Theatre Production: Stage-Management Program Equips Caroline Inches '24 With the Skills to Succeed on Broadway and Beyond Alumni Profile
Meet Caroline Inches '24
- Job Title & Employer
- Stage-Management Production Assistant
- Major/Program
- Theatre Production: Stage-Management
- Hometown
- Winter Garden, Fla.
- High School
- Windermere High School
- Now Living In
- New York City
- Hobbies & Interests
- Walking through different areas of New York City, reading and trying new restaurants.
"As a theatre production: stage-management major, students get to be an assistant stage-manager during their first semester on a main stage show, which is not common at other universities across the country."
Why did you choose Point Park University for your major?
I chose Point Park's B.F.A. in Theatre Production: Stage Management program not only because of its unique focus on stage management, but also because of the opportunities immediately presented to underclassmen. As a theatre production: stage-management major, students get to be an assistant stage-manager during their first semester on a main stage show, which is not common at other universities across the country.
How did your college experience prepare you for your career?
At Point Park, I was incredibly fortunate to form strong relationships with my advisors and professors, who were always available to talk about my production assignments and career goals.
Additionally, I was lucky enough to train in the university's Pittsburgh Playhouse, which gave me a sense of working in a large theater and on productions that matched the scale. Training at the Playhouse was invaluable for me because I gained experience working with professional designers and directors in varying roles, while acting as a stage-manager. Leading production meetings and tech rehearsals while having New York-based theater makers on our teams was not only a great lesson but a great confidence builder.
You interned at The Muny after you graduated from Point Park. Tell us more about that.
My internship at The Muny as a stage-management assistant was the perfect first step after I graduated from Point Park. It was there that I worked with seven stage-management teams, all with Broadway experience, and this opportunity was very formative to my style of stage-management. Our season that summer included "Les Misérables," "Dreamgirls," "Waitress," "Fiddler on the Roof," "The Little Mermaid," "Anything Goes" and "Into the Heights." I made so many industry connections at The Muny that were invaluable when I moved to New York City.
Inches outside of the Schubert Theatre in New York City
Highlight other roles you had, including your Broadway debut.
I've also worked on various Off-Broadway productions and workshops and in varying roles on stage-management teams. Most recently, I made my Broadway debut as a production assistant on “Jeff Ross: Take a Banana For the Ride,” and I am currently working on the first national tour of Alicia Keys’ Broadway show, “Hell’s Kitchen."
What are your responsibilities as part of the team working on the first national tour of "Hell's Kitchen?"
A large part of the production assistant's role is to have an understanding of all the elements of a show prior to entering the theater. In a rehearsal studio, we don’t always have access to automation (turntables, tracking systems, etc.) so a production assistant, along with the rest of the stage-management team, is tracking all of that information and making sure rehearsal pieces are seamlessly incorporated within the numbers, so that when we get to tech, no one is surprised by the true show conditions.
What advice do you have for prospective students?
The faculty are looking for students who are passionate and excited about this program, and students who are truly themselves. At Point Park, students spend four years learning and growing, so try not to go into the program with a pre-conceived notion that you should know everything about this major.
Final thoughts?
I am firm in my belief that I would not have the wonderful career opportunities I have been granted without my experience at Point Park!