The lights dim, the music swells, and before the first ballad is sung, there are more than 130 cast and crew members transporting the audience from the real world and into “Wicked,” a Tony award-winning musical about friendship, romantic rivalry, conflict, and loneliness.

This summer, Eric Mayer, graduate student and staff member with the Department of Theatre, interned with “Wicked” at the Gershwin Theatre, as part of his master's thesis project. Mayer said, “This was an energizing and inclusive opportunity that gave me a complete 360 view of what it takes to produce a show of this magnitude every night."

Mayer's master's thesis explores the similarities and differences between academic theatre and commercial theater. An Arts and Sciences Professional Development Grant made it possible for him to intern with The Gershwin Theatre. Mayer said, "Everyone has been great about supporting me and this experience has helped me develop goals and figure out a post-graduate path.”

The internship involved everything from lighting to automation to processing paperwork to running lines with the actors and even making coffee on a daily basis. Some nights, Mayer would observe the stage mangers who were running the deck or calling the show (the true "[wo]man behind the curtain" that keeps the 130 cast and crew doing the right thing at the right time); he also made sure that new actors had their props before going on stage.

Mayer who has stage managed "Hair" (OSU), "The Secret Garden" (CAPA), and "The Miracle Worker" (Phoenix Theatre for Children) and sound designed for “The Piano Lesson" (CATCO) and "The Nutcracker" (Columbus Youth Ballet) is the Stage Manager this fall for the Department of Theatre's production of Elton John's “Aida.” He is also teaching Theatre 602: Stage Management.

After graduating, Mayer would like to tour with production companies for a few years, and then hopes to come back and re-join the OSU Department of Theatre. He feels that touring will give him the experience he needs to be a better educator. Mayer said, “Touring takes a toll on you but in the end, the possibility of giving back to OSU is a good thing. The possibility of others benefiting from my experiences and being able to share them with students to help them achieve their goals is well worth it."