stage manager

American  

noun

1. a person responsible for the technical details of a theatrical production, assisting the director during rehearsal, supervising the lighting, costuming, setting, prompting, etc., and assuming full responsibility for the stage during a performance of a play.

---

stage manager British  

noun

1. a person who supervises the stage arrangements of a theatrical production

---

Other Word Forms

• stage managership
  noun

Etymology

Origin of stage manager

First recorded in 1810–20

Example Sentences

He’s been a studio sound engineer, a studio manager, a stage manager, a drum tech and a crew chief.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 8, 2026

Back in Glasgow in the late 1940s, Baxter worked at the Citizens Theatre as assistant stage manager, and appeared in Macbeth and in Tyrone Guthrie's 1948 Edinburgh Festival production of The Thrie Estaites.

From BBC • Dec. 12, 2025

“My stage manager goes, ‘Oh no, we’re done, Steve, we’re done.’

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 1, 2025

At DanceAfrica, N’Goma is a stage manager; Normadien is assistant stage manager.

From New York Times • May 23, 2024

Penelope wanted to stop and soak up every detail, but the stage manager glided across the stage at a quick floating trot.

From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood