Adrian Mills has been acting stage manager for RIHS theater for 2 years, and he’s been in the program for all 3 of his high school career. Mills followed his friends to the theater department, but he earned his role of stage manager all on his own. In the beginning of his tech days, Mills said he was “not as prepared as I probably should’ve been back then.” But now, 3 years and 8 shows later, Mills has gotten a healthy dose of what is required of a leader.
Mills didn’t join the theater expecting to be entrusted with the role of stage managing. “It came up really when Foster recognized my hard work,” said Mills, “and I had been assistant stage manager before, so she knew I could do it, and it would be a good fit.” He took the promotion in stride, his good work ethic translating smoothly into a place of leadership.
Stage management isn’t a backstage vacation. Mills said that the biggest lesson he’s learned is how it’s “incredibly crucial to constantly adapt to what’s around you, not just in the drama environment, but as a leader in all environments,” said Mills. “No situation will be the exact same, and anything could happen at any moment, but you still have to be ready to respond accordingly.” Leadership roles can be assumed anywhere in life, and Mills is prepared to step up.
As crucial as the Tech crew is, they lack a lot of recognition. “I would say 100% tech is definitely overshadowed,” said Mills. “Every now and then, people will say ‘this set piece looks good’ or ‘that consume looks nice’, but it’s not often, the most recognition we receive most times is on the show days during circle.”
‘Circle’ is a RIHS Theatre tradition. Every single member of the cast, directors, and pit included, gather in a sacred space to take a moment before the show. Together, hand in hand, every cast member is given the opportunity to thank their cast mates, shout out a friend, voice their nerves, or just leave everyone with a hopeful anecdote about the show. This year, during the circle, both stage managers (as well as the entire tech crew) were thanked several times by folks from every area of the cast. “It meant a lot hearing a personal thanks,” said Mills. “It was one of the first times I’ve received a thank you directed to me for the work I did for the show.”
