If you’ve ever attended a theatre production, have you wondered who keeps track of the props or who communicates with the costume department? Who makes sure the performers are in the right place at the right time, and the technical aspects of the production are running smoothly? This is the job of a stage manager; they have the challenging job of keeping track of everything and everyone backstage.
Meenakshi Chinmai is a second-year MFA student in Stage Management in the Department of Theatre Arts. An international student from India, she is currently working as the assistant stage manager alongside KatyBeth Schmid on the Hancher and School of Music collaboration, Fierce.
Chinmai got her start in theatre at the age of six because her mother was a choreographer and physical trainer at a local theatre group. She began her career as an actor but, eventually, found her place behind the curtain.
“I always had the mind of a stage manager,” Chinmai explains. “I memorized other people’s lines, I knew when props moved on and off the stage, I remembered each costume change and when it was supposed to happen. I was always out of character thinking about how someone forgot their entrance or missed their line.”
Chinmai recalls an enlightening workshop with Professor Terry Converse from Washington State University, hosted by her mother’s theatre group. “I was only in eighth grade,” Chinmai says, “so I technically wasn’t allowed to participate but while he was there, I would help him, and he told me I was doing the work of a stage manager. That was when I first learned what a stage manager was.”
From that moment, Chinmai began researching and developing a keen interest in stage management. “Stage management is not a common thing in India, so I wanted to explore it in more detail,” she describes her aspirations for her degree. “My goal is to go back to India and implement what I’ve learned here, so I can really contribute to the theatre scene I grew up in.”
Chinmai looked into a number of stage management programs, but after speaking to her faculty advisor and mentor, Melissa Turner—assistant professor and head of stage management in the Department of Theatre Arts—she knew this was the place for her.
“The program here is unique, we have so many opportunities to work in our department but also across the performing arts,” Chinmai explains what drew her to the University of Iowa. “Before coming here, I hadn’t stage managed many shows so the opportunity to work on shows in the Department of Dance or to stage manage for one of The School of Music’s operas really felt golden.”
Since coming to the university, Chinmai has worked on several shows including Men on Boats, West Illinois Glass House, La Traviata, and The Children’s Hour. Her graduate assignment for the semester was to work on Fierce, in the role of assistant stage manager.
“I feel really lucky to have this assignment,” she says. “I worked on the opera last spring and really enjoyed the experience, but it’s such a different experience working on Fierce with Dr. Menefield and KatyBeth.”
KatyBeth Schmid is the production stage manager for the Department of Dance and the Martha-Ellen Tye Opera Theatre at the University of Iowa. Schmid is the stage manager for the Iowa premiere of Fierce, a contemporary opera that mixes the genres of jazz, R&B, Latin music, pop, and so much more. Originally commissioned by Cincinnati Opera, the piece was composed by Dr. William Menefield, a UI assistant professor of jazz studies, in collaboration with librettist Sheila Williams.
“One thing I’ve enjoyed about working on Fierce is that it’s very much theatre,” Chinmai explains. “Sometimes opera can feel more like a recital, where the focus is on the singing. But Fierce is theatre. There is an emphasis put on acting as well as singing and I really like Dr. Menefield’s approach.”
Fierce is an opera that follows the stories of four teenage girls about to embark on the next chapter of their lives—college—as, along the way, they come together to empower each other and grow as young women.
“I love the story,” Chinmai explains, “it’s relatable, especially as a young woman. There’s a song called ‘Red Lipstick Warrior’ and it’s just really empowering.”
During Fierce rehearsals, you can find Chinmai setting up the room for rehearsals, keeping track of all the props, and putting everything away at the end of the night. She’s the person who communicates with the costume and prop department about changes or needs expressed during the rehearsal process. She helps the rehearsal process run smoothly.
After working on La Traviata last spring, Chinmai decided to take a course that focused on stage management styles for opera.
“It’s great to be able to implement what I’d been learning in a real-life setting,” she says. “That’s one of the things I really appreciate about this university. When I leave Iowa next year, I will be leaving with a resume, a professional portfolio, and connections that can help me as I pursue the next phase in my career.”
Fierce will premiere on Hancher’s Hadley stage April 26 and 27, and is co-produced by the UI’s School of Music, Performing Arts Production Unit, and Hancher Auditorium.