STAGE MANAGER: "Half an hour please."
(Half an hour before curtain, the stage manager gives the first call in the dressing room. They also check to make sure all actors are present. If anyone is missing, the stage manager alerts the understudy to get ready. Each important character has an understudy who learns the part, just in case an actor gets sick or doesn't make it to the theatre in time.)

STAGE MANAGER: "Fifteen-minute warning please."
(The call fifteen minutes before curtain signals the actors to finish getting on their makeup and costumes.)

STAGE MANAGER: "Final warning please."
(At this call, five minutes before show starts, all actors who appear in the opening scene report to the stage.)

STAGE MANAGER: "Places please."
(The actors take their positions. The backstage crew gets ready to operate the lights and curtain. The electrician dims the house lights. The curtain goes up, and the show begins.)

While the show is on, the stage manager must keep track of what is happening on and off the stage.

• Are all actors in place for their entrances?
• Is the stage crew ready for the next scene change?
• Are the sound levels correctly adjusted?

The stage manager keeps a prompt copy of the script with all the actors' moves, and the technical effects and cues written in.