stage manager

American  

noun

• stage managers
  plural

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.

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stage manager British  

noun

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

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• stage managership
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• stage managers
  plural

Etymology

Origin of stage manager

First recorded in 1810–20

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

stage manager

By the early 1970s, my sister Adele was a stage manager at the Theater for the New City.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 28, 2026

In 1967, he met Mary Tyler Moore while serving as an assistant stage manager for a production of “Holly Golightly,” which turned out to be a flop.

From Salon ● Jun. 20, 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

All of which might suggest the cosmic stage manager also likes playing a bit by ear.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 21, 2025

Now that the flock has cleared, I can see Cal Price, the stage manager, stationed at a desk between the curtains.

From "Leah on the Offbeat" by Becky Albertalli