Course in stage management

CORE SUBJECT

Stage Management Theory and Technique

Stage Directors Luca Bonini, Andrea Boi, Davide Armati Battistelli, Barbara Patruno, Laurent Daniel Gerber, Luisella Caielli, Pietro Paolucci, and Lucio Mazzoli

- Organizational and technical role of the stage director in opera, drama, and concert theatres.

- Regulation of stage activities in indoor and outdoor venues.

- Observation and Direction of rehearsals and performances.

- Music theory, solfège, score preparation. 

Field Project

in collaboration with the Piccolo Teatro di Milano

COMPLEMENTARY SUBJECTS

Introduction to the professional figures in the performing arts

Umberto Bellodi, La Scala Academy coordinator

- Professional profiles in the performing arts.

Institutional nature of producers and/ or host organizations

Mariano Festa, Relations, Teatro alla Scala

- Opera and Symphony foundations.

- Policy, institutions, legislation. 

Production Organization

Maria De Rosa and Nadia Ferrigno, Teatro alla Scala Department of Production Organization

Michele Sciolla, musical services director, Teatro alla Scala

Andrea Minetto, consultant and project manager

Paolo Belluso, tour manager

- Production organization for opera, festivals, and tours.

- Focus on production organization and planning, Teatro alla Scala.

- Musical services and the role of the assistant conductor/piano accompanist.

Introduction to the role of assistant stage manager

Marco Monzini, collaborating stage manager, Teatro alla Scala

- The role of the assistant stage manager in opera

Elements of stage technique 

Oscar Frosio, lighting designer

Andrea Ferrario, sound designer

Giuseppe Tolva, Stagehand Department, Teatro alla Scala

Teatro alla Scala Chief Department

- Theatre lighting

- Sound technology

- Meetings with Teatro alla Scala department heads: makeup, costumes, sound, stagehands, props, footwear

- Stage organization, coexistence during performances

- Specific terminology 

PERFORMING ARTS CULTURE

Music history and repertoire analysis

Fabio Sartorelli, musicologist

Paolo Piazza, assistant conductor, Teatro alla Scala

- Requisite knowledge of musical repertoire for stage managers

- Music itineraries, aspects of dramaturgy

- History of Italian opera from its origins to the early 20th century

- Analysis and study of selected opera titles

Stagecraft

Ruggero Bellini, Head of Set Design Workshops, Teatro alla Scala

Stefania Cavallin, Assistant to the Technical Director, Teatro alla Scala

- Elements and terminology of stagecraft

- Specific nomenclature

- Two-dimensional technical design, reading and understanding plans and sections

- Special effects in the theatre

- Comprehension and reading of sketches, figurines, and theatre models

- Tours of former Ansaldo workshops, Teatro alla Scala

- From design to execution, from the stage to the performance

History of ballet

Fabio Sartorelli, musicologist

Vito Lentini, dance and ballet historian and critic

- Notable La Scala ballets, music, choreographer, performers

- Advanced contemporary repertoire from the 1990s to the present day

History of theatre costumes

Chiara Donato, costumer

- Historical development of theatre costumes

- Stage props and costume shop tools

- Stage organization for costume changes

History of theatre stage set design

Leila Fteita, set designer

Stefania Cavallin, Assistant to the Technical Director, Teatro alla Scala

- History of set design

- The creative process from sketches to construction drawings

- Set designer – stage manager relations during set construction and setup

- Guided tours 

CAREER ORIENTATION

Teamwork for teaching

La Scala Academy staff

- How to manage interpersonal dynamics in a learning group.

- How to gauge learning in specific moments in order to assess progress of each individual toward general course objectives. 

Career Orientation

Marco Aldo Amoruso, Teatro alla Scala HR Director

La Scala Academy staff

- Presenting oneself professionally

- Characteristics of the job market

- Professional contracts

- Internship orientation

English for the performing arts

Polly James, native speaker and teacher of English

- English for the performing arts 

Interpersonal and organizational competencies

Rita Cannata, HR specialist

- Interpersonal communication

- Focus on assertiveness, conflict management and negotiation

Workplace safety

Michela Songini, Health and Safety Director, Teatro alla Scala

Sergio Antonio Tasca, safety trainer

- Information on workplace health and safety

- General and specific training: low risk activities 

International focus

Performing arts experts

- Basic knowledge and competencies of a stage manager in the performing arts on the international level. 

Meetings with experts

Performing arts professionals

- Stage managers and professional figures with whom he/she interacts. 

The course trains a professional capable of fulfilling the role of stage director in national and international contexts for opera, ballet, concerts, musicals, drama and in production sectors demanded by the market.

 Applicants must pass a two-part selection process to be admitted to the course:

- a written test;

- a personal interview.

Two selection sessions are planned in 2025, both held in Milan at the Academy facilities (via Santa Marta 18):

FIRST SELECTION

It will take place on May 15 or 16, 2025; the deadline to apply is on April 30, 2025

SECOND SELECTION

It will take place on October 15 or 16, 2025; the deadline to apply is on September 26, 2025

Those enrolling in and passing the first session will be entitled to a tuition discount.

Those who enroll in the first session but do not pass may enroll in the second session but will no longer be eligible for the discount.

Full details of the selection process can be found in the course's brochure.

Register and/or login to the Academy enrollment platform

To apply for the selections, you need to register or log in to the Academy's enrollment platform (https://iscrizioni.accademialascala.it).

Your email and the password you choose will become your login credentials [username and password] that can be used again for subsequent visits. You will also be asked to read the privacy notice.

Application

After registering, enter the information requested for the specific applicant following the step-by-step. You will asked to download, sign, and attach the Terms & Conditions "Condizioni di contratto per la partecipazione". This step is necessary to proceed with the application process.

Attachements:

• 1 passport-sized photo;
• your full CV

Tuition:

You will be asked to pay the application fee of 100 € directly online via credit/debit card or credit transfer. The payment must be made online directly though the enrollment platform (do not close the page before paying). A summary of entered data is generated at the end of the above steps.

In the event of successful selection, candidates residing outside the European Union must submit the documentation required by law and by the provisions of the Italian Public Security Authorities for non-EU citizens (requesting and obtaining a residence permit for study purposes) by the start date of classes.

Scholarships, tuition exemptions, students loans, and other forms of financial aid bring training of the highest artistict quality complemented by direct practical experience in the chosen field within the reach of all.

Scholarships. Students who pass the selection process and whose ISEE (Equivalent Financial Status Indicator) does not exceed 20,000 euros may apply for a scholarship to cover all or a part of tuition. The application process will be communicated in a separate announcement delivered to all those passing the selection process. 

Merit loans and student loans. The La Scala Academy has established conventions with credit institutes to provide other forms of financial aid covering tuition and/or lodging to all students in good academic standing.

For further information, please contact the Teaching Office: segreteria.didattica@accademialascala

The Academy has agreements with accommodation, restaurants, theatres, cinemas and other shops, from which students can benefit - by presenting their ID card - or even candidates for selection, by presenting their full registration.

Once the course has been completed, the student can join the Alumni Accademia La Scala community, a platform that provides the Academy's alumni with a range of services, including job offers, continuing education content, event proposals, conventions and reserved discounts - as well as fostering relations between alumni.