Author Topic: Choice of Stage Managment Colleges  (Read 8441 times)

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chelsea714

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Choice of Stage Managment Colleges
« on: Oct 16, 2009, 10:54 pm »

I am in my second year of college in a stage management program.  I am seriously looking at other schools to transfer into this spring.  What I am looking for in a school is lots of hands on tech experience, a fair division of labor on stage management assignments, and a close knit theater group that includes stage management and tech kids.  The schools I'm looking at are:

Penn State
Syracuse
BU
SUNY Purchase
Rutgers
NYU
Ithaca

Or any other good schools on the east coast or not too far from it.
chelsea.
(plain and simple)

BLee

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Re: Choice of Stage Managment Colleges
« Reply #1 on: Oct 17, 2009, 03:20 am »
May I suggest taking a look into Stephens College in Columbia, MO. It is a women's college, but as a transfer you will get the best of what you have mentioned. It is a very career oriented college. I came in as a transfer and only had to take two additional mandatory gen ed classes. The department is very close knit. Over a course of two and a half years I have stage managed/asm'd 6 mainstage shows in addition to tons of shows in our student run theatre (as well as have designed shows and even directed). You go to two summer programs with intense tech training (which actors also participate in) in addition to the school semesters. Basically it is a program where you will always be working on a show.

If you would like more information let me know. I'll be graduating this December. I know it isn't exactly East Coast but I seriously believe if you want a widespread array of opportunities as well as a strong resume and training for post-grad work that Stephens would be an excellent choice. On top of everything else we also have a good sized alumni network who are active in helping our graduates out.
« Last Edit: Oct 17, 2009, 03:23 am by TomorrowToday »
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KMC

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Re: Choice of Stage Managment Colleges
« Reply #2 on: Oct 17, 2009, 11:48 am »
I graduated from the Penn State program in 2006.  In the graduating classes I have known personally (2003-2008ish) everyone is actively working and successful.  The proof is in the results, the program produces successful stage managers - and that is how you should judge a program in my opinion.  I'd at the very least take a look at the campus and talk to the program head, see how it might fit what you're looking for.
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theatreannie

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Re: Choice of Stage Managment Colleges
« Reply #3 on: Oct 17, 2009, 08:29 pm »
If you have any questions about Rutgers I can answer pretty much all of them.  Send me a private message.

Britney

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Re: Choice of Stage Managment Colleges
« Reply #4 on: Oct 17, 2009, 10:45 pm »
If you have any questions about Ithaca College, I completed a B.A. in Drama with a concentration in Stage Management there recently and I'd love to chat with you about the school. Feel free to PM me.

ScoobyChitlin

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Re: Choice of Stage Managment Colleges
« Reply #5 on: Oct 19, 2009, 11:55 am »
I too am looking for colleges and Ithaca was on my list but the one that really caught my eye was DePaul. Can anyone give me advice on either?
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Libby

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Re: Choice of Stage Managment Colleges
« Reply #6 on: Oct 19, 2009, 01:50 pm »
Same with questions about BU. Feel free to ask anything.

jkjiricek

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Re: Choice of Stage Managment Colleges
« Reply #7 on: Nov 03, 2009, 10:48 pm »
does anyone have thoughts on University of Northern Colorado? From what I've heard so far it seems to have a pretty great theatre program, but Greeley doesn't seem like a mecca for the arts, does it? Any inside information would be greatly appreciated!
In short, a Stage Manager is an artist, parent, friend, confidant, nurse, drill sergeant and cheerleader.

B3m4s

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Re: Choice of Stage Managment Colleges
« Reply #8 on: Nov 04, 2009, 01:35 am »
I too am looking for colleges and Ithaca was on my list but the one that really caught my eye was DePaul. Can anyone give me advice on either?

I am currently a Depaul Stage Management student, I would love to talk to you about the school, I really like the program. Feel free to PM me.

CRVerdusco

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Re: Choice of Stage Managment Colleges
« Reply #9 on: Nov 04, 2009, 01:40 pm »
I graduated from Otterbein College, If you would like to talk about their Program I wouldn't mind giving you some insight.  They are very easy to work with when transferring in and the program there was phenomenal I loved my time there!

rvhead

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Re: Choice of Stage Managment Colleges
« Reply #10 on: Nov 08, 2009, 05:24 pm »
Regarding the University of Northern Colorado -- I went there a loooong time ago, so things may have changed, but... The best thing about the school was that they did NOT have a grad program in theatre, so undergrads were often getting hands-on experience right off the bat rather than learning it in a classroom while the grad students do the actual shows. They also had a pretty good summer-stock program where I was able to work with Equity actors for the first time in sort of a safe environment. However, they have run into some scandal of late regarding the head of the musical theatre program -- google it, you'll find some horrifyingly yucky stuff - so who knows what will become of the school's reputation or, for that matter, their musical theatre program (another thing that was great about my education -- SMing HUGE scale musicals -- after the shows I did in college, everything else has seemed easy!)
And no, Greeley is no kind of mecca for the arts. I think they have opened up a semi-professional dinner theatre there since I left, but Denver is the closest place for real employment after college, and there never seemed to be enough open jobs in the Denver area for all the skilled graduates the school was turning out. (ScooterSM went there too, at the same time as I did - curious if she agrees with my assessment).

ScooterSM

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Re: Choice of Stage Managment Colleges
« Reply #11 on: Nov 08, 2009, 06:59 pm »
I do agree with your assessment!!  All scandals aside, I feel like I got a solid education at UNC, which lead to a lot of work in the Denver area.  Most of the SM's that I knew at UNC are still working (rvhead, would you concur?) 10-15 years later, which says something about their training.  Not having a grad program made a big difference, and the scale of the shows were good preparation for the professional world.  LTR (the summer stock company) was a good way to get more hands-on experience, and offered a chance to take the educational skills you had learned and turn them into professional experience.
As for Greeley, it is a smaller town but it is only about an hour from Denver and Boulder, which both have growing cultural communities.  It is like many towns where the primary employer is the university.  It has grown from the farming community it was into a bigger city.  It is not a super diverse community, but there is great food (especially Mexican).  UNC has a beautiful campus, lots of trees and places to walk, and the city is easy to navigate.
“I've never been paid a lot, but the theatre has kept me, and for that I shall be eternally grateful.” Tony Church

bandersen124

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Re: Choice of Stage Managment Colleges
« Reply #12 on: Dec 06, 2009, 03:17 pm »
Hi Chelsea. I'm a current student (B.A. Drama, concentrating in Stage Management) at Ithaca College. It's a great program across the board: you'll get the chance to work with some great student stage managers, but (I think more importantly) the quality of the performance and technical/design programs here are so exceptional. Please feel free to shoot me an email at andersen.ben@gmail.com if you've got any questions about Ithaca!

Ben

smwmu12

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Re: Choice of Stage Managment Colleges
« Reply #13 on: Dec 24, 2009, 11:31 am »
I would also suggest Western Michigan University in MI. We have a BFA program and we usually have 2 students in a year. So we are a very small program. I am a sophomore here right now and it is a wonderful program with a lot of opportunities to call shows. We also have an equity SM on our faculty that our mama and she is wonderful! If you have any questions about the program feel free to send me a private message.

 

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