Stage Managers are people with the answers to all the questions. How do we get that way? With a heck of a small army of tools and tricks. If you’ve already checked out how to stock your kit on a budget, here’s a list of several apps to beef up your smartphone for free* too.

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1.)   Dropbox and Evernote – both of these apps are great for sharing and retrieving information on the go. How many times have you wished you had next week’s schedule sitting in front of you when a performer asks about a rehearsal or show time? Or rehearsal reports to back you up when an exasperated director asks exactly how many times did we ask them to paint that door blue?

Both of these apps have a free amount of storage and paid amounts of storage. You can increase the free storage amounts on both by inviting friends to use the app.

Looking for further proof they are great stage management apps? Check out this Dropbox and this Evernote review from my favorite stage management blog, Headset Chatter.

2.)   iTick – this is a free metronome app. Very helpful when working on plays where the actors have to play instruments but aren’t really musicians… also, very helpful in general.

3.)   iExit – for those of you folks out on tour, especially the TYA-types where you may even be driving the van yourself, this app is a lifesaver. Headed out to Utah? FYI – gas stops become very spread out in a lot of spots. Someone in the van gotta go right now but you’re on one of those horrible roads that don’t tell you what’s off each exit? iExit will. Did an actress tell you she loves In N’ Out burger and hasn’t had one in years? You can see if it’s on today’s route.

Snatch it up now, it’s free for the rest of 2014!

4.)   Plug Finder – this simple little app has saved me enough headaches over the years that it gets to keep its spot in my phone. To begin with, I struggle more on the technical side of things, so when stage managing somewhere with a lot of technical duties and some visiting company starts rattling off different connectors they need (especially for video), I can look them up on this app, see an example, and immediately the entire conversation makes a lot more sense.

Additionally, when going into a meeting with a group I need to work with, they may be even less tech savvy than I am and I pull up this app and swipe through a few pictures and there’s a good chance I’ll hear “oh, it has that kind of plug.”

Sometimes this app lists at .99 and sometimes it lists as free, so you just have to keep an eye out for it. Although if you regularly work with different groups and struggle with types of cables… well worth the .99.

5.)   MultiConvert – if anyone is headed out of the U.S., or deals with international companies, this little app can be a lifesaver. I can quickly convert all of their foreign gibberish into measurements that actually make sense to me.

It also converts currency. If you’re lucky enough to be working somewhere like Rome or Beijing.

6.)   Flashlight – because… theaters are dark.

7.)   AroundMe – the iExit of daily life and a lifesaver to PA’s everywhere. You can find the nearest banks, hospitals, pharmacies, supermarkets and more.

8.)   iTriage – I don’t know about the rest of you, but I keep my Red Cross certifications pretty up to date and I’m still a little freaked out about the idea of actually using most of that information. They also give you a book each time, but I feel like if someone has just collapsed, I am unlikely to have that book on me at the moment and even less likely to have time to reread the section on CPR.

iTriage is a just-in-case app that will give you quick pointers so you remember what to do in a life or death situation… or even a “this dopey actor just spilled a pot of boiling coffee on his arm” situation. You can add common possible incidents to a Favorites section for quicker access.

9.)   Barbizon’s Electrician’s Handbook – another great reference tool for stage managers who have to do any sort of electrical work too. It’s got pretty much any formula or any bit of reference material you could need related to electrics.

Your turn, stage managers, which apps do you think should be on this list?

 

*And yes, sorry, one of them is paid sometimes. But if you’re super interested in Plug Finder, another great app to download is Apps Gone Free, which tracks apps that are usually paid but are being offered for free each day.