Read the Essentials

Whether you’re new to stage management or stepping into bigger leadership roles behind the scenes, these are the posts we recommend first. They’re the most read, most shared, and most grounded in what Half-Hour is all about: practical tools, honest insight, and people-first leadership for live entertainment.

Essentials

  • 5 Things Every Stage Manager Should Bring to First Rehearsal

    5 Things Every Stage Manager Should Bring to First Rehearsal

    Discover the 5 essential items every stage manager should bring to the first rehearsal. Be prepared, professional, and ready to lead.

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  • Managing Personalities

    Managing Personalities

    Live entertainment is a mosaic of diverse personalities, each bringing unique strengths and challenges to the table. Whether you’re leading a stage crew, managing performers, or coordinating production teams, success hinges on your ability to navigate these complexities. To effectively lead and foster a collaborative environment in such a dynamic setting, it is essential to…

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  • Building Strong Relationships: The Key to Effective Stage Management Leadership

    Building Strong Relationships: The Key to Effective Stage Management Leadership

    Are you ready to take your stage management leadership to the next level? As a stage manager, you know that success goes beyond just cueing actors and managing technical aspects. It’s about fostering strong relationships that drive collaboration, creativity, and excellence in every production.

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  • Unlock Your Leadership Potential: Mastering Empathy for Effective Leadership

    Unlock Your Leadership Potential: Mastering Empathy for Effective Leadership

    Unlock your leadership potential by mastering empathy. Discover how empathy can enhance team dynamics, boost morale, and drive success in your organization.

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  • 10 Best Leadership Books: Must-Reads for Growth, Feedback & Real-World Clarity

    10 Best Leadership Books: Must-Reads for Growth, Feedback & Real-World Clarity

    Updated for 2025If you’re searching for the best leadership books in 2025, this curated list is built from years of trial, error, and real-world application. These aren’t just books I’ve read—they’re ones I’ve used. From backstage leadership to creative collaboration, each title here has shaped how I give feedback, navigate difficult conversations, and show up…

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  • How to Build a Career as a Freelancer

    How to Build a Career as a Freelancer

    Making a Freelance Life Work for You When you were a kid, did you ever think, “I want to grow up to be a freelancer and work on a contract basis”? Probably not – does anyone? I know that was not what I thought about as a child, even though I always knew I wanted…

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  • Defining Stage Management Style

    Defining Stage Management Style

    In this week’s edition, I am discussing the role we define for ourselves as a stage manager and nurturing a stage management style. We hold a pivotal position as a stage manager, acting as a conduit for the entire production, the glue that binds all elements together. The analogy I use most is a bicycle…

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  • Building a Successful Stage Management Team

    Building a Successful Stage Management Team

    Building a strong and cohesive team is essential for any stage management team to achieve its goals and objectives and to lead a production with efficiency. It’s important to focus on how to maximize strengths, create opportunities for support not solely based on performance, and humanize team members rather than a cog in a wheel.…

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  • The Importance of Professional Practice as a Stage Manager

    The Importance of Professional Practice as a Stage Manager

    In this week’s edition of Half-Hour, I am discussing professional practice as a Stage Manager: the skills that you need outside of the job itself to get hired and be successful at landing your next gig, including networking, interviewing, and following up. Being a Stage Manager can be a rigorous and demanding job in most…

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