USU Theatre Student Gains Career-Ready Skills Through National Conference

LOGAN, Utah — A technical theatre student at USU was selected to represent the university at the United States Institute for Theatre Technology Conference in Long Beach, California.

Megan Campbell, a third-year student in theatrical stage management, was selected as one of only three student ambassadors nationwide. The competitive application process required faculty support, portfolio submissions and written responses about her interests in the field.

“Applications opened up in October, and my lighting mentor professor recommended me and wrote a letter of recommendation, and also helped me pull together some portfolio pieces,” Campbell said.

As part of her role as a student ambassador, Campbell was paired with Prague-based projection designer Stanislav Callas, whose work focuses on projection design, a highly specialized area within technical theatre. During the conference, she interviewed Callas, discussing his innovative, world-class approach to incorporating live video cameras and projections into touring productions, an emerging technique that is helping shape the future of the field.

“I got to sit down in a public setting with a microphone and ask him my questions on stage and see the audience’s reactions,” Campbell said.

In addition to the on-stage interview, she participated in portfolio reviews by professors at Yale and Stanford, networking events and discussions with professionals from around the world. These experiences offered valuable insight into both the creative and professional sides of technical theatre.

“One of the biggest parts of getting a job in this career field is being able to showcase your skill set,” she said. “So having such a professional resource when it comes to portfolio review was really invaluable.”

Campbell said that opportunities like USITT are made possible through the support systems at USU, including faculty mentorship and funding resources.

“I think placing a good emphasis on the use of the resources we have as students has really helped my career grow a lot in just the few short years that I’ve been here,” she said.

That global exposure she gained is already shaping her future goals. Campbell plans to pursue stage management across a range of environments, from traditional theatre to large-scale events.

For more information on Department of Theatre Arts at USU, visit the website.