In this interview segment, Tim Kashani (Speaker B) explains how stage managers handle the complex web of relationships among multiple production departments, various unions, safety regulations, and producer demands while delivering a nightly live show. He emphasizes that most unions operate under a common framework, making rule compliance manageable. The key to success is establishing rehearsed routines—much like a pit crew—so that crew members know precisely how to respond in emergencies. He also notes that while unions protect workers’ rights, there is room for negotiated flexibility, such as granting extra minutes or adjusting duties, when all parties collaborate respectfully. This balance of strict adherence and pragmatic negotiation enables smooth backstage operations.
Chapters
You're dealing with a number of different departments. Each of those departments might have a separate union. You've got safety, you've got rules, and then you've got the producers who are wanting you to keep in track with all of that, yet we have to put on a show every night. How do you, how do you manage all of those different relationships?
Well, producers know their stage managers, okay, and as through the director and choreographer, so there's an intimate relationship. They trust their stage managers to make these, make it happen. Fortunately, yes, there are a lot of unions, but they're actually all under one umbrella, and pretty much the rules are the same. And there's nothing there that you really can't work out as far as when it comes to how many hours they can work and when you have to take breaks and stuff. And again, What works is what everyone is trying to do backstage is establish a routine, and routine is everything. You know, just like when you watch a car race, you know, you see that car come in, the pit crew jumps. It's a routine that's been rehearsed and rehearsed and rehearsed. When an emergency happens, they know just what to do. And so you get your crew into a routine, and once that routine is established, everybody's, you know, feeling comfortable. They get to do what they have to do, they get to do it well. The whole thing about unions, you know, it's really about letting people work and work with decent conditions and to make sure no one gets abused, and I understand that. But you will find when everyone is working together, you know, sometimes the rules bend. A little bit, you know, and you appreciate that because everyone appreciates you trying to follow the rules, but they also sometimes say, you know, we'll help you out here. We can go an extra 5 minutes on this, or we can look the other way and let somebody else handle that. Everything's negotiable, and as long as everybody's working together and it's a good collaboration, the unions work well.
