GIANNA BURLINI
LAURA PIERSON
.jpg)
Production and Stage Manager
BS in Theatre Production - Stage Management
Technical Theatre Minor
lmpierson1311@gmail.com (812) 343-8572
Laura is a stage management major from Columbus, IN. Her areas of focus include stage, production and event management. Although never on the theatrical stage herself, Laura grew up immersed in music which cultivated her passion for the arts. She took her skills for management in high stakes, fast-paced environments and applied them to the artistic world, bringing her to where she is now studying stage management. Productions she is proud of include Marcus or The Secret of Sweet (Ball State University), Crazy For You* (Ball State University) and Borrowed Babies (Ball State University). After graduation in December 2020, Laura plans to move to the Chicago or Atlanta region for work.
Why do you do theatre?
I have always had a passion for telling others’ stories, that aspect is what led me to believe I should pursue journalism throughout high school up until my first year at Ball State. But I realized that my passion is not just for telling stories, but for working with passionate people. When I joined the running crew of the spring musical my junior year in high school, I was exposed to a whole new community. Everyone there was passionate about what they were doing, which in turn allowed them to access massive amounts of creativity and create/tell soul moving stories. I often think about a conversation I had with my director after the first show I stage managed which ended with her remarking: “Theatre people are crazy. We create these worlds and live them for only a few weeks before we tear them down and start all over again. It’s the closest thing we have to magic.” I have a desire to work with passionate people, to be passionate myself, to tell stories, to be a part of something bigger than myself and I can use my talents of problem-solving and organization for something I am passionate about.
Additional work to highlight?
For the past year, I have worked as the one of the Assistant Production Stage Managers for the Department of Theatre of Dance. Standardly, this job includes preparing and heading all departmental auditions in addition to running day to day work needs per the PSM. This semester, the position grew to a new level as our current PSM left over the summer on short notice. Without a replacement in mind and with hiring practices halted in the university due to COVID, my partner and I decided to step into the PSM shoes as a team until a new faculty was hired. We held this interim position from late July to September, continuing our work as students and working to keep the department running smoothly as the pandemic swept through our production season. Our days consisted of reorganizing rooms within the building to accommodate for social distancing, running production design meetings, working with stage managers to ensure safety among their casts and reworking calendar dates. Through this experience, I have realized my love for production management and hope to further pursue the focus as I leave college.
What's a dream gig?
A dream of mine is to work backstage or event manage the New Year’s Eve celebration in Times Square. The challenge of entertainment variety as well as the event being live with cameras sounds extremely exciting to me. I have a passion for organization in high stakes, fast-paced environments with a focus on art and this event is a culmination of everything I love.