Thank You, Places...The Theater Bug's JONAH DARNELL

What's a stage manager? What do they do? What's their job? Seriously. Perhaps no job in the theater is as hard to define as that of a production stage manager and it's that blend of mystery, fear and total dependence that makes actors, directors, crew members, producers - you name it! - hold a really great stage manager in total awe and to revile someone who is (how do you say it, without offending anyone?) less than stellar in their position?

According to Wikipedia, "Stage management is the practice of organizing and coordinating a theatrical production. It encompasses a variety of activities, including organizing the production and coordinating communications between various personnel (e.g., between director and backstage crew, or actors and production management)." And that's a pretty good definition, to be sure.

However, it doesn't quite do justice to the amazing stage managers who can make a good production a great one. As they ride herd over everyone connected to a show, while maintaining the integrity of what has been created, the stage manager's responsibilities are many and varied, and by the wave of a hand or the pointed gesticulation of a colored marker or highlighter, they can work miracles that oftentimes save a production from certain failure.

Yet despite their magical powers and all the wizardry they can summon at any particular moment, stage managers seldom get the attention, the adulation or the respect they so richly deserve...because they are simply so good at their job that they seamlessly move from one task to the next, one project to the next that they don't call attention to their awesomeness.

With this - our latest regular feature - we hope to rectify that and shine the spotlight on the individuals who make the shows run with the precision of a Swiss timepiece. Thank You, Places... is our opportunity to edify the theater-goer by introducing you to some of the best production stage managers to be found on the planet.

Today, we introduce you to PSM Jonah Darnell, who has been stage managing for about a year now with Cori Laemmel's critically acclaimed and "parent- AND kid-approved" Theater Bug:

What was your first stage management gig? And your most recent? My first stage management position was almost a year ago. I stage managed The Winter Concert at The Theater Bug. I co-stage managed the most recent show at The Theater Bug, Still Life with Iris, which had only two weeks of rehearsal and then three days of tech!

How did you get into stage managing to begin with? I have been involved in theatre as an actor sine I was fifteen. I began to work on a show as an intern, and I quickly realized that I am much more suited to the production aspect of theatre, rather than as a performer.

What's the biggest misconception most people have about stage managers? I have found that the largest misconception people have with stage managers is that we are unkind machines. Many people tell me that they are surprised that I can be both competent and organized as well as a considerate human being.

What's your favorite "the show must go on" moment? I have so many "the show must go on" moments. Since I work primarily with children, these moments are extremely common. One of my favorite moments is when a kid, about six-years-old, left her shoe onstage. She then proceeded to ask all of the backstage crew to go onstage during the middle of the first act to get it, after we told her that would not happen and that she would need to get it, she said that she had a pair of high heels that she could wear the rest of the run. Long story short she eventually got her shoe when she was onstage next.

How do you prepare for a new production? Even before auditions or rehearsals start? Before a show starts, I like to prepare by getting all necessary paperwork in order, reading through the script a few times, and getting everything organized backstage. There is quite a bit more, but it would be slightly tedious to describe.

What's the most outlandish thing ever asked of you as a stage manager? One of my most memorable moments as a stage manager is when I was asked to bring a triangle onstage for Laura Matula to ring once.

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