Skip to content
Erin Joy Swank - Stage Manager
Putting the puzzle pieces of productions together
  • Home
  • About
    • Bio
    • Guest Speaker
    • Unemployment Assistance (Volunteer)
  • Upcoming
  • Portfolio
    • Work Samples
    • Calling Example (password required)
    • USITT Exhibit: Stage Management Paperwork Through the Centuries
  • Gallery
  • Contact
  • Blog
  • More

Tag: Opera

Some Tips from Touring Educational Opera Outdoors

August 20, 2022 cue2go
The view from the stage manager’s position during an outdoor opera tech rehearsal. The score is sitting in front, covered in post-it notes. On stage, five actors hold up picture frames in front of colorful drops and lighting equipment.

This week I’ve had the pleasure to rejoin my Central City Opera Touring Artist friends for a couple of outdoor…

Continue Reading →

Filed under: Opera, Real Life SM Stories, SM Tips, Stage Management Paperwork

Dear Lighting Designers: A Friendly Request from your Calling Stage Managers

October 27, 2021 cue2go
Photo of a stage manager's calling score for an opera, with six cues on one page

If you are a lighting designer, I have a small request on behalf of all the stage managers who will…

Continue Reading →

Filed under: Calling Cues, Care and Feeding of Stage Managers, Dance, Musical Theatre, Opera, Opera Stage Management 101, Real Life SM Stories, SM Tips

AGMA & SDC Recommendations for Returning to Work

August 26, 2020 cue2go

I am a member of two different unions for live entertainment, Actors’ Equity Association (for traditional theatre/plays/musicals) and the American…

Continue Reading →

Filed under: AGMA, Care and Feeding of Stage Managers, COVID Return to Work Guidelines, Dance, Helpful Links, Opera, Real Life SM Stories

Opera Stage Management 101 – Part Seven: A Backstage Peek at the Met’s Stage Managers

August 14, 2020 cue2go
Met stage managers Terry Ganley and Ray Menard

Yesterday, the Metropolitan Opera posted a Facebook video (embedded at the bottom of this post) highlighting two members of their…

Continue Reading →

Filed under: Opera, Opera Stage Management 101, Real Life SM Stories, SM Tips, Technology in Stage Management, Thoughts on Articles Read

Tipsy Tuesday Talk with Chelsea Janke

May 9, 2020 cue2go
Text: Tipsy Tuesday Talks Hosted by Chelsea Janke

As mentioned in the previous post, I’ve been online quite a bit since the pandemic started. Here’s the video from my…

Continue Reading →

Filed under: Cirque, Dance, Musical Theatre, Navigating Unemployment, Nutcracker, Opera, Real Life SM Stories, Recorded Events, SM Tips

Britten’s Orchestra Marking – Curlew Sign

April 10, 2019 cue2go

While not part of my official Opera Stage Management 101 series, I’m tagging this one as such, too. When you’re…

Continue Reading →

Filed under: Opera, Opera Stage Management 101, Real Life SM Stories

What Does Being a Calm Stage Manager Mean?

January 16, 2019 cue2go
Keep Calm and Call Go (in the style of World War II-era British public safety poster)

Today my Facebook feed had several people sharing an OnstageBlog.com article from December 2017 titled “Keep Calm and Manage On…

Continue Reading →

Filed under: Nutcracker, Opera, Real Life SM Stories, Stage Management Humor, Thoughts on Articles Read

Tagged Topics

Adventures with Eeyore AEA AGMA Assistant Stage Manager Calling Cues Care and Feeding of Stage Managers Cirque COVID Return to Work Guidelines Dance Eeyore and Erin Finances for SMs Going as Green as Possible Helpful Links Musical Theatre My Philosophy (or two) Navigating Unemployment Nutcracker Opera Opera Stage Management 101 Pop Culture References Production Publicity Production Reviews Real Life SM Stories Recorded Events Shindig - Virtual Platform SM Tips Stage Combat Stage Management Books Stage Management History Stage Management Humor Stage Management Paperwork Taping the Set Technology in Stage Management Thoughts on Articles Read Training/Certifications/Courses Virtual Events

Recent Posts

  • Using a scale rule to measure points
    Using an Architect’s Scale RulerMarch 16, 2025
  • Two-tape triangulation theory is shown, using a 3-4-5 right triangle on graph paper
    Two-Tape Triangulation Tape Out Method – Part One: Measuring the PointsMarch 2, 2025
  • White gaff tape is layered around a plastic hotel key for storage. The end of the tape is loose in someone's hand, and a roll of the same gaff sits in the background, all on a green velvet background.
    Portable Gaff Tape HackFebruary 28, 2025
  • A spike stick is pictured, with 19 colors of spike tape rolled around a dowel. The dowel has a hole drilled towards one end, with black tieline laced through and tied in a knot as a loop. Above and to the left is a single roll of yellow spike tape.
    For the Love of Spike SticksOctober 30, 2024
  • Two theatrical groundplans are shown with a transparent overlay of the rehearsal hall dimensions, giving alternate layouts
    Taping Out the Set: How to Decide Orientation in the Rehearsal HallSeptember 25, 2024
Copyright © 2025 Erin Joy Swank - Stage Manager — Lyrical WordPress theme by GoDaddy