Prof. David McGraw from the University of Iowa's Theatre Arts Department conducted a five-day intensive workshop at TNUA in November to give students a deeper understanding of stage management through theory and experience sharing.
The “2012 Elite Stage Management Workshop” scheduled seven hours of class and rehearsal daily, with the professor emphasizing the three major factors of stage management at the very beginning: communication, quality control and conscience.
Prof. McGraw noted that it is essential to maintain polite and efficient communication with designers or technicians through meetings or report presentations.
He also introduced the concept of the “Golden Triangle of Production” – time, quality and cost, which he said determine the outcome of a production.
He stressed that it the stage manager's responsibility to ensure the safety of actors. When there is concern about safety, the stage manager must personally test and try whatever causes that safety concern.
He also noted that a rehearsal offers the most direct way for observing the audience's response and understanding a production's strengths and weaknesses. Adjustments can then be made before the actual performance.
Lan Ching-Ting, a sophomore from the Department of Theatre Design and Technology, said she learned from the workshop that a stage manager must cultivate good communication skills and understand the feelings of his or her peers.
Lin Chia-An, also a sophomore, said her participation in the workshop let her understand that a stage manager must record every detail of a production to ensure the quality of a performance.