Stage management is a growing major in universities across the nation. Despite being an increasingly popular focus for undergraduate students in various theatre programs, there is a large gap that exists between the educational settings in undergraduate programs and the professional theatre realm. The largest issue that stands between the stage manager student and the professional realm is the list of questions: what is a stage manager? What does a stage manager do? Why is a stage manager a crucial role for theatrical productions? Are stage management skills actually useful in everyday situations? Once these important questions are answered for stage management students, and theatre practitioners, the disconnect that exists between the educational systems and the professional world can be bridged and fixed by educational programs across the board.