Dency Nelson Bids Adieu to Academy Awards

Some know him for his environmental work, still others know him as a highly-sought-after showbiz stage manager.

Sunday, anyone reading the front page of the Los Angeles Times saw the 61-year-old Hermosa Beach resident featured in two photos, his name larger than life in a subhead.

Dency Nelson. The name itself might not be recognized by the countless Academy Award show performers, presenters and honorees he's stage managed during his reign of 25 years, but one thing's for sure: the man sure knows how to run a show and has tons of stories to tell about putting things together in advance and then figuring things out in the moment on live TV.

The stories get ink in the Times: how he managed to deliver a harmonica onstage but undetected to a live TV audience to the blind Stevie Wonder; greeting actress Meryl Streep with a chair and bottle of water as she came offstage after winning Best Actress for "The Iron Lady."

Nelson, who as a stage manager handles such tasks as making sure the correct winning envelopes are delivered, ensuring that equipment works the way it should and orchestrating the flow of talent through the stage wings, told the Times his work is much like air traffic control and that most of the people in the room during rehearsals don't know his name but know his face, and are relieved to see him.

His stage management work includes the Grammys, Screen Actors Guild Awards, Teen Choice Awards, MTV Movie Awards and other shows. He got his big breaks from Merv Griffin and David Letterman, according to a press release from the Directors Guild of America.

In December, Nelson was announced as the DGA's 23rd recipient of the Franklin J. Schaffner Achievement Award, given to an associate director or stage manager in recognition of their service to the industry and the DGA.

You can learn more about Nelson's career, here:

• Dency Nelson: 2013 Franklin J. Schaffner Achievement Award Recipient
• Oscars stage manager braces for his final cues to the stars