If something goes wrong, it is up to the stage managers to find a solution. “Luckily, we always have our directors to help guide us and make our final choices,” White said. 

White encourages participation backstage. “It’s the perfect opportunity for someone who loves theater and the community involvement, but doesn’t want to be on stage,” White said. White has found it to be a very positive experience: “I have met my best friends through theater and wouldn’t trade my experiences for the world.” 

For junior Aurora Ness, this was her first time stage managing. She had previously worked on the makeup crew since Beauty and the Beast in 2022. 

Stage managing is often more work than other crews. For Ness, stage managing was stressful, making sure the cast was given lines, had their dance videos and confirming the cast had important information. 

“I would say the hardest thing about being a student stage manager is how time consuming [it is], how flexible you have to be and how many responsibilities we have,” Ness said. With scheduling around practices, doing different jobs and needing to be prepared for anything, these managers constantly were busy and ready. 

With “Mamma Mia!”, Ness found that her favorite part was “seeing how hard everyone is working to make it all look amazing.” It’s a long haul to get everything working smoothly.  “Everyone has to come together to create a good show,” Ness said. It’s a team effort and the stage managers take a big part of making sure all this works out. 

Ness would encourage anyone to participate in the theater program or to work as a stage manager. “It’s a big commitment, but it’s definitely worth it and you’ll be happy you did it,” Ness said.

If you are interested in being a stage manager in future productions, when auditions are going on, reach out to Mrs. Michelle Delisi, choreographer and producer, to get information on the stage managing position.