Customer Reviews

The Back Stage Guide to Stage Management: Traditional and New Methods for Running a Show from First Rehearsal to Last Performance, 2nd Edition

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I am an AEA stage manager and I teach stage management at two colleges. Kelly's stage management book is the only one I will use. Over the years I have purchased, and have been sent perusal copies of other books and none of them are even in the same league. If you want a geat resource book on stage management forget all others and buy this one. I'm so greatful it is back in print with a second edition.

An excellent book for anyone interested in stage management. Very thorough from pre-production, to rehearsals, to strike, to finding jobs long after. Good intermediate/advanced level, not necessarily for someone totally new to theatre work.

From the minute I picked this book up it has become my "bible". Chock full of helpful tips and funny stories of the author's experiences as a stage manager. Not overly technical - with lots of helpful forms to smooth the way for a production (and the stage manager's nerves)! Have it with you through every show - before, during, after. Bravo! Encore!

This is the best book on theatrical stage management currently available, for the money. It is well written, well organized, and very comprehensive. Kelly's approach to stage management is outstanding and he communicates it in a clear and interesting manner in the book.

Besides, being such a good book, it is priced very well. The only books that are comparable in content cost at least three times as much.

A must have for everyone seriously interested in stage managing.

As a recent graduate with a BFA in stage management, I have found Kelly's book to the the most in depth look at the craft. It addressed more complicated issues, and most interestingly, new developments, that the other books I've read(Stern, Ionazzi) don't touch on. I agree that it isn't a book for a beginner, but for someone with a little experience, looking to refine their skills, its the best book out there.

Every thing I needed to learn about Stage Management, I learned from Backstage Guide to Stage Management. It is a clear, concise detailed book on the "art" of Stage Management. It is easy to read and follow. I have been stage managing for 3 years and I still read it before beginning a show and discover a new 'trick' or idea

I found this book very, very helpful and informative. I purchased this book when I was stage managing my first musical (community theatre) and read through it again before the last show I did. I have only stage managed three shows so far, but thanks to what I learned in this book I received a great compliment - Thanks for your work, you were so professional, I look forward to working with you again. This is a must have for a stage manager. I feel that as I progress and do more (including hopefully professional jobs someday) I can continue to refer to this book and hone my skills.

As a stage manager just starting out my career, I have found this book to be indispensible! Not only is it informative, it is an enjoyable read. This is the best resource for today's stage manager, and I have recommended it to quite a few of my colleagues.

Thomas Kelly writes a thorough and detailed instruction book for stage management. He presents a comprehensive plan of action for the person in this role and suggests a number of ideas that I would never have even thought about, in which to make the production and creative process a more enjoyable experience. A strong suit in his book is the thoughtfulness and consideration he extends to the personnel involved, such as including visitor's information in the actor's information folders. Kelly includes a glossary of terms in the back of the book, which helps the reader understand the material better. There are a few terms he forgot to include, and he seems to have overlooked a few areas like makeup. (He is also light on the costuming area.) The main shortcoming on this edition--which may have been corrected in later editions--is that it mentions the typewriter more often than the computer and the telephone, rather than the cellphone. Nowadays, the computer and hand-held devices can perform many of the functions the typewriter and the telephone once performed.
The appendices are good, giving samples of actual papers he used. However, another book I read (about the British theater) placed the examples in the text describing them. I thought this was a more helpful technique.
But, Kelly gives you so much great and practical advice that you don't mind some of the inconveniences. An index at the back is also helpful in cross-referencing topics of interest.
I would recommend this book for anyone interested in understanding how the theatrical process should be organized, whether you ever plan to become a stage manager or not. It is good to know all these helpful details, regardless of whatever role you might be interested in filling.

As a young budding director I found this guide helpful in some of things, I MYSELF was trying to achieve. At the same time this book reads like automotive directions in Spanish. Those unfamiliar with theatre lingo this is not a beginners guide!