Bryan '98 holds the show together
"Standby. House to half. House out." The audience settles as the lights dim, the curtain opens and the play begins. In the arts world, the faces of actors and actresses who sweep across the stage are easily recalled, but often we know little about those who work behind the scenes. Focusing the spotlight behind the curtain, a face can be added to the voice of the stage manager whose job ensures that a play runs smoothly. "Basically I run the show," said Nora Bryan '98, who has stage managed over 10 productions since her Freshman Spring. According to Bryan, the role of the stage manager is a complicated one, encompassing all the "processes that go on in a play." A stage manager is a liaison for the different groups that interact in a play, fostering the relationship between actor and director, director and technician, costume manager and actor. Fitting together the independent parts of the play like pieces of a puzzle carries a pretty high stress level "until you know what you're doing," Bryan said.