The first rehearsal is usually used for general business, a read through and table work. The read through is exactly what it sounds like—the cast reads through the script with the director and begins to get a feel for the flow and timing of the show. Table work involves going through the script scene by scene (or even page by page) and looking at the individual scenes for areas that are denser or require more effort to find the real meaning. Without this work, the play runs the risk of being superficial. Besides, one of the easiest ways to make your show incomprehensible is to have the actors on stage spouting words they do not themselves understand.
While at first it might seem like there isn’t much for the stage manager to be doing in all this, there is. That’s because the stage manager’s job is to be as quietly efficient as possible. The producer should make sure the scripts are available to be distributed, but it is the stage manager’s job to make sure that it’s been done and actually hand out the scripts. For our work at my college, that often means standing by the photocopier, or, as for Waiting for Lefty, typing it up in Word. Having it electronically is very useful with the evolving technology; I’m currently helping to beta test a program called LineNotes, which requires the script to be electronic. More on that later.
During auditions, I’ll have collected a copy of the audition form which gives me basic contact information—email address, cell phone number, and room phone number. With the cast list in hand, I compile a contact sheet. Personally, I use Excel with a template I created (This template also includes information for the scene breakdown—more on that later). The contact list can then be photocopied and ideally handed out at the first rehearsal. I have the actors check it over for any errors to ensure I have correct information. Minor corrections are for my own and my ASM’s use; major corrections may require redistributing the contact sheet.
The scene breakdown is helpful for scheduling rehearsals. At first, it seems more complicated than it is. Quite simply, it is a chart of which character is on stage during each scene. During my first reading of the script, I go through and create my scene breakdown, placing an X in the column for that scene when each character appears on stage.
Any other paperwork and random administrivia is taken care of at the first rehearsal (what the set will look like, forms for adding one credit to the students’ schedules, etc.) before we launch into our first read through. It’s a really rewarding time where you begin to see the first inklings that we actually will be creating a show. The first read through is usually among my favorite rehearsals for exactly that reason. Plus, this gives us a base starting point for the amazing heights to which the cast will eventually reach. The difference between first reading and final performance are breath-taking. This is what makes theater worth doing.