Learning the Interdisciplinary Aspects of Stage Management

TEDxURI is an independently organized event of TED Talks, a series of 5-20 minute long speeches about any topic surrounding a central theme. In 2019, the University of Rhode Island presented its second annual TEDx event, focused around the theme “Change It Up.” I was asked to perform the role of stage manager and coordinator for the event. Stage management at the University level is taught for the theatrical stage. Often, students learn the basics of tracking actor movement, creating and organizing schedules, establishing a record of all paperwork, and throughout the process, displaying strong communication skills on a collaborative team. I stage managed Women and War as URI Theatre’s first season offering in the fall of 2018 and due to that experience, I was able to discover how those skills were transferable and applicable on an interdisciplinary scale. Throughout auditions, callbacks, rehearsals, and performances, I organized information, conducted meetings, and supervised a successful event launch for the non-theatrical TEDx event. The aim of this project was to provide a hands-on approach to learning stage management skills for public events, speaker series, and other media presentations. By acting as stage manager for TEDxURI, I was able to learn more about these processes