Q&A with Mia Rosenfeld, Working Company Manager

Emerson Stage’s production of the musical Working (2012 Revised Version) opens on Thursday, April 18, at the Cutler Majestic Theatre. I reached out to Company Manager Mia Rosenfeld, BFA ‘19, about her role, process, and experience working with Emerson Stage.

Tell us about your role in the show and what the process has been like.

I am the Company Manager for Working. At Emerson Stage, the student Company Manager acts as a liaison between the company and the full time staff in the Emerson Stage office. You might see me working on building the program, getting contracts signed, or coordinating fun marketing adventures. For example, a few weeks back, I organized a performance where members of the cast got to sing selections on 88.9 WERS to promote the show. The Company Manager is a unique position to find within a college theatre program, for sure. As a graduating senior looking to kickstart a career in arts administration, it is really special to get to learn from David Colfer and Alix Bigley (General Manager and Assistant GM), whose work really keeps Emerson Stage going.

What are the specific challenges of company managing a musical like Working?

The spring musical tends to have the most moving parts of all the shows in our season! Since my job covers a lot of ground, there are always new things popping up to keep me on my toes. At Emerson Stage, we hire professional Boston musicians to play our shows. I have been working with David on budgeting and building contracts for our orchestra! I’ve never dealt with the musician’s union before, so it’s all new territory. It sounds cheesy, but this show has been a really great learning experience for me! That’s what we are all here for, right?

What has you the most excited about Working?

This is my last production at Emerson, and it’s definitely a special one! It’s such unique—we don’t get to see real, everyday people’s stories in theater often. That, combined with the beautiful Cutler Majestic Theater, is going to be true theater magic. I’m so excited for the Emerson community and the rest of Boston to come see it once we put it all together!