Best Universities to study Stage Management?

[NatashaTylea]

I teach Set Design and Construction at an arts high school and I have a very skilled senior searching for the best school to study Stage Management in next year. She's extremely gifted in set construction and engineering in general, but she has found her passion hitting her in her role as a Stage Manager (which she is also excelling in, as she listens well and is super organized). I want to steer her in the right direction but don't know which schools have the best programs these days. I want to push her to find a school with a good enough shop for her to keep exercising her carpentry skills in, but she's academically dynamite and could definitely become an Environmental Engineer (something she mentioned doing when she was a sophomore) if she wanted to, so I'd love for her to be positively challenged academically as well. All this said, she wants to find the best programs to focus her major in Stage Management. Any ideas? She also has dual Irish citizenship, so she is not opposed to going to Ireland

 

[RobT]

If the academic aptitude is there, I'll recommend looking at engineering degree programs and project/construction management instead of a "trade" program. The idea is to get the theoretical underpinning and "first principles" in the structured academic environment, as the "trade" aspect can be filled relatively easily outside of that environment (e.g. an apprenticeship type program or extracurricular activities). But to that end, I would look for schools that have access to the theatrical instruction and extracurriculars in addition to the engineering program.

And I speak from personal experience here, as someone who was in this position and opted for the engineering degree (only finalizing that decision after taking a year off from the degree and working as an entertainment electrician full time). But I've also seen quite a few more folks with theater degrees moving out of the entertainment industry into adjacent industries than I see folks with engineering degrees moving into entertainment full time (OTOH, I know of quite a few "weekend warriors" that have engineering backgrounds). The engineering degree will open more doors than the theater degree.

 

[Footer]

....Does she know what stage management in the real world actually is? Its a very different world then most HS theatre programs show it as being. Many of the best stage managers have a stronger acting and directing background then technical. My best friend from high school is a touring broadway Equity SM, she did manage to make the jump from technical to stage management, but it was a rather difficult transition.

As far as programs to look at, being a professional/Equity SM is way more about your rolodex then actual skills. She needs to decide what kind of theatre she wants to do when she gets out, find a program that has current alumni in that field, and go from there. North Carolina School of the Arts, Webster, Carnegie Mellon, University of Michigan, Purchase, Cal Arts... thats a starting point. You want a program that will help you get your first job and having connections to that first job is critical. The best programs have a summerstock home where you can cut your teeth during undergrad. Stage-management jobs literally never get posted to the job boards, you have to know someone to get one.

Also, if she thinks she needs a backup, just go do the backup. The life of a working stage manager is a really really hard one. People who manage to get a PSM slot in rep theatre tend to stay in those positions for decades. There isn't a ton of work to go around... and when you "make it" you find yourself either running the same show day in and day out for years on end or pulling the same show around the country/world for years on end.

 

[Tim Hite]

I did the Glerum Rigging Masterclass down at UCSD, which is a really nice place to live. The theater department hosted and I spent a bunch of time with their tech director and staff by virtue of me being closer to their age. They stuck me as very competent and were looking to help their students excel. Cal Poly San Luis Obispo had a bunch of tech theater staff at the class, as well, and they apparently have a good theater program. AS an added bonus Cal Poly SLO has a big engineering school.

I'm a 52 y/o production company owner, so I'm sure i"m not up on what young folks want out of a school, but both these schools are nice to live in and have dedicated staff with good funding and programs.

 

[TimMc]

Well.. I've written 2 replies that didn't make it past "preview." Maybe I'm learning... naw, can't be!

I think the Universal Answer for Audio applies here: It Depends.

It depends on what one considers "stage manager." I have this twisted, FarSide-esque picture of a suited, briefcase carrying manager standing next to the stage saying "my client gets another 2 points on the front end or he rolls..."

On most touring shows, whether theater or arena, the tour head carpenter and tour head rigger deal with gravity, physics, and the SM isn't involved with what things weigh unless there is a problem or a change to setup or layout. The SM(s) call the show and do notes to performer and technical departments to maintain show integrity, and deal with any "Equity" issues that may arise, prior to elevation with company management. A good SM makes the difference when something goes wrong during the show and the audience doesn't notice.

On a festival site, the SM will be responsible for everything from loading dock schedule, empty trailer parking allocation, dressing room assignments, assigning side stage and back stage real estate, and keeping the show run on schedule running the local crew.

On a symphony event the stage manger may be in nicer clothes but is responsible for dressing rooms, back stage and on stage amenities for performers, placement of risers, chairs, music stands and large instruments, back stage protection of performer valuables, and show run cues for all departments.

Pretty much in all cases there is a lot of data that is created and needs to be curated and organized. It helps to be a bit on the retentive side, have shark skin for hide, and be able to conceal any dripping sarcasm/contempt/dismissal behind a lethal dose of sugar (or saccharin). Extra points if the SM can make the victim think it's the victim's idea... Those that pull off THAT go on to stage manage opera...

 

[gafftapegreenia]

The position that never really existed on a student level, in my experiences with educational theatre, was the title of Production Manager. Sure, there was always a faculty member who sort of filled that roll, but as I gained experience in the professional world I quickly realized the importance of a competent production manager to compile and prioritize needs.

People with diverse skill sets, build upon technical, hands on experience, with a cunning for organization and multi tasking, make amazing production managers, and there are a lot more industry opportunities for production/project managers.

 

[gafftaper]

Then you have the Vegas Cirque shows with a half dozen stage managers.

@ruinexplorer can you comment on how that works?

 

[Footer]

Then you have the Vegas Cirque shows with a half dozen stage managers.

@ruinexplorer can you comment on how that works?

The term stage manager is thrown around a lot and it means wildly different things. In R&R the SM is usually the head backline tech. For some shows the SM is more of a production assistant to the star of the act. Its why without knowing "what kind" of stage manager @NatashaTylea's student wants to be its pretty much impossible to guide them on what kind of school they should be looking at. Its rather concerning to me that @NatashaTylea mentions wanting to keep shop skills going, I can't think of any stage management program that would let their stage managers anywhere close to a saw for fear of a limb being removed... so defining what kind of SM the student is looking to be is rather important... and the odds that they actually want to become a production manager or a head carpenter is rather high.

 

[ruinexplorer]

Then you have the Vegas Cirque shows with a half dozen stage managers.

@ruinexplorer can you comment on how that works?

The stage managers with Cirque are similar to those in traditional theater. Relatively few have any technical background.
There's a hierarchy on the shows with the General Stage Manager at the top who can fill in for the Artistic Director at times. There are Stage Managers and Assistant Stage Managers who have lesser duties. During a show, there will be one SM who is calling cues and is in charge of keeping the show running. Depending on the size of the show, there will be additional SMs who ensure performers are in place as well as getting clears from technical staff to continue the performance safely. Stage Managers are in charge of continuous training of performers in their acts. They keep records of each rehearsal and performance for preservation of artistic continuity.

 

[chawalang]

I would like to see if we would like to approach this question from a different angle.

Should this student go to school for Stage Management?

Are there other degrees one could get that would fit into stage management, and could those degrees help in pivoting into something else in life potentially?

What are other options for this student besides a four year degree?

I ask this for a few reasons. I’m sure that everyone has been reading all the articles about how regional theatre and the arts are in a tailspin right now. The economic outlook on those jobs is similar to what we saw in the 07/08 recession. Compounded by people spending their money on entertainment that is not regional theatre. Also, in my opinion, the cost of an undergraduate degree is so high now that it has basically become a luxury good in our society. In my opinion, this is even more true of a humanities degree that has no guaranteed ROI.

Thoughts?

 

[gafftaper]

I had a conversation with one of my students a couple of days ago. I suggested that they seek something broader like Production Manager as the career goal. There are many jobs throughout this industry that use similar skills to Stage Management but will be more reliable work and better pay.

 

[ruinexplorer]

I like to try and give students the insight into other aspects of entertainment than just doing shows. Not everything is as glamorous, but it's about making a living

 

[Footer]

I like to try and give students the insight into other aspects of entertainment than just doing shows. Not everything is as glamorous, but it's about making a living

Exactly there is a ton of work out there for the people that want it. I can't hire enough good people... but its not in traditional or even broadway style theatre.

 

[chawalang]

Agreed, over the past two years every conversation I’ve had with everyone in the industry is, we don’t have enough people! Wether this is a basic stagehand, crew heads, controls engineers for rigging manufacturers, or even someone to do any kind of drafting. The only area I know of not looking for people is regional or traditional theatre. My big holy crap moment is when the Dallas Theatre Center cut half its staff over the summer, then saw the dominoes start to fall everywhere else.

I don’t mean to hijack the thread, but should we also examine this conversation not only from the standpoint of alternate educational paths, but also what are various career options there are for a high school student with these kind of interests? What I’m getting at is what can this student do that is not regional or traditional theatre.

 

[chawalang]

Also, as an aside I was just reading through the thread Recommendations about college education. At the top of this section. The initial post where guidance is written, was created in 2010. Almost 14 years later I think this needs to be re examined. There is info in it that initial post, in my opinion may have been true at one point, but no longer is.

For example, it is stated in the thread “…, to get to real world work it takes a degree. Your degree is what gets you your first gig.” This is no longer applicable in our industry, I’m not sure if it ever really was in this century. This is coming from a person who has an undergrad and grad degree.

 

[soundman]

As someone who got a degree in Theatre - Design and had a successful career traveling the world doing music tours I would advise getting a degree that will help in the next phase of life. I am ready to get my nights and weekends back and not have to travel full time. Most of the job postings I am seeing want a STEM degree. With how resumes are screened I can't help but wounder if I would be getting more traction with a more 'mainstream' degree.