In our Student Q&A series, we spotlight Kaitlyn Chaidez, a BFA Stage Management senior whose passion for collaboration and leadership has defined her time at USC. As Production Manager for Legally Blonde and a student who has immersed herself in every corner of the production process, she brings both rigor and joy to her craft. Here, she reflects on the power of mentorship, the lessons learned from mistakes, and what it truly means to hold a production together.
Why did you choose your program?
Chaidez: I chose the BFA Stage Management program because I love being both a leader and a collaborator. Stage Management combines those two roles in a way that feels completely natural to me. I thrive in rooms filled with creative minds, where problem-solving and collaboration drive the work forward. Every department contributes something essential to a production, and I find so much joy in helping guide those moving parts into one cohesive artistic vision. Stage Management has allowed me to support diverse teams and bring bold ideas from concept to performance, and there’s nothing more fulfilling than seeing that work come to life in front of an audience.
What is your favorite SDA class so far, and why?
My favorite class so far has been Contemporary Theatre in a Changing World with Professor Matthew Montgomery. It was a truly transformative experience. In this small but mighty class, we explored innovative forms of storytelling and challenged ourselves to reimagine what theatre could be.
One project asked us to adapt any piece of media into a theatrical concept. My classmates and I reimagined “Open Arms” by SZA as a movement-based piece exploring the slow fade of friendship. For our final project, I created a verbatim theatre concept titled Emails I Can’t Send, which blended musical interludes with real emails I’ve received as a stage manager, alongside the responses I wished I could give. The class encouraged risk-taking, individuality, and bold artistic choices. I always felt supported in creating work that was personal, inventive, and unapologetically me.
What is something you wish you had known when you started at SDA?
I wish I had known that making mistakes is not only inevitable, but necessary. You won’t get everything right on the first try, especially in a role as demanding as Stage Management. Growth comes from missteps just as much as success. The key is persistence. As a wise blue fish said: “Just Keep Swimming.”
What’s the best advice you’ve received so far?
Re: “Just Keep Swimming”
Have any professors been particularly impactful on your professional journey?
As I transitioned from Assistant Stage Manager to Production Stage Manager during my sophomore year, I had the privilege of being mentored by Leia Crawford, SDA’s former Associate Production Manager. They were an extraordinary role model during a pivotal moment in my growth.
Beyond strengthening my leadership and organizational skills, Leia taught me something even more important: I didn’t have to compromise who I was to be an effective stage manager. They encouraged me to embrace my personality fully, to build community with my casts, create traditions like Snack Thursdays, bring my Sonny Angels to the tech table, and allow joy to exist alongside rigor. They also modeled resilience, showing me that failure isn’t something to fear, but something to learn from.
I couldn’t have asked for a better mentor to guide me through the demands of a BFA in Stage Management and college life. I am the stage manager and the person I am today because of their leadership and belief in me.
Has being in Los Angeles affected your training and the opportunities you’ve had?
Absolutely. Being in Los Angeles has greatly shaped both my training and my opportunities. As a Southern California native from Long Beach, I thought I knew the area well, but living and studying here has completely redefined it for me.
In the four years that I have lived out here, I found so many go-to spots that bring me so much joy: my favorite flea market, my favorite overpriced latte, my favorite shopping center, my favorite deep reflective stare-out-a-window-spot, with so much more left to explore.
Los Angeles has immersed me in a thriving professional theatre community. I’ve had the chance to experience extraordinary productions sponsored by SDA, my favorite being Harry Potter and the Cursed Child at the Pantages!
Even more impactful, I’ve been able to shadow professional stage managers at the Pantages, observing productions like Back to the Future: The Musical and Moulin Rouge! The Musical from backstage, sitting next to and watching the Stage Manager call the show. Being able to take what I observed and apply it directly to my work at SDA has been one of the most meaningful aspects of training in Los Angeles.
Are there any classes you would recommend for students who are interested in stage management?
I would absolutely recommend starting with Stage Management I. That class lays the foundation for what it truly means to be a stage manager. You create a mock prompt book that includes production calendars, cast lists, line notes, blocking notation, daily calls, and performance reports, with a strong emphasis on the organization and paperwork that are essential to the role.
Beyond that, I highly encourage students to take as many design classes as possible. As a stage manager, understanding the language, process, and priorities of designers is crucial to leading a production effectively. I’ve had the opportunity to take sound, lighting, scenic, and costume design courses at SDA, and each one has strengthened my ability to communicate across departments and anticipate production needs.
You are currently serving as the production manager for Legally Blonde. What are the major differences between production and stage management and what does your role look like within the production?
Serving as the Production Manager for Legally Blonde has been a meaningful culmination of my time at USC. After Stage Managing multiple productions at SDA, I became increasingly interested in the larger structural and logistical framework that supports a show, the “big picture” beyond the rehearsal room. Production Management has allowed me to explore that perspective.
While a Stage Manager focuses primarily on the day-to-day operations of rehearsals, facilitating communication, running the room, and maintaining the creative process, a Production Manager oversees the production from early development to strike. The role requires long-term planning, budget oversight, scheduling across departments, and ensuring that all moving parts align on a broader institutional level.
I served as Production Manager for Musical Theatre Repertory, an independent student production group, where I worked closely with producers to plan and execute a full-scale musical each semester. I created comprehensive timelines spanning creative team onboarding, auditions, rehearsals, tech, and performances, while also overseeing budget tracking and load-in logistics.
For Legally Blonde, I am working alongside Tony Shayne, SDA’s Assistant Professor of Theatre Practice in Production Management and Producing, to support the designers, coordinate department communication, and ensure that the production’s artistic vision is logistically achievable. It has been incredibly rewarding to approach a musical not only from the rehearsal room perspective, but from the structural level, solving the larger puzzle.