La Mama and Monash Uni Student Theatres present:
The Bacchae
Continuing my trend of being baptised by fire with MUST, my first professional show was a beast...
"Bacchus Loves You."
Written & Directed by Dr Robert Reid
In the first of many touching votes of confidence I have been lucky enough to receive from directors and other established performers and theatre professionals, I was appointed by MUST as stage manager of The Bacchae, which was to be a mammoth production - 4 hours long and 40 cast members strong.
I had earnestly asked MUST if I could be an assistant stage manager on a second production, having enjoyed working on The D'Oh Show so much. It felt like a great deal of trust had been placed in me to have progressed so quickly from assistant to head, especially on such a big show - and I wasn't planning on taking that show of good faith for granted.
Alongside my excellent co stage manager Monique Cheng, we went about the massive task of co-ordinating the rehearsal process. We fell into a groove, divvying up responsibilities between us such that Mon whizzed through the lion's share of all the emailing, scheduling and reporting, while I focused on supporting and facilitating harmony and productivity within the team as much as possible.
Managing 40 cast members with a very wide range of ages and experience enabled me to build on my skills in communication, people management and team dynamics. I learnt the value of sitting back and observing each individual, such that I could build up a rolodex of their personalities in my mind and how best to deal with each. For instance, by the end of the run I could tell what would work best for each cast member when they had a low moment - a hug, a break, a pep talk, reassurance etc. and pre-empt when those low moments were coming.
By the end of the run I had 40 'sisters', and had come to the realisation that stage management was the path I wanted to pursue.
Learn More
The Bacchae was performed at La Mama Theatre from July 10-21, 2019.
Full details can be found via the La Mama website, or click the 'Review' button below to read our review from Theatre Travels!
Promo images courtesy of Julia Kaddatz
Website: juliakaddatz.com
Performance images courtesy of Aleks Corke
Instagram: @itscorkie
Website: acorke.com
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Caitie Murphy - Stage Manager
Copyright © 2024 Caitie Murphy - Stage Manager - All Rights Reserved.
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