Off Headset: Essays on Stage Management Work, Life, and Career

"Off Headset is a collection of essays by a richly diverse group of stage management professionals and educators covering the challenges stage managers face on the job, in their lives, and in their careers. The book starts with the intersectional historyof stage managers and the actors' union. In "Part 1: Work", the contributors share a wide range of experiences, from regional theatre and Broadway to operas and cruises - and even running with the circus. The essays in "Part 2: Life" explore the relevance of stage managers claiming their identity and their parenthood, and practicing self-care with grace and balance. In "Part 3: Career," readers receive business advice for life in the real world: leadership, networking, unemployment, managing demanding calendars, and doing pre-emptive planning. The book ends with a moment of pause during tech-a direct response to the absence we have been enduring throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and a tribute to a world we used to take for granted. Intertwining practicaladvice with personal anecdotes, Off Headset is the perfect accompaniment to students studying stage management in a university setting and professionals working in the field"--
Off Headset is a collection of essays by a richly diverse group of stage management professionals and educators covering the challenges stage managers face on the job, in their lives, and in their careers.
Off Headset is a collection of essays by a richly diverse group of stage management professionals and educators covering the challenges stage managers face on the job, in their lives, and in their careers.The book starts with the intersectional history of stage managers and the actors' union. In "Part 1: Work", the contributors share a wide range of experiences, from regional theatre and Broadway to operas and cruises – and even running with the circus. The essays in "Part 2: Life" explore the relevance of stage managers claiming their identity and their parenthood, and practicing self-care with grace and balance. In "Part 3: Career," readers receive business advice for life in the real world: leadership, networking, unemployment, managing demanding calendars, and doing pre-emptive planning. The book ends with a moment of pause during tech—a direct response to the absence we have been enduring throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, and a tribute to a world we used to take for granted. Intertwining practical advice with personal anecdotes, Off Headset is the perfect accompaniment to students studying stage management in a university setting and professionals working in the field.