Stage Manager Checklist for Community Theater

Before the first rehearsal: get organized

Meet with the director and production team before the room fills up. Agree on how decisions and schedule changes will be shared, who has authority to approve them, and how urgent issues should be raised. Ask where the current script, calendar, contact list, venue procedures, and emergency information live.

Collect the details you will need to run a clear call. Keep private information private, and share it only with people who need it for production work. If the company already gathers availability during auditions, use the current record instead of asking everyone to submit the same information again.

• Confirm the rehearsal and performance calendar, venue access, room setup, and the person to contact about opening or locking the building.
• Get the latest script and establish a way to identify revisions so everyone knows which pages are current.
• Agree on rehearsal start and end times, break expectations, sign-in or attendance procedure, and how late arrivals or absences should be reported.
• Ask the director how they want rehearsal notes, questions, and schedule changes handled.
• Identify who is responsible for first aid, emergency procedures, safeguarding, and any venue-specific safety briefing; know where to find the approved instructions.
• Prepare a contact method and a clear process for distributing updates to cast and crew.

Before each rehearsal: prepare the room and call

A short pre-rehearsal routine prevents avoidable confusion. Check the plan against the latest schedule, then make the room ready for the work the director has planned. Give people enough information to arrive prepared, and avoid calling performers who are not needed unless the director has asked for them.

The rehearsal schedule should state the date, time, location, scenes or material, and who is called. For help building the plan around scenes and availability, see how to create a rehearsal schedule.

• Review the rehearsal plan with the director and confirm any changes since the last call.
• Send or post the call with time, location, scenes or other material, required participants, and relevant preparation notes.
• Check access, room layout, chairs, water access, and any agreed rehearsal props or furniture.
• Have the current script and a way to record blocking, questions, and follow-up items.
• Set up the attendance record and note any expected absences or late arrivals according to your company's process.
• Flag an unsafe room condition or missing resource to the person responsible before work begins; do not improvise around a safety issue.

During rehearsal: keep the record useful

Your job in the room is to support the rehearsal process, not to direct it. Record blocking and agreed changes accurately, track questions that need an answer, and help the room keep moving when the director asks you to do so. If you are unsure whether something is a decision or a suggestion, clarify rather than turning it into an instruction.

Take attendance using the theater's agreed method. Note late arrivals and early departures consistently, and distinguish a reported conflict from an unexplained absence if your records support that distinction. Keep notes factual: what happened, what was asked, and who needs to follow up.

• Record attendance and any schedule-impacting arrival or departure information.
• Write blocking in a consistent, legible way and note the script page or scene it belongs to.
• Track questions and unresolved choices separately from confirmed decisions.
• Note props, costume, set, sound, lighting, or access needs and route them to the appropriate team member.
• Keep an eye on the planned end time and tell the director when the room is approaching it.
• If a safety concern or serious wellbeing issue arises, pause and follow the venue or company procedure; do not promise confidentiality you cannot maintain.

After rehearsal: close the loop

A brief closeout protects tomorrow's rehearsal from today's loose ends. Put records somewhere the authorized team can find them, send the agreed update, and make the next call clear. A concise rehearsal report is useful when your company uses one; adapt its format to the people who actually need the information.

• Check your notes for unanswered questions, promised follow-ups, and items that need an owner.
• Share blocking or script updates with the people who need them, using the agreed channel.
• Send a short report to the director and relevant production leads: work completed, outstanding issues, and next-call information.
• Update the schedule only after confirming the change with the person authorized to make it, then notify everyone affected.
• Secure attendance and contact records, and leave the room as required by the venue.

Tech and dress rehearsals: confirm the hand-offs

As the production moves into technical rehearsals, communication becomes more time-sensitive and the room may include people who have not been at every rehearsal. Confirm the venue's operating procedures with the technical team rather than assuming that a rehearsal habit is safe or approved. Keep a current contact and call plan, and make sure changes reach the people affected.

The stage manager coordinates the agreed sequence and communicates calls; technical operators and department heads remain responsible for their equipment and work. Before each run, confirm who is present, what the plan is, how holds will be communicated, and who can authorize resuming after an interruption.

• Confirm the day's schedule, call times, location, and which cast and crew are expected.
• Check in with the director and department leads about the intended work and any unresolved items.
• Review the venue's emergency and stop-work procedures with the responsible staff.
• Agree on clear language and communication channels for holds, starts, and urgent messages.
• Keep a current list of notes and outstanding fixes, assigning each item to the appropriate department rather than attempting the technical work yourself.
• Before an audience is admitted, confirm the responsible team has completed its own required checks and that the authorized person has given the go-ahead.

Performance days: use a repeatable pre-show routine

A performance checklist should make responsibilities visible without making the stage manager the sole owner of every task. Coordinate the timeline with the director, venue, front-of-house lead, and technical team. Follow the theater's established process for audience admission, accessibility, emergencies, and any decision to delay or cancel a performance.

• Confirm the performance call and contact the team if a key person has not checked in through the agreed process.
• Check for schedule updates, cast or crew changes, and any outstanding item that could affect the performance.
• Coordinate the pre-show timeline and status checks with the designated department leads.
• Make sure the agreed signal for places, holds, and other calls is understood by the people who need it.
• Record significant changes, incidents, or follow-up needs factually and share them with the appropriate lead.
• After the performance, follow the venue's closing plan and confirm who is responsible for securing the space.

Strike and handoff: leave the next team a clear record

Strike is a coordinated team activity, not a cue to rush or work outside your training. Follow the production manager's and venue's instructions for who can move, disconnect, store, or dispose of each item. Your checklist can help track progress and communicate what remains, while department leads retain responsibility for their equipment and safe work.

• Confirm the strike plan, assigned leads, venue requirements, and any restricted or hazardous work areas.
• Track completed areas and unresolved tasks without marking work complete until the responsible lead confirms it.
• Record damaged, missing, or borrowed items and direct the information to the person maintaining inventory.
• Return scripts, paperwork, keys, and company records according to the theater's process.
• Send a final handoff of open questions and production notes to the authorized theater contact.

Make the checklist fit your company

A useful checklist is short enough to use and specific enough to prevent missed hand-offs. Start with the items your company routinely forgets, name the person or role responsible for each, and review the list after the production. Do not add private cast information to a broadly shared checklist.

For related planning, use the full-season guide from auditions to strike, the guide to managing theater volunteers, and the rehearsal schedule. Stage Manager Suite can keep production schedules and cast information connected, but your theater's people and procedures remain the authority for safety and production decisions.