Theatre staff prepare to celebrate International Stage Management Day

Theatre workers are gearing up to celebrate stage managers and backstage workers on International Stage Management Day.

Now in its fourth year, the annual event will take place on October 10, and aims to raise the profile of the work done by stage managers and the wider theatre industry.

The day was founded as Stage Management Day in 2013 by the Stage Management Association, but the name was changed in 2014 to reflect an international interest in the event.

For the past three years, theatres and their stage managers have used the day to share information on blogs and social media about the role of stage managers and backstage staff.

SMA executive director Andy Rowley said stage managers “can be overlooked sometimes” and the day allowed people to “have a glimpse into our world”.

He told The Stage: “Our primary aim is to make it one day of the year when we can give ourselves permission to step out of the blacks and the shadows and actually shout a little bit.

“The arts are a vitally important part of our culture in the UK, and theatre is a major contributor to that. By drawing attention to the range of work stage managers do, we want to draw attention to the amazing work that’s going on all over the country.”

Those interested in the day are being invited to use the hashtag #StageMgrs16 to discuss and follow all developments.