Stage Management 101: How to Make a Run Sheet Assignment
In this exercise, you will practice how to make a run sheet for an assistant stage management position or a run crew member who may not be as familiar about the running of backstage as you are. Examine the following examples and follow the steps to complete your own run sheet.
First, make a hand-written list of all duties that need to be accomplished throughout the run of the show. Then, open Microsoft Excel but clicking on Applications, Microsoft Office 2004, and Microsoft Excel.
Once you have opened Excel, you should see the following screen. Click Open to create a new document.
You will want to create four columns for the following categories: Task, Crew Member, Location, and Notes. Use the arrows denoted below to stretch the columns to make them the proper size for your specific information.
After you have completed this portion, your screen should look something like this. Make sure you have typed the heading categories in the third row of cells.
Next, you should begin formatting your document. To do this, merge the cells of the first row and the second row. To do this, highlight these cells and click the merge button. Then, type the title of your show, change the font color to white, and the cell background color to black.
Complete the same process to inset the title of your document in the line below the title and before the column headings. You may also want to Format the headings of the columns.
Next, you will need to enter the information about scene shifts and run crew duties into the appropriate columns. Skip a row below the column headings before adding this information. This is specific to your show, and can be completed in any format that works for you. There is an example below.
Next, you will be inserting division lines for scenes. Using the same process you used to insert the title to make an “Act I Scene I” divider directly below the column heading. Use a different color to denote the act and scene dividers than for the title.
Use the formatting palette again to add outlines to the cells. To do this select the cells with shift information in them and click the window button.
Finishing inserting the information for your specific show. You will probably have about two pages of shift information. Finally, add a footer with your name, the name of the show, the number of pages, and the date and time updated. Select VIEW from the top menu, then header and footer, then “Customize Footer.” You should see the screen below.
Your final footer should look like this.