What is the main idea of the passage?

A stage manager calls timed cues that coordinate many backstage actions with the live performance. (The passage explains cues, warning and go calls, live adjustment, and rehearsal.)

Why can’t the manager rely only on a stopwatch?

Live actions and pauses may take different amounts of time each performance. (The third paragraph gives variable actor pauses and scenery movement as reasons.)

an agreed signal or moment for an action (The second paragraph explicitly defines a cue and gives three action examples.)

What word does the manager call at the exact action moment?

go (The manager warns an operator first and then calls “go” at the moment.)

What a Stage Manager Calls: Level 2 Reading Comprehension Questions

During a theater performance, actors speak the lines, but a stage manager coordinates the event. From a desk or booth, the manager follows a marked script and listens to communication from the crew.

The script contains cues. A cue is the agreed moment for an action: lights fade after a word, music begins on a gesture, or a curtain moves when a scene ends. The stage manager warns the correct operator to get ready, then calls “go” at the exact moment.

Calling cues requires attention to the live performance. An actor may pause longer than usual, or a piece of scenery may move slowly. The manager cannot depend only on a stopwatch. The call must follow what is actually happening while keeping many departments together.

Rehearsals let the team practice this sequence and solve risks before an audience arrives. A calm voice on the headset may be unheard by the crowd, yet it helps turn separate actions into one repeatable show.

Comprehension questions