On May 28th, 2026, I filled in for our stage manager, who was unable to attend rehearsal due to a dental surgery. Going into the evening, I felt somewhat anxious and unprepared. While I have a lot of experience working in theatre, most of my work has been on the technical side, so I was unsure what would be expected of me in a stage management role. Before rehearsal began, I spoke with our director, Jill, to get caught up on where the production stood and what needed to be accomplished that evening. After our conversation, I felt much more comfortable and confident about helping run rehearsal.

The rehearsal was scheduled from 6:30 PM to 8:15 PM, but we did not actually begin until around 7:20 PM because several principal cast members arrived late. From what I gathered, this has become a somewhat regular occurrence. Observing this made me think about the importance of having contingency plans in place. If certain actors are not present when rehearsal begins, it may be beneficial to have alternate material ready to work on so that valuable rehearsal time is not lost.

Because of the delayed start, we were unable to cover all of the material originally planned for the evening. This can create confusion, especially for cast members who are absent and may not know what sections they should be reviewing on their own. To help address this issue, I have started designing a rehearsal report form that can be completed after each rehearsal. The goal is to provide updates on what was covered, what remains unfinished, and any important notes for the cast.

Overall, this experience gave me a better understanding of the organizational challenges that come with stage management and reinforced the importance of clear communication throughout the rehearsal process.