Graduation Spotlight Series: Backstage, from UC Irvine to Broadway
Share
Jo McEvoy in front of the New Swan Shakespeare Festival stage being assembled at the Claire Trevor School of the Arts. Photo by Diana Kalaji.
Jo McEvoy, M.F.A. ’26, stage management
By Christine Byrd
Even before completing her M.F.A. in stage management in the Department of Drama, Jo McEvoy has earned a Broadway credit.
She recently worked as a production assistant on the Broadway debut of The Fear of 13, starring Oscar winner Adrien Brody and Tessa Thompson. Collaborating with carpenters and electricians to get the show up and running, she gained new insights into production management.'
“I really enjoyed learning that there's a language for teams that are working with artistic types, and there's another language for working with folks who are the practical side of things — and both are so valuable,” said McEvoy.
It wasn’t her first professional experience as a UC Irvine student. Last summer, McEvoy worked as production assistant for the world premiere of Huzzah! at San Diego’s Old Globe theater. Then, she was selected for the inaugural Next Stage residency program, a partnership between UC Irvine Claire Trevor School of the Arts at South Coast Repertory (SCR), where she served as assistant dramaturg for God of Carnage and Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?
“Doing dramaturgical work on well-established, Tony Award-winning and Pulitzer Prize-winning plays is very different from new plays, which is what I’m used to,” said McEvoy. “I learned a lot, and it was nice to be introduced to South Coast Rep’s processes and rehearsal room.”
A production of the musical Starmites in the Claire Trevor Theatre, on which Jo McEvoy served as assistant stage manager. Photo by Jeanine Hill.
McEvoy says she loves being around the rehearsal table, listening to actors work through a script. That reflects her undergraduate degree from the University of California, Riverside, in English literature and theatre, film, and digital production with a concentration in dramaturgy.
“I think that my background in dramaturgy makes me much more attentive to the story, as a stage manager,” shared McEvoy.
McEvoy started practicing stage management in community theater as a teen — after a bout of “crazy stage fright” pushed her backstage. Despite her years of experience, she says the formal training at UC Irvine has elevated her to a new level. From the whirlwind of her first year working on one production each quarter, to her senior thesis this fall, Green Knight, McEvoy says she’s now prepared for whatever live theater throws her way.
“There is a level of flexibility and adaptability that UCI teaches, making us not just equipped to deal with what comes up, but able to make the best of it,” said McEvoy. “We’ve gained all these skills and foundational knowledge now, and I feel like I'm coming out of the program a lot sharper, more decisive and confident.”
A production of The Green Knight in the Claire Trevor Theatre, with Jo McEvoy as production stage manager. Photo by Jeanine Hill.
This spring, McEvoy returned to SCR to serve as production assistant for the Pacific Playwrights Festival’s production of The Ingenue by Eleanor Burgess. After commencement, her next job will be close to home, as well: she’s going to serve as production stage manager for Romeo and Juliet at UC Irvine’s New Swan Shakespeare Festival this summer.
“I'm extremely grateful for my time at UCI and everybody who helped,” McEvoy says. “Theater is such a community-based activity, and my community here has been the most supportive and loving group of people.”
To learn more about the department of drama, visit arts.uci.edu/drama.
