By Emily Gitten
We met with Julio Munoz to chat about the stage, the performing arts, and his time as a valued student employee.
Name: Julio Munoz
Year: Class of 2021
Major: Theatre and Dance
Concentration: Stage Management
Role at TPA: Scene Shop Assistant/ Receptionist/Student Engagement Events Manager
Q: Theatre and Dance seems like such a dynamic major. What do you find makes your program special?
A: My degree program provides real-world experience in stage management as plenty of shows in the Department of Theater and Dance require a stage manager. Additionally, people outside of the department ask for stage managers which give us opportunities to meet massive amounts of people all around the area.
Q: Being a stage manager sounds pretty intense. What is the biggest challenge you face on the job?
A: The biggest challenge stage managers face behind the scenes, based on my previous experience, is the uncertainty of what might happen on the stage with the performers. Stage managers have control of calling the cues for lighting, sound, scenery change, projections—but we're usually uncertain about the performers. The possibility of them forgetting a line, skipping a whole section of the script, skipping a section of a dance that would serve as a visual or audio cue for a stage manager can be heart-stopping.
Q: It seems like you are really involved with the arts. What inspired you to become involved with the performing arts community?
A: I'm inspired by the live productions and by listening to the crowd react after spending so much time bringing the production to life.
Q: As a scene shop assistant you must really make things come to life. Do you have any favorite projects?
A: My favorite show that I have worked on is an opera called Eugene Onegin. The scenic designer had an outstanding vision for the set, which called for the floor and walls to look like wood with pieces of paper attached almost everywhere. In the center of the stage, there was a giant spiral with papers hanging off of it, which would spin during parts of the opera. I enjoyed every step of creating the set with the shop team.