Photo: Aviona Rodriguez Brown
BECOMING THE STAGE MANAGER YOU WERE
MEANT TO BE
SM Boot Camp History
Photo: Aviona Rodriguez Brown
The idea for SM Boot Camp was born when I was a young stage manager just starting out. I discovered how much I loved stage management after I had graduated from college and was trying to teach myself everything about this job. I looked for a stage management seminar or workshop I could take. I was getting work, but I felt like there had to be a better way. I looked for a 1-week event where the focus was 100% stage management. All my searching turned up empty. This idea continued to marinate for another 7 years, and once I had my MFA in Stage Management, I knew the time had come to make this idea a reality.
Stage Management is a field where everyone says the best way to learn is 'on-the-job.' I believe that SMs deserve training. I don’t think they should have to figure it out as they go. I can help them avoid rookie mistakes and talk to them about all the unspoken expectations that people have of stage managers.
SM Boot Camp is an intensive course designed to cover every aspect of stage management in 5 days. We cover the job of a stage manager from pre-production to strike. We cover how to network and gain employment, how to prevent burnout and all of the little things that everyone expects a stage manager to know, but are rarely taught. We also connect you to a network of working stage managers who can answer your questions and provide community and support.
Feel free to reach out to us at info@smbootcamp.com
I hope you will join us for our next SM Boot Camp!
Anne L. Hitt
Creator and Instructor
Anne L. Hitt is has been stage managing full-time since 2006. She is a member of both Actor's Equity Association (AEA )and the American Guild of Musical Artists (AGMA). She also hold an MFA in Stage Management from the University of California, Irvine. Anne stage manages theatre, dance, opera, magic shows, award ceremonies, galas, and corporate events. She is passionate about the education and advancement of stage managers, which is how SM Boot Camp got started.
Anne has stage managed for Center Theatre Group, 5th Avenue Theatre, Geffen Playhouse, Pasadena Playhouse and many others! Selected Regional: 5th Ave Theatre (Austen’s Pride); 5th Ave/ ACT (Ride the Cyclone, Urinetown); ACT (Oslo); Center Theatre Group (An Act of God, Good Grief, Women Laughing Alone with Salad); Geffen Playhouse (Barbecue, In & Of Itself).
Currently based in Seattle, WA; Anne travels all over the west coast and often works in Los Angeles and Southern California.
