The Bald Soprano

My experience as the stage manager on this production of The Bald Soprano was strange and tough in a very wonderful way. It was an absurdist piece which dared to play as large as the venue could hold and was full of unexpected twists and turns. We took a space which was small and full of...character...and made it a playground for acrobatics, fighting, dancing, intimacy, and audience interaction. All of which had to be meticulously planned and weaved into frequent lighting, sound, and special effect cues which I called in front of the audience who were facing the booth window upstage center the entire show. The director of this production also introduced the idea of a narrator and foley artist to the show, elevating the piece with a toychest of props and script edits. All of this was a lot to manage on its own but made for a whimsical circus of comedy.

Another challenging aspect about this piece was the nature of the show's run. This production ran in rep with another which had a different director, cast, and production team (which included a different stage manager) and used different sets, props, costumes, the whole nine yards. In a small room without any real backstage area or attached dressing rooms, I worked meticulously with my fellow SM to change over from one show to an entirely different production every night in under fifteen minutes to go on in the same space back to back with only an intermission to separate our shows. It wasn't easy, but with help from strong crews under us, we made a literally and metaphorically transformative experience for audiences.