All stories by Jess Gow on BroadwayStars

Friday, September 27, 2019

Ladders and Snakes by Jess Gow

So. There is an important little sentence that sometimes you just have to say out loud. And some people say it a lot, and some people hardly at all. It can be a tough thing to vocalize, an…

SOURCE: Girl in the Dark at 02:57AM
Friday, August 24, 2018

Like a Press Night Without a Tech by Jess Gow

‘So when are you due?’ asked the young actor stood before me, politely. He was handsome and sweet and barely out of drama school. It was probably one of his first auditions, maybe his fi…

SOURCE: Girl in the Dark at 03:14AM
Friday, December 22, 2017

This House by Jess Gow

Several years ago I was working as Deputy Stage Manager in a theatre where I cued the performance from a position within the auditorium. I was basically sat within the audience, which gave m…

SOURCE: Girl in the Dark at 07:55PM
Wednesday, August 30, 2017

Jess Gow: My inner 17-year-old keeps telling me to stop griping about my job by Jess Gow

Two decades ago, I worked as an usher at the Liverpool Empire Theatre. It was not just to help fund my spending

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 02:00AM
Wednesday, August 2, 2017

Jess Gow: After having a baby, I’m excited about my future career by Jess Gow

I had a baby. A little baby girl. I said I wouldn’t write about it, as I was fairly terrified about making

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 02:00AM
Wednesday, July 12, 2017

Jess Gow: Mashing up stage management and understudy roles is a false economy by Jess Gow

It’s not as common as it used to be, but I still occasionally see job adverts for ‘assistant stage manager/understudy’. And even

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 02:00AM
Wednesday, June 14, 2017

Jess Gow: Is getting a fake cigarette on stage worth the fuss? by Jess Gow

There are several things you may hear in a rehearsal room that fill you with dread. But what makes me (inwardly) groan

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 02:00AM
Wednesday, May 17, 2017

Jess Gow: How to cope when past feuds or drunken snogs turn up at work by Jess Gow

Everyone has a past. A history. And all of us have made mistakes. And in theatre, those mistakes have a habit of sneaking

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 02:00AM
Wednesday, April 19, 2017

Jess Gow: For most of us, backstage work was not plan B by Jess Gow

About a year ago, I was working at a repertory theatre when we had a work-experience guy in. He was shadowing me

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 02:00AM
Wednesday, March 29, 2017

Jess Gow: As a stage manager, I love auditions by Jess Gow

Recently I have been spending my days stage-managing the auditions for a large-scale and very lengthy tour. Incredibly lengthy: 20 months on

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 02:00AM
Wednesday, March 22, 2017

Jess Gow: Stage managers should learn from one another by Jess Gow

I have only a week or so left working as deputy stage manager on my current production, although the show itself will

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 03:00AM
Thursday, February 23, 2017

Jess Gow: Producers of Posh offering a pittance to stage management is an irony too far by Jess Gow

A couple of days ago I read about the all-female production of Posh. I concluded it was something I would probably really

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 07:51AM
Wednesday, February 22, 2017

Jess Gow: Lateness isn’t an adorable trait, but a damaging attitude by Jess Gow

Every now and again an article about punctuality will do the rounds on Twitter and Facebook, and the headline is usually something

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 02:00AM
Wednesday, January 25, 2017

Jess Gow: Nothing prepares you for the loneliness of stage management by Jess Gow

When I graduated from drama school I realised there were many things I simply wasn’t prepared for, such as the importance of

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 02:00AM
Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Jess Gow: It’s not the stage manager’s job to be the actors’ friend by Jess Gow

If I could go back in time and tell my 20-year-old stage manager self three things, those things would be these: 1.

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 02:00AM
Wednesday, November 9, 2016

Jess Gow: Sometimes old methods need a fresh approach by Jess Gow

I’m not a fan of the ‘inspirational’ quotes that relentlessly appear on social media and have purposefully muted friends who post them.

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 02:00AM
Wednesday, October 26, 2016

Why I'm Really Happy About Emma Rice Leaving The Globe by Jess Gow

There has been so much talk recently about the departure of Emma Rice from The Globe, and I simply had to wade in and express my thoughts via the internet. I mean, I’m a theatrical blogger…

SOURCE: Girl in the Dark at 07:22AM
Wednesday, October 12, 2016

Jess Gow: Perfection is an impossible dream even for the best of us by Jess Gow

I am not perfect. And nor have I ever claimed to be. I may write extensively about stage management but that does

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 02:00AM
Wednesday, September 14, 2016

Jess Gow: For a freelance, it can feel like it’s always your first day at school by Jess Gow

I get envious of my friends who don’t work in theatre for various reasons: they get their evenings free, they can book

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 02:00AM
Tuesday, August 16, 2016

Jess Gow: If money’s tight, rein in your costs – don’t take advantage of the crew by Jess Gow

Everyone is restricted by budgets, in their personal lives and in their work. I mean, there are luxury items that I would

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 02:00AM
Wednesday, July 20, 2016

Jess Gow: Social media is not perfect, but I’d never abandon it by Jess Gow

It appears to me that the rise of social media has affected stage management and the way that we do things. Many

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 02:00AM
Wednesday, June 22, 2016

Jess Gow: Backstage opinions matter far more than Billington’s by Jess Gow

It’s almost impossible for backstage staff not to form an opinion on whatever production it is that they are working on. Even

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 05:00AM
Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Jess Gow: High-profile shows bring out the unfriendly side of Facebook by Jess Gow

I have just finished working on a high-profile production and, during the course of the run, found myself getting a particular type

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 02:00AM
Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Jess Gow: Don’t fret about tax – file your return early by Jess Gow

The life of a self-employed theatrical worker is a complex and sometimes confusing one. We are constantly dealing with the unknown and

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 02:00AM
Wednesday, March 23, 2016

Jess Gow: University of the rehearsal room gave me all the form I needed by Jess Gow

A few weeks ago, I needed to fill out a job application form for a stage management role. I found this process

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 03:40AM
Thursday, February 18, 2016

Jess Gow: Why stage managers were offended by ‘that’ article by Jess Gow

When I was a little girl, I decided that I wanted to show my wonderful mum just how much I loved her.

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 07:00AM
Wednesday, December 23, 2015

Jess Gow: Christmas may be for gifts, but skills deserve fair pay by Jess Gow

After a whole year on the road, I find myself unceremoniously deposited into the magical month of December, a time of festivity

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 02:00AM
Wednesday, November 25, 2015

Backstage: Rick Clutton – ‘Everyone assumed I’d gone to drama school’ by Jess Gow

When you look at drama school prospectuses, it is easy to come to the conclusion that the only way to start a

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 12:46PM
Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Jess Gow: We work better together to get what we want by Jess Gow

Despite being on a year-long tour, I have managed to achieve a couple of things in the past month, other than eat

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 07:00AM
Friday, August 14, 2015

Welcome Home by Jess Gow

It is two o’clock in the morning.And I am wide awake.I’m lying on an alarmingly soft mattress underneath a wafer thin duvet, staring at the cracks in the ceiling and trying to place the …

SOURCE: Girl in the Dark at 04:36AM
Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Jess Gow: Sorry to nag, but it’s important you read this by Jess Gow

I am boring. Really, truly boring. My lifestyle choices mean that I have swapped boozy nights out on tour for running, fitness

SOURCE: The Stage Registration at 07:00AM

All that Chat

2023-2024 BROADWAY SEASON
May 30, 2023: Grey House - Lyceum Theatre
Jun 26, 2023: Just For Us - Hudson Theatre
Jul 24, 2023: The Cottage - Hayes Theater
Nov 16, 2023: Spamalot - St. James Theatre
Dec 18, 2023: Appropriate - Hayes Theater
Mar 07, 2024: Doubt - Todd Haimes Theatre
Apr 14, 2024: Lempicka - Longacre Theatre
Apr 17, 2024: The Wiz - Marquis Theatre
Apr 18, 2024: Suffs - Music Box Theatre
Apr 25, 2024: Mother Play - Hayes Theater
Jun 10, 2024: The Drama Desk Awards