Carnegie Mellon University School of Drama: In a collaboration between the CMU School of Drama and the University of Pittsburgh Department of Theater Arts, general stage managers Alana Clapp and Stacey Myers spoke about their work with Cirque du Soleil.
Founded in 1984, Cirque du Soleil is a Canada-based performance company for high quality artistic events with contemporary circus performers and live music. Today, Cirque hires over four thousand employees for their twenty-one shows around the world.
5 comments:
I went to this workshop, and it was absolutely fascinating. Hearing about the process of Stage Managing such technically complicated shows, as well as the structure of Cirque as a whole was an amazing opportunity. My interest in Cirque and desire to know how everything in their shows worked was one of the reasons I went in to technical theater. They both showed some clips of them calling the show, and the clips of KA included a bird’s eye view, and I wish I could’ve seen the whole show from that camera angle. They also talked a fair amount about the structure of Cirque and what different jobs there are on a show, which while wasn’t necessarily as interesting as hearing them talk about their work, was really helpful as someone who has been interested in working for Cirque but didn’t have a clear idea of what the internal structure is like. It is near impossible to sum up what I learned just from what Clapp and Myers had to say, but I’m very thankful for the opportunity to have heard them discuss the work they do.
I am so happy and so grateful that the School of Drama was able to bring in Alana Clapp and Stacey Myers for this workshop! Last May I was lucky enough to attend USITT’s Elite Training workshop in Las Vegas, which was focused on stage management through the lens of Cirque du Soleil. Stacey and Alana were the people who led that workshop, and I would highly recommend applying for anyone potentially interested in stage management. The workshop at Carnegie Mellon was a little more focused on the company of Cirque du Soleil itself, and I was very happy to learn more about how to structure of the company worked and what their process was like from initial creation of a show to opening. It was very excited to see people from all disciplines attending this workshop, as I think that everyone has something to gain from it. I know that I would love to intern or work for Cirque in the future, and this workshop has definitely confirmed that for me.
I am always happy for the opportunity to hear from Stacey and Alana. Like Megan, I attended the Elite Training Program in May of 2016. These two are the dynamic duo when it comes to Cirque education, because they both come from very different backgrounds and have varying perspectives. Stacey worked half of her professional life as "a sound guy," eventually ending up in stage management. Alana, on the other hand, graduated from CMU in 2010 with the explicit plan to become a stage/production manager. They both have ended up in the same role, General Stage Manager, at two of the largest shows in the world. Having worked under Stacey and shadowed Alana, I can say with full confidence that they are two of the strongest managers I have ever seen. They are both extremely passionate, kind, and focused. They care deeply about the artists in their shows and their actions make that abundantly clear. I admire both of these women very much, so I am very glad that they were able to speak to our students this semester.
Attending this workshop was an absolutely fantastic opportunity. Stacey and Alana gave us a window into all of the challenges and structures in the world of Cirque. I really enjoyed hearing about their hierarchies and a sort of day in the life overview of their work. I have always been quite interested in going into Cirque because of the scale and resources they have access to, as well as the absolutely stunning pieces they produce all over the world that incorporate such talented and diverse performers. Watching videos of Stacey and Alana call their respective shows was a really great experience. It is abundantly clear how passionate they are about their performers and the technicians that work alongside them, and it seems that Cirque is a place where that is true for all who work there. I intend to apply to their internship in the future, and I hope that I have a chance to get a deeper look into their company.
Cirque has always been the type of theatre I have wanted to do. They are always, as i call it, creating the magic. I have see all but one of the Cirque du Soleil shows in Vegas, and each one was a feat of genius. I applied to work for cirques several times and even got an interview once before I left jr college. The amount of technology that goes into a newer show is outstanding and complex. And up until recently had one of the best recorded for safety. The amount of perpetration and precaution that must take place at the stage management level must be at the highest level of excellence in order to keep the magic going. I am really proud to be at a school that has an alumni connection with such a profound company like Cirque. I trust that one day ill be able to cross this company of my bucket list.
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