The stage director is one of the most intriguing professions in show business. A multifaceted figure who oversees and coordinates all movements on stage and behind the scenes.
The Academy offers a Course in Stage Management precisely to pass on all the tricks of the trade, under the auspices of La Scala.
Want to know more? Read the interview with Emilia Di Stefano, former student of the first edition of the course.
Emilia, you have lived and worked at La Scala since you were a teenager. Can you tell us how this interest was born and how you discovered the Academy?
I owe my encounter with theatre to my parents. When I was a child, they enrolled me in a children's choir and when I was in high school, they took me to their workplace, small theatre productions at the main theatre in Savona where, especially in summer, they needed staff to help out behind the scenes, for example by giving the choir entrances or calling the artists into the dressing room. The performances took place outdoors and therefore the logistics were not easy.
This is how I started navigating into the world of 'behind the scenes', which challenged me a lot and made me grow.
At the end of high school, with a classical orientation, came the choice of university and I decided on the natural continuation of my studies, a faculty in Literature. I chose Milan mainly for La Scala, I admit it. It was instinctive to choose the city with the most important theatre in Italy and among the most famous in the world, because I was sure it would be stimulating and I wanted to get closer to the Scala reality.
I went to see shows every evening and to the Theatre Museum, to peek at the rehearsals in progress, and meanwhile I continued with small experiences in smaller theatres around Italy.
I discovered the Course in Stage Management thanks to a sponsorship on Instagram and it seemed incredible as an educational proposal, because I only knew of such courses abroad. I participated in the online Open Day, passed the selections and finally started in October 2021. I also chose this course because I felt that it would give me a wide-ranging insight into many different jobs on the stage and give me the chance to reinvent myself in the future. Furthermore, receiving theoretical training helped me a lot. It confirmed everything that I only knew on a practical level or that I did instinctively. There is also a very important internship part, where you are always very looked after.
What does the stage director do? And what are the other professions of the stage with which he relates - and how?
The stage director follows a production from the beginning, from the first day of rehearsals to the last performance.
When there is no Production Office, or in smaller theatres, the director also takes care of the call-outs, so at the end of the day he liaises with the conductor and the director to indicate what the next day's rehearsals consist of and asks them what they need. He is the connecting link. Other roles with which there is contact on stage are the chief stagehand (for example, he can tell me that a certain scene for the next day cannot be realised because of timing problems), the propsmen (they can tell me that a certain scene will have to be rehearsed without masks or without other tools because it is not yet ready), the electricians (they can tell me if there are problems with the sets, the lights, if there is a memory ready or not, all information that the director needs to know).
How is the figure of the stage director structured abroad? Does it differ substantially from Italy?
When I was 17, I had met a stage director who had done a course in London, wanting to gain experience abroad and then returning to Italy with a richer CV. He told me how usually in the big British theatres there are two stage directors called caller and floater: the first one sits and makes the calls, while the second one goes backstage to check that everything is happening properly. It is a defined and standard role; I personally find that I prefer the Italian approach, because I find it more involved in the scene.
An unforeseen event that happened recently?
Not long ago, during an ante-piano rehearsal at the Theatre of Modena, the Head dresser got sick and we did the entire rehearsal without a dressmaker. Usually in large theatres when you get to the ante-piano rehearsal almost everything is already prepared and ready, while in smaller theatres this moment is the only rehearsal with the costumes before the audience. So we had to manage a daring situation, where the director and other figures were in trouble and I received all the information and then passed it on.
What qualities do you think one must have to become a stage director? Any advice for those who want to undertake this course?
Stage direction, in my opinion, has a lot to do with the human. You have to be understanding, empathetic, industrious but not agitated. Basically, the stage director's job is one of coordination, where you always have to be ready to listen.
From my Stage Management Course professors I learnt that what is needed in this job is the 'aplomb'. Everything can be done if one has confidence in the final result. Whatever unforeseen events one encounters (and there will be some!) should be tested with calm and not with anxiety that will compromise everything. The show must and will go on, always.
