How to write a rehearsal report

1. Identify the session

Put the production title, report number, rehearsal date, room and stage manager at the top. Keep report numbers consistent so a recipient can refer to “Report 7, Props” without guessing which email you mean. Use the rehearsal date even if you finish writing after midnight.

2. Separate scheduled and actual times

Record the scheduled call, actual start, each break's start and finish, and the finish time. “Break: 20:02” alone leaves the length unclear. If the rehearsal crosses midnight, label the end as the following day. Check applicable company and contractual break procedures separately; a report template does not establish those rules.

3. Record attendance factually

Mark present, late, excused or absent using the production's agreed categories. If useful, add a late arrival time. Avoid medical explanations and personal judgments in a broadly distributed report. Send sensitive issues through the agreed confidential channel.

4. Say what was worked

Identify the scenes, pages, songs or sequence, and describe whether they were blocked, cleaned or run. “Act I, scenes 2–3: blocked entrances and ran the transition twice” gives more context than “worked Act I.” Record what actually happened rather than the abandoned plan.

5. Route notes to a department

Use department headings and one request per item. Keep observations distinct from decisions. State the relevant scene or moment, the requested action, an owner when agreed and a useful due date.

If something is awaiting a director's decision, label it pending. Do not turn an unconfirmed discussion into an approved change.

6. Make the next call explicit

Give the next date, time, location, called people and planned material. If different groups have different calls, list them separately. Confirm that the next call matches the approved schedule before sending.

7. Check and distribute

• Are date, report number and times correct?
• Does each request have enough scene context to act on?
• Are pending decisions marked as pending?
• Have confidential details been removed?
• Does the next call match the current schedule?
• Is the report going to the agreed production list?

Follow your company's timing and distribution process. Save the issued copy in the production archive, and clearly label corrections so recipients can identify the current version.

Try the format

Read the complete fictional example, then create reports in the Android app. For reusable rosters and report history, see Stage Manager Report.

Further stage management references

For another view of rehearsal paperwork, explore Winthrop University's stage manager manuals and forms and the Utah Shakespeare Festival's rehearsal report lesson. This guide and its fictional example are written by Mindsle; use the format your own production agrees on.