Cole Newman

An intensive two-week-long summer program, hosted by Middlebury College, dedicated to building and analyzing six new plays for future publication and/or production.

• Collaborated with various professional actors, stage managers, directors, playwrights, production designers, and other students to learn about professional processes.
• Participated in read-throughs of new plays, offering feedback and analysis to aid in the process of building scripts for later publication and production.
• Participated in daily rehearsals, lasting up to four hours at a time, as well as workshops and masterclasses in devising, directing, acting, lighting, sound, and foley.
• Assisted in stage setup and breakdown, including over 100 props and instruments used during rehearsals and workshops.
• Collaborated with directors and writers to analyze and develop six plays in preparation for public staged readings at the end of the program.

Stage Manager for The Virtuous Fall of the Girls from Our Lady of Sorrows, by Gina Femia. Directed by visiting professor Sheila Bandyopadhyay at Middlebury College in spring 2025.

• Coordinated top-of-show stage setup, including sweeping, mopping, resetting the stage, and tracking props, to allow for smooth performances.
• Daily email correspondence with the cast, crew, and production team to coordinate schedules and rehearsal/performance needs. Assisted in managing and distributing production and rehearsal schedules for actors.
• Streamlined communication of rehearsal and performance needs between theatrical departments throughout the artistic process.
• Monitored equipment usage, including ladders, glow tape, and large set pieces, ensuring the set was safe and secure for use by the actors and crew.
• Supported the cast and crew by communicating logistical updates throughout rehearsals and productions.
• Implemented feedback from the director and technical crew to consistently improve production quality throughout the process.
• Ensured continuity in performances by maintaining detailed records of blocking notes, prop placements, and costume changes.
• Collaborated with the director, designers, and producers to achieve the desired artistic vision for the production.
• Collaborated with the technical crew and designers to safeguard the presentation of the artistic vision, including drawing maps of the set for the actors' convenience.
• Oversaw the successful execution of technical cues during live performances, ensuring seamless transitions between scenes, thus enhancing the audience's experience.
• Adapted quickly to last-minute changes during both rehearsals and performances.

Stage manager for Guys and Dolls, by Abe Burrows and Jo Swerling. Directed by Craig Maravich at Middlebury College in winter 2025.

• Coordinated top-of-show stage setup, including sweeping, mopping, resetting the stage, and tracking props to allow for smooth performances.
• Documented rehearsal and performance notes to ensure continuous improvements throughout the artistic process.
• Adapted quickly to last-minute changes during both rehearsals and performances, including during emergency situations (i.e., injury on set).
• Oversaw successful execution of technical cues during live performances, ensuring seamless transitions between scenes.
• Daily email correspondence with the cast, crew, and production team to coordinate schedules and rehearsal/performance needs.

Ensemble actor in Orlando, by Virginia Woolf, adapted by Sarah Ruhl. Directed by Professor Claudio Medeiros at Middlebury College in Spring 2024.

• Performed a diverse range of roles in a fully produced, two-and-a-half-hour-long stage performance.
• Collaborated with directors, dialect coaches, choreographers, producers, and fellow actors to refine character and scene execution.
• Participated in daily, four-hour-long rehearsals, demonstrating punctuality and commitment to performance.
• Engaged in script analysis and dramaturgical research to understand character motivations, setting, and context of the play.
• Practiced lines and scenes independently and with peers to prepare for performances.