By: David J. McGraw, Stage Manager’s KitTheatre Blogs for Stage Directions

The 2019 Stage Manager Survey Report has just been released! Begun in 2006 by Stage Directions’ Contributing Writer David McGraw, the SM Survey is the largest study of stage managers in the world. The 7th edition of the survey includes responses from 1,746 American stage managers. Comparisons are made with previous editions of the survey: more stage managers are running their own boards, but how much are they being paid for this additional duty? The data is also cross-tabulated; for instance, how do age and gender impact both salary negotiations and weekly pay? New questions asked in the 2019 survey included how rehearsal and performance duties are split among the members of the stage management team, what are the most common health insurance options for stage managers, and what has been the impact of Arts Intimacy directors and consultants in rehearsal.

The full survey report can be downloaded for free at www.smsurvey.info. The American survey is also the basis of a new study of technical staff working in the performing arts in South Africa. The South African report, which includes data comparisons with the American report, can be accessed at www.sacits.com.

Would you like to learn more about the survey? Attend a free webinar at 5:00 pm EDT on Thursday, April 23rd, sponsored by the Broadway Stage Management Symposium with panelists from the SMA, USITT, and the Year of the Stage Manager. Register for the webinar here.