Stage Management Theory as a Guide to Practice: Cultivating a Creative Approach

by Narda Alcorn, Lisa Porter

Stage Management Theory as a Guide to Practice offers theory and methodology for developing a unique stage management style, preparing stage managers to develop an adaptive approach for the vast and varied scope of the production processes, forge their own path, and respond to the present moment with care and creativity.



This book provides tactile adaptive strategies, enabling stage managers to navigate diverse populations, venues, and projects. Experiential stories based on extensive experience with world-renowned artists exemplify the practices and provide frameworks for self-reflection, synthesis, and engagement with theory-guided practice. This book empowers stage managers to include the 'How You' with 'How To' by flexing collaborative muscles and engaging tools to guide any collaborative project to fruition with creativity, curiosity, and the drive to build connections.



Exploring topics such as group dynamics, ethics, culture, conflict resolution, and strategic communication, Stage Management Theory as a Guide to Practice: Cultivating a Creative Approach is an essential tool for advanced stage management students, educators, and professionals.

128 pages, Paperback

Published December 22, 2019

Reviews

[Stephanie Bezio · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had the pleasure of sitting in on a panel hosted by Narda and Lisa during a Stage Management Symposium in 2020, and while I didn't purchase their book immediately, I knew it was definitely something I wanted to get my hands on. When I finally ordered it, I was surprised to see how tiny it was (133 pages), but don't let that fool you. This book is tiny but mighty, I was stopping every few paragraphs to highlight or mark something. This book has a little bit of everything and is geared towards the modern-day world of Theatre. Some of my favorite moments of the book were the personal stories that Narda and Lisa shared. They were honest about the times they succeeded and the times they failed and what they learned in those failures to help improve. I appreciate the In Theory and Practice sections at the end of every chapter, where they ask you to think back on projects you've worked on and to think of the projects of the future, and journal how you currently handle situations and what you may want to improve on. This book is engaging and easy to process. It reads as if you're sitting with Lisa and Narda and having a long, educational, but thought-provoking, and enjoyable conversation over coffee. After reading a few other classic books on Stage Management, it felt like this book was the one I needed. This book clicked with me. I look forward to (hopefully) more from these two, and if you ever get the chance to hear them speak, whether at a panel or in a classroom, don't hesitate.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a student of stage management, this is probably my favorite book on the subject. It is so well written, and having professional experiences interspersed in the text is so helpful, as well as the check in sections at the end of each chapter. This book has been so so helpful in trying to figure out my stage management style, and I have so many ideas for my next show thanks to it.

[Abigail · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book that I can't wait to use in teaching my class this semster!

[Melvin Marsh · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a teeny book. It is likely better for younger stage managers than those of us who have done a show or two. I am a bigger fan of "The Stage Management Handbook"