Author Topic: Major in theatre or not. . .  (Read 6536 times)

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laurenS

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Major in theatre or not. . .
« on: Jan 18, 2011, 04:11 pm »
Hey guys,
I've been a little nervous about my choice of a school, so I am hoping for some honest opinions here. I am going to a very small school in Manhattan. It has three very general majors (mine is called Media Culture and the Arts). I am working towards a career in Stage Management. Our theatre department, however, is brand new and completely student-run. We have no facility, and we are a VERY small group. This is the extent of my theatre-work in college (I've done alot more in the past). I've been very nervous that I made the wrong choice for a school. I keep wondering if I should have gone someplace with a well-known and established theatre department. I plan on going to grad school to major in stage management after I graduate, but in the meantime:
My first question: Will this choice of schools hurt me later when I am trying to get work or get accepted into a graduate program?
Second question: I believe I am getting very valuable experience where I am at as we try to grow our small group into a larger organization within the school. How can I communicate this valuable experience with potential employers/grad schools through my resume/applications?

Any encouragement/advice for my school-choice insecurities?

Lauren Samuelsen
The King's College

MatthewShiner

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Re: Major in theatre or not. . .
« Reply #1 on: Jan 18, 2011, 04:45 pm »
Lauren, looking into your school, I think you the experience and the education you are going to get in the school you are in is amazing.

You don't need a degree in Stage Management to Stage Manage.

Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.

What you need is experience.  And experience is what will translate.

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Anything posted here as in my own personal opinion, and does not necessarily reflect the opinion of my employer - whomever they be at a given moment in time.

Rebbe

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Re: Major in theatre or not. . .
« Reply #2 on: Jan 18, 2011, 05:00 pm »
If you search around the boards, you’ll find there are a wide range of opinions on whether a SM/theater major or some other major is a better choice.  Ultimately it is up to you, and different paths work for different students and different people.    One way to find out if your current path will help or hurt you in the grad school realm is to check out some schools you are interested in and ask them what they’re looking for.  My other thought is that, having a “student-run” department, you could be missing out on opportunities to learn from seasoned professionals and knowledgeable instructors.  There can be many benefits to peer learning and trial-and-error, and I’m sure you can find a way to sell those aspects to schools and employers.  But I personally think it would still be important to get some traditional education from a college degree, otherwise you might as well not pay for tuition, but just work in theater instead and learn experientially.  Another thing that jumps out for me in your post is that it sounds like you feel stuck at your current school.  Is transferring to another college an option to explore if you find this one is not for you? 
"...allow me to explain about the theatre business. The natural condition is one of insurmountable obstacles on the road to imminent disaster."  (Philip Henslowe, Shakespeare In Love)

laurenS

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Re: Major in theatre or not. . .
« Reply #3 on: Jan 18, 2011, 07:41 pm »
I'll have to take a closer look at the other boards. Checking with grad schools is a good idea, Ill definitely do that. The lack of specific instruction has been my biggest concern about our student-run program. There has definitely been alot of trial and even more error. Because of the unusual programs of study at my school, I know that I will absolutely have to go to grad school. But from what I've seen, they look for people with theatre experience from undergrad. And that worries me.
It is true that I'm stuck at my school. But I absolutely love my school, I am getting an amazing education here, and it is going to be a wonderful base to continue my education. I just feel like others may not recognize this and I may end up falling behind. I am working my tail off to make up for the lack of specialized theatre education, but I can only teach myself so much. I guess my biggest fear is that any good graduate school will not be ok with the lack of specialized theatre education. I will definitely talk to some schools and see exactly what they are looking for.
MatthewShiner, thank you so much. That is very encouraging.

lsears

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Re: Major in theatre or not. . .
« Reply #4 on: Jan 18, 2011, 07:45 pm »
Lauren,

The course of study on your school's website looks great.  Just supplement it with summer theater work at reputable companies and you should be fine. 

There are many many posts on this board about shadowing shows to observe professional stage managers, since you are in New York advantage of those opportunities. 

As to how you communicate the benefits of your particular department, you can mention it in the 'tell me about yourself' portion of interviews.

The degree does not make you a stage manager.

missliz

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Re: Major in theatre or not. . .
« Reply #5 on: Jan 18, 2011, 08:19 pm »
My school didn't have a stage management major...I came out with degrees in theater and in literary criticism (which has proved very helpful in close-reading scripts). I didn't even know what a stage manager was until I got to college! I stage managed a couple of shows, and ran crew for a few, but mostly took as many technical classes as I could (including our one management course). I worked in the scene shop as well. Ultimately, I shadowed on a couple shows, and then worked with a director who knew I was eager to learn and was thankfully patient enough to help me refine what I knew.

My point is, learn what you can, and get the experience you can. Take advantage of everything around you. A piece of paper saying so does not a stage manager make.
I personally would like to bring a tortoise onto the stage, turn it into a racehorse, then into a hat, a song, a dragon and a fountain of water. One can dare anything in the theatre and it is the place where one dares the least. -Ionesco

SMdrum

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Re: Major in theatre or not. . .
« Reply #6 on: Feb 05, 2011, 11:42 pm »
Hi Lauren,

I feel like I'm in the same boat as you about coming from a school that has a small program.  Most theatre people have not heard of the college I go to except within our KCACTF region since we hosted the festival for two years.  The program at my school has been around for awhile but it has just recently began expanding.  Next year we will have double the number of theatre majors with incoming freshmen.  The good thing about being in a small program is that I get the chance to stage manage multiple shows a year.  I'm also worried about grad school since I there are not any professional theatre companies nearby.  I'm not sure if grad schools would be impressed by stage managing for community theatre so I've avoided that near SVSU.

Also, I've heard of business majors going into stage management.  One of the stage managers from my school took a lot of business classes to focus on that side of the job.

Best of luck,
Sarah


BeccaTheSM

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Re: Major in theatre or not. . .
« Reply #7 on: Feb 21, 2011, 11:58 pm »
Along the lines of what everyone else has been saying, a degree does not define who you are and what you become. In the end, what matters most are the experiences you've gained.

Perhaps supplementing your education at your school with work in a nearby company -- there are certainly plenty around New York. Look around for internships or volunteer work -- just get your foot in the door and learn something.

I went to a school with hardly any tech program at all, so the few tech kids had to learn to do everything. For the ones who wanted to costume design, it was a bit begrudgingly that would Stage Manage a show or design Props; simply because they needed the credit and their dream position was unavailable. However, I took advantage of as many different positions as I could, since Stage Managing takes knowing a little bit about everything in order to solve problems.
 
So look into places in the area. Who knows, it may lead to more work down the road, with that company or with another. Remember, this is an industry as much about WHO you know as WHAT you know.
Art, in itself, is an attempt to bring order out of chaos. - Stephen Sondheim

 

riotous