It's been an exciting few years for Bryan Bauer, the production stage manager for Cole Escola's megahit Broadway comedy Oh, Mary!, which continues to play to sold-out crowds at the Lyceum Theatre.

Bauer has been with the Mary Todd Lincoln-themed farce since its record-breaking, much-extended Off-Broadway bow at the Lucille Lortel Theatre and was an integral part of the transfer uptown, where the cast is currently led by Tony winner Jane Krakowski, Drama Desk nominee Cheyenne Jackson, and Tony nominee John-Andrew Morrison. All three actors, it should be noted, recently extended their engagements in the Tony-nominated production through January 4, 2026.

On Broadway Bauer was also a stage manager for Mother Play, Alex Edelman's Just for Us, The Thanksgiving Play, Between Riverside and Crazy, and Slave Play, while his numerous Off-Broadway credits include Richard III at The Public; Enemy of the People at Park Avenue Armory; Tambo & Bones, Selling Kabul, Dance Nation, Miles for Mary, Bella, The Light Years, and A Life at Playwrights Horizons; Hound Dog, Mrs. Murray’s Menagerie, and KPOP at Ars Nova; We’re Gonna Die and King Liz at 2ST; and Slave Play at New York Theatre Workshop.

In the interview below for the Playbill series How Did I Get Here—spotlighting not only actors, but directors, designers, musicians, and others who work on and off the stage to create the magic that is live theatre—Bauer shares how the demands changed from the Off-Broadway production of Oh, Mary! to its current Broadway incarnation, and why stage management requires being good with people.  

Where/how did you train to become a stage manager?
Bryan Bauer: I think I am constantly “training” to be a stage manager, but for the sake of this question: I received my BFA in theater design and production from Oklahoma City University. I also worked at the ballet and in regional theatre in Oklahoma, which gave me additional, practical training. While in school, I also worked at New York Stage and Film and 2ST, and after graduation, went through the Playwrights Horizons stage management fellowship.

Was there a teacher or a person who was particularly impactful? What made this person stand out?
Countless. The two that stand out most influential are Jeff Cochran, one of my SM professors at OCU, and Carol Fishman, the, at the time, general manager of Playwrights Horizons. Not only did Jeff teach me the practical, hard skills of stage management, but he showed me how to balance the art, the technical, and the humanity of the job. Jeff also held students to exacting standards and pushed my work ethic in a way that I am immeasurably grateful for now. Carol taught me how to be a stage manager in New York. I learned how to navigate this industry with her and how making connections isn’t about going to job fairs, but showing up as a partner, collaborator, and pal.

Can you detail the nightly duties of a stage manager?
The best thing about my job is that it’s different every night. The practical responsibilities, of course, include scheduling rehearsals and fittings, checking in with the crew and the company, and calling the show. But on a more intimate level, it may be running through some sequences so an understudy feels comfortable going on, or it may be holding an actor's hand while they process through life shit for 30 minutes, or laughing with the crew about the shenanigans they got up to the night prior. It’s such a multifaceted job that boiling it into specific duties one does in a night is tough.

What are the particular challenges of being a stage manager for Oh, Mary!? How much of a change has there been in your work from the Off-Broadway production to Broadway?
When we made Oh, Mary! downtown, we were all just happy to be making something joyful and silly. The stakes were low, and the vibes were high. Moving to Broadway, we had to fit that ethos into the Broadway machine. We wanted to retain what made Oh, Mary! special internally, but within the stipulations, boundaries, and pressures that Broadway entails.

As we’ve now seen multiple iterations of casting for the show, I think Oh, Mary! is particularly challenging because we don’t have a ton of reference for long-running plays. We’ve come to learn that the model for a musical doesn’t always fit when recasting and rehearsing replacement companies for OM. Each new company we rehearse, we find what areas require different levels of specificity and attention. Instead of rehearsing a cross on the 5-6-7-8, sometimes we need to reinvestigate the intent behind a cross for it to resonate.

Is there any audience reaction to the moment the light shines on the boxes before the Ford's Theater scene that stands out?
Not particularly. It does still catch me off guard though, because from where I call the show, I can’t actually see the boxes. So I sometimes will panic on huge reactions thinking something has gone awry.

Can you share a favorite memory of working as the stage manager for Mother Play?
The company was an absolute joy to spend time with. Jessica Lange, Celia-Keenan Bolger, and Jim Parsons are not only iconic, but incredible, grounded, kind people to get to work with every day. I remember getting ready for the Tonys, and Jessica Lange walks in with her custom, Dolce & Gabbana gown just balled up in a Trader Joe's bag. Like, okay, girl work.

What do you consider your "big break"?
PSM-ing on Broadway at 30.

What advice would you give your younger self or anyone starting out?
It’s very easy to get lost in the details and the routine aspects of our job, but make sure you can zoom out a bit. I think perspective and being tuned into the vibes is just as (if not more) important than a great call or a perfect run sheet. Also, be someone people want to be around and show up as a teammate. It is ten times easier to navigate challenges when you have taken the time to forge trusting and meaningful relationships with the people you’re supposed to be leading.

What do you wish you knew starting out that you know now?
I wish I knew how much this job was about the people. Not to diminish the scheduling, the paperwork, the show calling, or the many other impressive things stage managers miraculously make happen, but this is such a job of humanity and love. We’re standing next to and supporting artists and asking them to be vulnerable together through all the different shit happening in the world and in each other’s individual lives.

In such difficult times in this country and around the world, how do you think theatre can play a positive role, either for yourself and/or the community at large?
I mean, I think this plays also into the success of Oh, Mary! It’s a show that is unapologetically queer, well-crafted, and has tremendous heart. It also brings so many people unbridled joy. It is never not a gift to note the show from the audience and see how many people are screaming with love for the show and laughing together. Theatre is not the first thing you think of in terms of activism, but it is so important. It’s important to be queer and joyful and front-footed about it. Especially when the world is going to absolute shit.

close gallery

0 of

Photos: Oh, Mary! Opening Night on Broadway

Next Slide  

You may also like

• 
  Photos: Kandi Burruss in & Juliet
• 
  Photos: All Out: Comedy About Ambition Opening Night
• 
  Photos: Backstage at Beetlejuice with The Dressing Room Project