Wolf Trap Opera:
Stage Management Apprentice

I spent the summer of 2019 as a Stage Management Apprentice at Wolf Trap Opera, just outside of Washington, D.C. This was my first true professional theatre experience, stage managing six different operas/projects in a twelve-week period. I had a solid stage management foundation from my first two years at The University of Texas at Austin, but this experience – especially with the help of several wonderful mentors – truly taught me how to operate and thrive within the professional world, from industry standards with paperwork to helping run rehearsal rooms as efficiently as possible to leading crews backstage during performances. The final three weeks of the summer were particularly hectic, culminating in a performance of Houston Grand Opera’s The Barber of Seville in the 7,000-seat outdoor Filene Center, but this allowed me to use my previous experiences of marching two extremely intense summers of drum corps to hone my technical and relational skills despite the many rehearsals and lack of sleep. I was able to focus on positivity, helping me to finish this apprenticeship on a high note. This summer at Wolf Trap Opera taught me so much not only about how the professional world operates, but also how to work with many different people in a positive and encouraging way – qualities I believe to be of utmost importance for stage managers.