“All The World’s A Stage” ..... And You’re the Stage Manager!

Join the marvellous Meg Deyell for 5 x 1hour online sessions on stage management.
Participants are invited to attend all 5 sessions where Meg will explore different facets of Stage Management, but Stage Managers understand the challenges of scheduling better than anyone and you are still most welcome if you can only make it to a few. 

WEEK ONE – How Do I Stage Manage Good?
“Pay no attention to that man behind the curtain, he is of no importance!” - Wizard of Oz.
Or is he of utmost importance? Take a peek behind the curtain at the numerous tasks and responsibilities of one of the show’s most critical roles, its Stage Manager.

WEEK TWO – How Do I Stage Manage Better?
Stage managing is just about telling people to ‘go’, right? Bossing people around and knowing everything about everything? Or maybe there’s more to it than that. This week we will look at what makes the difference between a good stage manager and a great one.

WEEK THREE – Beginner Cat Herding and Creative Problem Solving.
In theatre, nothing is as it seems. This week we learn how to make theatrical magic with our technical sleight of hand, helping our directors and creatives to achieve their vision for our shows. All while herding cats.

WEEK FOUR – Advanced Cat Herding and Creative Problem Solving.
“Stage managing is like riding a bike, except the bike is on fire, you are on fire, everything is on fire.” – internet meme.
Having developed our skills last week in coming up with creative solutions under pressure and dealing with difficult people, this week we take it a step further. Bigger problems, fewer resources, more creativity, multiple herds of cats.

WEEK FIVE – So What Did We Miss? (Nothing, We’re Stage Managers)
This week is a chance to let our curiosity get the better of us. What about working with dogs or chickens onstage? How do you build a working helicopter out of two rubber bands and a straw? What if the hokey pokey really is what it’s all about? Now that we know most of what we need to begin our journey as stage managers, what did we miss?

All ages and abilities welcome.

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Described by renowned musical director John Foreman as “one of the best stage managers in Australia”, Meg Deyell has worked with major theatres worldwide. With a career spanning two decades, she is known for her ability to remain calm under pressure and love of multi-tasking.

Career highlights include the multi-award winning Richard III (MTC), The Dream (Bell Shakespeare), Blood Wedding (STC), The Histrionic (Malthouse/STC), Stravinsky’s A Soldier’s
Tale (ACO/Bell Shakespeare), Eddie Perfect’s Shane Warne the Musical, touring Japan and Europe with George Orwell’s Animal Farm, Fox8’s Ultimate School Musical, Victorian Opera’s critically acclaimed William Tell and A Little Night Music, Moses Kaufman’s 33 Variations with EGOT actress Ellen Burstyn, and supervising the music at Russell Crowe’s wedding.

Meg spent eight years with Melbourne musical theatre producers The Production Company as their resident stage manager, and is currently the Service Manager of Warrnambool’s Lighthouse Theatre. She is also Artistic Director of In The Park Productions, committed to increasing access to the arts by producing professional outdoor theatre in outer metropolitan Melbourne and semi- regional Victoria.

Meg is one of the four founding Creative Directors of the HOPE: New Works Development Initiative, supporting the creative development of new Australian musical theatre work. The HOPE Initiative won two 2021 Green Room Awards, for Contribution to Development/New Work and Community Building/Advocacy. 

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Date: Tuesdays, 6pm-7pm. April 8 to May 6 inclusive (5 weeks). Links will be sent via email prior to the event.
Location: Online

Please only book the session you are able to attend.