Author Topic: SM thesis advice for senior undergrad  (Read 8289 times)

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Brian

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SM thesis advice for senior undergrad
« on: Jul 19, 2008, 11:33 pm »
Hello Everyone,

I am gearing up for my thesis project in Stage Management that will hopefully begin this fall and Iam interested in getting some advice as I go through this process.

The jest of my proposal was to stage manage four productions two within the university a dance concert, and a department play and two productions from the outside community which would be an opera and musical. As per the faculty mandate, I would also oversee the eight novice stage managers for the senior one act festival. My commitment would be to check in on rehearsals and answer any questions they have along the way. At the end of my project, I would do a PowerPoint presentation of my overall project for faculty and fellow students.

After the submission of my detailed proposal and timeline with all productions and rehearsals/performances mapped out over the 8-month period I hit a wall going 90mph. A faculty member responded by saying that they know I can stage manage well and suggests that I rethink my proposal and create a departmental handbook and facilitate a class for the novice stage managers and just stick to the two school productions consisting of the dance concert and dramatic play.

As I am currently shopping around for Grad schools and plan to make a career in Stage Management, what project would you all suggest that would best speak to graduate schools and future employers…... More outside productions or….. facilitating a class/creating a handbook?

I appreciate all the advice/feedback, as I know you all have experience in the real world as Stage Managers where my faculty is design/acting based.

Thanks!
Brian

KMC

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Re: SM thesis advice for senior undergrad
« Reply #1 on: Jul 20, 2008, 12:29 am »
To answer your question I'd say outside productions.

My own editorial comment - I'd recommend going into the real world and getting a few years of good ASM/SM experience before hitting grad school, if you're going to hit grad school at all.  You don't need an MA/MFA to be a successful stage manager.
Get action. Do things; be sane; don’t fritter away your time; create, act, take a place wherever you are and be somebody; get action. -T. Roosevelt

BKrynicki

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Re: SM thesis advice for senior undergrad
« Reply #2 on: Jul 20, 2008, 12:38 am »
I concur...you don't need an MFA/MA to be a successful SM.  Moreover, to answer your question:

"...what project would you all suggest that would best speak to graduate schools and future employers…... More outside productions or….. facilitating a class/creating a handbook?"

As someone who is in a position to hire stage managers and thus a "future employer" (hypothetically)...outside productions are most valuable.  You don't have the experience to write a meaningful handbook and college productions are not as valuable as "real world" experience.  They inherently have a safety net and tend to be valued less than professional credits. 

My two cents.

Beth Krynicki
Principal Stage Manager
Washington National Opera

ReyYaySM

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Re: SM thesis advice for senior undergrad
« Reply #3 on: Jul 20, 2008, 01:00 am »
I wrote a stage management handbook for the theatre department at my university as my under grad honors thesis. It detailed policies specifically related to how the production process worked within my department.  It would have little if any application anywhere outside of the university.  In fact, it's no longer used at my university because new faculty took over the department and completely changed the way things work. 

My choice of thesis project was governed by the requirements of the thesis program at my university.  A power point presentation at the end of a year of SMing productions wouldn't have fulfilled the requirements, so the handbook seemed to be my next best option if I wanted to do something related to stage management. 

I agree with the previous posters.  Professional productions are going to look more impressive on your resume to potential employers.  In my experience, you're kind of living in a bubble when you are working in educational theatre.  My first professional production certainly opened my eyes to the way that theatre actually works. 

And speaking as someone who wrote a handbook as a thesis, I have never shown it to any employers in an interview or even mentioned that I wrote it.  My stage management philosophy has matured since that time and I have gained a lot more experience as a stage manager, so it would be pointless to offer it as an example of who I am and what I bring to the table as a stage manager. 

If you are forced to go the handbook route, please feel free to PM me for info on the approach I took to the one I wrote. 

Best of luck to you on your senior year and your thesis!

KMC

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Re: SM thesis advice for senior undergrad
« Reply #4 on: Jul 20, 2008, 01:37 am »
Beth, very well put.  As someone who manages a staff of over 40 full time Stage & Production Managers I say with absolute certainty that "real world" experience is much much much more valuable from an employer's point of view than anything in academia.
Get action. Do things; be sane; don’t fritter away your time; create, act, take a place wherever you are and be somebody; get action. -T. Roosevelt

MatthewShiner

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Re: SM thesis advice for senior undergrad
« Reply #5 on: Jul 20, 2008, 08:38 am »
more productions.
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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.

Brian

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Re: SM thesis advice for senior undergrad
« Reply #6 on: Jul 27, 2008, 10:55 pm »
Hey Everyone, I just want to say thanks for all the feedback. It was great to get advice from you all since you have industry experience vs. my college professors that are more academia based when it comes to Stage Management. I will be re-submitting my new proposal this week to include more outside productions. With that said….the outside theatre that I have worked with before has opened several shows to me this season…is it better to show stability with a theatre company or variety? The theatre two different theatres and does large scale shows. Thanks Again! Brian

BlantonRK

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Re: SM thesis advice for senior undergrad
« Reply #7 on: Jul 28, 2008, 09:40 am »
is it better to show stability with a theatre company or variety?

When hiring stage managers, I always look for at least on or two repeat venues (professional) on a resume. If no one who hired you ever wanted to work with you again, why would I?

 

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