The quest for professionalization: A twentieth century cautionary tale for United States stage managers

This dissertation explores stage management’s failed attempts at professionalization in the early twentieth century. Using Harold L. Wilensky’s theory of professionalization as a means of comparison, I investigate the ways stage management tried to develop as a field of practice but were ultimately thwarted from professionalizing. Wilensky developed his theory in the 1960s investigating the paths of five professionalized occupations between the late nineteenth century and the early twentieth century. Likewise, I examine stage management’s attempts at professionalization in the same period. However, Wilesky’s theory is problematic because it reinforces systemic racism structures. Because of this, my dissertation concludes by interrogating Wilensky’s theory to develop a more equitable professionalization process. Between 1870 and 1980, the stage management community used the publishing process to define and redefine stage management, which is the first step toward professionalization in Wilensky’s theory. An analysis of these stage management handbooks reveals that the labor and titles attributed to stage management shifted from directorial tasks to technical direction to contemporary stage management between 1900 and 1950, making it difficult to pinpoint the exact labor of the stage manager. The analysis also reveals that due to the scattershot and incomplete nature of publishing on the field and its practices, stage management was unable to engage in a field-wide, coherent conversation advocating for a specific definition and set of standards, which ultimately prevented the field’s professionalization. In the 1940s, the stage management community turned to the field’s professional organization, Actors’ Equity Association (AEA), to arbitrate professionalization. AEA records and stage management documents demonstrate the ways the field attempted to achieve professionalization and the ways AEA resisted such changes, maintaining that stage managers were actors with additional responsibilities. The inability to fully advocate for stage managers rights through AEA has delayed the professionalization of the field, leaving members of the profession frustrated. The lack of perceived professionalization continues to contribute to the marginalization of stage managers and threatens the safety and success of all theatre workers. This dissertation demonstrates why there has been resistance to the professionalization of stage management historically and how past practices continue to restrict the field. The dissertation concludes by mapping out significant conversations that the stage management community must have to achieve an anti-racist professionalization process. This includes, but is not limited to, ways that stage managers must restructure the field, training programs, and standard practices to create a more equitable field.

Name thesis:degree_name

Ph.D.

Level thesis:degree_level

Dissertation

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Theatre

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2022

Author dc:creator

• Scheier, Jennifer Leigh Sears

Contributors dc:contributor

• Robinson, Valleri
• Jenkins, Jeffrey E
• Pullen, Kirsten W
• McGraw, David J

• theatre
• stage management
• theatre history
• stage management history
• stage manager
• United States
• professionalization
• anti-racism

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2021 Jennifer Leigh Sears Scheier

Language dc:language

en

Handle dc:identifier

http://hdl.handle.net/2142/113030

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:www.ideals.illinois.edu:2142/113030