Author Topic: What Major?  (Read 6024 times)

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

dru*

  • New to Town
  • **
  • Posts: 9
    • View Profile
What Major?
« on: Apr 05, 2008, 01:22 am »
Okay. so i'm a hs student who stage manages and does a lot of tech at the school/community theatre level. i also direct a community theatre and help direct high school shows. i love performing, but i could never make it a living. i also LOVE doing anything else relating to theatre, especially stage managing and directing. i'm seriously considering perusing a career in stage management, but would also like to direct later on (probably at a local level) as well as keep performing (in community theatre).

SO... here's my question. What kind of degree should I get? If i want to be a stage manager, do i need a degree in stage management? I see a lot of school have a "directing/theatrical production" major. That sounds right up my alley, but how practical is it?

THANKS FOR YOUR HELP!

zayit shachor

  • SM Expert
  • ****
  • Posts: 175
  • Gender: Female
    • View Profile
    • http://thankyouten.blogspot.com
Re: What Major?
« Reply #1 on: Apr 05, 2008, 02:41 am »
You might want to look into liberal arts schools that have Theater Arts majors.  At my school, theater majors can choose a track (stage management is one), or they can create their own based on their interests.  It sounds like that sort of major might be what you're looking for - if you want to study a little bit of everything related to theater, it's the way to go.

You definitely don't need a degree in stage management to be a professional stage manager, but if you think it's a career you might like to pursue, make sure that your school has lots of opportunities to SM.  That way you can get some experience without necessarily focusing all your attention on it, academically-speaking.

JenniferS.

  • New to Town
  • **
  • Posts: 21
  • Gender: Female
    • View Profile
  • Affiliations: Ithaca College
  • Current Gig: Interning at the Finborough Theatre in London
  • Experience: College/Graduate
Re: What Major?
« Reply #2 on: Apr 06, 2008, 10:45 pm »
I second the liberal arts school theater major. I just went through the whole college process, and while I want to pursue stage management, I'm also interested in other aspects like directing and producing. I just had to decide between going to Syracuse/Emerson for a BFA in Stage Management or going to Ithaca for a BA in Drama and I went with the BA...

There are a lot of colleges that let you major in theatre and then pursue concentrations, or tracks, in a few different areas of theater. You're usually able to tailor the curriculum to your own set of interests, which sounds like it would work for you. Also, one thing you should definitely look for when your looking at programs is if the undergrad students get to participate a lot in the shows as SMs, ASMs, directors, etc...You'd be surprised how many schools limit what you can do or won't let you do anything until junior or senior year.

Britney

  • New to Town
  • **
  • Posts: 45
  • Gender: Female
    • View Profile
  • Current Gig: Troilus and Cressida - One Shot Productions
  • Experience: Professional
Re: What Major?
« Reply #3 on: Apr 06, 2008, 10:53 pm »
I am graduating from Ithaca this year!

I love the BA Drama program here. It gives you a lot of hands-on experience especially in the stage management realm. I've stage managed for 4 years here and I feel very prepared for a career in stage management upon graduation.
Name recognition for Ithaca College is extremely high and people are ALWAYS looking to hire Ithaca Theatre Department alumni because they have a reputation of being well trained and highly skilled.
We joke about Ithaca College having "the Ithaca Mafia" because so many of our graduating seniors get jobs because past Ithaca alumni hire them.

So that's my two cents.  I think the BA degree is really the way to go. You can be as involved (or not) as you choose.


-Britney

JenniferS.

  • New to Town
  • **
  • Posts: 21
  • Gender: Female
    • View Profile
  • Affiliations: Ithaca College
  • Current Gig: Interning at the Finborough Theatre in London
  • Experience: College/Graduate
Re: What Major?
« Reply #4 on: Apr 07, 2008, 05:07 pm »
I am graduating from Ithaca this year!

I love the BA Drama program here. It gives you a lot of hands-on experience especially in the stage management realm. I've stage managed for 4 years here and I feel very prepared for a career in stage management upon graduation.
Name recognition for Ithaca College is extremely high and people are ALWAYS looking to hire Ithaca Theatre Department alumni because they have a reputation of being well trained and highly skilled.
We joke about Ithaca College having "the Ithaca Mafia" because so many of our graduating seniors get jobs because past Ithaca alumni hire them.

So that's my two cents.  I think the BA degree is really the way to go. You can be as involved (or not) as you choose.


-Britney

!!!!!

That makes me really happy! I really like the program at Ithaca and I can't wait for fall  :)

Scott (formerly Digga)

  • Permanent Resident
  • *****
  • Posts: 230
  • Gender: Male
    • View Profile
    • Scott Pomerico
  • Affiliations: Actors Equity Association, Stage Manager's Association, Alpha Psi Omega
  • Current Gig: TheaterWorks Hartford
  • Experience: Professional
Re: What Major?
« Reply #5 on: Apr 08, 2008, 12:00 am »
I'm a proponent of the Liberal Arts system but only because that's the same thing I did.  It was nice getting a feel for every aspect of theatre.  Take into account though that I knew nothing about Stage Management until college and didn't even really start doing it until after I'd earned my degree.