For stage manager, a smooth show means communication

Chris Lee is only an undergraduate student, but he’s already a stage manager. His love for stage management began early, and now, as a senior, he’s the head stage manager for this month’s production of “Dead Man Walking.”

“My freshman year in college, I got involved with the University Players,” he said. “I assistant stage managed for ‘Assassins,’ and I guess you could say that’s when I caught the bug.”

With this production, Lee works on a grander scale. He said the most important lesson he learned from working backstage for “Dead Man Walking” is the necessity of communication in a show’s success.

“When things go wrong, it’s usually because someone didn’t communicate properly,” he said. “I’m working with more actors, bigger sets and more space with this show, and I’ve learned the more communication, the better.” 

Lee said the responsibilities for a stage manager are too long and involved to describe.

“To talk about what a stage manager does is difficult, because we do a lot of everything,” he said. “We manage rehearsals, communicate between departments, act as the voice for the director. It’s an all-encompassing job. I do anything and everything to make the show run smoothly.”

Despite all the work, Lee sees many benefits in working as a stage manager. Like the rest of the cast and crew, he enjoys calling the show when it’s over as a reward for the long hours at rehearsals. He also enjoys helping those around him.

“The greatest satisfaction is knowing you’ve alleviated pressure off someone else,” he said. “In this play, the character of Sister Helen barely leaves the stage for two hours. So anything I can do to help her is worthwhile.”

Lee receives help from two assistant stage managers, sophomores Cory Crocker and Kevin Love. One manages props while the other works with costumes.

In addition to working with “Dead Man Walking,” Lee was the assistant stage manager for “Measure for Measure” last year. This summer, he stage managed “How the Other Half Loves” at the Brown County Playhouse under director Dale McFadden, who also directs “Dead Man Walking.” He’s also worked for the independent production “Some Explicit Polaroids.”