Looking toward the Future
by Lauren Long, University of Wisconsin at La Crosse
Recipient of an NBS Student Scholarship for Annual Conference and Stage Expo travel
To start, I would like to thank the Northern Boundary Section for awarding me a student scholarship that helped me attend USITT this year. This last March was the first time I had the chance to go to the USITT Annual Conference and Stage Expo and I had a wonderful time.
Currently, I am finishing up my Junior year at the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse. Unsure of where exactly I wanted to go to grad school and where I might like to apply for jobs, I took the USITT conference as an opportunity to network and talk to schools from around the country. Additionally, I wanted to sit in on a few sessions and learn more in depth about topics in the industry. Though I am mainly a costume design student, I am working towards minors in stage management and arts administration and I’m very interested in lighting design. Throughout the week, I attended panels on almost all those topics.
One of my favorite panels I attended was called “The Magic of Disney: Telling Stories with Light. It was about lighting design in the Disney Parks. If anyone knows me, they know I’m a big Disney fan. I used to work in the parks in Orlando and I’m very interested in the live entertainment in the parks. In the panel, Adam Frank, a Senior Show Lighting Designer from Imagineering and Ryan Gravilla, a Principal Lighting Designer from Disney Parks Live Entertainment spoke about what their jobs entailed inside the company and how light is used in the Disney Parks to tell stories and bring people into the scene. Other than that panel, I attended a session about stage management in the United Kingdom, a session about costume design and work in the film industry and a few others.
Back on the Expo floor, I spent time talking to different graduate schools. One school that interested me, and I spoke extensively to was the Royal Welsh School of Music and Drama. Their representatives spoke to me about the differences between American drama programs and drama programs abroad. We talked about how their program worked and what sort of projects students would be doing. It was very insightful to hear how schools outside the United States operate and how programs differ. I spoke to other graduate programs from the United States as well. I plan on going to URTA next year- being able to speak to the schools before attending was really helpful.
Other than graduate schools, I spoke to quite a few different companies and theatres throughout the conference to get a feel for what sort of jobs are out there and are available. I found out! There were so many booths and companies; I don’t think I spoke to everyone I wanted too. I talked to the Disney Parks Live Entertainment representatives about costuming jobs and seasonal positions that I could possibly take while still in school. I spoke to quite a few cruise lines because I am very interested in what goes into putting on a show on a ship. I also talked to a few theatres about internships and positions. Speaking to the different companies on the expo floor has made me really excited for my future and what is to come.
After a nonstop week of catching swag, talking theatre, networking and getting sunburn, I left USITT feeling overwhelmed but excited to possibly work with some of the people I met in the future. Once again, I would like to thank the NBS section for the student scholarship. USITT was a great experience and I look forward to attending again in the future. [ ]