The stage management program provides professional training for students pursuing a career as a stage manager. It requires 81 credits, including 12 performance project credits in a major production and internship. Rigorous course work and extensive production experience are combined over the three-year, full-time residency to provide the M.F.A. stage management candidate with a balanced background in stage production, directing, and acting, as well as in design, technology, and theater management. Students begin as assistant stage managers and are then given full responsibility to stage manage, tech, run, and maintain fully produced plays with professional directors. Their roles in stage managing production and production stage managing for the Jameson Project and the Rutgers Theater Company seasons prepare them for the demands of professional life. Individualized study programs are designed to sharpen skills in all areas of theater, while permitting the student to develop and explore personal and professional interests. The school`s close proximity to New York can also facilitate the opportunity to intern at a variety of venues, as scheduling allows. A full-time internship is a crucial portion of the thesis project, constituting the transition between the academic and professional worlds. Students may also undertake summer internships in New York and elsewhere. The full-time internship is generally performed in New York on various on and off-Broadway venues. Past examples of internships performed by Mason Gross students at major regional theaters include Arena Stage, Hartford Stage, and the Goodman Theater.
