Unlike most stage directors, Greta Steever ’24 unexpectedly stumbled upon her passion for stage managing in a desperate search for a winter co-curricular. She recalled, “I emailed every sports team, and they already had a manager – everything was already full. I ran up to [Director of Theater] Mrs. [Catriona] Hynds in the Dining Hall and begged her, ‘I will do anything, anything you want. I will do it.’ And she said, ‘How about stage managing?’”
Steever began singing at the age of 10 and acting during middle school. Since joining the Theater Department, Steever has worked closely under the tutelage of Professional Stage Manager and Associate Director of Admission Pete Hynds. Mr. Hynds has worked with the San Francisco Opera, the Pittsburgh Opera, the Miami Opera, and the Dallas Opera, among many other significant theatrical companies.
After each rehearsal, Steever writes a report detailing any changes to the set and is responsible for knowing the play inside-out. She emphasized the high level of professionalism that is not simply expected but required from a stage manager, saying, “Sometimes it’s difficult being a stage manager with your peers because you sometimes have to admonish them for not being on time, not reading the schedule correctly, being late, being noisy, or not having lines memorized.” Mrs. Hynds shared, “It does take a particular kind of student who feels confident enough to carry out these leadership roles that we’re asking of her, and not everyone can do that. But Greta can.” Steever’s peers have echoed Mrs. Hynds’ words, affectionately dubbing her “Stage Mommy.” Actor Daphne Huang ’25 said, “We call her that because she’s like a mom in the way we rely on her so much. Everything that happens on stage – Greta did it. Lights come on stage? Greta did it. All [the] sound cues? Greta did it. She is on a headset with Mrs. Hynds, [Production Services Technician] Mr. [Dustin] Yager, a stage person, and the makeup artists. If things ever go awry, it’s Greta who will fix it.”
As a stage manager, Steever expressed the challenge of working with a cast. She explained, “A lot of the time, I’d be like, ‘Why are you complaining about x?’ [Stage managing] has helped so much in understanding actors and how I can better state my own ideas.” Steever encourages every stage manager to pursue acting, especially when the opportunity is still available in high school. Steever continues to pursue her passion for stage management off-campus. Over the summer, she attended the University of Michigan’s MPulse program and, more recently, Northwestern University’s National High School Institute for Stage Management.
Outside of the rehearsal room, Steever is the vocal leader of Coda, a head of Reme-D’s, and a member of Rhapso-D’s. Fellow singer and actor Vivian Wan ’25 cites Steever as a creative and personal inspiration. She said, “Greta is a unique artist in that she excels at both organization and creativity. Embracing her creativity is something that I myself, as an artist, struggle with a lot. It’s very inspiring because it also makes her a great leader.” Peers have also praised the complex papier-mâché masks she designs for Halloween. She also frequently appears in Beyond the Valley, Deerfield Academy’s student-run fashion magazine.
Steever plans to pursue a theater major through a conservatory or non-conservatory program. Regarding her future stage managing career, Mrs. Hynds summarized Mr. Hynds’ sentiments, saying, “Mr. Hynds is really proud of her and sees absolutely no reason why she couldn’t then go on to work as a stage manager almost anywhere she wants in the future.”