Author Topic: Stage Managment Colleges in NY  (Read 10159 times)

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tipsofpencils

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Stage Managment Colleges in NY
« on: Nov 19, 2010, 11:10 pm »
I'm a stage manager in a community college in NYC right now. I've Stage managed a few productions in school. The time for me to transfer to a four year college is coming up. I was wondering if anyone can recommend a good SM college around NY or NYC.

nick_tochelli

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Re: Stage Managment Colleges in NY
« Reply #1 on: Nov 20, 2010, 01:01 am »
The immediate knee jerk reactions I will give is SUNY-Fredonia and SUNY-Purchase. They are two of the best schools for theater in the state college system. The only thing about Fredonia is it doesn't have a Stage Management program per se. You can (or could when I went there) create a major that is tailored to your needs. For instance, a friend I went to school with created a Technical Direction BFA major approved by the school.

Purchase has a ready made BFA. It's a conservatory vs. liberal arts like Fredonia. Being a Fredonia alum, I have an ingrained dislike of Purchase but could never be able to identify exactly what it is that I dislike about the school. But those two would be my suggestions.

Rebbe

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Re: Stage Managment Colleges in NY
« Reply #2 on: Nov 21, 2010, 11:49 am »
If we’re talking SUNY, I have to plug my alma mater SUNY Oswego.  Lots of opportunities for hands on experience, great people, and you’ll have impressive stories about the weather for years to come.   
"...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)

nick_tochelli

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Re: Stage Managment Colleges in NY
« Reply #3 on: Nov 21, 2010, 12:26 pm »
and you’ll have impressive stories about the weather for years to come.   


Its so true! I just had some college friends visit and we told Fredonia weather horror stories...maybe it's just a SUNY wide phenomenon.

I can't remember anymore, but does NYU have a sm program? I want to say they do.

G-O gr24

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Re: Stage Managment Colleges in NY
« Reply #4 on: Nov 22, 2010, 09:09 pm »
also plugging my school - SUNY New Paltz! I'm a senior there now so let me know if you have any questions!

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Re: Stage Managment Colleges in NY
« Reply #5 on: Nov 23, 2010, 01:57 pm »
Syracuse University seems to produce a lot of working actors -- off hand, more than any other college in the NY area -- so that might be a good place for an aspiring stage manager to investigate.

Hofstra University has a very good theatre program and is producing a number of good working stage managers.  (Disclaimer: I know the stage manager professor there and gave a guest lecture last year.)

Hunter University might be another good option; while Maymount College also has a theatre program that you might not hear too much about but also seems to graduate a lot of good theatre folk.

Kate McC.

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Re: Stage Managment Colleges in NY
« Reply #6 on: Nov 28, 2010, 01:48 am »
I have to agree with Syracuse University (granted it's where i am currently attending), the program does well to prepare SMs for the real world. All of the SM's who graduated last year are working in the theater, if not as a stage manager or apprentice as a TD or event planner for a regional theatre.

Also a girl who entered in my class came from a community college in CA, they were very welcoming to her, working to get all of her prior credits to transfer and count towards her degree. she will be graduating this spring after only two years in the program as a result of the classes she took prior, though granted she was taking over the maximum credits each semester to do so.

Just some info to help you! let me know if you have any other questions about the university or i can direct you to my friend for more specific information.
Katherine McC.
Syracuse University; Dept. of Drama
B.F.A. Stage Management
NY Alpha Chapter of Pi Beta Phi

JenniferS.

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Re: Stage Managment Colleges in NY
« Reply #7 on: Nov 29, 2010, 05:43 am »
If you don't mind going farther away from NYC (which I didn't after growing up near there--its good to be other places, gives you perspective!) than take a look at Ithaca College. Here's a couple reasons why it could be a good choice for you:

1. It's a BA program, so transfering in works well and we've had a couple transfers the past year that managed to come in, have all their previous credits count, and get right into working on shows.

2. They just finished renovating the entire theatre building, so everything's nice and shiny!

3. There's plenty of opportunities for undergrad SMs because we don't have a grad program.

4. The theatre department is very tight-knit and supportive--you pretty much automatically have friends and lots to do on the weekends. Obviously since you're looking for a college, education is the most important thing but finding people you'll want to be around for the next however many years is a plus.

5. You could do nifty things like intern at a fringe theatre in London, which is what I'm doing right now.

That's my barely-awake-spent-all-night-at-a-load-in summary, but if you have any questions feel free to PM me : )

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Re: Stage Managment Colleges in NY
« Reply #8 on: Jan 06, 2011, 10:24 pm »
Rutgers-Mason Gross!!! I just transfered there myself into the stage management department, in fact. They, like SUNY Purchase offer a  BFA for stage management and have a conservatory run program. If you are willing to make the jump across the river into Jersey to go there, it would be a really really good choice. It's a really amazing intensive program with a lot of great contacts and opportunities.

I am going into my second semester there and am already stage managing a show this Spring. They teach you everything and are very well versed in every area. Mostly all the faculty and staff work in the field to this day. Everyone is really welcoming and it seems to be a really good fit for me :-)
Mae Frankeberger
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Calie.Davis

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Re: Stage Managment Colleges in NY
« Reply #9 on: Mar 03, 2011, 10:31 am »
The immediate knee jerk reactions I will give is SUNY-Fredonia and SUNY-Purchase. They are two of the best schools for theater in the state college system. The only thing about Fredonia is it doesn't have a Stage Management program per se. You can (or could when I went there) create a major that is tailored to your needs. For instance, a friend I went to school with created a Technical Direction BFA major approved by the school.

Purchase has a ready made BFA. It's a conservatory vs. liberal arts like Fredonia. Being a Fredonia alum, I have an ingrained dislike of Purchase but could never be able to identify exactly what it is that I dislike about the school. But those two would be my suggestions.

Can you recall SUNY tuition if you don't mind me asking?
Techies don't make mistakes...WE IMPROVISE!

avkid

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Re: Stage Managment Colleges in NY
« Reply #10 on: Mar 04, 2011, 01:21 am »
These are current, but be aware that tuition hikes are happening across the board throughout the SUNY system.
http://www.purchase.edu/departments/StudentAccounts/TuitionAndCosts.aspx

http://www.fredonia.edu/admin/studentaccounts/tuition.asp
Philip LaDue
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