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The Headset Voice Behind Every Stage Cue

8th grade nonfiction passage about theater stage managers: 263 words, seven questions, an answer key and vocabulary.

8th grade nonfiction theater stage managers 263 words

The Headset Voice Behind Every Stage Cue

In a theater, the actors, lights, music, and scenery changes all have to arrive at exactly the right second, and someone has to hold it together. That person is the stage manager, who sits backstage or in a booth wearing a headset and watching the show from start to finish.

The stage manager's most important tool is the prompt book, a thick binder that holds the script along with notes about every cue. A cue is a signal that something should happen, such as a lighting change, a sound effect, or an actor's entrance. Before each cue, the stage manager says "standby" over the headset so everyone is ready. Then, at the exact right moment, comes the word "go," and the crew carries out the cue. A single show may have hundreds of these moments.

The job begins long before opening night. During rehearsals, the stage manager records every movement and change in the book, schedules the actors, and writes a report after each day so the designers and crew know what was decided. After the show opens, the stage manager is the one in charge of running each performance.

Safety is part of the role too. If something goes wrong, such as a broken piece of scenery or a performer who is hurt, the stage manager has the authority to pause the show. Staying calm is essential, because the cast and crew look to this person for direction. When everything works, the audience sees only a smooth performance and never knows how many people, guided by one calm voice, made it happen.

Questions

  1. What is the prompt book? in the text

  2. What is a cue? in the text

  3. What does the stage manager say to get everyone ready before a cue? in the text

  4. What does the stage manager write after each rehearsal day? in the text

  5. Why does the stage manager have the authority to pause a show? in the text

  6. Why is staying calm so important for a stage manager? think about it

  7. Why does the stage manager give instructions through a headset? think about it

Words to know

cue
a signal that tells someone when to do something
standby
a warning to be ready for what comes next
prompt
a book or plan that helps a show run on time
rehearsals
practice sessions before a performance
authority
the power to make decisions and give orders
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One passage, three levels

The same topic and facts written three ways, so a mixed class can read and talk about one text. Each group’s sheet shows only a shape; the key says which is which.

● Easier · 244 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 5.4

In a theater, the actors, lights, music, and set changes must all happen at the right second. Someone has to hold it all together. That person is the stage manager. The stage manager sits backstage or in a booth, wears a headset, and watches the whole show.

The best tool is the prompt book. It is a thick binder that holds the script and notes about every cue. A cue is a signal that something should happen, like a light change, a sound, or an actor's entrance. Before a cue, the stage manager says "standby" on the headset so everyone is ready. Then, at the right moment, the stage manager says "go," and the crew does the cue. One show may have hundreds of cues.

The job starts long before opening night. In rehearsals, the stage manager writes every move and change in the book and plans the actors' times. After each day, the stage manager writes a report so the designers and crew know what was decided. After the show opens, the stage manager runs each performance.

Safety is part of the job. If something goes wrong, like a broken piece of scenery or a hurt performer, the stage manager can pause the show. Staying calm is key, because the cast and crew look to this person for direction. When all goes well, the audience sees a smooth show. They never know how many people, led by one calm voice, made it happen.

▲ This passage · 263 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 8.9

In a theater, the actors, lights, music, and scenery changes all have to arrive at exactly the right second, and someone has to hold it together. That person is the stage manager, who sits backstage or in a booth wearing a headset and watching the show from start to finish.

The stage manager's most important tool is the prompt book, a thick binder that holds the script along with notes about every cue. A cue is a signal that something should happen, such as a lighting change, a sound effect, or an actor's entrance. Before each cue, the stage manager says "standby" over the headset so everyone is ready. Then, at the exact right moment, comes the word "go," and the crew carries out the cue. A single show may have hundreds of these moments.

The job begins long before opening night. During rehearsals, the stage manager records every movement and change in the book, schedules the actors, and writes a report after each day so the designers and crew know what was decided. After the show opens, the stage manager is the one in charge of running each performance.

Safety is part of the role too. If something goes wrong, such as a broken piece of scenery or a performer who is hurt, the stage manager has the authority to pause the show. Staying calm is essential, because the cast and crew look to this person for direction. When everything works, the audience sees only a smooth performance and never knows how many people, guided by one calm voice, made it happen.

■ Harder · 276 words · Flesch-Kincaid grade 9.9

In a theater, the actors, lights, music, and scenery changes must all arrive at precisely the right second, and someone has to hold the entire production together. That person is the stage manager, who sits backstage or inside a booth, wearing a headset and following the show attentively from start to finish.

The stage manager's most essential tool is the prompt book, a thick binder that holds the script along with detailed notes about every cue. A cue is a signal that something should happen, such as a lighting change, a sound effect, or an actor's entrance. Before each cue, the stage manager says "standby" over the headset so that everyone is prepared. Then, at exactly the right moment, comes the word "go," and the crew carries out the cue. A single show may contain hundreds of these carefully timed moments.

The job begins long before opening night. During rehearsals, the stage manager records every movement and change in the book, schedules the actors, and writes a report at the end of each day so that the designers and crew know what has been decided. After the show opens, the stage manager is the person in charge of running every performance.

Safety is part of the role as well. If something goes wrong, such as a broken piece of scenery or a performer who has been hurt, the stage manager has the authority to pause the show. Staying calm is essential, because the cast and crew look to this person for direction. When everything works, the audience sees only a smooth performance and never realizes how many people, guided by one calm voice, made it happen.

Download as one PDF

How to use it

  1. Press Read it big (or B) to put the text on the projector, or Full screen (F) to fill the whole screen.
  2. Ask the questions one at a time and use Show answer when the class has decided. A shows or hides every answer.
  3. Print student copy for the class, or Print with answers for yourself.

Ideas for class

  • Before reading, put cue, standby, prompt, rehearsals and authority on the board with their meanings from the Words to know section and have students predict what the text will be about.
  • Read it aloud once while students follow along, then have them reread it alone or with a partner. At a calm 100 words a minute it takes about 3 minutes to read aloud.
  • Use the Read it big button (or B) to put the text on the projector, and Show answer on one question at a time so the class commits to an answer first.
  • Question 6 asks the reader to infer. Ask students to point to the words in the passage that led them to their answer.
  • Ask students to write one question the passage did not answer, then look for the answer in a book or on a classroom screen.
  • Print the student copy for independent work and keep the answer-key copy for yourself.

Related

Questions

What reading level is "The Headset Voice Behind Every Stage Cue"?

It was written for 8th grade. It has 263 words and works out to a Flesch-Kincaid grade level of about 8.9. That is a formula's estimate from sentence length and syllables, and it is not a Lexile or a guided reading level, so check it against your students.

What do the questions ask?

There are seven. 5 ask for something the text says directly and 2 ask the reader to work something out from clues. Each has an answer in the key, and the answers are written as a teacher would accept them, not as the only possible wording.

How long does it take to read?

About 3 minutes read aloud at 100 words a minute. For a one-minute fluency check, paste it into the fluency timer and use the word count.

Can I print it?

Yes. Print student copy gives the passage, the questions with lines to write on, and the word meanings. Print with answers gives the same page with the answers filled in. Both are made in your browser.

Is this passage from a published book?

No. It was written for Peabody Teach, so there is no book to buy and no login to read it.

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