Gustavo Gutierrez
Stage Manager
Mariner, Navigator, & Voyager – Regent Seven Seas
As a Stage Manager, I started my day around 8:00 am by taking a shower and getting ready for the day. After eating breakfast, I would go to the Sound Booth and check my emails that I received the night before, then respond to any of them that needed my attention. Next, I would go around the ship and turn on the background music for all of the lounges on the ship.
At 9:00a.m. I would head to the theater to start getting ready for the morning lectures, which would involve setting up a podium with either a wireless microphone or a headset microphone (whichever the lecturer preferred), and a computer hooked up to the projector for PowerPoint presentations. After ensuring that all equipment was working correctly, I would put on some background music and open the theater doors 15 minutes before the lecture would start (10 a.m.) to let passengers start coming inside The first lectures lasted between 45 to 50 minutes, which would give me 10 to 15 minutes to set up for the second lecture that started at 11.00 a.m.
After the second lecture, we would get ready for a 12:00 pm rehearsal with either the cast of the production shows or the guest entertainers. By this time, the whole Stage Team would be involved, which included my two Assistant Stage Managers. The first manager would take care of the lighting and the second would take care of everything backstage. We would have everything set up before the cast or the guest entertainers walked in the theater so we could start the rehearsal right on time. During rehearsals I would take care of the sound for the show, so I would make sure the mix between the band and the singers sounded perfect. I would also meet any last minutes requirements for the band, cast, or guest entertainment.
After the rehearsal was over I would take time to go for lunch, but if the ship was docked in port I would try to get off the ship and enjoy a nice afternoon in whichever port we were docked.
After 6 p.m. I had to be in night attire, which meant wearing a suit for the rest of the night. During the late afternoon I would take care of any events around the ship. (This could mean Private parties, Captain’s Welcome Parties, or special events in the theater)
Usually these events would be over by 7:00 p.m. so I had time to go for dinner and to get ready for the 8.45 p.m. sound check and have the doors ready at 9.15 p.m. (half an hour before curtain time) Sound check was very important for me because it gave me the chance to make sure everything sound wise was ready for the show. Before opening the theater doors, I would play background music at an appropriate level and then allow the audience to come in and settle down. Every night, 10 minutes before curtain time, I would give a time call backstage through the intercom so the entertainers and backstage knew to get ready. Then 3 minutes before, the Cruise Director would come in the sound booth to get his microphone to introduce the act. During show time, I would go around the theater to hear what the audience was hearing to make sure everything sounded perfect. The show would last 50 to 60 minutes, and at the end of the show I would go backstage and talk to the entertainers or production cast to make sure they were happy and to take notes on what could be improved for the next show. At this time the backstage staff would start moving any props, stages and risers to get the next show ready for the next day. Also at this time, I would distribute the schedule for the next day’s activities and divide the work between everyone accordingly.
Before finishing the day, either one of my assistants or me would go around to the lounges and make sure that everything was fine with all sound, lighting and video equipment being used. Once I was satisfied with everything, I knew it was time to take off my suit, put on my jeans and go to the crew bar for a couple of cold ones and just relax till the next morning.
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