Master of Fine Arts in Stage Management
Alumni Testimonials
My experience in the University of Iowa MFA Stage Management program becomes even more valuable as I move forward in my career. The challenges, projects, people and overall spirit offered by the program and faculty continue to be an asset in my current career path. Even though I have moved from Stage Managing to being an Executive Director of a historic theatre, the lessons are still applicable. I think most vital to my experience was the collaborative skills I acquired while at Iowa. The spirit of collaboration plays out in every project that I do, and I am grateful to have had the opportunity to learn in such a nurturing environment such as the University of Iowa.
Beth Bewley (’03)
Executive Director, Englert Theatre, Iowa City , Iowa
beth@englert.org
UI provided me the perfect environment to better my skills as a stage manager and also made me a more well rounded individual. With two faculty members devoted to the stage management students, I was able to hear different thoughts and ideas on how to solve the myriad of problems that arose. This has become a great asset to me while discovering what kind of stage manager I want to be. Personally, I wouldn't trade my UI experiences for anything. Incoming students will have a lot of long nights and hard work ahead of them, but they will leave a stronger stage manager, and person, than when they arrived.
Josh Daniels
Production Stage Manager, Charleston Stage Company, Charleston, SC
stagemanager@joshddaniels.com
The skills that I developed as a stage manager at the University of Iowa have been invaluable to my work as a teacher. Learning how to deal with people in a diplomatic, non-confrontational manner; broadening my organizational skills; and learning how to adapt to any situation -- these have become an essential part of the 'toolbox' which I brought with me to my current work.
The opportunities that the UI Theatre Department provides ts stage managers are amazing. The sheer number of productions that are produced in a year allows its stage managers the hands-on opportunity to apply the theoretical concepts learned in the classroom. When I worked as an intern during my summers, I found that I was more prepared to deal with problems that arose than most of the other interns due to the experiences and training I received as part of the SM team at UI.
Stephanie Hinton
Instructor, Teach For America, Baton Rouge, LA
S_hintonsm@yahoo.com
My UI training was invaluable to me. I came into the program very young and with little professional experience. The personal growth and process I was able to achieve in my three years there prepared me for the professional world I was about to enter. The constructive criticism, mentorship and overall education I received from my committee, professors and peers was excellent, and it gave me the confidence and knowledge I needed to become a leader in my theatre community. I have many great memories from UI and will always be thankful for my time there.
Lara Kinzel (’04)
Resident Stage Manager and Executive Assistant, Palm Beach Dramaworks
pumpkinljk@aol.com
My time in Iowa was a great opportunity to grow not only as a stage manager, but also as a teacher and a social individual. I came into the program with some goals, but developed many others throughout my three years. The challenges of balancing class work, teaching, production assignments and everyday life prepared me for the world of professional stage management. As a stage manager, you are always going to have to make choices about the priority of what needs to be accomplished and what you as an individual need to have to be able to function at the moment.
Since graduating, I’ve come to realize the benefits of my Iowa new play experience. A big focus of theatre today is the development of new plays, everything from readings to workshops to full-scale productions. In the two years since I’ve graduated, I’ve worked on four new plays and adaptations. Iowa equipped me to deal with the ever-changing nature of the new play rehearsal process, as well as the many forms of the relationship of the playwright to the production process.
Rachael King (’05)
Assistant Stage Manager, Shaw Festival, Niagara-On-The-Lake, Ontario, Canada
kingrach@hotmail.com
The training and mentorship I received while at UI was most thorough and diverse, and has armed me with the skills to tackle any production-related issue that may head my way. More so, than ever before, I feel that I made the absolute best choice for graduate programs in my field, and that I couldn't have received better or more comprehensive training anywhere else. I'm still working on that perfectionism issue, but I'm getting better!
Sarah Smiley (’05)
Stage Manager, PlayMakers Repertory Company, Chapel Hill, NC
sesmiley@unc.edu
We played Madison Square Garden this weekend and I have learned so much about unions in such a short period of time. This weekend has really made me appreciate all of our union conversations in class, particularly the Equity class we took. Some of the things that arose were not as surprising to me as it was for some of my co-workers, and I attribute that to my time at Iowa.
Brett Van Fleet (’07)
Touring Business Manager, Doodlebops, North American Tour, Feld Entertainment
brettvanfleet@mac.com
