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: Technology in Stage Management

Taping Out the Set: How to Decide Orientation in the Rehearsal Hall

September 25, 2024 cue2go
Two theatrical groundplans are shown with a transparent overlay of the rehearsal hall dimensions, giving alternate layouts

On nearly every show, stage managers are asked to tape out the set in the rehearsal hall. Very rare is…

Continue Reading →

Filed under: Going as Green as Possible, Helpful Links, Real Life SM Stories, SM Tips, Taping the Set, Technology in Stage Management

Empowering the Room to Take Breaks

August 15, 2024 cue2go
Two laminated tabletop tent signs are shown giving alternate times that breaks can be taken as well as a sign saying less than 10 minutes 'til break

Stage managers are known for being the time keepers of the theatre world. I’m a big believer that it doesn’t…

Continue Reading →

Filed under: AEA, Going as Green as Possible, Helpful Links, My Philosophy (or two), Real Life SM Stories, SM Tips, Technology in Stage Management

Hands Free Cue Sheets

February 24, 2024 cue2go
6 people have their arms in a circle, fists to center, showing off paperwork inside the type of sleeves used for quarterbacks

Have you had a scene shift or cueing sequence where it really wasn’t ideal to hold your cue sheet? Or…

Continue Reading →

Filed under: Assistant Stage Manager, Calling Cues, Real Life SM Stories, SM Tips, Stage Management Paperwork, Technology in Stage Management

Printing a True-Scale PDF Groundplan on Regular Size Paper

January 5, 2024 cue2go
screenshot from Adobe Reader printing options

Okay, first things first….yes, I would normally hope that a technical director or someone else would print me off the…

Continue Reading →

Filed under: Going as Green as Possible, SM Tips, Stage Management Paperwork, Taping the Set, Technology in Stage Management

Cleaning Up Scanned Scripts

August 14, 2022 cue2go
Screenshot of a scanned script that has been partially edited through Adobe Acrobat. Text boxes appear around the dialogue and image boundaries for the copying shadows.

Face it, we’ve all been there. The script you’re given to use isn’t clean. Even if the person who copied…

Continue Reading →

Filed under: SM Tips, Stage Management Paperwork, Technology in Stage Management

USITT Exhibit: Stage Management Paperwork Through the Centuries

February 28, 2022 cue2go
A compilation image of several stage management paperwork samples over multiple centuries

It’s finally happening! Dr. Jennifer Leigh Sears Scheier and I (Erin Joy Swank) can finally see our work come to…

Continue Reading →

Filed under: Helpful Links, Real Life SM Stories, Stage Management History, Technology in Stage Management

Prepping for a Musical

December 30, 2021 cue2go 3 Comments
Sample Music Breakdown document

I don’t know whether I’m jinxing myself by working on prep for a show yet, given the state of our industry, but I finally started to do so this week.

Continue Reading →

Filed under: AEA, Musical Theatre, Real Life SM Stories, SM Tips, Stage Management Paperwork, Technology in Stage Management

Viewing Multiple Timezones in Windows (PC)

December 6, 2021 cue2go
Screenshot of a PC computer clock from the bottom right corner, showing the date and time in local time, as well as Europe/Berlin and Eastern time zones

I have a reputation online for reminding people that there is such a thing as the Mountain Time Zone, as…

Continue Reading →

Filed under: Real Life SM Stories, SM Tips, Technology in Stage Management, Virtual Events

Zoom Tip: Using Virtual Background to Share Slides

November 19, 2021 cue2go
Screenshot of a Zoom meeting showing equal sized boxes of a woman and closing credits thanking people for coming

This week we decided to switch virtual platforms for our WSHU Public Radio online events, using Zoom Webinars now. For…

Continue Reading →

Filed under: Real Life SM Stories, Recorded Events, SM Tips, Stage Management Paperwork, Technology in Stage Management, Virtual Events

Recording now available – Colorado Matters Turn the Page Event

July 18, 2021 cue2go 2 Comments
Logo and Details of June 30 Turn the Page event

During the pandemic, a lot of us have had to “pivot” from live in person events to some other line…

Continue Reading →

Filed under: Production Reviews, Real Life SM Stories, Recorded Events, Shindig - Virtual Platform, Technology in Stage Management, Virtual Events

Post navigation

Page 1 of 3
1 2 3 Next →

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