From Artist to Admin: Managing a Theatre with John Stuff will be presented as a part of Corn Stock Theatre’s “Outside the Tent” Digital Workshop Series beginning at 6 pm. Registration is $12 per participant and is appropriate for all ages. Register at
www.cornstocktheatre.coursestorm.com Scholarships are available for students who qualify: to inquire about scholarships, call 309-676-2196.
Disclaimer: In order for this workshop to be presented as scheduled, there must be four (4) individual registrations. If the minimum is not met, Box Office staff will be in touch regarding your registration.
ABOUT JOHN STUFF:
Art and theater have been my passions since childhood. When deciding on a college path, I decided it would be easier to make a career in art than theater (starving artist or starving actor?) and received my BFA degree in Graphic Design. I worked for the University of Illinois as a graphic designer for 13 years while keeping theater as a hobby, directing the musicals at my high school for 13 years.
In 1990 there was talk of tearing down or gutting the Virginia Theater in Champaign, IL so a group of theater friends started the Champaign Urbana Theater Company to try to help save the Virginia. Several years later, we were able to get it into the hands of the Champaign Park District who still owns it and has completed a multi-million dollar restoration of the building. Mission accomplished.
While all this was happening, I was also freelancing and started my own design studio, Pen & Inc Graphic Design. I left the U of I to make Pen & Inc my full time job and also took on the role of Manager of CUTC. The two meshed well as I ended up doing a lot of the set designs/set painting and creating the marketing pieces for CUTC through Pen & Inc. As theater started monopolizing more and more of my time, I decided to break with all of it and moved to Dubuque, IA to take over the Executive Director position at the Grand Opera House. It turned out to be a poor decision and only lasted two years.
While looking for guest directing jobs, I went to Monroe, LA to direct a show and had such a great time I looked for more opportunities like it. In 2017 I saw a post they were accepting applications for the Executive Director position at the Depot Theater in Dodge City, KS. That position lasted just over 3 years until the Board decided to run the entire operation with volunteers. I am now the Supervisor of Promotions at the Boot Hill Casino and Resort in Dodge City, KS.
