As a theatrical practitioner, you should never stop growing or learning. There are many different books available with information on all the various aspects of theatre; we have created a list of readings that is a good starting point to build your knowledge base. As a stage manager, it is important to have a fundamental understanding of all areas (costumes, scenery, lighting, sound, projection, acting, directing, etc.), so there are books focusing on these topics in addition to other stage management texts.
- The Art of Happiness, Dalai Lama ISBN-10: 1573227544
- The Arts Management Handbook: New Directions for Students and Practitioners, Meg Brindle, Constance DeVereaux ISBN-10: 0765617420
- The Back Stage Guide to Stage Management, Thomas A. Kelly ISBN-10: 0823098028
- The Backstage Handbook, Paul Carter ISBN-10: 0911747397
- Backwards and Forwards: A Technical Manual for Reading Plays, David Ball ISBN-10: 0809311100
- The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right, Atul Gawande, ISBN-13: 978-0312430009
- Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High, Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, Al Switzler ISBN-10: 0071771328
- The Definitive Book of Body Language, Barbara Pease and Allan Pease ISBN-10: 0553804723
- The Director’s Voice, Arthur Bartow ISBN-10: 0930452747
- The Dramatic Imagination, Robert Edmond Jones ISBN-10: 0878301844
- Einstein’s Dreams, Alan Lightman ISBN-10: 1400077809
- Essentials of Stage Management, Peter Maccoy ISBN-10: 0878301992
- Fierce Conversations: Achieving Success at Work and in Life One Conversation at a Time, Susan Scott ISBN-10: 0425193373
- Getting to Yes: Negotiating Agreement Without Giving In, Roger Fisher, William Ury, Bruce Patton ISBN-10: 0143118757
- Great Directors at Work: Stanislavsky, Brecht, Kazan, Brook, David Richard Jones ISBN-10: 0520061748
- How to Manage Meetings, Alan Barker ISBN-10: 0749463422
- Illustrated Theatre Production Guide, 4th Edition, John Holloway and Zachary Stribling ISBN-10: 0367152037
- On Directing, Harold Clurman ISBN-10: 0684826224
- The Poetics, Aristotle ISBN-10: 0140446362
- Producing Theatre: A Comprehensive Legal and Business Guide, 3rd Edition, Donald C. Farber ISBN-10: 0879103175
- Productivity Through Wellness in Live Entertainment and Theatre Technicians, Brian MacInnis Smallwood ISBN-10: 0367137704
- Script Analysis for Actors, Directors, and Designers, 6th Edition, James Thomas ISBN-10: 0815352298
- S.M. Arts Guidelines: Stage Managing the Arts in Canada, Winston Morgan ISBN-10: 0968744400
- Stagecraft Fundamentals, 3rd Edition, Rita Carver ISBN-10: 0415791049
- Stage Makeup, 11th Edition, Richard Corson, James Glavan, Beverly Gore Norcross ISBN-10: 0367183323
- Stage Management: The Essential Handbook, Gail Pallin ISBN-10: 1848420145
- The Stage Management Handbook, Daniel Ionazzi ISBN-10: 1558702350
- Stage Management Theory as a Guide to Practice: Cultivating a Creative Approach, Lisa Porter and Narda E. Alcorn, ISBN-10: 081535228X
- The Stage Manager’s Toolkit: Templates and Communication Techniques to Guide Your Theatre Production from First Meeting to Final Performance, 3rd Edition, Laurie Kincman ISBN-10: 0367406373
- Stage Manager: The Professional Experience, 2nd Edition, Larry Fazio ISBN-10: 1138195073
- The Stage Rigging Handbook, 3rd Edition, Jay O. Glerum ISBN-10: 0809327414
- Technical Theatre for Nontechnical People, 3rd Edition, Drew Campbell ISBN-10: 1621535428
- Theatrical Design and Production: An Introduction to Scene Design and Construction, Lighting Sound, Costume and Makeup, 8th Edition, J. Michael Gillette ISBN-10: 1259922308
- Working Together in Theatre: Collaboration and Leadership, Robert Cohen ISBN-10: 023023982X
- 10 Commandments of Stage Management, Cristina M. D'Almeida ISBN-13: 979-8647515209