Theatre BFA, Specialization in Stage Management
Theatre BFA, Specialization in Stage Management
About this Program
Earn your Theatre BFA, Specialization in Stage Management through immersive production experience, professional mentorship and hands-on training that prepares you to lead live performances with confidence.
If you’re passionate about theatre and thrive behind the scenes, the Theatre BFA, Specialization in Stage Management will prepare you to become the organizational and creative leader who keeps productions running seamlessly. Guided by faculty who are experienced stage managers, technical theatre artists and designers, you’ll develop expertise in communication, collaboration, leadership and decision-making while building the confidence to succeed in a demanding profession.
From your sophomore through senior year, you’ll participate in production practicums every semester, taking on roles such as stage manager, assistant stage manager, production assistant and swing stage manager. You’ll gain extensive experience supporting both plays and musicals as part of mainstage productions, working closely with directors, designers, performers and technicians in a collaborative, supportive environment. By graduation, you’ll have developed the professional experience, leadership skills and adaptability needed for careers in stage management and a wide range of creative industries.
Quick Facts
Program Type
Major with Specialization
Degree
Bachelor of Fine Arts
School
Cornish College of the Arts
Campus
South Lake Union
Learning Format
In-Person
Duration
4 years
Start Date
August, January
Credits
120 semester credits
Find YOUR Creative Path
Our Theatre programs are designed with flexibility in mind. Students can explore different academic and creative paths early in their studies and, if their interests evolve, easily transition between the BFA and the BA without losing progress toward their degree. BA students benefit from the freedom to study across disciplines by pursuing a double major or minors, while students pursuing a BFA receive specialized training. This structure helps you find the program that best supports your artistic and professional goals as they evolve through your course of study.
At a Glance
Choosing a college is about finding the program that best supports your goals. At Cornish, we look for students who are passionate about their area of study and eager to grow.
Stage Management and Production Minor
The Stage Management and Production Minor introduces you to the collaborative, technical and organizational skills that bring live performances to life. You’ll gain practical experience in stage management, production processes and backstage operations while working alongside students across theatre and dance productions. Whether you plan to complement another major or explore a career in live entertainment, the minor provides valuable experience in leadership, communication and production management.
Core Skills & Techniques
- Management: Intermediate and Advanced Stage Management, Production Practicum and Internship opportunities.
- Technical Theatre: Wood & Steel Fundamentals, Fabric & Construction Fundamentals, Stage Management Fundamentals, Lighting Fundamentals, Sound Fundamentals and Graphic Fundamentals. Studio Practice Rotations in: Prop Making, Costume Construction, Scenic Painting, Production Management, and more.
- Theater History and Theory: Understanding the historical and theoretical contexts of Theater, Musical Theatre, Global History of Dress.
- Collaboration: Communication skill building, problem solving, and respectful exchange of ideas. Developing the ability to critique artworks constructively and engage in critical discourse. Multiple opportunities to engage with creative teams in support of productions.
- Professional Practices: Career development, portfolio showcase, artist website development, and networking in the performing arts industry.
- Interdisciplinary Practice: Encouraging collaboration across various visual art, design, and production disciplines to create innovative performances.
- Performance Practice: Options to take stage combat, directing, intimacy, voice, podcast, and other experience complementary to the role of the stage manager.
Learning Outcomes
- Collaboration: Employ effective collaborative approaches in the creation of interpretive and generative (devised) works
- Communication: Articulate complex artistic ideas verbally, visually, and in writing.
- Analysis & Critical Thinking: Integrate research, critical thinking and contextual analysis from a diversity of sources
- Professional Standards Craft: Generate and apply discipline specific craft and communication within the creation of live performance, adhering to professional industry standards
- Personal Aesthetics: Articulate an emerging personal aesthetic grounded in both historical and contemporary theatre-making practices, and apply one’s artistry through a racially- and culturally-aware intersectional lens
Connect Your Passion to New Possibilities
Explore purposeful academic combinations while pursuing a rigorous arts education to enhance your career preparation. At Seattle University, you can customize a Theatre BFA by pursuing any minor offered across Seattle University without extending your time to degree.
While this is not an exhaustive list, explore some of the many ways Theatre can be paired with other disciplines to enhance your academic journey and strengthen your professional preparation:
- Theatre BFA + Electrical Engineering Minor
- Theatre BFA + Medieval Studies Minor
- Theatre BFA + LGBTQ Minor
- Theatre BFA + Nonprofit and Public Administration Minor
- Theatre BFA + Social Welfare Minor
Explore Facilities
Create with confidence in professional spaces that encourage experimentation, collaboration and artistic exploration.
Raisbeck Auditorium
Work behind the scenes in Raisbeck Auditorium, building the organizational and leadership skills needed to manage professional live performances.
Cornish Playhouse
From rehearsals to curtain call, you’ll build professional stage management experience in the Cornish Playhouse, a landmark Seattle theater and home to Cornish’s mainstage productions.
Learn About the PlayhouseJon and Mary Shirley Fabrication Studio
Build practical production skills in the Jon and Mary Shirley Fabrication Studio, where you’ll gain hands-on experience with scenic construction, props and production materials.
Visit Cornish College of the Arts
For more than a century, Cornish College of the Arts has inspired artists, performers and designers to push creative boundaries and shape the future of their fields. Today, at Cornish College of the Arts at Seattle University, you can experience that legacy firsthand while exploring the studios, performance spaces and collaborative community where creativity comes to life. Schedule a campus visit, take a virtual tour or connect with our admissions team to discover how you can make this historic creative community your own.
Stage Management Faculty + Staff
Dedicated to mentoring the next generation of creatives, Cornish faculty combine extensive professional expertise with a passion for teaching students how to develop the skills, confidence and vision to succeed in the arts.
