You will want to meet with each member of the team prior to bringing everyone together for meetings. Mostly you will want to discuss communication issues but with the director and the artistic team you will want to be a little more specific for rehearsal information. Below are some of the issues I would cover. Each production is unique so not all questions apply in all situations. The best thing to remember is to look carefully at your show, look carefully at the circumstances surrounding your show, and generate your questions based on those issues.
All of them will need complete contact information. They should get most of the confidential contact sheet but don't need social security numbers or tax information that the company manager would need. Also, I always cover the director in getting complete sets of floorplans but you might want to include the choreographer if they are so inclined. Especially in multi-unit shows, it is important that most of these people understand how the show fits together.
If there is a model you may want to ask the scenic designer if you may have it for the first week of so of rehearsal so everyone has a chance to see it and refer to it when they are staging the show.
Meet the Director - The director will become the most important relationship the stage manager will make in the production process. Make sure you have plenty of time to sit down for a good lengthy discussion. Armed with your production analysis, your brainstorming efforts, and a thorough reading of the play begin making the list of questions you have for the director regarding the rehearsal of this play.
Begin by talking to the director about the play. What do they like about this play? Why did they choose to direct it? What does the play mean to them? What do they feel the message of the play is all about? Establish an easy inquisitive relationship with your director. They may not have all the answers and indeed may have many unanswered questions of their own. The important thing is to begin to establish a rapport with your director. Remember some of the work you have done in communication techniques. This would be an excellent time to exercise some communications strategies such as tonality, body language, and mirroring and matching into your meeting.
After spending some time talking about the play move the conversation into the rehearsal process and how they like to work. Make sure to explain the work related rules to the director as they apply to the rehearsal and technical process so they have a clear understanding of what is and what is not possible. Some of these are dictated by the contract you are operating under and, in the case of University and community theatres, through established practices and standards. You will want to carefully go through the work related rules as they apply to the overall calendar. Once they have a clear understanding of the standards and practices of the organization, the work related rules as they apply to the day and the week schedules, talk to them about such issues as calling breaks, how to alert them that a break is due, how best to manage the rehearsal hall, what expectations they might have regarding their stage managers, a time to meet both prior to and post each rehearsal day, etc. A good rule of thumb has always been that the stage manager is responsible for calling break times. They should announce the break and bring the cast back together at the end of the break. If the director chooses that role how do you keep track of the times? I have found success in the “hover rule”. I explain to the director that if they become aware of my presence during rehearsals it is a subtle signal to wind up the current work and get ready for a break. This gentle way of reminding the director does not put the brakes on the moment but allows the director to complete the moment or thought before going to break. Again, something you should discuss with your director.
Discuss the rehearsal room lay out. If possible take them to the space and discuss where they would like to be. Would they prefer a table or a music stand? Where would the piano and drums best be placed. It is a good idea to have a set of floor plans with you during your discussion. You may want to refer to them when you talk about the calendar, the technical schedule, and the integration of production elements with the acting ones. How they want it laid out and in some cases where the rehearsal room doesn’t match the performance space, how they might solve the problems of laying multiple locations in a single space. Discuss access to the room.
Go through the calendar carefully. Point out the outside hour (outside hours are explained in the calendar chapter) structure (length of day and required lunch breaks, etc.) Carefully discuss the technical rehearsal schedule, rules of the house, how to integrate the technical aspects with the artistic ones, needs during tech, etc. There are some directors who are very passive through the technical phase of a production and there are those that are much more active. Discover which method your director prefers.
Discuss breaks during tech as well. In most cases the crew will need a break the same time as the actors. This is ensures that there is some down time during the tech for everyone. If the director chooses to work through the actor breaks that means the stage managers, board operators, and designers will work through their breaks as well. This can rapidly create dissatisfaction in your company morale.
If your production has an assistant director you will want to talk about the role they will play in the rehearsal room. It is ineffective to have the stage manager and assistant director trying to be responsible for the same efforts in rehearsal and performance. Make certain you define who is responsible for what. For stage managers in training it is very important that the assistant stage manager does not interfere with the stage manager/director relationship. If the stage manager is to maintain a production rehearsal room and a tight performance ship clear lines of authority have to be established. Just as informal communications structures can wreak havoc on a stage manager, and ill-defined relationship with an assistant director can do the same thing.
Sum up your conversation repeating the more important issues discussed. Feel free to take notes.
Remember:
Meet the Choreographer - Truthfully, there's not a lot I need to talk with the choreographer about. Other than dance numbers and running through the floorplan with them most of my communication is going to go through the director to the choreographer until rehearsals start. I may help them get in to a rehearsal hall early or schedule time for them in a space where they can be creative. But most of the time they're going to come into my world only a week or two before rehearsals start. In one case, I was working with a director/choreographer on the creation of a new event. In that case, I loaded in every musical chime, gong, bell we could find while they created the number. In the room was a pianist, drummer, composer and arranger and the group of them would work. My contributions were minimal. See that their work was documented and make sure they had what they needed to continue working. At the end of the process came a perfectly choreographed piece of theatre that worked seamlessly with the orchestrations. It provided the evidence that collaborations can create something wonderful!
Meet the Music Director -
Meet the Scenic Designer
Meet the Costume Designer
Meet the Lighting Designer
Meet the Sound Designer