BWW Blog: Amanda Grillo - Luciana's Outlook: A Stage Manager's Perspective

This week, we call our attention to a position that is necessary for any production to run smoothly. Whether it be a play or musical, professional or community, no production is complete without a stage manager. They keep you organized and aren't afraid to take that script from you when you were supposed to be off book last week. They are a wealth of knowledge, glue that keeps the show together. Here at the West Haven Council on the Arts/ Theater West, our stage manager for The Comedy of Errors is Dana Kaplan.

A stage manager's work is never done. Always prepared and ready for anything, Kaplan keeps the production running like a well-oiled machine. She acts as the liaison to bring the technical aspects and performance aspects together. In rehearsals, she takes blocking notes, is on book for us, and that is only the beginning.

Something interesting about this group is that a good portion of them all went to college together. Kaplan actually got started with the Council on the Arts when our director (Shawn E. Murray) first came to the group to direct last summer's production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. Since then, several cast members and production team members from their college days have joined the journey and allowed the group to flourish. Kaplan states, "It's been wonderfuL. Shawn and I know so many talented people from our college experience and it's so much fun seeing how we've all matured and grown into our respective talents."

When asked her favorite part of the process thus far, she shares, "I'm loving watching our actors who are new to Shakespeare get really into the text. I am super impressed at how a number of them have really taken to it quickly. Watching an actor who has never performed in a Shakespeare work get up and really understand the text is exciting!" I can also attest to this statement. Being an actor that only has this as their second Shakespeare play on their resume, watching my cast mates, who have never done Shakespeare before, grow into Shakespearean actors who understand the text and even subtext is phenomenal.

Some people are Shakespeare enthusiasts, some are new and haven't read a Shakespeare play since high school. Well, The Comedy of Errors can appeal to anyone. Kaplan reveals, "[It's] A lot of fun! I feel like we provide a more accessible version of the Bard. We set Comedy of Errors in the 1920's and gave it an interesting design twist, making it more appealing to those who find traditional Shakespeare hard to follow."

Come see what all of the fuss is about! The Comedy of Errors comes to the West Haven Green August 12th and 13th. It'll be the bee's knees!

Coming up: Seeing Double! A Twinning Double Feature

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