“A 16+ hour day might sound absurd, but it was my lived experience when in tech for a new musical during undergrad when SMs averaged 17-18 hours in the building for 10/12s. On average, I find a 15-16 hour day to be the norm for a scheduled 10/12.”
“The more 10/12s in a process, the more time stage managers sacrifice from their sleep and self care patterns, leading to greater fatigue as time goes on.”
“10/12s also mean less safety. Those final hours of rehearsal, especially the last hour, are when people get sloppy, injuries happen, tech is less efficient, and everyone’s patience starts to wear thin. This is the effect of exhaustion, not of laziness.”
“According to most (all?) AEA contracts, actors need a 12 hour turnaround from when their call is finished one evening and when they can be called back the next day. Why are stage managers not given the same consideration, taking into account the extra hours we all work but aren’t reported?”