Hello! I am a Junior and I have just decided to major in stage management, but the problem is that I have no experience!m Most schools require a portfolio and I literally have NOTHING to put in a portfolio. I am planning to help in a show my school is doing in the spring, is that enough for a portfolio? Some websites say to include 4 references! Are there any schools that do not require a portfolio? Any advice is appreciated!!!
This may seem like a silly question, but if you have no experience with stage management, what makes you think you want to major in it? I think helping with your school’s spring show sounds like a good idea, tell the director about the portfolio etc in advance, they may be able to help you. Also, I would recommend looking for BA programs in theater arts so that you get a chance to explore a wide range of opportunities. We have a long time poster her who’s daughter went to Drew university and had EXCELLENT experiences - and has ended up working as a professional stage manager after graduation. @bisouu - any tips?
I love theatre, and I have seen lots of videos and read lots of info on stage management, and it would really be a good career! I have been searching through lots of career options and stage management was the only option that I feel capable of doing and still be happy doing it!
Hey @jyucor - I love your enthusiasm! My older D looked into Stage Management programs when she was applying to schools as well but she had worked as a Stage Manager for years in Jr High and High School. As a junior it is not too late to develop a portfolio but it is probably too late to develop a large and deep portfolio that would make you competitive for a pure SM program. Those slots will go to people with deep experience. I echo @toowonderful’s advice - find a BA program with strong tech theatre department. You will get the experience and connections you need at any strong program and with a more general major you will also “cover your bases” so if Stage Management work isn’t exactly what you expected from your reading there will be lots of other tech theatre major options for your course of study.
Since you asked for schools - here are a few the “BA” schools that offer stage management majors or concentrations. You’d need to check each to see if admission requires a portfolio review:
Ball State
IU
University of Iowa
But other schools that have very active theatre but don’t have an SM major might work just as well as a dedicated student SM would get more work. So much of Stage Management is actually doing the work and being the star of a active department will get you the professional references you need to get work after school.
Thank you for all your help - two more questions: do you know any schools with a BA in theatre? Most schools I researched also require portfolios for their tech theatre majors?
SUNY Fredonia has a program that might interest you: https://www.fredonia.edu/academics/colleges-schools/college-visual-performing-arts/theatrical-production-and-design
@jyucor – Check out Baldwin Wallace
https://www.bw.edu/academics/undergraduate/theatre-stage-management/
I second the suggestion of SUNY Fredonia. My S17 is there. He began as a theater tech/lighting BFA and recently switched to the general theater BA with a lighting concentration. One of his friends switched from the BFA in tech to the BA in stage management. Non-BFA’s do get to participate in the theater department productions. I will note that the school has no BFA in stage management - it’s all through the BA, so there is no competition with BFA students in the same field of study.
My son was involved in theater since 6th grade but didn’t decide until the end of junior year of HS to pursue it in college. He reached out to the drama club and theater program for copies of old Playbills and photos that he could use for his portfolio. One of the things he used was a script marked with his lighting cues. You could use one marked with your directions.
Remember that the schools are in the business of educating people with potential, not working with people who are career ready. I am also not certain that a portfolio is required for stage management at Fred. You can call Lisa Schrantz, the department secretary, and ask. She is very pleasant and helpful.
@jyucor I know that this post is kind of old, but I’m currently a high school senior going through the college application process for stage management and I thought that I’d be able to offer some advice here 
I started applying to colleges this year with a sizable portfolio and a pretty decent amount of stage management experience under my belt. I attend a vocational high school with a major in visual and performing arts though, so that’s kind of to be expected lol. I applied to seven schools total (Emerson College, Fordham University, Lycoming College, Marymount Manhattan College, Pace University, Point Park University, and SUNY Purchase) and had required portfolio reviews and interviews at all but one.
While the size of my portfolio might have helped me at some schools, it didn’t seem to factor much into my overall admissions decision. The number one thing I heard at every college visit that I went to for tech theatre was that colleges know that students aren’t always provided with the same experiences to build their portfolios. Your portfolio is largely a product of the opportunities that you have received. Not everybody walks into college with a ton of experience, and that’s totally okay! You’re going to college to learn and grow!
If you’re looking to build a stage management portfolio without much experience, it’s super important to show off your organizational skills. Are you in charge of making schedules for another club or organization? Include that! Another thing that I’ve seen people do is they’ll find a play, read it, and make sample scene breakdowns or props lists to include in their portfolios! I always thought that was really smart because it shows that you’re truly passionate about pursuing the field and that you’ve done your research about the job’s responsibilities. And get as involved as you can in theatre during the rest of your junior year and all throughout your senior year!
And I think that one of the most important things to remember is your interview. Colleges want stage managers who are passionate and eager to expand their knowledge in the field. I got asked a lot of questions during my interviews that were along the lines of “why stage management?”. Think long and hard about why you want to do this, and if you’re truly passionate about it then that will show during your interview and it’ll really go a long way with admissions.
And definitely, as the posters above me mentioned, have a couple of schools on your list that don’t require interviews but still offer a major in theatre. Lycoming College in Williamsport, PA offers a BFA program in Stage Management, and only requires interviews if you want to try for a theatre scholarship. They give pretty good scholarships for academics, though. The interview/audition process is just such an unpredictable one, so you definitely want to have a couple schools on your list that you can get into based on academics alone. These can serve as your true safety schools. And make sure that they’re schools that you’d actually be happy with attending if it comes to that!
Okay wow so this ended up being a lot longer than I expected lol. If you have any questions or just need some guidance and advice, I’m more than happy to help! I definitely don’t know everything, but I found that during my college process it helped to talk to somebody who had already experienced the same stuff I’m going through now Best of luck!
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Check out Ball State’s BA program. They offer the Stage Management option as well as many other options in the event that you change your mind about Stage Management.
My S17 is a student at SUNY Fredonia. He started in the BFA for Technical Theater and after 3 semesters, switched to the general theater BA. One thing about Fred is that its stage management program is under the BA, so I don’t think there is an audition. One of S17’s cohort switched to stage management in the first semester with no problems.