What happens when two stage managers get fired up about the state of community theater? You get this conversation. In this solo episode of Backstage Banter, Jay sits down with DJ to unpack the real challenges and surprising solutions that emerged from a recent conference, from unpaid tech crews to poorly planned seasons and burnout behind the curtain.

They dive into:

• The quiet crisis happening in college theater programs and community spaces

• How entrepreneurial thinking can solve persistent production problems

• The role of mentorship, and why most stage managers never really had one

• The origin stories that pulled them both into teaching and leadership

From "pay-to-play" models to the potential of creating pre-rehearsal ASM training videos, this episode is full of insight, laughter, and a bit of righteous fire. Bryan’s off on assignment this time, but he'll be back next week.

Listen now, and if this episode sparks an idea or hits a nerve, drop us a comment or share it with someone behind the scenes.