What to expect-
The MFA Stage and Production Management Program at the University of Illinois provides dedicated theatre artists with the necessary resources and experiences to develop into professional stage and production managers who are ready to meet the rigors and demands in any genre of live performance. The curriculum centers fundamental stage and production management skills while building strengths in human-centered practices in our field including working with intimacy direction, leading consent-forward spaces, developing inclusive leadership skills, and understanding health and well-being practices for leaders and managers.
In the last decade, stage management has become a pathway to a career in production management. Drawing on the highly developed leadership and communication skills of the stage manager, students will also gain experience in big picture thinking, long-term planning, budgeting and production logistics. Practical experiences in the program include both stage management and production management assignments.
Graduates of the Stage and Production Management MFA program are flexible, confident, people-oriented managers who are ready to enter the professional world equipped with the skills and industry knowledge essential to a successful career in the performing arts and live entertainment.
Creating Leaders
The foundations of strong stage and production management lie in the basics of good leadership. Stage management and production management classes focus on developing skills in problem solving, collaboration and team management while addressing topics specific to the work of the professional stage manager. Course work is designed to challenge students to develop skills in production analysis, writing, presentation and computer proficiency. Classes in design, history and technology round out a vigorous theatre curriculum. In addition, visiting artists from Krannert Center for the Performing Arts often guest lecture which allows students to interact with working production managers, stage managers, company managers, producers, directors and performers in a casual seminar environment. Principles and techniques encountered in the classroom are fully explored through hands-on work as stage managers, assistant stage managers, production managers and assistant production managers during a season of over a dozen main-stage and studio productions.
The Theatre as Laboratory
The performance spaces at Krannert Center for the Performing Arts are the labs for all theatre students. The expansive facilities of Krannert Center offer a unique partnership between the Illinois Theatre, Dance at Illinois, and the School of Music’s Opera and Lyric Theatre Programs. Students gain experience working as stage and production managers in theatre, musical theatre, opera and dance productions – side by side with experienced professionals, seasoned faculty and other talented students. This immersion into the major genres of the performing arts along with the partnership of Krannert Center creates a vibrant educational environment exceptionally suited to training versatile, flexible and well-rounded stage managers.
On the Edge of the Extraordinary
Students also have the opportunity to work as stage managers and production managers on a variety of new works produced by Krannert Center, collaborating with cutting-edge artists including The Builders Association, the Bebe Miller Dance Company, Mikel Rouse and Ralph Lemon. Nationally, these artists are redefining theatrical expectation and reinventing traditional storytelling – and Krannert Center is a leader in producing these new voices of contemporary theatre. Stage and production management students can work in a variety of capacities on these projects, gaining hands-on experience with integrated video, audio and lighting technology as well as being collaborative partners in the creation of new work.
The Next Step . . .
Our alumni have taken the experiences they gained in theatre, musical theatre, opera, dance and event stage management while at the University of Illinois and have gone on to have exciting careers in the performing arts. UIUC Stage and Production Management Alumni can be found working on Broadway, Off-Broadway and in regional theatre, opera and dance companies around the country. Additionally, some have chosen to work in film and television production, live events and at colleges and universities as stage management teachers and production managers. Below is just a sample of where some of our recent alumni can be found:
On Broadway/National Tours: Cabaret, Jesus Christ Superstar, & Juliet, Officer and a Gentleman, Romeo + Juliet, The Devil Wears Prada, The Prom, Mean Girls, Betrayal, Peter and the Starcatcher, Annie, On Your Feet, Aladdin, The Audience, Sister Act, Mary Poppins, Wicked, Mamma Mia!, Christmas Story on Tour
Regional Theatre: Goodman Theatre, Alliance Theatre, The Public Theater, Roundabout Theatre Company, Eugene O’Neill Theatre Center, The Muny, Denver Theatre Center, Barrington Stage, Ogunquit Playhouse, Baltimore Center Stage, First Folio Theatre, Asolo Rep, Colorado Shakespeare Festival, Trinity Rep, Paper Mill Playhouse, Creede Repertory Theatre, Great River Shakespeare Festival, Colorado Shakespeare Festival, Arkansas Shakespeare Festival, Illinois Shakespeare Festival, Theater at Monmouth, Powerhouse Theatre, Connecticut Repertory Theatre, Dorset Theatre Festival, Redline Theatre, Definition Theatre Company, Dallas Children’s Theater, Williamstown Theatre Festival, Playwrights Horizons, Chautauqua Theatre Company
Opera: Glimmerglass Opera, San Francisco Opera, Cincinnati Opera, The Dallas Opera, Utah Festival Opera, Boston Lyric Opera, Minnesota Opera, Florida Grand Opera, Piedmont Opera, Santa Fe Opera, Nickel City Opera, Aspen Music Festival, Sarasota Opera, Atlanta Opera, Tri-Cities Opera
Academic Teaching/Staff Positions: Otterbein University, Emerson College,University of Miami, Colorado State University, Brigham Young University, University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Florida, Mason Gross School of the Arts
Dance Companies: Joffrey Ballet, Alonzo Lines Ballet in California, Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet in NYC, Mikel Rouse, Ralph Lemon, Karole Armitage, Bebe Miller, Jacob’s Pillow Dance Festival
Theme Parks/Cruise Lines: The Walt Disney World Resorts, Universal Orlando Resort, Virgin Voyages, Princess Cruises
For more information contact Professor Cynthia Kocher at ckocher@illinois.edu
