Today we’d like to introduce you to Stephanie Polhemus.
Stephanie, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I always had an interest in theatre. I grew up singing and dancing and performing in school and church plays. Once I found out that you could have a career in theatre, I decided to major in theatre at the University of West Georgia. I went into college as a performer, but quickly became fascinated with everything that happened behind the scenes. I was able to explore and create. I was particularly drawn to management and Scenic Design.
Once I graduated, I spent a year freelancing in Atlanta theatre. I worked as a stage manager, carpenter, painter, ticket sales, anything someone would hire me to do. I determined that I really wanted to be a Scenic Designer, but needed more experience and education. I ended up going to graduate school at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and receiving an MFA in Scenic Design.
After receiving my MFA, I returned home to Atlanta to teach theatre at the University of West Georgia and continue a career in Atlanta Theatre. I taught there for seven years before venturing out in theatre full time working as a scenic designer, stage manager, and box office manager. I am now thrilled to be the Company Manager at the Atlanta Lyric Theatre and Resident Scenic Designer at Georgia Ensemble Theatre.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I am so thankful that it has been mostly a smooth road for me. I have been blessed with being at the right place at the right time and knowing the right people. Not to say that I have not worked hard. Anyone who knows me knows I work all the time and I work hard. In this business, you have to work hard. About a year ago I actually considered leaving theatre altogether. I was pretty burnt out. I am now so glad I didn’t. I believe I am where I was meant to be.
Atlanta Lyric Theatre and Georgia Ensemble Theatre – what should we know? What do you guys do best? What sets you apart from the competition?
I am the Company Manager at Atlanta Lyric Theatre. The Atlanta Lyric Theatre is dedicated to producing the best in musical theatre and fostering the growth of the Atlanta theatrical community by showcasing local professional talent. I love our company! We all work so well together and support each other. It is hard to describe everything that I do. Everything from contracts, working with unions, arranging housing and travel, budgeting, running auditions, and general organization of the company. It is a new job title for me and I am loving it! I have always been a fan of the work the Lyric produces and I am thrilled to be a part of the process from beginning to end.
At Georgia Ensemble, I am the Resident Scenic Designer. As a designer, I work closely with the director and other designers to decide what the play will look like. I take ideas and concepts from the director and do a lot of research, both historical and artistic/inspirational, and then I do a lot of drawing. I sketch out my ideas for the show and once those ideas are finalized and approved, I do scale drafting of what every piece of scenery looks like. I then take that drafting and do painting of each scenic unit and a scale model. I think my specialty as a designer is problem-solving. I love a challenge! I love to figure out how to get 15 different locations to fit in the space constraints and budget constraints and still look great.
What moment in your career do you look back most fondly on?
This year has been my proudest moment. I feel like this year has been the culmination of all of my hard work coming to fruition. I super proud to be in both of my positions. I also received an Alumni Achievement Award from the University of West Georgia this year. I am just so proud of where I am right now.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.atlantalyric.com ; www.get.org
- Phone: Lyric: 404-377-9948 GET: 770-641-1260
Getting in touch: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
