The Man That Changed a Forest Dweller's Dream by Isabelle

The Man That Changed a Forest Dweller's Dream by Isabelle - January 2025 Scholarship Essay

My dream is to be a professional stage manager, working on a Broadway tour. This dream came branched from a love of theater that has been deeply rooted in my life since childhood. Having grown up in a small school in Preston, Missouri that was primarily a farming community, the arts were not heavily considered or encouraged. My parents made sure to cultivate an appreciation for the arts in our lives by finding other paths. Live theater and Cirque du Soleil performances were the big ones

My mom would take me and my sister to see shows at the Landers Theatre in Springfield, Missouri, which was an hour away from our home in the woods outside of Preston. They often produce musicals, with the occasional play in their season lineups. I fell in love with that organization. The theater itself, the shows the organization would produce, all of it.

One summer, I signed up to participate in one of the theater’s “Technical Summer Camps”. Two weeks full of learning the ins and outs of technical theater. It was amazing. Every day, I would spend the hour-long drive home gushing to my mother about how much fun I was having and how it was so cool to learn everything, even if the first week was just spent painting.

That summer was the first time I had operated a follow spotlight, or a “follow spot”. Getting to watch the show from the second balcony, higher up than anyone would ever think available, was incredible. The entire camp itself was incredible.

I met many people through the camp. One of them was Chuck Rogers. I didn’t realize just how important he would be to the next year of my life.

I moved to volunteering at the theater during their next season, falling even more in love with technical theatre. Chuck continued to encourage me to volunteer, telling me that I was learning quickly. He told me at the end of the season that his plan was to turn me into a stage manager.

We spent the next school year in an internship where Chuck taught me and a classmate how to stage manage, with the opportunity to assistant stage manage three of the shows in the theater’s 89th season. It ended with him offering me the chance to stage manage the season closer, Guys and Dolls. Without Chuck’s continuous support, encouragement, and educating, I wouldn’t have ever thought I could be a stage manager.

He was my number one supporter during Guys and Dolls. He would constantly check in with me, asking how I was feeling and if there were any issues. He helped me when there were some struggles with other crew members, vocally giving his support and trying his best to help fix the issue. He encouraged me to continue my education in technical theatre, specifically stage management. He’s even stated that I can always use him as a reference, either for job applications or school applications. He’s checked in, with genuine interest, about my college searching and how it has been going.

Without Chuck Rogers, I wouldn’t have the confidence nor the experience to seek higher education in technical theatre. I wouldn’t have the courage to possibly move states, away from friends and family, for said education. Without Chuck Rogers, my dream would not be to become a professional stage manager.