<p>Hi, is anyone on here a stage management major? I'm continuing to be torn on whether I want to major in musical theatre or some other aspect of theatre that has better job prospects and more stability. I've already complete 8 MT auditions this year, but don't have the biggest background and training so I'm not too hopeful for the outcomes, but I was wondering about the odds of getting accepted to top schools for stage management. Also, are there more jobs for stage managers that offer decent salaries? Anyone know of any schools where you can have concentrations in both performing and stage managing? Any info on this would be greatly appreciated! Thanks!:)</p>
<p>Cindy,
My D is looking for much the same as you describe. She has been doing theater (mostly MT) since age 8. She loves all aspects of theater - has experience stage managing, directing, acting on stage in MT and straight dramas. She is looking into either stage management or theater education for college. However, she doesn't want to give up performing all together. She'd love to find a school that offers the major she wants and will allow her to perform sometime as well. She is a junior now and is having a hard time finding schools that have what she's looking for. She also wants a school that does musical theater - which many do not. So far Muhlenberg and UNH are looking like possibilities. She hasn't visited either - just looked at their websites and has gotten some mail from them. I will be watching this thread for any info people can share.
Thanks!</p>
<p>Hi guys,
I might be able to answer some of your questions. Although I am not currently a stage management major, last year I applied to some schools as a SM major and got into USC's Stage Management BFA and NYU's Technical Track BFA in Tisch, as well as other more general programs. After a lot of thought, I eventually decided that I wanted a broader liberal arts education along with a good theatre program, so I'm now a BA Theatre major at Northwestern. However, I'm still interested in stage management, so I'm planning to pursue that. Many students here are involved in multiple areas; I know two sophomores who are both in the acting track but served as ASMs for a department show, and they both stage manage in extracurricular theatre groups. I also know of a senior who, just during this year, is both set designing and acting in student shows as well as working in the department prop shop. The student theatre scene here is enormous, so anyone who wants to do a particular job is not excluded just because they also have an interest in something else. In short, it is not uncommon to see students who do just about everything! I'm sure this applies to other schools as well.
Anyway, I went through the porfolio review process for four schools' theatre programs, so if you have any questions about that, I can try to answer them from my experience. SM programs are, like other theatre concentrations, very difficult to get into. However, I was told by multiple schools that a good stage manager is very valuable and will not have a lot of trouble finding work--the theatre community is small, and word gets around :) If you are organized, responsible, and dedicated, it will come across in your portfolio and interview.
That's all for now. Hope I can be of some help, and good luck with the whole process!</p>
<p>Thanks for the info! I'm really interested in stage management, but the fact that I've never actually sm-ed a show probably means I'm out of luck as far as college goes at this point...</p>
<p>Well, you can always go to school and pick it up there. A lot of colleges offer beginning classes, and student theatre groups often have stage managers who don't necessarily have a lot of experience but just want to do it! If you're excited enough about it, I don't think you'll have any problem finding a show to start out with. Just demonstrating interest and asking around about opportunities can get you far. If you're really interested, you could always go to a school that has a SM program and try to switch into it when you feel ready. Everyone has to start somewhere!</p>
<p>I am a current soph at UC Santa Cruz. We don't specifically have a 'stage management major' but a concentration in 'design and technology' under the theatre arts major. in high school i never was actually an SM, but i did a lot of SM type duties without realizing it. Here at UCSC I've SM'd and ASM'd several shows. I also interned with Shakespeare Santa Cruz, an equity company that has close connections with our theatre department. although I personally don't perform, it's definitely possible to have more than one focus in the major. I've also been researching SM jobs and it's not difficult to find positions, but you won't really have a good salary until you are/if you become Equity (the union).</p>
<p>The BEST way to learn stage management is to do it. The classes will tell you what to do, but there are so many different styles and methods, that you won't really "get it" until you try it.</p>
<p>It's been awhile since I have seen any discussion about teechnical theatre. I thought I would start this up again. My son, senior in high school has applied to 8 schools for stage management. He had his first portfolio review last week at Virginia Commonwealth and will present at Emerson and Syracuse in 2 weeks. He will be going to Unifies (Chicago) in Feb. I just wanted to know if there were any other techies out there.</p>
<p>My friend recently graduated from Fordham University's theatre production major only a few months ago. The program is a really top notch BA with a great liberal arts education and it provides many contacts for the students. My friend stage managed for the New York Musical Theatre Festival while she was still at school. Since graduating she has already been an assistant stage manager for an Off-Broadway show, she's still non-union. Apparently they only accept 8 students into the production major a year, so it's very cutthroat. Definitely some place to consider though!</p>
<p>It sounds like you should look for schools with a broader Theatre Production major. That's what I did for stage management. It gave me the ability to take any class in the department, to work on any show in any position (provided I had the skills and there was a need), and to become a good stage manager. A few years after college, I took advantage of an opportunity to teach theatre at a high school. My work as a stage manager and my overall general education in the Theatre Production major gave me the skills I needed to teach the subject as well as direct, produce, and TD my own shows. (I'm the only theatre teacher at the school, with very few parent volunteers.)</p>
<p>My alma mater is Humboldt State University in Northern California. I loved studying theatre at Humboldt because the program is large enough to give variety and depth of study but small enough that I could work on shows my freshman year. Another advantage was that I could take courses in any department--so I could take art courses before taking scenery design, music coursed so I could learn to read sheet music for calling cues in a musical or play scales to warm up singers if the pianist were running late, and even history and English courses to help with dramaturgy and analysis. </p>
<p>If I had only studied stage management in college, I feel I would have had a very limited vision of what the job and the art is about--especially since most sm's get their foot in the door by PA'ing in a non-union theatre. You have to know a bit of everyone's job to do your job well.</p>