Finding Artistic Wholeness in Stage Management: An Exploration of Art Philosophy in Technical Theatre

Ronnie E. Avansino
Fri, 17 Apr 2026 13:00:00 PDT

The idea and subject of this project was born out of how many people in my life have no understanding of what I am pursuing in my professional life, but even more so how the projects I have been working on for my academic career thus far impact my education. They hear that I am working towards a Bachelor of Fine Arts followed by an emphasis in Stage Management and they don’t understand how these two pieces fit together. However, while not inherently traditional, stage management is a career in the arts focused on logistics, but still is a deeply artistic endeavor. I have analyzed what makes this career one that is so artistically charged: what is the philosophy of art that would allow this career to be fulfilling for an artist. There is so much gray area in art, so to take a microscope to focus in on the connector of both performers and Design and Technology to see where stage management would live within this artistic and creative world that I have jumped into. I hope to give a broader understanding to the place of stage management within the arts and give it more of a stage to be understood by a more general audience. The art is in the balance of a stage manager making sure each piece falls into place for every single member of the production. Art is through the compassion of stage management ensuring that everyone feels safe, comfortable, and creatively empowered to create.