J. Philip Bassett

BWW Exclusive: Broadway Stage Managers Sound Off About What They Do and How They Do It!

It is 7:04pm on a Thursday. To the average audience member of THE COLOR PURPLE, the most important person waiting backstage is one of the above-the-title stars (Cynthia Erivo, Jennifer Holliday or Danielle Brooks). But those in the industry know that, at this particular moment, the most important person is a woman sitting stage right in front of three monitors. That woman, with a headset on and binder in front of her, is Stage Manager Sharika Niles. She is the one who will soon give the word to start the show. She is the one who tonight is in charge of 'calling the show.' She is the one who will dictate the show the audience sees by giving the word for a spotlight, sound effect, set movement, etc..