Andrea Adames

I attribute my success to having mentors who believed in me and gave me opportunities, and to my hunger to learn and willingness to ask questions. There were times when I was doing something but didn't know what I was doing - fake it until you make it - but I watched others, learned from them, and was never afraid to ask for help. I had production managers who threw me out into the field early on, and I'm truly grateful for meeting them and for them giving me the opportunity to be on their projects. To this day, when I'm on stage, I remember their faces and the things they told me that I still put into action. I believe you never stop learning, and it's that thrive, that hunger to learn, that keeps you going and keeps you ambitious. Even when I came back to the States and started as a stagehand, I was super hungry to learn, and that drive helped me work my way up to where I am today.

The best advice I received from a stage manager mentor was that even though a project is small, it's still a project and it's important - just as important as a birthday party is to a huge festival like Bonnaroo. To me, every project is an achievement because you never know what it can lead you to. You don't know who's watching you, so even if you're on a small project, that person sitting down might work for a huge festival on the other side of the world, and they might ask if you're available for their project. Everything matters, and you should give every project your full attention and effort.

My advice is to never be afraid to ask questions. There's never a wrong or right question - just ask. I prefer people ask me questions rather than me asking them if they have everything and then finding out later they didn't know something because they were afraid to ask. It's about watching others, learning from them, and being willing to say you don't know. I tell people to this day: ask me questions. When I was starting out, I was doing things I didn't know how to do, but I watched other stage managers, learned their techniques, and asked questions. You have to have that hunger to learn and be willing to start from the bottom if necessary. When I came back to the States, I started as a stagehand even though I had connections, because I wanted to learn the technical side. That willingness to learn and grow, no matter where you start, is what will help you succeed.

The most important values to me are gratitude and treating every opportunity as meaningful. I'm truly grateful every day for every project I get to work on, and I believe every project matters, no matter how big or small. Safety is also incredibly important to me, especially crowd management and being cautious about what's happening in the audience. When you're a stage manager, you're the head of the boat, and you have to watch out for everyone, especially children. I come up to parents and tell them to be cautious, to stay in areas where they can run if something happens, because I'd rather prevent tragedy than deal with it. As a mom of two children myself, working on foundation events for children really touches my heart - it brings tears to my eyes seeing children laughing and getting on stage. That connection between my work and my role as a mother is deeply meaningful to me.