Actors who are also stage managers?

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Actors who are also stage managers?

Posted: 1/19/18 at 10:12am

I was just looking at Phoenix Best’s IBDB page and for the color purple not only was she in the cast, but she was also listed as an assistant stage manager. Is this a common thing for shows to do? Or was this an error on IBDB’s part?

My father (AIDS) My sister (AIDS) My uncle and my cousin and her best friend (AIDS, AIDS, AIDS) The gays and the straights And the white and the spades

Updated On: 1/19/18 at 10:12 AM

Actors who are in the cast and a stage manager at once?

Posted: 1/19/18 at 10:15am

Not an error, she definitely did both. However, I’ve never heard of it being done before her.

Actors who are in the cast and a stage manager at once?

Posted: 1/19/18 at 10:38am

I think this sort of thing was much more common many decades ago. According to IBDB, Hal Prince himself was both the stage manager and an understudy in Wonderful Town.

Actors who are in the cast and a stage manager at once?

Posted: 1/19/18 at 10:48am

It's not unheard of to sign an understudy or swing on as an assistant stage manager in order to cut down costs. Off the top of my head I know they also did this on The Scottsboro Boys in recent years, with Cherene Snow understudying The Lady and also signed as assistant stage manager.

Actors who are in the cast and a stage manager at once?

Posted: 1/19/18 at 6:01pm

In 1964 David Hartman was both stage manager and played Rudolph in HELLO, DOLLY!

"Long live God!" (GODSPELL)

Actors who are in the cast and a stage manager at once?

Posted: 1/19/18 at 6:24pm

Mikey Lisco is the assistant SM for Avenue Q, and also understudies all the men.

Back before understudies were common, the SM just filled in for whoever was sick.

Actors who are in the cast and a stage manager at once?

Posted: 1/19/18 at 6:35pm

It is relatively common off-B. On Broadway, I suspect it is usually an extra ASM, who may be needed to get the show over a rough spot, rather than someone with significant managerial duties.

Actors who are in the cast and a stage manager at once?

Posted: 1/19/18 at 7:01pm

Unless AEA has adopted
new rules in the past couple
of decades, there is no one
assigned function of an
ASM. I've known ASMs
to do everything from
supervising scene changes
in spots where the SM
calling the show can't see,
to wrangling Hermione
Gingold. It makes perfect
sense in some shows to
combine the ASM's job
with understudying or
even playing a smallish
role.

Actors who are in the cast and a stage manager at once?

Posted: 1/19/18 at 7:20pm

GavestonPS said: "I've known ASMs
to do everything from
supervisingscene changes
in spots where the SM
calling the show can't see,
to wrangling Hermione
Gingold."

Thank you for that giggle

#10

Actors who are in the cast and a stage manager at once?

Posted: 1/19/18 at 8:08pm

True story.

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