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Follow the links below to find material targeted to the unit's elements, performance criteria, required skills and knowledge

Elements and Performance Criteria

1. Prepare for technical rehearsals
   • Undertake hazard inspection of stage and backstage and assign crew to fix problems prior to start of rehearsals
   • Give safety briefing and stage orientation to cast and crew prior to start of rehearsals, note issues raised by cast, and take follow-up action as required
   • Implement hazard management plans and run safety rehearsals of potentially hazardous performance sequences out of context, prior to first technical rehearsal
   • Check venue and cueing equipment to ensure readiness prior to start of rehearsals
   • Ensure cueing documentation is appropriately notated following plotting sessions
   • Brief assistant stage manager on technical rehearsal process and liaise with heads of technical departments regarding unfinished work
   • Brief director and technical designers on unfinished work prior to start of technical rehearsals
2. Run technical rehearsals
   • Call cues and cue sequences as plotted
   • Make judgements about when to start, stop or cut forward
   • Take direction on adjustments to cueing from director and technical designers
   • Incorporate changes into calling notation, advise crew of changes and repeat calling sequences until satisfactory results are achieved
   • Take appropriate action to deal effectively with unforeseen occurrences
   • Ensure that cast and staging crew are advised of cueing and related adjustments to blocking
   • Monitor rehearsal schedule and make adjustments as required
   • Contribute to creative discussions and assist with problem solving during technical rehearsals
   • Maintain a safe working environment at all times
3. Manage technical work periods
   • Provide notes to cast and crew following rehearsals
   • Action own notes before subsequent rehearsals
   • Incorporate new information into procedures immediately and notate appropriately in prompt copy cueing documentation
   • Ensure crew members keep information on running and setting up-to-date
   • Micro-manage schedule details between rehearsals to ensure best use of available time and timely completion of unfinished work and changes resulting from notes
4. Run dress rehearsals and prepare for public performances
   • Liaise with heads of technical departments regarding work progress and ensure all production elements are ready prior to dress rehearsals
   • Run potentially hazardous sequences as part of performers’ warm-up
   • Call and time dress rehearsals
   • Communicate with cast and crew in an open manner
   • Make adjustments to calling documentation taken from director’s notes after dress rehearsals
   • Call and run scene rehearsals out of context for difficult or imperfect sequences
   • Write reports for each dress rehearsal and distribute technical notes after dress rehearsals as required
   • Liaise with front of house manager prior to first performance to ensure that necessary arrangements are in place
   • Check that audience advisory signage has been posted if required

Performance Evidence

Evidence of the ability to:

in rehearsals, manage the integration of technical and creative components of at least two productions

prepare and update stage management documentation

apply knowledge of technical, staging and artistic aspects of productions to the stage management process

meet work deadlines

work collaboratively

delegate tasks to team members.

Note: If a specific volume or frequency is not stated, then evidence must be provided for each of the above points at least once.

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Knowledge Evidence

To complete the unit requirements the individual must:

explain the purpose of a range of documentation used for stage managing technical and dress rehearsals

explain key factors involved in the successful stage management of technical and dress rehearsals

describe issues and challenges that can arise when stage managing technical and dress rehearsals, along with solutions to address them

explain health and safety legislation and regulations that apply to maintaining a safe working environment during rehearsals.

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