What is a Daily Call?
The Daily Call is the scheduling document sent out to the entire company each day by the Stage Manager. Today, the daily call is usually sent out via email, and will include the detailed schedule for the next day of performances/rehearsals. The term “Daily Call” comes from the previous method of distributing call times, where the Stage Manager would leave an outgoing voicemail message on the office phone, so the actors could all call in and listen to the answering machine for their schedule the next day. Even now, years after moving to email the term “call” continues to be used.
What should be included in the Daily Call?
The Daily Call should include the following details:
- Date
- Production Name
- Location (With address)
- Call times
- Who is called for each time slot
- General notes (Including Covid testing info)
- End of Day
- Costume fittings
- Filming notice on equity contracts (24 hours in advance)
- “Subject to Change” in large font somewhere
If there is anything else specific to your company that may change from day to day, it might be helpful to include this information in each Daily Call.
What should the Daily Call look like?
While the Daily Call should have a few main features, feel free to make it look however you would like to fit with your production and style. There are two main styles of setting up the Daily Call which are a Table format, or in a Vertical Timeline format. Lets look at each of the styles:
Table Format
The Table format is less visual and more informational. This format is the easiest to set up each day, but can be more difficult to read. The first column will be for the times, the second column is for what is happening, and the third column includes who is called. Here is an example of what the Table will usually look like:
Timeline Format
This format is much more visually clear about who is needed in which spaces at which times than the table, but in my experience takes about twice as long to create each day. Because of this extra time, most Stage Managers end up with something similar to the table layout, but I thought I would include this style as well, since there is an easy tutorial for this style on the Half Hour Call YouTube channel.
How to Create the Daily Call
For most documents as an SM, I rely on Microsoft word to create the document even when a table is involved. I find that formatting tables in the weird ways that are often required for a Stage Manager is easier in Word than in Excel.
If you want to create your own, start with inserting a table into your document with three columns, and size them appropriately depending on which type of Daily Call you would like to create. Fill in your information and include a header with the title of the document, the company logo, and the show logo. Where necessary, merge cells to create larger cells for more information, or to create a block of rehearsal that spans more time. Also include a footer with who created the document, and “subject to change”.
HERE is a link to the templates to download if you dont want to create your own.
When does the Daily Call need to be sent out?
Although there is no contractually required distribution time listed in most equity contracts for when the Daily Call must be sent, the best practice is to send it as soon as possible. Most Stage Managers will create and send the Daily Call prior to leaving the building after rehearsal, but waiting until arriving home is also common. During rehearsals if you have not received the information for the next day’s schedule by a reasonable hour, be sure to reach out to the director to ensure they are working to provide the information as soon as possible. After opening, the Stage Manager is responsible for creating the rehearsal schedule, so be sure to keep a close eye on the show to see what might need work for the the next week. These brush up rehearsals after opening must be scheduled for the next calendar week unless it is an emergency, so be sure to check your specific equity contract for these.
Who creates the Daily Call?
The Production Stage Manager is responsible for creating and distributing the Daily Call, but the Stage Management team will sometimes collaborate if needed. If the Production Stage Manager is out for any reason, they will typically rely on the First ASM to fill them in, or to create the calls themselves if needed.
