BFA Stage Management at Illinois

Very proud of these 6 humans (plus the one who is missing!!). Congratulations! 💙🧡

Two of my favorite traditions in SM Class. Senior Top 10 and Alumni Update! So proud of these humans.

As some of you may have heard, the fabulous Maria Miguens is leaving us at the end of this semester to return home to Argentina. We'd love for YOU to consider coming home to the U of I to work with us as a KCPA Production Manager and member of the Stage Management Faculty. Please feel free to reach out with any questions!

Production Manager and Stage Management Instructor, Krannert Center for the Performing Arts Duties & ResponsibilitiesACADEMIC INSTRUCTION: • Holds a 0% teaching appointment in Department of Theatre as a Teaching Assistant Professor, wi...

I had the joy of chatting with alumni Melissa Robilotta a few weeks ago about her post-graduation life from UIUC. Our chat quickly grew into a long, inspiring conversation about the various avenues one can find when they graduate the walls of Krannert.

Melissa graduated with her MFA in 2015 and found her path from stage management to events (live & virtual) to running a venue where she advances 4-8 events per week. She primarily worked/continues to work in New York and some stops on her journey have included being an SM intern at The Public, working for Utah Opera, Atlantic Theater Company, Glimmerglass, and the National Family Planning Health Resource Association.

When asking the age-old question of “what advice do you have for students looking toward their future careers?” she provided many great points; the two biggest ones that stuck with me were these:

“When they talk about the transferable skills in school, they really are transferable, and you quickly rise to the top because of those skills.”

“Don’t be afraid to put it out there that you are looking for work.”

Thank you, Melissa, for your infectious energy and time to chat!

-Allyson Imig (2nd Year, MFA)

Cody Chen (University of Illinois MFA ’11) is currently the General Manager at the Chicago Joffrey Ballet and returned to Illinois after a few years in New York City to pursue his career in dance at the Joffrey. He is currently on tour for the Joffrey Ballet and has already toured areas in Minneapolis and Iowa! Starting off in Stage Management, he has progressed to be a Production Manager as well as his current job, a General Manager. He is looking forward to increasing his horizons in further leadership roles in the future.
A few words of advice he wanted to include for those studying Stage Management is to not burn bridges and to stay curious. Be curious about the art form, the people you work with, and those who can give you opportunities.

Thank you for taking the time to be interviewed, Cody! Hope the rest of your tour goes well!

- Basil 🌿

Matthew Kurtis Lutz (Stage Management BFA ’08) is currently the Stage Manager for Broadway’s Stranger Things: The First Shadow. He has also recently worked in stage management roles on Suffs, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, and Some Like It Hot.

Currently, Matt is leading the rehearsal process for the next cast of Stranger Things. In our conversation, he also spoke about his process for learning new tracks on Broadway, both as a show caller and in deck positions.

For aspiring stage managers, Matt offers this advice: “You have to approach stage management with a smile and a curiosity about how everybody works... You can make beautiful paperwork until you’re blue in the face, but the job is really about being a people person.”

Matt and I first met four years ago during the run of Some Like It Hot, where I had the opportunity to listen to his show call and speak with him about his journey after UIUC. Matt — it was a pleasure to reconnect for this post. Thank you for sharing what you’ve been up to!

— Lara Stone, BFA ’26

Day 4 (Part 2): Our last day was bookended by 2 iconic experiences of the trip! The morning began with everyone trekking down to the Vegas Sign for an iconic photo - and it ended with seeing Mystere - an iconic Cirque du Soleil show. The brilliant Jimmy Slonina, UIUC BFA Acting Alum, began the show in the house and did a callout to the “folks from the cornfields in Illinois”! After the performance, we got to talk with Jimmy and the entire Mystere Stage Management Team - who took us on a backstage tour and up to the SM Calling Booth.

Day 4 (Part 1): Our last day in Vegas was filled so many opportunities - we need to have multiple posts!! We spent the afternoon in a New York, New York Hotel Conference Room - where 4 professionals with a diverse wealth of knowledge in Corporate Events and Entertainment Management took time to chat with the students. Our guests’ collective experiences spanned Cirque, Blue Man Group, Sphere, Bishop-McCann Event Management, Jack Morton Global Marketing, Done By Friday Project Management, and Opportunity Village. Our guests included 2 UIUC Alumni - Claire Friday (MFA Stage Management) and Mary Grisolano (BFA Stage Theatre Studies).

Day 3: Started with a yummy group breakfast, then we headed to SGPS ShowRig in North Vegas to meet with the VP of Touring, Ben Lampman - who is also a UIUC Theatre Alumni! We toured the massive faculty and learned a lot. That evening we saw Awakening at the Wynn and met the stage management team afterwards. We were the FIRST EVER group to be given permission for a backstage tour at this show - it was such an incredible experience!!