Today started off with a USITT Upstate New York meeting that discussed the possibilities of a job fair for the area and how it can be marketed to students. I then went up to the Stage Expo where I visited a few exhibits and learned about products from different rigging, lighting, sound, and wireless dimmers. However the day truly started for me with my first seminar about student mentoring. In this session, there was a mentoring session in which students were able to ask professionals in the field any questions that students had about getting jobs. Their biggest advice was to be able to volunteer for a theatrical company to get foot in the door, and then the theatrical company will be willing to give you jobs because they will know you better than other designers.
In my second seminar today the major topic was the definition of a leader versus a manager, and how to inspire those working within a team atmosphere to do creative and inspiring work. I found the third seminar of today to be the most beneficial simply because it was a session about how to deal with new technologies in theater design as a stage manager. One of the presenters discussed how she works with a manufacturing company to create new technology in benefit to stage managers. In the seminar, she showed a smaller version of the stage manager’s integrated prompt desk; the most impressive feature of the mini console that she showed today was the cue lights on this prompt desk. I also found that stage managers may not understand new technologies with the design aspect, but that they should hold confidence in their abilities in stage management, and those skills should trump the fear that stage managers might feel with consideration to technology. One of the best statements I heard at this seminar was that with more technology, there is more time necessary to learn the technology.